“Got 300 download in the first month” – my mobile app is a huge success too, “what happened I have lost 50 users” this is the issue that most of the businesses are facing today. – According to a recent survey, more than 65% of the customers disappear within the first month of downloading a new app. Only 25% continue using it for a longer time. Brands and corporates are spending an enormous amount of money on acquiring users. The major problem is after acquiring users, the thing is to keep them engaging.
Engagement and User retention
Mobile engagement and user retention are two key metrics that define the success of your mobile app marketing.
Engagement – it describes how many active users are using the app. Ideally, highly engaged users are the one who participates for 11 or more app sessions a month.
User retention – as per the industry benchmark, it is the percentage of the app users who return to use the app within 2 months of their 1st session. However, depending on the nature of the mobile app, it is a different definition of engaging users and user retention.
To increase mobile app engagement and have more users using your app it is important that you work on the strategies to improve the numbers.
Easy on boarding process
The downloading app process should be basic and quick. The more difficult it is to begin using the app, it is more likely that your user is to leave it in between.
Simplify the sign-up process
Reduce the number of onboarding steps that are required to “Signup” – include multiple ways to register like login with Facebook, Gmail, etc.
Provide users with basic instructions of using the app and the features but make sure that you do not barge them with loads of information.
Educate through actions for e.g. walk your user through main actions inside of the app and let them see the results themselves. Let your users know the primary gestures and functions so that they can enjoy using your mobile app.
push notifications
Push notifications encourage your users to see what the app is providing new. Like for e.g. if it is a song app, you notify the users revealing top new songs for the weekend or if it is a photo editor app offering new filters and collage designs for your customers to try. Send selective timely notifications based on your app. The notifications can be customized by effectively targeting the devices your users are using, platform, and more. Push notifications have been around for years, but if incorporated strategically they significantly increase your user base.
Offer discounts/ rewards
If your business model allows you to offer your users discounts/ rewards/ or loyalty programs, it is important to capitalize on the opportunity. Not only do these programs attract users to use the product, but it also makes users feel significant and important to your brand.
Encouraging 2-way communication
Brands who want to have a strong base and wants more customer downloading their app needs to know that communication is the thing. Customers feel appreciated and cared for when their queries are answered. Showing response and addressing their concerns boosts your engagement, encouraging more positive reviews for your mobile app. This in turn will build a long-term loyal fan base.
Keeping your app updated
Regular updates when notified to the user in-app stores and demonstrate to your users that you are committed to your app. They are also a great way to market new features to your users.
You can include location-based app suggestions
Mobile apps can make suggestions based on your location, habits, or even the current time. For e.g. a music app will display notifications when you plug in the headphones and the GPS system can activate itself when you link the device to your vehicle. Social networks can suggest events that are happening nearby.
The user can adjust the notification radius receiving suggestions for events in their vicinity.
Apart from the above-mentioned tips, to increase mobile app engagement you can add spotlight indexing, use deep links, add home screen quick actions, in-app messaging.
Wrapping Up
Now that you have tips ready to boost the app engagement of your mobile app. But before you rush to implement these tips, remember that creating a high-quality app is still the first requirement.
And do not forget to listen to their feedback, make your app social media friendly, and update often. Oh, and remember to run A/B tests for your marketing. You can test your copy, pictures/videos/GIFs in your rich notifications, emoji, and other stuff.
But don’t feel discouraged if all of this seems a bit overwhelming. OctosGlobal is an app development company in California with a knack for building engaging mobile and web applications. So, let us know if you have a challenging project we can help.