App designers are continuously struggling to keep their audience far from competitor apps and retention rates high.
They’re considering their users’ requirements and desires every day, however it simply isn’t adequate to keep them using their app.
According to Localytics, 36%of users are still using a private app after a month, however 23 %of apps are utilized when before either never ever being opened again or being uninstalled.
With such a plain variety of apps losing user retention rate, it begs the concern: what’s going on? What are these apps doing that’s causing them to lose out to competitor apps?
1. Under-utilized push and local-based notifications
Alerts are handy reminders that encourage users to actively come back to the app, even if it’s every so typically. Approximately 50% of users opt-in for push alerts and about 65% of users tend to go back to the app within 60 days. Nevertheless, if too much of push and local-based notices are sent, there’s a possibility that users will end up being irritated and choose a competitor app that includes supportive alerts that aren’t too aggressive. Users might disable them or uninstall the app totally depending on frequency. Alerts can make or break user retention, possibly even driving them to the competitors.
2. Lengthy onboarding procedure
Onboarding processes are an essential part for many apps, particularly ones that need users to create accounts. However, apps fail by making a bad impression because their onboarding process is lengthy and provides little info. According to statistics, almost 75 %of users uninstall within the very first 90 days. This number can typically be associated to a bad onboarding process.
Throughout the onboarding phase, it’s essential that simply enough info is offered to users, so they understand how the app functions and why they’re going through these actions.
Some of the pages can provide more information on functions but need to be organized in cool, short sentences to keep the flow moving. If there are dense blocks of text, users will likely uninstall since it’s viewed as a wild-goose chase.
If there are 2 apps that do the specific very same thing, however one has a fast, efficient onboarding procedure, users will likely go with that a person. A rival app that acknowledges a user’s time is valuable and creates an onboarding procedure with them in mind will be effectively set up over one that has a prolonged process.
3. Unsteady app efficiency
App stability and bugs are normal tension points that developers have to stress over, especially when users can constantly uninstall a competitor app. Some studies even recommend that over 50% of users will uninstall due to efficiency. Google has even stepped up their efforts by eliminating glitchy apps from the Google Play store.
Despite the fact that some apps suffered, the objective was to encourage designers to more closely keep an eye on crash reports and user evaluations. Without checking these types of reports or user feedback, designers fail to acknowledge that a problem exists. This can result in a shaky efficiency for days or an even longer extended period of time, which causes users to look for a rival app that won’t dissatisfy them.
4. Ignoring user evaluations
User reviews are an important part of any App Store Optimization (ASO) method to guarantee that users aren’t experiencing any troubles with the app and to let them understand their feedback is appreciated. If efficiency is lacking, there’s a feature that’s causing the app to crash, or an update hasn’t been favored, users will speak their minds in the evaluations section.
If a competitor is engaging with their audience more than another developer, users will take notification. Developers need to continuously engage with their users to reveal that they care about what they have to state. If a competitor app has created a strong user-developer relationship, they’re most likely to turn a negative review into a favorable one. All developers require to take note of what their users are stating, especially if a review threatens going to a competitor app.
5. App consumes too much battery or space
If an app is draining pipes a device’s battery more than others or using up excessive area, users will discover another app that benefits them just the exact same. Roughly 50.6 % of users tend to uninstall if the app uses up excessive space on the gadget to save storage. Because a lot of devices are restricted on area, users will likely uninstall in order to save area on other apps, files, etc. If there are 2 RPG mobile games, one is 1 GB while the other is 500 MB, users will uninstall the larger app since it’s taking up too much storage. Regardless of the stories, mechanics, and includes being totally various, the competitor app takes up less space, so is most likely to be installed.
Do not suffer from bad retention rates
Developers require to do whatever they can to make sure that their retention is up and their userbase does not choose a competitor app. Declining user retention rate due to users installing a rival’s app can be the silent killer for any app’s success.
It is very important that developers avoid the following from taking place:
- Underutilized notices
- Lengthy onboarding procedures
- Shaky app performance
- Disregarding user reviews
- Undetected battery and storage area consumption
If any of the above 5 points happen, there’s a high likelihood that the app will suffer while competitors succeed. When one app stops working another can find success. Developers need to stay ahead of these problems to keep their retention rates high. If these points do take place, users make sure to set up a various app, increasing a rival’s success.
Guest author: Dave Bell is the Co-Founder and President of Gummicube.