Much like email marketers angst over emails that go unopened, mobile developers are seeking ways to get users to re-engage with apps that they have downloaded and then abandoned. This has been a long-standing problem, discussed in depth as early as 2009 when Flurry reported that gimmicky entertainment-related apps are used least for the shortest periods of time and lend themselves to one-time download fees. The problem has only intensified as app competition increases.
Flurry is introducing a new tool, AppCircle Re-Engagement for iOS apps. It enables app makers to identify, target and bring back their best users from other applications.
However, app makers might find that the problem of disenchanted users is beyond what a marketing campaign could fix. A Harris study commissioned by EffectiveUI found that 38% of mobile application users agree that they are not satisfied with most of the apps currently available from their favorite brand name companies/organizations, and 69% agree that if a brand name mobile app is not useful, helpful or easy to use it results in a negative perception about the brand.
Furthermore 13% have avoided downloading applications from a brand name company or organization due to a previous bad experience with another app offered by that brand.
Anthony Franco, CEO of EffectiveUI provides some tips in this blog post on deciding whether launching an app for marketing purposes is worthwhile - or could backfire.
Ask your customers what they want. "For any application, the right user research and design collaboration will drastically reduce maintenance costs and increase initial and sustained user adoption."
Keep late adopters in mind. The fastest growing market of web related services and devices are people over the age of 70, according to one study, Franco says. "That means you need to care about how they perceive the device – many designers talk about using more physical metaphors when designing UIs – largely because they understand that novice users need their connection to the physical world to map to their digital interactions.
Focus on what your business does. “If you are a credit card company, you don’t need to build a game. If you are a shipping company, you should not build a social network. Stick with the primary purpose of your business.”
Design for mobile use cases only. "73% of mobile app users say they expect a company’s mobile app to be easier to use than its website. If your website or customer portal has 50 things a customer can do, your mobile application should do 10.”
