The Effect of Textual Producer-Generated Descriptions on Demand of Mobile Applications

Abstract

We analyze the impact of different app description characteristics on app demand on the basis of panel data for six months and 1081 distinct apps. We use several text mining techniques in order to operationalize the descriptions’ textual characteristics. The extracted variables are then used in an econometric investigation to examine their impact on apps’ downloads. Our results provide evidence that app descriptions have an effect on demand. Apps with upfront price should be described in a neutral tone. Apps without an upfront price but with in-app purchase option should be offered with rather short descriptions that are written in a formal and subjective style.