Do You Know?
– On 23rd February 2022, the total number of smartphone subscriptions surpassed six billion. (Statista)
– Survey reports published by Upland show that in 2019, 25% of mobile app users abandoned apps after using them once.
– The reports from Upland also showed that in 2019, the percentage of users who downloaded apps more than eleven times dipped to 32%.
All these numbers are associated with what we are going to discuss in this article — user retention for mobile apps. Active smartphone users of the 21st century are greatly dependent on mobile applications be it looking up a simple recipe or booking movie tickets. But it’s not just the end users who find mobile apps useful. Several start-ups and individuals are successfully making a living from mobile applications.
There are shining examples of apps that have worked their way through the crowd and competition and have made it large. But not all apps have the same fate. One needs to understand that in order to make an app thrive, simply putting them on a user’s smart device isn’t enough. A successful app is one that manages to stay on the device for a long time (like always), get updated, and get used often, which, in a layman’s words, is better known as user retention.
The truth is that every year, a lot of mobile apps are left at the mercy of user retention, and it is a growing issue for all businesses, especially for those whose main source of revenue generation is their app. The good thing is that there are ways and strategies that can help individuals, start-ups, and organizations to improve user retention for their mobile apps and increase the chances of success. Let’s have a look at some of the effective app retention ways.
Effective Ways to Improve User Retention for Mobile Apps
#1 A Hassle-Free Onboarding Process
Remember, for apps, the first impression is the last impression, most of the time. Mobile apps come with a purpose to serve their users, so ensure that your users get to that part soon and with minimum hassles. Keep the onboarding simple and straight. An app with a complicated onboarding flow can kill the buzz and make it tough for its users to explore its interesting features.
It’s essential that you unveil your unique propositions to your users as soon as possible with a simple login process, proper guidance to set up their profile, and a quick tour through the settings along with message flowcharts to guide them through the functions. Remember, the sooner you help them accomplish their tasks, the more preference your app gets.
#2 Identify and Retain your Repeat Customers
Most people get misguided when they are asked about app retention because most app owners fail to differentiate between the importance of one-time users and repeat customers. Post the launch of a new app, almost every user tries to get a hands-on experience, but what app owners need to understand is that not every user plans on keeping it.
The steady increase in the number of users for the first few weeks or months can be overwhelming. But the crucial step is to identify your repeat customers from the one-timers and come up with strategies to make the loyal ones stay. There are many shopping apps that offer their repeat customers attractive discounts, offers, and redeemable coupons as part of their loyalty reward programs.
#3 Find and Focus on the Most Loved Products and Services
In an attempt to please their customers, most app owners are so focused on fixing things that they often forget to hold on to their star performers. And in this lies another important lesson for user retention. It’s true that you need to work on the troubled zones, but it’s more important to hang on to the good ones.
Once your app gets a handful of subscribed users, keep track of the most used products and services. These products can then be used as sale highlights. For instance, next time when a repeat customer orders the same product, you can offer an additional product (from the less-consumed section) as a trial or as a gift for using your app again. This will pique the interest of your customers and at the same time, it will give you a chance to put other products into the limelight.
#4 Create Personalized Experiences
When Steve Jobs launched iPod, he didn’t care to explain the technical glories of the device because he knew that people would be least interested. Instead, he focused more on its practical aspects. He declared straightaway that the iPod was way lighter than the cell phones of its era and yet, it was big enough to hold 1000 songs. But the best part came when Jobs told his audience that they can carry 1000 songs right into their pockets.
The crux is that one of the most important aspects of retaining users is to comprehend their requirements and cater to them with accuracy and efficacy, and if your app can do this, then you’ve hit the jackpot. When you offer your users something unique, something personal, they definitely are inclined towards it.
So, get to know your customers better. Thanks to Artificial Intelligence, it is now possible to track and trace the patterns of customers, be it searches, wishlists, product carts or purchased items. Use the data to create personalized experiences for your customers. Come up with relevant suggestions, or pop up with freshly added brands for their purchased products. The personalized gestures can go a long way to keep your users glued to your app.
#5 Connect, Contact and React
Last but not the least, the most important thing to retain customers is to connect and interact with them. Users are going to have grievances, but once they see that their feedback is noticed and valued, they tend to stick with the app because they know that whatever the problem, it will be attended to.
However, it’s not only about feedback. Whenever a customer uses your app for the first time, contact them personally. Make a call and ask them about their experience and suggestions for improvements. Such actions and gestures are sure to get you positive reactions.
Winding Up
User retention is one of the most pressing issues for app owners. In addition, the growing competition and the need for continuous upgrades can make things complicated. Planning and implementing the right strategies can certainly help you make the right impression, but the most basic thing is to get your app built right.
Choosing the appropriate technologies is equally important for that. You can go for native apps or hybrid and cross-platform applications with Kotlin mobile app development or Xamarin. Get the right experts by your side as they are well-versed in technologies and keep a good knowledge of the market, and in order to find and keep loyal users, you need to have both.
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