Methods To Increase App Engagement & User Retention

​The mobile apps market is growing every day. From simple chronometers and calendars to games with quality graphics that make use of virtual reality. Regardless of the type of app you need, you are likely to find what you are looking for in the market of your operating system, be it App Store or Play Store. For users, this implies a wide variety of apps to choose from and greater possibilities to find one that suits their tastes and needs. But for developers and companies that create applications, it implies that there is high competition and strategies must be used to ensure that users not only download and install the app, but also frequently log in to that application. It is an objective that is not easy to achieve. Here are some of the ways to achieve this:

Optimize the first user experience

​The user experience is a determining factor for users when deciding if an app stays installed on their devices. Screenshots, comments from other users, description, and weight of the download file are other elements that come into play when deciding the installation.
 
When a user decides to install an app, after its first use, he can decide to uninstall it. So the fact that a user installs the application is only half the way. You must convert that user into an active one. One of the easiest ways to have active users is through the user experience. The first user experience is essential and tells your users how intuitive the interface is. Only a few minutes are enough for the user to have an opinion on the app. So, you must optimize the first user experience. If it is a game, it probably requires a tutorial. The first level is usually used for this purpose and advice and annotations are offered while the user is advancing. In any other app, you can include annotations the first time a user opens the app. It is also important to offer the option to skip the tutorial and return to it when the user wants.
 
Before placing your application in the App Store and Play Store, make sure that the interface is intuitive and tactile gestures work properly, perform tests and verify if there is an error, verify the graphic elements and that there are no problems of contrast or readability in the texts.

Include notifications and update

​Notifications are important in every mobile app. If a user does not receive them with a certain frequency, the app can be easily forgotten and will eventually be uninstalled from the device. This does not imply that you should send notifications every 10 minutes and be a source of spam to your users as this is a situation that could be risky. If your user is bothered by the notifications, he can deactivate them and uninstall the application.
 
Notifications are not only intended for the user to remember the application, but they are also used to share relevant information. That is the main feature of any notification: it must contain information relevant to users.
 
Another point to take into consideration is the updates. It is important that the application is updated to add new functions and correct errors. This way the user knows that the application is still active and keeps abreast of the latest technologies.

Offer incentives for frequent use

​One of the objectives of every app is to have it installed on devices and have lots of active users. However, with all the applications that exist in the App Store and Play Store, such an objective is difficult to achieve. There is strong competition, not only in online markets where a large percentage of apps are free or contain additional premium features but also in the users’ devices.
 
One way to increase the frequency of use of the app by your users is to offer some kind of reward for logging in. It is simple: if it is a payment application, you can deliver discount coupons. If it's a game, you can offer special bonuses or promotional items. The type of incentive that you give depends a lot on the type of application that you have created.
 
In addition to reporting incentives through notifications, do not forget to use social networks and other media where your application is present. You can get the attention of the users this way. To use this feature perfectly, you should contact top app development companies to hire dedicated developers.
 
Include a contact button in the application
 
Although the contact information is available in the respective online market, users could easily write comments indicating any query or reporting an error if there is a contact option on your app. As soon as one of your users uses this means of contact, you should send an automatic response and indicate in a window that the message has been sent successfully.
 
Also, include a section of "Frequently Asked Questions" in your app. New users will be grateful because it is in this section that they can find answers to their questions.

In conclusion

Since the competition in the mobile application market is high, you must plan strategies so that the users not only install your app, but they also use it frequently. The installation of the app is based largely on the utility or purpose of the app, as well as its score and comments in the respective application market. But that is only the first step. You must get the user to open your app frequently. So you should make use of certain strategies and improve some features of your application.
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Carefully evaluate the kind of strategy you can use and take into account the comments and suggestions of your users for future updates. Maybe a particular feature is requested by a large number of users and you may be able to add it to the future. This can be achieved by contacting top app development companies to hire dedicated developers.

about the Author

​​Melissa Crooks is Content Writer who writes for Hyperlink InfoSystem, a mobile app development company in New York, USA and India that holds the best team of skilled and expert app developers. She is a versatile tech writer and loves exploring latest technology trends, entrepreneur and startup column. She also writes for top app development companies.