Don’t Forgot Your App Retention Strategies

I met someone on the plane from Madrid to Santo Domingo building an app, and we started talking about one of my biggest issues with app clients: the complete lack of marketing in the planning process. This goes for customer acquisition, competitive analysis, and app/upsell retention strategies.

Lack of Retention Strategy. It blows my mind. If someone spent the time or you spent money to get someone to download, why is there no plan to keep users engaged and encourage long-term use of the app?

I found this chart from Statista… for News / Magazine apps, you’re going to have users 9.1% stick around after 30 days but a social media app? Only 1.37%! 😳 The article also quotes a $5.28 cost-per-install in 2020, so it’s probably even higher now.

I started creating a master list of app retention strategies to be top of mind:

🌟 Onboarding

• Simplify the onboarding process to make the first-time user experience as smooth as possible - easy sign-up, easy first use with a reason to get started.

• Use tutorials, tooltips, and guided tours to educate users about the app's features and benefits. Also - what is important to the user? Not what is important to you.

💡 Personalization

• Use the sign-up process to tailor the app experience to individual user preferences/behaviors.

• Use data analytics to understand user interests to then customize content, recommendations, and notifications. Change features according to user feedback.

🔔 Push Notifications

• Send timely and relevant notifications to draw users back into the app.

• Personalize messages based on user behavior and preferences.

• Optimize frequency to avoid spamming. Since iOS lifted restrictions, this has caused a lot of spam. I really don’t need Uniqlo to tell me about new clothes twice per day!

💬 In-App Messages:

• Use in-app messaging to communicate with users while they are active within the app.

• Share tips, offers and updates to enhance the user experience. Give users a positive reason to check the app.

📧 Email Marketing

• Send regular emails with valuable content, updates and offers to keep users informed and engaged.

• Segment your email list to tailor messages to different user groups.

🏆 Loyalty Programs

• Implement loyalty or rewards programs to incentivize continued app usage.

• Offer points, badges, or rewards for completing certain actions within the app. Pokémon Go is good with daily rewards for multiple different actions like spinning Pokéstops and catching Pokémon.

🔄 Regular Updates

• Continuously improve the app based on user feedback and market trends.

• Add new features, fix bugs and update content regularly to keep the app fresh and engaging.

🗣️User Feedback and Support

• Every app should have a feedback loop. Encourage and simplify the process for users to give feedback. If users feel heard, they will stick around.

• Provide easy to access, quick and helpful support to resolve issues and improve user satisfaction.

👥 Social Features

• Incorporate social sharing, competitions and community features to foster a sense of belonging among users.

• Enable users to connect and share experiences within the app.

🎮 Gamification

• Use game design elements in non-game contexts to enhance user engagement.

• Implement challenges, leaderboards and rewards to motivate users.

🔍 A/B Testing

• Regularly test different aspects of your app (like UI elements, features, notifications) to understand what works best.

• Use data from A/B tests to make informed decisions about app updates and improvements.

🎯 Remarketing Campaigns

• Target users who have lapsed or are less active with personalized ads and offers to re-engage them to use the app.

• Use data analytics to identify and understand the behavior of lapsed users. Why are they leaving?

📝 Content Marketing

• Create and share valuable content related to your app’s niche to attract and retain users.

• Use blogs, videos, podcasts and social media to drive engagement and app usage.

Off to Valentine’s brunch now! 💕