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How to Increase Mobile User Retention in 6 Steps!

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Alex Nilson
How to Increase Mobile User Retention in 6 Steps!

In mobile marketing, it is a well-known fact that retaining users via android app installs services cost less than acquiring new users, and retention can also be used as a sign of confidence about how well your brand knows users.

However, retention doesn't look very good for the average mobile app.

What many don't realize is that user loss can be largely managed with a few simple improvements to the app's user experience, and increased retention doesn't mean you have to completely reinvent the wheel.

In this post, we'll cover six mobile user retention strategies that will help improve the health of your app.

6 Simple Steps to Boost Mobile User Retention.

Before looking at the ways you can improve your app user retention rate, it's important to note that compared to app acquisition and engagement, efforts to retain users typically take longer to show. results.

This is particularly true for applications that are already on the market.

As a result, acquisition and engagement were widely used as a benchmark for measuring application success.

However, it is now clear that both metrics don't mean much without user retention.

Therefore, user retention must be part of long-term plans for an application to be successful.

When your user retention strategies are working well, they will drive acquisition and engagement.

Retention is a strong indicator of how well users are receiving the user experience on your App.

Here are six strategies to increase retention on your mobile app.

1. User Experience.

The starting point when creating a mobile app user retention strategy should be figuring out how to keep new users coming back.

If you can do that, then the success of your application is almost guaranteed.

But this is not easy to understand. Users prefer applications for different reasons.

Many applications on the market do the same; With some exceptions, there is not much difference in its functionality. What sets the apps apart is the user experience. 

User experience is one of the most important things when designing an application.

This refers to every aspect of a user's interaction with a product.

User experience affects not only user retention but also acquisition and engagement.

You can create an application with perfect codes and functionalities, but if the user experience is not exceptional, you will have trouble winning users.

Nicole Hendrick says that:

"Good design begins with creating an attractive and easy-to-use interface."

Design is essential to maintain the mobile engagement rate. An app that provides a great user experience will also have a good mobile app user retention rate.

You need to resolve all apparent performance glitches to ensure that your application does what it is supposed to do without any issues.

Some of the things to keep in mind are:

  • How do users feel about the design and color theme of your app?
  • Can users operate the app smoothly and is there a learning curve?
  • Does the application do what users expect?

Attention should be focused on what is best for users. For example, although mobile advertising pays very well, too many ads can ruin the user experience.

Therefore, you can keep ads to a minimum while exploring other sources of income, such as offering a premium service.

2. Know your Users.

One of the most overlooked aspects of mobile app user retention is the importance of metrics and data.

It is vital to keep track of the number of users of an application, what they are doing, what they like, and what they don't like.

This will guide your efforts to create a more effective user retention strategy.

Knowing user preferences allows application developers to focus their efforts, ultimately increasing their chances of success.

With the appropriate metrics, you can even find out why individual users decided to uninstall your application and remedy the problem before it affects others.

Aside from app analytics, it's also important to open lines of communication with them.

You can get valuable feedback from some users. Sometimes there are app glitches that are not apparent during the testing phase.

If the channels are open, users can easily report these issues and have them fixed.

And if users feel that their opinions matter and are part of the "brain" behind an app, their loyalty grows stronger. (We will talk more about this in point # 4)

While application developers and marketers need data to improve their services, users are often cautious about giving up their data.

Studies show that most users can choose not to install an application if they have to provide a lot of information in order to use it.

One way to create a middle ground is to be open to users about why they are being asked for data, what particular data will be collected, and what it will be used for.

It's also worth offering incentives to users who agree to provide you with information.

3. Win over Users from Day One.

First impressions matter a lot. Especially in the retention of mobile app users.

If you want longer-term users, the magic must start with the onboarding process.

First of all, your application must be attractive, and its function must be clearly defined with demos and reviews about it.

Use testimonials and reviews to create a good impression of the app. 

Then the process of creating a profile or logging into the app should be quick and easy.

Keep the user interface simple, fun, and interactive.

Users should be able to use an application almost intuitively.

If there is a steep learning curve, chances are that many users will uninstall it.

Beginning users should spend their time enjoying your application and not dealing with how it works.

One way to ensure that an application is easy to use is to avoid bombarding users with too many features.

Instead, the primary role of the app should be the focal point, while the other roles can play a supporting role.

There are thousands of applications that do the same! ...

If you don't sell yourself within the first few minutes of installing an app, you can be sure that person will hit the uninstall button.

4. Let Users Know You Care About Them.

The best way to retain users is simply by letting them know that they are valued.

After collecting and analyzing the views of your new users, thank and acknowledge the comments of your users.

If you see feature requests or bug reports for a certain feature, consider including it in your app's roadmap.

And when you publish a new update, remind your users that you are listening to them and let them know that the update was only possible thanks to their continuous feedback.

This type of proactive communication with users translates into loyalty.

By reminding customers that you are listening to their feedback and care about their thoughts, you will adopt and convey a user-centric mindset that will let users know that their opinions are not only heard but highly valued.

5. Give Users a Reason to Return.

Out-of-date content deters users from returning to your app.

If you want users to return to your application day after day, give them something new and original every time they open the application.

These rich content updates can be in the form of a flash sale, a daily joke, a user-generated photostream, a loyalty or achievement program, or something as simple as resetting activity limits.

As customers expect new content, they will check into a regular launch routine for your app to see what's new and exciting.

To understand which content will provide the most value and the best reason to return, put yourself in the shoes of your users using your new insights.

What would make you, as a user, want to revisit the application over and over again?

To help you get started, ask yourself the following questions:

  • How long has it been since new content was posted to my app?
  • Am I currently carrying out any commercial promotion? How can I incorporate them into my application?
  • Do I have a loyalty program? Am I offering enrolled customers unique in-app content?
  • Is any in-app content out of date? What can I do in the short term to update it?
  • Am I rewarding people who open my app frequently for their time? If not, how can I do it?

6. Keep improving.

To keep users satisfied, you should never stop improving your application.

It's important to keep up with trends and stay two steps ahead of the competition to maintain a good mobile app retention rate.

The moment an application falls behind its competitors in any sense, it begins to lose its place in the market.

This is the reason why it is essential to regularly update an application.

If you look at the main applications, it is clear that they have undergone significant changes over the years in terms of their appearance and performance.

Updating the appearance and functionality of a site can have positive or negative consequences.

To increase the chances that users will accept the latest enhancements to an application, developers must take user feedback into account.

When you update an app, improve the things that users complain about and leave everything they like.

Two of the top apps, Snapchat and Instagram, have received severe backlash for updating their user interface design without paying attention to what users love about them.

Sometimes, it's not that the changes are wrong, but that users are used to the old design and would raise the alarm about any changes.

In conclusion

That said, it is not advisable to release major updates for an application too frequently to allow users to familiarize themselves with the interface and functions before it is modified.

No one mobile app user retention strategy works in all cases.

The strategies to use depending on your application, your target users, and other factors.

Sometimes you need to use a combination of strategies.

The role of user retention in increasing profits cannot be underestimated.

It should be at the center of your mobile app marketing plan.

As mentioned above, improving an app's retention rate can have a significant effect on profits.

Retaining existing users is the best way to increase loyalty and build a supportive audience over time, and should be a top priority for all app publishers.

We hope the tips above help you and your application on the path to successful user retention.

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Alex Nilson
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