 |
| source: Aumcore.com |
The point is that there are a lot of mobile apps out there, and if you’re a developer who wants to increase mobile app engagement, you’ll have a hard time competing with everyone else. After all, the last thing you want is for your app to finally get downloaded only to collect digital dust as it sits on your user’s phone day in and day out.
And now we arrive at the gist of our conversation today: 10 tips that’ll help you increase mobile app engagement.
1: Create a Great First Impression
Just like any other relationship, your mobile app has to make a good first impression from the start. If people don’t like it from the get-go, they’ll delete it right then and there and out goes another user. That’s not what you want. You want to create an easy onboarding experience that’s marked by few, simple steps to get started, a splash screen that keeps users entertained as the app loads, and most importantly, a fast interface.2: Leverage Analytics
One of the more important tips on this list, leverage your app’s analytics to get a better understanding of who your users are. By doing so, you’ll gain valuable insights into user behavior; you’ll know what’s working and what your users are responding to. From here, you can optimize your app and create an experience that everyone — or at least a majority — will like.3: Use Push Notifications
More specific than other tips on this list for engagement, use push notifications to keep your app on your user’s mind. As long as your notifications serve a purpose and are beneficial, and aren’t generic ones akin to junk mail, your app will be a constant presence in your user’s mind, thereby increasing engagement. For example, reach out with personalized content that’ll make them feel wanted.4: Utilize Location-Based Content
Location-specific notifications go a long way in enhancing engagement with your app because they’re contextual. By sending real-time information as a user enters or exits a geofence, they’ll be prompted to take an action through your app in that very moment. Like push notifications, make sure that they’ll benefit from them, otherwise they’ll get annoyed and may delete the app.5: Offer Personalization
We’re all different and we’re all particular about what we like. What Jack likes may not be liked by Jill, and what Bonnie likes may not be liked by Clyde. By offering in-app personalization, you’ll enhance user experience (UX), guaranteeing that engagement with your app will increase as well.
6: Gamify Your App with Incentives
Everyone likes games and everyone likes rewards. Want to increase user engagement with your app? Gamify it and offer incentives like a loyalty program that’ll keep them coming back. For example, offering daily rewards that compound as users check in on consecutive days will guarantee that your users become daily users. If you have a game, offer in-game tokens that give them bonuses. If you have an eCommerce app, offer them promo codes or discounts. As long as you make it worthwhile, people will keep coming back.7: Optimize Battery Consumption
A very important task in the mobile application development stage, optimize for battery consumption. Unless your app is a game, don’t make it too graphic intensive. Not only will this drastically increase battery usage, but it’ll also slow down the app, effectively lowering UX.8: Integrate Social Media
Practically everyone’s on social media. Whether a youngster or a retiree, chances are good that they’ll have an account in one of the many social media platforms out there. If you offer social media integration, you’ll give your users a chance to share any information they want their friends and followers. You’ll essentially open an avenue for them to share their experiences, which will function to attract even more people to your app.
9: Offer a Free Trial
Is your mobile app a paid app? If so, consider offering a free trial that’ll give them a taste before they buy. The thing is, people may not be hooked from your app’s description alone and they’ll be hard-pressed to purchase it without knowing what’s in store for them. By offering a trial period, you’ll metaphorically dangle a carrot before them, increasing the chances of a download. And because we’re human, we tend to like things more if we have to pay for them.10: Listen to Your Users
And finally, listen to what your users have to say. More often than not, someone writes a review for one of two reasons: if they had a good experience or not. If your users actually take the time out of their busy day to write a review for your app, you can bet they want to be heard. Listen to them and see what’s working and what’s not. Once you have this information, you can make any updates and create a better experience for everyone.Final Thoughts
There are about 2.32 billion smartphone owners today and mobile apps for just about everything. We have some for eCommerce, others for social media, and even some that tell us when a planet is in retrograde. And yet, with all these apps, it’s still very difficult to increase mobile app engagement with your users. Do yourself a favor and use the following tips to increase mobile app engagement:1. Create a great first impression that won’t turn users away
2. Use analytics to get to know your users better
3. Use push notifications to stay in your user’s mind
4. Utilize location-based content to stay contextual
5. Offer personalization to keep things interesting
6. Gamify your app with incentives to keep users coming back
7. Optimize battery consumption and keep your users happy
8. Integrate social media to keep current
9. Offer a free trial to get users hooked
10. Listen to your users through their reviews
Best of luck with your mobile application development!
