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Most app creators and owners believe that user acquisition is the only metric they should focus on to determine the success of their apps. However, the reality is that even though many people will be downloading your app, whether they are active users or not is a different issue. So, after acquiring users, you need to think about retaining as well as engaging them. In-app engagement and retention are the two most important metrics that you can monitor to determine the success of your app.
The In-App Engagement Problem
The reality is that achieving in-app engagement is usually a difficult task. If you come to think about it, there are many apps that you have used only once after downloading them. And just like you, there are millions of users. While there has been a slight improvement in this metric, the reality is that almost 25% of all users still give up using an app almost immediately.
How Can You Improve In-App Engagement?
Make Using The App Easy
While this may be strange, the truth is that there are still many apps on the market that make users’ lives complicated. Some apps just keep requiring many steps just to sign up, others include complex functions and features, among so many other problems. So, as you can imagine, users simply give up using such apps.
Use Push Notifications
Most users are so used to see push notifications that they are already ignoring them. However, it is important to understand that when you use rich push notifications and use them the right way, these can actually help you increase retention.
As a rule of thumb, when users accept to receive your push notifications, they have higher in-app engagement.
Push notifications should be used for a specific purpose. This way, you will be able to send the user back to your app immediately for taking the desired action.
You can use a technology like SmartKarrot to personalize the notifications that your app sends to customers. The SmartNotifications solution can help you deliver the right message to your customer through the right channel at the right time.
Allow Users To Personalize The App
When you allow users to personalize your app, you are giving them more control over what they like and prefer to see. So, their experience will be more relevant and they are more likely to continue using the app.
As we already mentioned above, push notifications can work extremely well when you use them properly. So, when you use the name of the user in the push notification as well as you allow them to use different personalization elements, this ensures that in-app engagement and retention will be extremely good.
Offer An In-App Referral Program
In-app referral programs are also a great idea to increase in-app engagement. After all, you are granting an incentive to the users who continue to use the app. An in-app referral program can include a wide variety of things – gamification using leaderboards & badges, incentivization with points or currency, etc. are some ideas that you can use.
Here too, using technology like SmartKarrot can help you boost your app success. With SmartReferral, you can create highly scalable referral programs with just the right amount of customization and incentivization.
Encourage Two-Way Communication
Asking for feedback to your users or to fill in a survey can help you transform your app on what your users are looking for. In addition, by establishing the first contact with users, you are opening the door to communicate with them. Ultimately, this encourages loyalty and improves in-app engagement.
Rohan has over 11 years of experience in client services, marketing and hospitality field. Previously, he was head of digital marketing for a hi-tech mobile application. Rohan is driven by new challenges and the possibility of making an impact on individuals and businesses.
Published March 04, 2019, Updated March 31, 2021
