Make the apps stand out : discoverability and perceived value are vital for adoption

Purpose: From an environmental psychology perspective, we aim to uncover the role that app discoverability facilitators play in enabling the various perceived values (e.g. social, information and hedonic) necessary for app adoption. Design/methodology/approach: A survey study was conducted and data was analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings: Results show that certain consumer review elements (i.e. review quality, review quantity and app ranking), peer influence and app developers' reputation — to varying degrees — influence the three perceived values, which subsequently affect users' app adoption intention. The three perceived values mediate the relationship between app discoverability facilitators and users' app adoption intention. Practical implications: App store managers and developers should make a greater effort to effectively optimize discoverability and product differentiation. Originality/value: Guided by environmental psychology, we confirm the importance of app discoverability facilitators regarding their influence on users' general perceptions of an app (e.g. the three perceived values). We also uncover the differentiated effect of the three perceived values on app adoption intention.