Google Play and Apple App Store are home to over 4 million apps, but many of them will never be used on a regular basis, as it is calculated that 1 in 4 people abandon a mobile app after only one use. There may be many reasons for this situation, nevertheless app developers need to do their best to satisfy the needs of their demanding clients so that their app does not end up in a trash bin.

Today's app market is highly competitive, therefore a popular product should not only be functional, but also user-friendly, well-designed, aesthetically pleasing and technically accurate. If you start to notice alarming statistics that the users tend to delete your app after just a few uses, you should take action as soon as possible. We bring you 5 tips to do it successfully.

Find out why

When UAT phase is complete your app faces the toughest challenge – customer reviews. All app users can rate your product and give feedback on app stores, professional forums and social media networks, so do verify the comments regularly. Address negative feedback and implement improvements in a timely manner so that the future users have better experience with your product. Additionally, you can interact with the commenters and let them know what changes you have made to fix the problems.

However, the best solution is to stop negative comments before they get published online. To do that, you can set up a private channel for customer complaints to verify the issues right away.

Fix technical issues

To remain successful and retain customers your app needs to work perfectly, therefore make sure that you have thoroughly tested its functionalities in mobile and cloud environments. When customers decide to download your app, they expect it to run smoothly, so verify whether the final product or enhancements do not contain any bugs and glitches. Having said that, mistakes in app design may happen even to the best developers and most experienced teams, but the sooner you fix technical issues that cause the app to crush, the better chances you have at retaining app users. 

Update your design

UX and UI can be measured on many levels. The most important, though, is how quickly the users can find what they are looking for within the app. It is also crucial to consider the layout of the app itself. In order to maximize the end user experience you should make your app intuitive an easy to navigate. If necessary, think about creating an in-app help desk, quick tutorials or mobile-friendly in-app FAQ section. Additionally, do not forget that we live in a world of aesthetic visuals, therefore the graphic design of the app itself should be cohesive with your value proposition.

Enable personalization

The next step that can help you retain app users is to offer uniquely personal experience. By now you should know how frequently the users open your app, what in-app purchases they make and what devices they use. Take this information and create a personalized communication plan. By enabling app personalization features you can communicate with your audience more efficiently and get your message across more effectively. It is also a great way of building a sense of community between the users, especially if your app requires user generated content for maximum engagement.

Rethink advertising strategies

Intrusive advertising or inappropriate notification systems can significantly impact user retention. Instead of annoying pop-up notifications, consider trying out alternative channels of communication. In-app notifications can work wonders for your business and can be used to increase the frequency of app usage. On the other hand, e-mail marketing still remains one of the most appropriate channels of communication. You can also offer personalized incentive programs, such as additional points or rewards for successful referrals or limited time offers on in-app purchases.

The work of an app designer does not end with simply releasing the product to the market. In fact, constant monitoring of performance and user satisfaction is essential to creating a successful and popular product. With the help of our 5 tips, you will be able to develop your app for the benefit of your clients which will translate directly into increased user retention.