Seven App Sins
If
you are getting an app made, or working on your existing app to
reduce uninstall rate or improve engagement, here’s a list of
typical app mistakes that you might be making and your app suffering
the fallout.
The
seven deadly app sins are:
- Your on-boarding process fails to make a connect with the user or worse, you don’t have an on-boarding process.
Your
on-boarding process is the brand’s
first personal rendezvous with the user, your first impression. This
is also your golden opportunity to initiate the user to the brand,
make her comfortable and establish a strong connection with the
brand. Neat and soothing visuals, clear-cut instructions,
highlighting key features and taking appropriate permissions
consists of a good on-boarding experience. A great on-boarding
experience will have customization of app content as per the users
preference. Without establishing that connect, user might not
relate to the brand as much, and if she does not understand the app
the first time she uses it, there are changes might not return to
the app or might not use it frequently.
- Your app has lengthy registration/check-out process
The
very raison d’etre
of an app is making life simpler and easier for the user. An app
that tends to complicate the registration process or the checkout
process, and if the user finds it rather easier to buy the product/
register service request/ get help fro some other channel, the very
rationale of having an app is lost. This is the reason many brands
make users register through social ids or email ids. But again, not
all users are on social media, so giving users the option to
register through various channels is a wise move.
- Your app is exclusive, not really intertwined with other channels
An
app has to have a distinct personality, it cannot be a copy of the
website, but the app cannot be excluded from other channels of the
brand. For instance if there’s
a portal for registration of local businesses, sort of digital
yellow pages. If a customer posts an opening through the website,
and later downloads the app, the updates for that posting should
automatically reflect in the app as well. If the two platforms are
not connected, why would the user return to the app?
- You are being too pushy with Push notifications
Push
notifications are a great marketing tool but used too frequently, it
can be a turnoff for the user. On the other hand using too little of
push can actually make your brand lose out on the opportunity to
sell, directly hitting on your bottom-line. Based on an analysis of
the general profile of users, their orientation, spending capacity,
and analysis of individual profiles for specific likes, attention
days and time, etc. can lead to a strategically calculated rate of
push optimum for the brand.
- You are stalking the user
This,
of late, has become a major concern for users. Many apps have
permissions to access contacts, location etc. of the user, and then
use these features to send push notifications that rather scares
the user away. For instance, many apps use location locator to send
geofencing messages, but many users term it as stalking. There has
to be a line at which brands stop eating into users’s
personal space.
- Your app has bugs
If
your app doesn’t
function properly, it will most likely be uninstalled. Users have
very limited patience with apps. Make sure you fix all your bugs
and errors before you start marketing it. Because even if you make
relevant changes and relaunch it in the market, a user who has
uninstalled it is very less likely to re-install it.
- Your app fails to engage users
Engaging
users is a tricky concept. It includes customization, Personalization of discounts, deals and other offerings, optimized push notifications, intuitive marketing etc. The trick is
to keep the user coming back for more.
Apps
combine the best of all worlds - convenience of online, Personalization of in-store and responsiveness of customer support. Optimizing all of these will ensure your app adds a strong channel
that contributes to the bottom-line and brand loyalty.
