15 Tips To Skyrocket Your Mobile App User Base
Today, there are 2.2 million apps on the Play Store and 2 million apps on the App Store. Clearly, there is a lot of competition out there for your upcoming or existing mobile app. Getting a loyal user-base on your app is crucial to its success. How should you growth-hack your app to success? Below are some useful tips.
Build a targeted product
Nobody wants to use an application that just provides what already exists in the market. Understand your target audience and create a user-persona that represents this group of people.
Get to know what service or functionality would add value to their lives. The core functionality of your mobile app must be something that fills a void for your prospective users.
The first step to getting traction with users is achieving a ‘product market fit.’ A product that differentiates itself and has a unique value proposition for users can usually achieve that quickly . Airbnb is a good example of how you need to position your offerings and the product to your market.
Create buzz
Making your app visible helps you to get more of your prospective users to try it. You need to reach out to journalists and bloggers and get them to talk about your product. The more positive reviews your product gets, the better.
Add a viral loop to your app
Virality helps reduce the costs of acquiring new users for your app while making the process a lot easier. While conceptualizing and developing an app, you need to create a strategy to have built-in virality in it. If your product has features that connect with the users emotionally and make them happier, they would surely wish to share it.
Your app must make your users feel positive about using it. If they are happy they will be willing to share it without incentives.
Besides that, you need to make it easier for your users to share it with friends. Provide your users with an option to share on multiple social channels at the same time.
Add call to action buttons with a catchy text to trigger the action. Referral programs are also useful in providing your users with a definitive incentive to share your app with others.
Referral program
Once you have created awareness about your app, a referral program could work wonders. Many successful apps like Uber and Airbnb grew their user base with the help of in-app referrals.
Create a program where you reward your users to share it with peers. Most apps reward the new as well as the existing users. For example, if you refer Uber to a friend then both of you will get a free ride. This type of a referral program creates a viral loop in the app. It gets the users to share the app with multiple friends who in turn share it further with multiple friends and so on. The process helps you multiply the user-base of your application.
Feature releases and updates
Users are quick to try new products and your app will not survive if it’s not dynamic. You need to keep adding new functionalities and UX updates to your app to keep it interesting. Get your existing users to stay and talk about your product. Keep a track of the changing requirements of the market and work on your application accordingly.
Create an introductory video
A video is an another interesting way to build excitement around your product. It enables you to talk about the unique benefits that your product comes with in an engaging way. You can tell your brand story with a video and build a relationship with your potential customers. Add the video on your app home screen and promote it on social channels to maximise the business you get from it.
App Store Optimisation
Reach out to the right set of people by optimising your app for app stores. Add the relevant keywords to the title and description of your app store submission. Create an app icon that grabs attention, is clutter free and creative. App screenshots are also helpful in getting your potential customers to know more about your product.
Create an app landing page
If you do not have a website for your app then you can just create one landing page and showcase all of your app features there. Redirect your users from the landing page to the app download pages. You can promote your landing page with Google Adwords and social media channels to get new installs for your app.
App Store reviews
Encourage your existing users to add reviews about your app on the app stores. Add replies to each of the reviews you get. In case of negative reviews, you need to assure your users of a better experience next time. The overall app rating plays an important role in getting you new app installs.
Content marketing
Provide your potential users with useful and engaging content related to your industry. Content helps you in building a community of those who are interested in your product. It helps you to promote your brand and get more users to try the product. You can regularly add content to your business blog, social channels and third party sites to get better results.
Tie ups and cross promotions
Another interesting way to get more app installs is to tie up with complementary products. You can bundle your app with other apps and sell it at a discount. This way you can reach out to a wider audience and provide them with more value as well.
Promote your download link
You need to promote your app download link to your social profiles. Add a download button to your Facebook page and track the number of clicks you are getting on it. Also promote the links in your social posts to get more traction.
Optimise the user experience
One of the reasons why an app gets appreciated and recommended is its user-experience. The UX of your mobile app must take into account your target audience and their preferences. You must ensure that the app usability is simplified and pleasing for each of the users. If your users are happy using the app, they would surely talk about it and help you get more installs.
Free trial
Providing a free trial of your product will definitely get more users to install your app initially. If these users like your app, they will continue to use it and pay for it. The strategy also helps in getting you valuable database that you can utilise in the long run, to get more business. You can run push notification campaigns to remind these users of the premium features and how these would be beneficial for them.
Track performance
Everything you do to get more users on your app is not sufficient unless you work and improve upon it over time. Keep a track of your app rating and make sure it is well above a predefined level. If you are running a referral program or a push notification campaign, you need to track the number of installs you are getting from each, periodically. Similarly you need to analyse the results from social media, paid campaigns and content marketing as well. This will help you to revise your strategies and grow your app further.
The more aggressively you promote your app, the more users you will get on-board. If your app is worthy, your users will stay loyal and get others to use it as well. You need to add useful content consistently and engage with your prospects effectively. Referral programs and paid campaigns, both are helpful in reaching out to new users quickly and getting them to try your product.