Unveiling functional aspects in google play education app titles and descriptions influencing app success

Abstract

Users search for applications on the online application store by inputting functional terms, such as “automated assignment solver”, “English translator” and “free VPN”. In response, the application store recommends a list of applications whose titles and descriptions closely match the user’s search terms. Acknowledging this, application developers incorporate trending and frequently searched functional terms into their application titles and descriptions to make them compelling and to enhance the visibility of their products in user searches, thereby increasing the likelihood of application success. However, traditional literature analyzing mobile application titles and descriptions to determine their impact on application success is scarce and may also lack data-analytical approaches. Moreover, the definition of application success provided by existing literature may be flawed, as it solely relies on higher downloads or positive numeric ratings, neglecting the crucial factor of time. This research proposes a Machine Learning-inspired framework to extract functional (aspects) themes from titles and descriptions of Google Play Education applications, influencing their success. It also formulates an enhanced definition of application success that considers downloads and ratings over a specific time period, and also integrates the user sentiment when defining application success. According to the findings of this research, themes of Math and Homework Support, Learning and Practice, Live Assistance and Tutoring, and Instant Solutions and Tools are highly correlated with success within the Education category of the Google Play store. Developers can enhance the visibility and appeal of their applications in user search results by incorporating these themes into their application titles and descriptions, ultimately leading to higher likelihood of success.