With every passing year, it becomes more apparent that we are living in a mobile-first world. In 2017, there are anticipated to be 197 billion mobile app downloads, up from 149.3 billion just one year ago. By 2021 that figure leaps to nearly 353 billion. These app downloads now account for a majority of time spent with digital media, too.
The case for developing your own app is clear, but don’t make the mistake of thinking that success comes as easily as these figures might suggest. There’s a big difference between getting someone to download your app and actually getting them to use it. User retention is key.
Ankit Jain, former head of Search and Discovery for Google Play, now heads mobile intelligence startup Quettra. Based on data he aggregated from 125 million mobile phones, he found that 80 percent of mobile apps are used for fewer than three days following the initial installation.
If your business is having retention issues, you’re not alone. But having company is no solace when your app usage, and revenue, starts to dry up. As such, you must conduct an honest self assessment and ask yourself, “Why isn’t my app retaining users?”
Your App is Missing An In-App Message
In some cases, you won’t have to look far. A report from Localytics found that 54 percent of users will visit an app 11 or more times if they receive an in-app message during their first visit to that particular app. These messages can be simple welcomes, introductory guides, or with special offers. Such messages foster engagement and help users orient themselves without making the process into a chore. There’s even biological evidence to strengthen this argument.
Your App is Slow or Buggy
In other cases, the cause is more technical. In a survey of 3,000 users conducted by Dimensional Research, findings demonstrated that abandonments and uninstalls are much more likely if apps are slow or buggy. Nearly half of users expect apps to respond in under two seconds. Meanwhile, 80 percent of respondents cited they would only attempt to use a problematic app three times or less.
Your App’s Lifespan is Too Short
There is even a possibility that your app delivers such a stellar experience that new users will consume all the available content within just several days too. In this case, your challenge becomes offering new content, engaging your user and lengthening the lifespan of app.
The truth is, there are many reasons why your application may not be retaining users. In complex cases, a variety of problems may be compounding upon each other.
There is good news though. Working with a team of UX specialists can help you get back to the core principles that your users demand. From testing and research, to your launch and future iterations, you can isolate your barriers to success and resolve them. Learn about UpTop’s approach and how we can help improve your app’s retention rate.
