5 ways to make your app more ‘sticky’

Some of the biggest challenges for app developers are trying to increase user retention and maximise session times. The average mobile app user will never use an application again after 72 hours of installing it. This is bad news for your app business, especially if you have invested a lot into marketing in order to maximise downloads. However, these tips will help improve your app’s ‘stickiness’ and keep more users engaged for longer.

Create a seamless boarding process

The first few moments after opening a newly installed app are the most crucial when it comes to reducing abandonment rates. If a user opens your app and has to undergo a lengthy or complicated process to get started, they are likely to abandon the app straight away. Try to streamline your app so the initial user stages are simple and effortless. This will remove any potential hurdles and make it easier for users to explore the rest of your app.

Allow personalisation

Research has shown that apps which allow users to personalise and customise their UX are much better at increasing retention figures. Being able to customise things like the interface, content selection and design can help create a more immersive experience and will help users feel more directly invested. Also, it will make your app naturally diverse and more appealing to a wider range of consumers.

Listen to feedback

The correlation between user feedback and retention rates is often overlooked by app businesses but it is an essential part of managing an app business. User reviews and ratings can tell you a lot about your app and whether or not it is being well-received by the community. Monitor feedback to identify bugs and areas for improvement.

Use push notifications

Focusing on the UX is essential for ensuring that users are kept happy and engaged while using the app. However, the hard part comes once they have finished their first session. Push notifications are an effective way of breaking the 72-hour curse. Create personalised push notifications that are engaging and informative in order to attract more users back to your app and make them aware of recent updates.

Add an element of social competition

Competition is a great way to get more users engaged for longer, especially if there is a social aspect to it. Mobile games use this concept effectively but there are creative ways to integrate things like leaderboards and social interaction into other types of apps. This will also work as a marketing tool and will increase incentives for users to share their experience with others.