Creating a branded app is a great way to get users engaged with your brand on mobile. After all, today is an increasingly mobile world, with nearly 64 percent of all Americans choosing to browse the Internet on a smartphone, and 90 percent of mobile time is spent using apps. However, while creating a new app is a great way to score some initial attention from customers, simply creating an app is not an effective enough way to boost business. In fact, it’s essential to having users engage with your app regularly in order to make the creation of an app a worthwhile investment. The below strategies can help ensure that users use your app — and interact with your brand — regularly.
Push notifications that appear on a mobile user’s device screen without their prompting can be annoying if sent too often. However, they can be an extremely effective tool for bringing back customers who’ve abandoned your app if used strategically. Send push notifications to users who haven’t visited your app beyond the first couple of uses including information about special deals and discounts if you sell a product or service. You can also send them notifications including helpful, informative content (i.e. a bank balance) in order to encourage them to return and engage.
One good way to ensure that users return to your app again and again is to use a points system that rewards users for their engagement. Give users points every time they make a purchase or use a service via an app, then offer special, exclusive features based on how many points a user has. Users will be motivated to build their point levels if they know they can access or “unlock” special functions by building points.
One important strategy for guaranteeing engagement is ensuring that you build the app with utility in mind. This means that your app should have a purpose and it should do something for users — whether that is allowing them to purchase something, provide entertainment, etc. Simply creating a mobile copy of your desktop website is not an effective strategy for creating an app, and users will not revisit it if it cannot help them accomplish something.
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