Businesses across the globe are fast re-engineering the metrics they monitor to target mobile marketing efficacy. Gone are the days when app installs were considered a truly transparent metric of an app’s performance on the app store. With reports stating that 1/4th of the app downloaders use the app only once, there is little to no value in going after app downloads as a performance metric for mobile apps.
If you are looking to score high on the user retention strategies, then here are some ways in which you can achieve it:
1. In-app messaging made effective
In-app messaging makes it easier to notify the user of an action carried out. With such helpful notifications, the overall user experience will not dip. In fact, it is proven to elevate retention by as much as 300%. Useful in-app messages like sure price alert on taxi apps can provide a lot of value to the users.
2. Focus on 1st three days
Research shows that most of the app users abandon an app within the first few days of downloading it. On average, an app loses a whopping 77% of users in the first three days of install. For a marketer, the focus should be on crafting a stellar user experience from the minute a user downloads an app. From guided tutorial and app tours to tips to use the app better, these small steps go a long way in keeping the interest high around your mobile app.
3. Reward usage
By integrating rewards, mobile app users are enticed to visit the app again and again. With some smart thinking, rewards and loyalty points can be incorporated into a mobile app for better engagement and a higher number of visits.
Take the Zynga Poker app for example. It not only has a weekly leaderboard, but also every hand played allows the user to progress to the next level and go up on the leaderboard based on the money won. In parallel, it also allows users to collect more points and win chips. Such measures provide an impetus for users to visit daily just to progress ahead.
4. Target lapsed users with remarketing
Many lapsed users do not have any activity on a mobile app. A good way for marketers is to target such lapsed users with the help of remarketing. This way, they can employ other forms of marketing interactions outside the mobile app – emails, social media, or search engine ads. One key thing here is to avoid going generic and leverage insights into past behaviour and preferences, to make it personalised.
Evidently, going after retaining existing user base is proving to be far better than getting new users on-board, at least from a revenue point of view. This is why we need to shift focus and get mobile engagement performance metrics monitoring right on track, by concentrating our energy on providing a highly personalised, timely, and meaningful experience to the existing mobile users.
