How to develop and optimize an app for sustainable business growth? Part 2 — User Retention
How the app engages existing users?
Value existing users — The existing users are the app real values, they play critical role in using the app and also indirectly play loyalist role, referral role. The App should consider them on priority and build the journey in such a way customizable to every user.
Personalization — is the key, as app already have the user details in concurrence with user make use of the data to drive personalization that would impress the user every moment. Most of the user engages in the app and their session duration would increase if we show them the relevant attraction in the right time. Balance on how we show it to user and get random feedback on how they like to rate / measure our personalization.
Ad Free Experience — Take the user towards ads free experience. We understand every app is targeting one way or the other to gain monetization and the easiest way is by showing ads. However, the user engagement goes for toss if we show multiple ads or promotions. The best way is to balance it and define the number of ads / promotions to user so that they understand why ads / promotions are shown to them.
Gamification with rewards — In continuation to the new user journey, key for user retention is gamifying every action user do in the app.
Example: Like Gpay reward path for every transaction done on the app.
The reward may or may not be always, however intent the user to do the action so that they might get some surprise reward in line to the core line of service.
Social Share and Grouping — Social in digital space is inevitable, starting from sharing of experience to voice the opinion are common and n-number of apps are making users to build this social profile (E.g. Twitter, FB, Sharechat, Instagram, etc.,). Encourage user to gain traction on social share and also enable user to build a group of similar interest / preference with the app ecosystem with a leaderboard. The leaderboard can list out metrics in line to user activity in the app and the position among their similar interest group. This group will become a universe by itself.
Referral — It is default now every app has the referral program with rewards. The best way of new user acquisition is through the referral program. Please mind that every user has a trusted circle with list of users who can vouch the app. They are the evaluator and share the experience.
Hear the user — Always keep the user close to you. Any issue, feedback — enable the option to user to reach your team immediately. Acknowledge and address to the user as they are value to you, so they value your service. The longer time it takes for user to reach, hear back from you is going to increase the risk of your user association with you. Always look for long tail prospect and never be narrowing focused. The CRM team should be equipped to address user’s feedback / queries and confidently go back to user with update in terms of Yes or No.
Intuitive features to address user experience — The features built on the app should be intuitive. The App building should have the principles.
- “Make it easy”
- “No Complexity to user”
- “Ease of discoverability”
The features in the app should simplify the day to day action of user in line to the core service and avoid complicating.
Transparent Privacy Policy and Notification — Please be in mind that every digital user are growing mature and awareness on user privacy, personal information, user data is increasing. In parallel every law of the land has started the work to make this important to guard their citizens. The App should be transparent with simple privacy policy and give the user to customize as they want. No hidden secret is the recipe. Next comes the notifications — in app, app push notification are plays important for driving engagement and overdose on the same would cause app uninstalls. As suggested in other article (https://vijay-s.medium.com/are-brands-taking-customer-loyalty-for-granted-300914491df), give the control to user to how they want to receive, see the notifications.
I again pause here, please share your comment on both part 1 and part 2 as this would be insightful for me and other readers and encourages me to write Part 3 which is on how to increase monetization…
