Mobile apps are extraordinarily popular with both businesses and individuals users. In fact, they account for 89% of consumer mobile media time. The biggest challenge though, is not introducing them to an eager population - it's getting users to actually download, use and continue to engage with them. So how can your business experience mobile app success? Mobile Marketing Watch has put together a five-point checklist of techniques that may help answer that question.
Shall We Play a Game?
Integrated marketers have been harnessing the power of peoples' love of competition for a couple decades now. The game mechanics behind contests or loyalty programs encourages users to interact with mobile apps, helping people unlock content or achievements that they want to share with other users or on social media.
While users may passively browse your website for information, they will actively participate in app activities and tasks. It is therefore critical that your online presence is consistent, from app to website (and more). It's also beneficial that these two platforms share features because you may wish to drive consumers to your website through the app-or vice-versa-and users will appreciate a uniform experience.
Money Changes Everything
Monetizing your app may seem like a tricky undertaking, but keep in mind that while some customers will never pay for an app and will watch ads to continue with their free download, there are others who will happily pay you to eliminate ads-or they will uninstall the app. Since 90% of apps are available for free, consider targeting the 33% of users who are willing to pay for mobile apps. Instead of watching thousands of ads each day, a great ad-free, fee-based app may help you differentiate your business and connect with invested users.
No User Left Behind
One of the biggest mistakes integrated marketers can make is to ignore any potential users or market segments. Skip the one-size-fits-all-model of audience outreach and offer highly-customized, rich content to your dedicated audience and watch how loyal they become or remain. Additionally, this approach provides the opportunity to gather valuable data and insights on app users to generate revenue down the road.
Keep It Real
The final piece of advice from Mobile Marketing Watch is to avoid vanity metrics like number of downloads or time spent watching videos. While this anecdotal information is interesting it's irrelevant if it's not satisfying your key performance indicators. Instead businesses should focus on the data points that lead to key strategic decisions, help identify profitable users, and help understand how to update apps to maximize engagement and revenue.
Think Creatively
App development and marketing can be a by-the-numbers exercise if you're not careful. Instead, take a little extra time to invest in these five techniques that will make your mobile app stand out in a crowded marketplace, helping improve adoption and energize users.
