In today’s market full of chalk apps, mobile business ideas, and new technology being released on a daily basis, it can feel overwhelming. Products that once seemed revolutionary have become commonplace and the stuff of sci-fi has become our reality. With all of this going on, small business owners and app developers can feel lost in the noise.
After all, with so much competition it can seem impossible to break through with your app or project. The bright side is that we are here to help you with exactly that. Mobile user engagement and customer retention marketing have emerged as the keys to business success in this fast-paced world we find ourselves in, it’s time to take advantage of them.
In this article we are going to review 7 ways to improve mobile user engagement and customer retention. It is our hope that these strategies can help you break out of the background and into the spotlight. Let’s take a look.
App store optimization
The first step to realizing the full potential of mobile user engagement is through app store optimization. While this isn’t technically part of you app, this is where user first engage with your app, so it is vital to have this part done correctly. Think through your mobile app analytics and try to answer the question “What does my app provide?”
Answering this question is the first step to optimizing your place in the app store. Customers are looking for solutions to their problems and unless you are providing that solution, they are not going to be interested. Highlight the benefits of your app over features and make sure that your app store placement screams “Value add.”
Educational on-boarding
Once you have invested the customer acquisition cost to secure a new user, the time now comes to introduce them to your platform and company. On-boarding is a make it or break it part of the customer retention process, so making sure that your customers have everything they need for success after this point is vital.
However, often app developers spend far too much time telling users about their app and not actually having them use it. Mobile user engagement is all about having users engage with your app so that they can see the value. Your on-boarding should be educational, yes, but try your best to teach users through doing.
Speed as a priority
Users abandoning an app early on has become a major concern for many companies in recent years. For one reason or another, if users aren’t impressed with your app they may use it once and then never pick it up again. This is why on-boarding is so important. It’s also why making sure that your app is up to speed is vital to its overall success.
Work with your app development team to secure your app and keep the core functions as efficient as possible. Not only will this reduce churn rate, leading to more conversions, but it will leave your users happy with their experience instead of looking for the next best thing.
Push notifications
Another underutilized customer retention strategy is push notifications. Push allows for users who have downloaded your app to receive messages and updates directly to their phone. This can be incredibly advantageous when it comes to getting users more engaged with your app.
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However, be careful with the frequency and messaging of your push notifications. What can sometimes happen is a push notification can remind users that your app is still installed on their phone, prompting them to delete it. The first part is good, reminding them of your app, but not the second.
This is why the wording of your messages are so important. You might consider working with a push notification service to help you craft your overall strategy and make sure you are avoiding costly mistakes like this.
SMS marketing
SMS marketing is another user engagement tool that you need to make sure you have in your repertoire. In the same way that push notifications gets you directly to the phone of your user, SMS marketing can do so even if they don’t have your app installed. Not only that, but while traditional channels like email boast a 30% open rate, SMS is notorious for its 95% open rate.
Again, this is a tool that should be used with caution, simply due to its potency. Make sure that you are only sending users SMS messages if you have value that you can add right that moment. Otherwise, you might end up scaring off more customers than those you retain.
Easily reachable
One of the best ways to improve engagement with your users is by making yourself reachable and available. This means that when a user goes on your app or to your site to make a comment or complaint, they don’t have to search very hard. You want to make it clear that customer feedback is important to you, because it actually is.
While user engagement metrics are important for data, actual user stories and experiences are how you can take your app from good to great. Let your customers know that they can reach you with feedback and then, when they do, show them that they are heard.
Another way to make sure they know you are reachable is by making the first contact. User feedback surveys can be sent out through email or SMS and are a great way to make the first move when it comes to establishing a good customer relationship, which ultimately will lead to higher retention.
Up-to-date technology
The final piece of advice when it comes to mobile user engagement is to always be on the lookout for new technology. In today’s world, more and more consumers are aware of trends in tech. This means that they will come to expect a certain level of new technologies in their interactions with companies that are in this space.
We recommend that each time a new technology is put out you review with your team if it would make the user experience better. If it doesn’t, not a problem, there will likely be another new technology out next week. But if it does make their experience better, consider finding a way to incorporate it into your strategy.
This sort of staying on top of things is what separates customer retention techniques that work from those that don’t. As long as you can continue doing this, you should have no problem with mobile user engagement and customer retention for the foreseeable future.
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