Big Tips for User Retention on Your App or Mobile Site: Part 1

Big Tips for User Retention on Your App or Mobile Site: Part 1

Big tips for user retention on your app or mobile site. How do you keep users coming back for more once you’ve launched a new site or mobile app? It’s the question on the mind of every marketer and business owner moving into the digital space for the first time. While every industry has specific retention goalposts, there are some universal elements that help to boost retention. Take a look at one very important tip for user retention that far too many brands are overlooking because they mistakenly think it makes them look “unpolished” or “unprofessional.”

The Unexpected Secret to Retention: Ask for Feedback

The Secret to Retention: We often think of app or mobile delivery as a one-sided exercise. Conventional wisdom would say that the brand or business pushing out an app must be the one to perfectly design and tweak that digital product. However, you can actually come across as more professional by asking your customers to do some of the work.

Yes, it seems counterintuitive to ask your customers to help you build your app! However, it’s all part of creating an emotional investment in your company while also getting really useful feedback. Once an app or mobile site is launched, it’s extremely beneficial to ask for user feedback at the end of an engagement session.

You don’t have to ask your users to fill out a survey that’s as long as the SATs to do this properly. A quick survey with two to three questions is enough. Even just a quick “star rating” where users indicate how they liked their experiences by assigned one to five stars is helpful. The bottom line is that you can’t fix what you don’t know isn’t working. A survey allows users to communicate their experiences while everything is still fresh in their minds! This technique also reflects positively on your brand because it shows that you have user experience in mind as part of your mission to be constantly improving.

Two Ways to Ask for Feedback

There are two ways to approach feedback questionnaires. The first is simply to add an in-app or in-site feedback poll. Typically, this would pop up when a user closes a session. When you decide to add this “last interaction” feature, brevity is important. This is where you might use two questions and a star rating. This is not a place to necessarily ask for a comment that would require users to make keystrokes. Focus only on a few clicks! You’re likely to get a good number of users who don’t mind simply running their mouse over a survey to respond with clicks.

The second method involves a longer survey process that is much more specific. This is something that you might deploy for users who have had longer, more detailed interactions with your brand. For instance, a company that offers some type of online course or streaming lesson might want to send a survey out by email asking about the experiences of attendees. If you use digital tools to communicate with customers who visit your office or physical location, a detailed survey inquiring about wait times, greetings, turnaround times or overall experience can be helpful for getting a holistic picture of the type of experience you offer.

Customers who have engaged with your brand on a more detailed level are often willing to provide this feedback because they feel “invested” in the experience. No, you’re not bothering customers when you ask for feedback! This is actually just another way to communicate a customer’s value to them. Keep in mind that feedback can be digitally gathered regarding both the user’s digital experience and brand interaction.