7 good strategies to generate engagement with your app

At the end of 2015, Internet access from mobile devices skyrocketed, surpassing the desktop computer for the first time. In the following years, the mobile world has only grown, achieving in 2017, positioning itself as the first device worldwide with the longest usage time.

Mobile applications are not far behind either, since, according to the Mobile Global Report Posted by comScore in 2017, Users spend more than 80% of mobile minutes on apps. For this reason, the world of apps is a great opportunity for companies, if they are able to connect with their users and thus gain their loyalty.

Apart from the basic tricks to reach a greater number of users and the importance of considering the latest trends before creating an application, there are specific strategies that improve App engagement. They are not simple tricks and most of them require dedication, time and effort, but if they are carried out correctly, they will undoubtedly bring great benefits to the application.

Below we explain the 7 most important strategies to generate more engagement with an app:

1- App appearance in the app store

This aspect is the first to take into account. Why? App engagement It starts with the first interaction of the user and this happens in the Google and Apple app stores. If nobody downloads your app, you won't be able to carry out the following strategies because you won't have anyone to target, right?

For this reason, it is very important that you take into account the audience you want to reach and how to attract their attention through the appearance that will be displayed in the app store.

Some tips to generate more engagement through appearance are:

• App Title: Use a clear and concise title. Try to include the name of the app along with the most important keywords, to influence its positioning.
• App Description: It is considered the main marketing weapon for successful app sales. Explain in a few words the benefits your app will bring to the user. Be brief, clear and concise.
• Screenshots: This is one of the factors that users consider the most when downloading the app, as it is a way of showing them what the app will be like. It is advisable to use quality designs that are in keeping with the theme of your app and that attract attention. For example, screenshots that show continuity between one and the other, which encourages the user to see them all.
• Look at the competition: If an app is among the “featured apps” it is because it is getting a large number of downloads and is therefore attracting the user’s attention, right? For this reason, it can be helpful to regularly check the featured apps, they can be an inspiration for you to come up with a good post.

2- Guide users inside your application with Onboarding

For a start, Onboarding is how you introduce the user to your application and familiarize them with the navigation. What is the benefit of this? It's as simple as making the experience easier for your potential client. The main goal of this technique is to ensure that the user does not delete your application and continues using it. The goal is not to create a tutorial, but to teach users the value proposition in an easy and intuitive way.

Recommendations for effective Onboarding

• Set a goal:  Some onboardings are educational, others are conversion-focused, or maybe your main goal is to gather information about the user. Each app is a world in itself and each one has its own objectives.
• Choose the type of Onboarding: There are two types of Onboarding: static and dynamic (animated). Dynamic Onboardings are usually the ones that capture the user's attention the most and are more effective.
• Determine the duration of the Onboarding: It is recommended that the Onboarding process not be too long. Normally, a journey of 5 screens or even less is sufficient, otherwise we can cause the user to get bored.

3- Use Push Notifications

The number of existing applications exceeds millions. Therefore, it is important that your app stands out from the rest, so that the user decides to keep it on their mobile. One of the most used strategies to make this happen is Push Notifications, which can be customized to specific segments or even individual users.

On the other hand, although it is important to send notifications, It is also not advisable to spam the user with constant and irrelevant information about your app. This could bore him or her and cause the opposite effect: he or she will delete the app from his or her smartphone.

An example of good use of Push Notifications It's Netflix, which sends notifications when a new show that you support is available, as well as when new episodes of a series you're watching are released.

4- Use videos

It is no news that users are much more entertained by visual formats than by text. In fact, Videos can reach 10 times more views than other types of ads or content that only uses text and some images. If your company offers a product or service that requires guides or instructions for its use, Using videos could be a good strategy to generate engagement.

5- Services based on geolocation

What are geolocation platforms? They could be defined as social networks of opinions based on location.

Some of the advantages offered by these services are:

• Get new customers based on a specific location: The explore function offered by most geolocation-based services allows users to see nearby businesses and, most importantly, recommendations left by other users. Through these channels, we can segment offers to specific users, seeking to encourage consumer action.
• Notoriety: When people enjoy and have fun in a place, they like to share it with their friends and family. Recommendations on geolocation networks will help give your business notoriety and make it easier to attract new customers.
• Visibility: Not only on geolocation platforms, but also on social media. Every time a user reports on social media that he is in a certain establishment, he updates his status and makes it visible to his friends.

6- Simplify payments

After all The main goal of an app is to earn revenue, TRUE?

If your customers have to enter their payment information and shipping address every time they want to buy your products or services, they will probably decide to postpone the purchase until they have a computer or not make it at all.

For example, you can make this process easier for your consumer by giving them the option to save their data for future purchases, through a single registration.

7- Make it easier for the user to contact you

What users think about your app is the essence of success and a simple way to increase the App Engagement. Still, many app developers make it extremely difficult to contact them.

Provides easy access to application information, contact details and FAQ's. Use tools like Zendesk to improve customer service.

If you take into account all the steps above, you will achieve more and more engagement with your app and, therefore, increase the loyalty of your users. Can you think of any other strategies?