Half of app users are likely to be dissuaded from downloading an app based on customer reviews mentioning bugs and glitches, a survey by software testing company QualiTest revealed.

This means releasing apps prematurely, before thoroughly testing them, can result in fewer downloads and, thus, revenue for developers because of bad reviews, the company argued.

“In the highly competitive app market, customer reviews are king. In order to ensure downloads and maximise revenue, developers must take into account the reputation of their apps online”, said Ami Sterling, CMO of QualiTest.

The survey was carried out with Google Consumer Surveys based on a representative sample of more than 1,000 respondents from the US between the ages of 18 and 54 years-old.

It revealed only 10 per cent of users are very likely to download an app despite customer reviews referencing bugs and glitches, while 35 per cent believe companies do enough to ensure a better user experience, offering updated versions of apps with fewer bugs.

“In a market inundated with apps to choose from, users rely upon the feedback of previous customers to discern what apps are worth downloading,” the company stated.

The results follow a survey conducted in May 2017 by QualiTest which found around 40 per cent of users would exit an app if they experienced a bug.

What’s more, over 50 per cent would abandon it completely if they encounter one or more problems per day.