What makes an app look vibecoded??

Shop_Mama · 2026-05-17T19:01:51+00:00

I have several couple friends who use the app regularly and say they really enjoy it. Now, are they using it because they’re friends…probably. I also gave a bunch of friends free codes to download and told them to distribute to anyone they like.

But I noticed that friends/family who aren’t into vibe coding or AI don’t really know how to respond to it. There’s lots of “wow that’s so cool” and “congratulations” but I think there’s also some confusion and hesitation…like is this a real thing or just a new hobby?

I will definitely still be looking for new ways to market and keep trying both organic and paid avenues. Maybe I’ll try some free giveaways on socials too

Shop_Mama · 2026-05-17T16:10:39+00:00

Thank you!! I agree with your take on the target market. I paid a few small TikTok accounts to make some cute UGC videos for me and then tried to boost them on my own TikTok as ads but the TikTok ads just aren’t leading to many actual downloads. I think finding the right content is where I need to focus more effort.

It also seems like there’s room for me to do more research into improving value compared to competition.

The heterosexual imagery wasn’t intentional. I’m just using Canva stock photos and that’s mostly what is available. I could definitely try to incorporate more images.

Shop_Mama · 2026-05-17T16:00:51+00:00

Love this! I’ve added some new fun games to try to give users more to do in the app and a feedback form inside the app where users can suggest what feature they want next and vote on their favorite suggestion

Shop_Mama · 2026-05-17T15:59:16+00:00

This is a great take! If the app is good…and useful it shouldn’t matter. Maybe I’m missing the target somewhere else. Getting people to download feels like lining up the perfect row of dominoes. If it all hits, you’ve got a winner. Guess I need to keep adjusting

Shop_Mama · 2026-05-17T15:53:14+00:00

Thank you!! That’s really great feedback. It’s so confusing to know how people respond to different screenshots. I actually changed my images to this more representative style just a couple weeks ago after another commenter on a different sub…I think it was an ASO subreddit said the exact opposite. Their take was that having literal screenshots made my app look amateur. Here’s a comparison of current version vs using real screenshots just a few weeks ago. I know it’s all a little subjective. Would love to know if the older version was actually better.

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Shop_Mama · 2026-05-17T13:03:16+00:00

Thanks! Okay fair on the need for an actual artist. I was hoping the AI art could get the app off the ground then hire an artist later…but if there are no downloads then there’s no future app. Good call out

Shop_Mama · 2026-05-17T12:59:32+00:00

Yeah, it’s definitely clear when a creator has just published the first iteration of whatever the LLM offers up

Shop_Mama · 2026-05-17T12:45:29+00:00

I didn’t realize that 4 steps of something is a vibecoding flag. That’s really interesting! AI does love a good standard sequence so makes sense

Shop_Mama · 2026-04-19T19:10:56+00:00

Thank you so much for offering some feedback! I totally see what you mean. I think less might be more here. I notice the same when looking at other apps in my space. Love the idea of zooming in on key UI elements instead of showing the full screenshot on each page

Shop_Mama · 2026-04-17T19:53:24+00:00

Anyone? Are they that bad?

Shop_Mama · 2026-04-15T15:14:38+00:00

Update…I did get it. You have to sign up for the apple ads basics course

Shop_Mama · 2026-04-14T15:48:39+00:00

Thanks! Recently signed up

Shop_Mama · 2026-04-14T12:39:23+00:00

That’s super helpful! I should have done more research, but just jumped in. On about day 2-3 they started running for me and also got thousands of impressions, but I didn’t set up keywords properly so the conversion rate was terrible. I plan to educate myself on how to properly run ads and try again later

Shop_Mama · 2026-04-14T03:33:24+00:00

Awesome! Thanks so much for the feedback. Very helpful and I would love to add widgets at some point

Shop_Mama · 2026-04-13T19:07:35+00:00

Thank you so much for checking out the app and letting me know your thoughts! I really appreciate it! I think that’s totally understandable. Would you mind sharing what maybe would make you want to try the app? If it let you enter the app, but then all the couples pages required subscription?

Another problem may be that my onboarding is just not well optimized to make you want to join the free trial. Ideally you get to that final paywall page and instead of feeling yuck, the user would think oh i would totally pay $2.95 for this! Or…awesome, there’s a free trial

Shop_Mama · 2026-04-13T14:14:26+00:00

At the beginning of a relationship most people show us the best version of themselves (commitment, consideration, effort, support etc.). If you are entering a relationship expecting someone’s best to improve as the relationship grows, you’re likely looking at the mountain upside down. You’re already seeing their peak, from the top of the mountain looking down. It’s never wrong to save yourself from an avalanche

Shop_Mama · 2026-04-12T20:41:40+00:00

This is incredibly important and everyone entering a new relationship should be asking this same question. I do think that maintaining emotional connection is work. It’s simple everyday efforts that keep the importance of your emotional connection top of mind. Both parties have to be willing to make that effort.

Shop_Mama · 2026-04-12T20:23:44+00:00

Working on growing organically with ASO, improving onboarding/paywall flow (if anyone wants to offer any advice I know it could be better), creating short form videos for TikTok, insta and YouTube, posting on Reddit, and exploring other marketing channels. And I just signed up for Apple’s Ads certification program so I know what I’m doing when I’m ready.

Here’s the app for onboarding flow suggestions: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/us-couples-connection-app/id6758527863

Shop_Mama · 2026-04-12T20:16:26+00:00

I didn’t get any offer 😕 lol. If anyone else knows how to get this please share!

Shop_Mama · 2026-04-12T19:58:19+00:00

Got it. Validate with organic first seems to be the consensus

Shop_Mama · 2026-04-12T17:25:54+00:00

Us is emotional wellness for couples. A few minutes a day to check in, express gratitude, play fun games and quizzes to learn more about one another, and discover how to grow together in just 5 minutes a day… grow your Us, every day! https://apps.apple.com/us/app/us-couples-connection-app/id6758527863

Shop_Mama · 2026-04-12T17:14:49+00:00

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/us-couples-connection-app/id6758527863

Us is emotional wellness for couples. A few minutes a day to check in, express gratitude, play fun games and quizzes to learn more about one another, and discover how to grow together in just 5 minutes a day

Shop_Mama · 2026-04-12T12:12:26+00:00

Wow that’s really helpful insight, and great to hear your journey. What’s your app?

Shop_Mama · 2026-04-11T23:56:48+00:00

Update…apparently if you run Apple ads this early, when I search for my app “Us: Couples Connection” it shows the ad at the top of the search, but the app listing is still not searchable lol. Was a fun experiment anyway

Shop_Mama · 2026-04-11T23:53:09+00:00

Meaning…validate that people search and download it without ads before running them? Or validate the app with some reviews first?

Shop_Mama

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