All you need to know about engaging and retaining users on your mobile app

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Congratulations. You have just achieved the first milestone- a few thousand downloads of your mobile app! Now, it’s time to cope with a new hurdle: you need to engage them to retain your user base. Driving engagement is a daunting task that requires substantial investment. But, you get ample of benefits from the engaged users. You can get the benefits of word-of-mouth publicity, brand loyalty, in-app purchase, etc. With a loyal user base. A Fredrick Reichheld of Bain & Company report showed that just 5% increase in customer retention rates can increase profits by 25% to 95%.

Let’s take a real-life example- we have 30 applications in the phone on average, but how many of them we really use? The reason is simple- the app that fails to engage us, we do not use it frequently. Below, we give a few noteworthy obstacles that can keep the users away from your mobile app.We also provide the remedy to overcome these stumbling blocks as well. It would remain handy for you to retain users and keep your app competitive among tens of hundreds of apps in the same category.

1. Slow performance

Perform or perish! The truth applies to the app domain also. Frequent crashes and other performance issues can be a major cause of the user’s early detachment from your app. No one is interested in becoming a part of a testing!

You need to fix all the issues regarding the crash and slow performance during the development phase only. You can opt for a beta version for testing the app prior to launching. But, even after the release, you need to monitor the app’s performance and the reactions of early users to retain other users.

2. Free options

Why should your app users pay for your app if it’s free options are available? This is a question you need to ponder. If you notice that your rivals have come up with similar solutions for a lower or cheaper price, you have only two options: Either drop the price of your app or justify its higher cost.

It is better to research on the options of your app available on the market before deciding the price if any. Even better to install their apps on your device and test them. You can consider adding more features to offer more value to the users.

3. Ads Ads Ads

Too many ads not only spoil the mood of the users but also have an impact on your app’s overall performance. It is possible that users feel annoyed because of too many or irrelevant ads and uninstall your app. However, you need the ads for monetary benefits, and therefore, you should play smart with ads.

A free app needs to feature ads and all you could do it to offer an ad-free first experience. If the first-time user gets an engaging experience and finds your app interesting, then they will accept ads in your app. Secondly, your ads should be relevant to the core theme of your app. For example, in a health and fitness app, you cannot show an ad for fashion outlets.

4. Complex sign-up process

Do you like signing up for casual apps? Only a few genres of social media, specialty healthcare, booking, etc. require the sign-up process. Your users will not like to create profiles or connect with their FaceBook account for using your app for just 5 to 15 minutes in a day. For many apps, the complex sign-up process has remained a major cause of deletion.

If your app requires the sign-up, try to make it easy and compact. It should be in line with the mobile environment. For easy and quick sign up, it is better to give both email and social login options. If you have a casual app, and you want to send personalized notifications, then simply ask for the names of your users.

5. Frequent notifications

Notifications are like a double-edged sword. If you do not use properly, the notifications can be a big reason for deleting your app. Frequent notification can annoy your users and they may think of removing your app from their smart devices.

You can target your users by sending them notifications related to daily routines and sentiments. Notifications regarding progress and proper reminders can be useful especially if you have a lifestyle or a utility app. If you have an eCommerce app, it is better to inform the users about special offers or discounts using the notifications.

If your app users forget about your app or delete it, something is wrong from your side. However, it may not mean that your app is not good enough, but, it means that you need to do more to get users engaged with your app.

The app users never give several chances to any app. No one is willing to give time too many new apps that are pouring on the app stores on a daily basis. Users will retain only favorite apps in their smart devices, and also keep on consolidating their choices. In such a scenario, it is necessary for you to give your app users all things necessary to stick to your app.

At Solution Analysts, our experienced mobile app developers strive for making your app user-friendly. You can consult our app marketing professionals to get insights on making your app viral and retain the users.