5 User Retention Strategies That Don't Cost Extra Money
Too many startups and founders ignore user retention, but you don’t have to
User retention strategy is a hot topic. It’s something successful app startups are pouring endless sweat equity into. And no matter how nerdy it sounds, it’s something that excites me to talk about.
You know what really ruffles my feathers, though?
The fact that user retention is constantly ignored. Constantly! In fact, studies show that only 18% of companies focus on retention over acquisition. And that’s a pretty low number.
Instead, startups and founders put tons of focus into creating robust apps with unique features around every corner. And that’s great. But before, during, and after launch, they fail to focus on one of the most important aspects of their entire app: actually keeping users around.
On the flip side, a lot of other people ignore retention because they don’t think they’re at the point where they can start focusing on it yet. And I get it. If you don’t have any users, working on retention can feel kind of pointless.
But let me assure you, it’s not.
Focusing on user retention now, regardless of where you’re at in development, is one of the best things you can do to help your app see success after launch. -Click to Tweet
Not only that (and here’s where your ears might perk up), it can save you a ton of money.
Did you know it’s 5x more expensive to acquire a new user than it is to retain an existing one?
So even if you’re not at the stage where you have any users yet, it would be well worth your time to start thinking and planning for how to retain them now. Like, right now.
User Retention Doesn’t Have to Be Expensive
If you’ve put retention strategy off because you don’t have the time or money to focus on extensive, costly builds, not to worry. Keeping users around doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming.
Yes, things like email campaigns, social media incorporation, and app-personalization can be game changers. And at some point down the road, you’ll have the bandwidth and resources to put more of your focus on them.
But right now (seriously...right now), there are still things you can start doing to set your app up for repeat users (and serious acquisition savings down the road). It doesn’t even matter if you’re bootstrapping your app and have zero extra money to throw around.
The following strategies can help retain your future or current users, no matter how big or small your budget is.
1. Seamless Onboarding
Your app needs an onboarding experience. It’s what teaches new users how to navigate and complete actions within its pages.
Without an onboarding experience, there’s a good chance users will meet your app with too much confusion (or too little patience to figure it out). When that happens, you lose a prime opportunity to build up a track record with that person.
User onboarding doesn’t have to be extensive or all-consuming. In fact, by keeping it simple ( just like you should with your design), you could be doing yourself and users a huge service. People love convenience and ease. So make your onboarding experience feel like a welcomed step in the process.
Apps like Duolingo do an excellent job at this. And sure, they’ve undoubtedly done endless rounds of testing, but they, just like you, had a starting point.
To ensure your users have a seamless experience, keep it short, don’t ask for too much information, and give them a win. Those simple steps could make a world of difference later on.
2. Simple & Clear Navigation
The more your users have to search and click to find what they’re looking for, the less likely they are to return.
It all goes back to convenience and ease. Nobody wants to be disrupted, even if only by a few extra seconds. So when any part of your app isn’t clear, you’re losing valuable traction.
Sometimes, cool and unique design can get in the way of functionality. For example, having icons for navigation without any text might be visually appealing, but if it adds even half a second more to a user’s thought process, something’s wrong.
Make sure navigation is easy. Consider using breadcrumbs, and keep all pages as close to the index as possible.
Remember, an easy experience is a good one when it comes to app navigation.
3. Perfect Responsiveness
You know how important it is to create a responsive app.
But tell me — right at this moment, how responsive is your app?
Does it work seamlessly across all platforms? Can you move from an iPhone 4 to a phablet, tablet, laptop, and desktop with no funny business at all?
Getting your app to be seamlessly responsive is tricky because of how tedious it can be. Once you get the hang of it, though, you’ll be able to zip through your pages and tweak every little detail you need.
If you’ve ever used your phone to access a web app or site that wasn’t responsive, you know how annoying it is. You have to scroll up and down, left and right, then pinch, zoom, and get thrown all over the screen every time you tap on something.
Nobody has the patience for that (including your users).
4. Copywriting and CTAs
Even if you don’t have the resources to hire a copywriter yet, you can still make some excellent improvements to the words users see on your app.
And if you don’t think copywriting matters, think again. Even the simplest of details can make a huge difference for your app.
Take spelling and grammar for instance. Did you know that 59% of visitors will avoid doing business with companies who make obvious spelling and grammar mistakes?
What’s more, 8 out of 10 people will read the headlines on your page, but only 2 out of 10 will continue reading the rest. In other words, to keep people around, those headlines need to be great.
Taking it one step further, just changing the words on your call to action (CTA) can increase click through rates by double digits. That’s huge.
But even so, people ignore copywriting all the time, and it’s a mistake. Because no matter how good your product is, without decent copywriting, users might land on a page and simply never come back.
So how can you improve your app’s copywriting without hiring a copywriter?
- Write appealing headlines that keep them reading
- Stick to one main goal to reduce decision fatigue
- Build a sense of urgency that prompts users to take action
- Reduce friction to help streamline the process
For even more copywriting ideas, check here. And until you have the means to hire of copywriter of your own, dig into these tactics and see what you can put to work.
5. In-App Messaging
Push notifications and email campaigns are great, but they’re not simple tasks.
In-app messaging, however, is something you can implement much quicker.
When you reach out to a user with information that’s not directly on the pages of your app, you’re building a connection. You’re teaching them new things, congratulating them on a win, or offering them helpful updates.
The better you use in-app messaging, the more users you’ll retain. And the best part is, in-app messages are typically triggered once a user takes a specific action. That means you know your users are on your app the moment they receive the message.
Unlike emails or push notifications, that means you can have a nearly foolproof plan for reaching your users exactly when you want to — with no delay at all.
In-app messages are great for onboarding, introducing new features, promoting events or sales, and improving customer service. Of course, you can use them in whatever way fits best with your app, so long as you do use them.
Next Steps for Better User Retention
Depending on where you’re at in the app-building process, you might not be ready to take on serious projects like creating email campaigns or doing extensive testing. And that’s okay — it’ll come with time. The more traction you gain, the more resources you’ll have to keep improving.
Just because you’re not taking those steps now, though, doesn’t mean you can’t focus on user retention at all. By following the steps above, you’ll be able to set your app off on the right foot when it comes to keeping users returning again and again.
Boosting user retention rates (or setting yourself up for success early on) can start with simple and low-cost methods. So the next time you feel overwhelmed or stressed thinking about such big topics, rest assured that even these small steps can make a significant difference down the road.