It’s nice when the number of downloads of a mobile application grows, but this figure has much less weight when it just stands on users’ smartphones and tablets and they rarely open it. In the current highly competitive environment, it is becoming increasingly important to engage and retain users in the long run in order for an application to be successful. With more user engagement with your app, they will add more value to it and be more likely to share it with others. Here we will present some of the best practices for achieving this cherished goal.
Quality comes first
Building a high quality mobile application is the foundation for a great user experience. The better the experience, the more engaged the consumers will be. For a native Android application, for example, the material design, characterized by a lattice structure, adaptive animations and depth, can contribute a lot.
Also, the application can be created to work on smart watches, TVs and / or cars, if this will give it additional value. If the goal is to create an application that helps to perform better in a particular sport, such as running or golf, it can be built to work on smart watches to make it more convenient to use. Practice shows that in such a case consumer engagement can increase by 40%.
Make users feel at home
Customizing your mobile app will make users feel comfortable, and it’s a great way to start a long-term relationship. Introducing new users to the application is an important step in this process. The process should be fast and smooth and require minimal effort. The goal is for users to start using the app as soon as possible.
The cognitive part should be the key in building the user experience. Using images and text that most accurately reflect the image of your brand, as well as requesting only the information you need, only when needed will help to successfully start a relationship with consumers and prevent their loss from the beginning.
If, for example, a fitness app is being built, it can start with a basic personalization, with ladies and gentlemen being greeted with separate texts and images corresponding to their specific fitness goals. Another effective tactic is to move the registration of the new user to a slightly later stage in the process of getting acquainted with the mobile application. Functionality can also be added that makes entering a username and password easy and fast. These tactics have the potential to increase user activity in an application by more than 50% in a week.
Adding new features as a way to increase engagement
The presentation of new functionalities is of utmost importance for the competitiveness of a mobile application and for the consumer satisfaction from its use. Here are a few steps that can turn the release of new features into a successful driver to increase user engagement:
– Define a clear goal for each release of new functionality to measure its impact. For example, a goal could be set to increase the number of users using voice search by 10%.
– The use of beta testing enables mobile application developers to receive feedback from real users and refine the new functionality before it becomes available to everyone.
– The operating systems themselves offer special tools that allow developers to eliminate possible imperfections and ensure stable operation of applications.
– Users should be guided to the new functionality with a light and short familiarization process. It is important that it is visually emphasized and that there is an explanation of how it will be useful.
– The performance of the application should be measured on the basis of the generated statistics on its use to determine whether the new functionality generates higher engagement and whether the set goal has been achieved.
Related Blog:Â 14 Factors that Highly affect Mobile App Development Cost
The use of notices must be prudent
One of the most effective tools for engaging users of a mobile application is sending push notifications (notifications that appear automatically on the screen of the smart device, even when the user is not actively using the application). At the same time, there is a fine line between engaging consumers and annoying them. The following tips help to stay on the right side of the groove:
– Sent messages must always be up-to-date and carry a valuable message for the user in the context of the mobile application. Creativity is important, as is loyalty to the foundations of the brand. When you use user language and the messages sound authentic, you have the best chance of success.
– Users should be able to take the action you want quickly and easily after reading the notice. Adding a link to specific content saves time and increases the chance of action.
– Customize messages to users according to their characteristics and their activity in the application.
– Carefully select the time for sending notifications and the frequency of sending. If you offer something interesting to read, for example, it is better to send the message at a time when users are usually close to their phone (in the evening or while traveling to and from work) instead of in the middle of the day when they are busy and likely to clear the notification.
– Enable users to control what notifications they receive. This should be possible at any time with one or two touches on the screen. This will reduce the risk of a user deleting the mobile application just to avoid receiving notifications that interfere with it in any way.
One of the possible tactics is to present all types of notifications at the initial stage of getting acquainted with the application, so that the user can start managing them immediately. This leads to a reduction in the number of deletions of the application and to an even greater reduction in the number of users who have blocked notifications.
Reward the most engaged users of the
Find a way to reward the most loyal customers to keep them in the long run and to encourage others to get more involved. Create rewards according to the type and purpose of your application. They need to be valuable to consumers and motivate them to use it more actively.
Here are some ideas:
– Allow loyal users to peek into the “kitchen” and see the new features before everyone else by inviting them to the beta testing team.
– Decorate user profiles with different badges, according to their activity in the application.
– Offering exclusive discounts and promotions which users can only take advantage of through the mobile app is a great tactic when it is commercially oriented.
– The more personalized a prize is, the more valuable it will be for the consumer.
Success through continuous improvement
A well-planned and developed mobile application enables businesses to create long-term relationships with consumers and turn them into loyal customers. Therefore, the optimization of the application in order to engage its users is fundamental in the development and future work on its development.
Do you want to have a professionally designed mobile application to engage users and win customers? Take the first step by sending an inquiry to us now.
