According to Google, the average number of apps installed on smartphones is 35. An App Annie survey has revealed that each smartphone owner launches around 9 apps in a day. Summing up, smartphone users delete a few apps on a daily basis.
Therefore, it is important for your app to stay relevant, valuable, and useful for users. You can achieve these objectives through app personalization. Let us go through this concept and find how we can get it right.
What is Mobile App Personalization
App personalization is a buzzword in the corporate sector. As more companies come up with enterprise-grade mobile apps, it is necessary for every entrepreneur to provide the best user experience to stay ahead of the curve. When a customized mobile app gives the users what they want with a personalized communication approach, it is app personalization.
In other words, app personalization is to offer personalized interaction and communication to the users in a business mobile app.
Importance of App Personalization
Both Google and iOS app stores have seen exponential growth in the number of apps in recent years. In such a situation, you may find an app similar to your app in the app store. Such competition is responsible for reducing the average app retention rate. Even the slightest lapse in the performance or user experience can be a reason for the deletion of an app.
What’s more, most mobile apps experience an average churn of almost 75 percent by the third month of download. It adversely impacts the retention rate and as a result, the app loses over half of its user base. The following graph shows the app’s retention and churning rate for the first three months after download:
If your app can offer a personal touch to the users along with a seamless performance and useful features, then the users will keep using it. A lack of engagement and optimization can lead an app to deletion. Therefore, you need to implement personalization in the application.
How to Implement Personalization in Custom Mobile Apps
Personalization of mobile apps can serve three purposes: It improves engagement, enhances the experience, and increases app retention rate. As per the data given by Mckinsey, personalization can increase revenues by 5 to 15 percent if done properly.
Here are a few simple yet effective ways to personalize your tailored app:
1. Onboarding Experience
It is the first and foremost step toward personalization. The customized onboarding experience is based on the data points related to user behavior. When the users get the experience as per their preferences, they feel hooked on the app. But, while keeping the focus on the customer journey of the user within the app, it is necessary to avoid giving irrelevant features and functionality.
2. In-app and Push Notifications
Consistent communication is the key to increasing the app user’s engagement. You should notify them of a new feature or product, recommend in-app purchases, and company news to turn the app users into loyal customers. In-app and push notifications are the best tools to serve this objective.
They can be a part of a great marketing strategy that has a personalized approach for your app users. Personalized push notifications can increase retention rates by 180 percent. However, you need to make sure that the notifications are relevant and up to a certain extent.
3. Creative Content
If app engagement is your goal, all you need is an app with a personal touch for the users. Fresh and relevant content can help you make your app appealing and engaging. The app content should be specifically written for the targeted audience.
If it is generic and unfocused, then chances are bright that the users will remove the app. Be it promotional content or notifications, creative and personalized content is necessary to grab the app user’s attention. Also, such content can help you establish better connectivity with the users.
4. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI has made it easier to provide a personalized experience through an app. This futuristic technology uses insights into the user’s in-app behavior and gives suggestions about engaging content. Netflix app’s success is largely attributed to AI.
What’s more, AI can also select the best time to send a particular notification to the users. In a way, it can increase the chance of converting a notification into action from the app users. AI can be used to get an optimum outcome in the app personalization.
5. In-app Community
How about creating the user’s community within your app? The in-app community enables users to interact and share their experiences with one another. It can replace the social media-based community over time because the in-app community consists of users who have similar interests and they spend a good time on your app.
People can motivate other people with ease. The in-app community facilitates people to come together and gives them a personalized experience.
6. Rewards and incentives
Rewards and incentives are age-old but highly effective ways to motivate app users. You can analyze the user data to understand their in-app journey, and on that basis, you can initiate a campaign that offers them an incentive or a reward in lieu of completing the desired action.
Now, the action could be anything in line with your app’s goal and marketing budget. You can offer a special level, a small discount, or an additional feature. This time-tested approach enables you to offer a personalized experience.
Concluding Thoughts
Mobile app personalization can assist entrepreneurs to get a higher retention rate and ensure the success of their apps. Star Bucks and Airbnb have gained success thanks to the app personalization approach. Irrespective of the size and business model, every company can get the advantage of personalization. All you need is planning, data analysis, and research to personalize your enterprise app.
A reliable mobile application development company can give you a proper insight into mobile app personalization while making your app capable of offering a pleasant and personalized user experience.
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