In most cases mobile apps are of three types- they are monetizable in three ways. First, they can offer mobile app development services like connecting people or directly exposing users to their resources or tools. The second type is applications that provide content such as youtube, Instagram, Facebook, etc. An Android app development company can potentially make money by leveraging your time and attention- in essence, your attention is the product they sell to businesses. These businesses pay them handsomely to run advertisements while your attention is captured.
Now that we know the types of applications we are going to discuss, I have taken two examples of each type to explain how they incorporate(d) their fundamental elements in their mobile applications. Uber for a service-providing application and youtube for a content-based application, but before we directly jump into the case studying the two examples, let us first in detail understand the fundamental elements or factors that every mobile application must focus on.
The download stage is critical to companies that offer mobile application development services because it's the first step in the user's journey with the app. To encourage users to download the app, it's important to optimize the app's visibility in the app store, with an attractive app store listing that clearly showcases the app's features and benefits. Additionally, the app's size and download speed should be optimized to provide a smooth user experience.
Once the user has downloaded the app, the next step is to engage them with its features and functionality. This involves providing a seamless onboarding experience that helps users understand how to use the app's features effectively. Personalisation, push notifications, and social sharing options can also help increase mobile app engagement levels.
Finally, the key to long-term success is to retain users and keep them coming back to the app. This can be achieved by providing a consistently excellent user experience, timely updates, and new features that keep the app fresh and relevant. User feedback and analytics can help identify areas of improvement and guide development efforts to enhance user retention. It's also essential to monitor user churn and take steps to reduce it by addressing common pain points or issues. By focusing on download, engagement, and user retention, any company can increase the chances of creating a successful mobile application.
Now that we’ve seen what the three steps refer to, let us move on and try to understand them better using examples.
Let’s start with a service-based app that connects people offering a particular service(s) and people who require those service(s). Now, the first step, as we know, is to download. First, the application team has to assess and identify the target market and audience respectively. Once they do that they have to make it as easy and convenient as possible for the user to download and sign up. Now they must increase their user base. Let us take the case of Uber- a very well-known cab-service company.
Download
- Seamless Registration: Uber focused on providing a smooth and hassle-free registration process. Users could quickly sign up using their email or social media accounts, eliminating any barriers to entry.
- Referral Program: Uber implemented a highly successful referral program. Existing users were given a unique referral code to share with friends, and both the referrer and referee received discounts or free rides as incentives.
- Partnerships and Promotions: Uber collaborated with various brands, events, and organizations to offer promotional discounts or exclusive deals, which attracted new users to download the app.
Retention:
- Seamless User Experience: Uber focused on creating a seamless user experience by simplifying the process of requesting a ride. Users could easily set their pickup and drop-off locations, see fare estimates, and track their driver's arrival in real-time.
- Customer Support: Uber implemented a responsive and efficient customer support system. Users could easily access help through the app for any issues or queries, ensuring a positive user experience.
- Loyalty Program: Uber introduced a loyalty program called Uber Rewards, where users could earn points for each ride they took. These points could be redeemed for benefits like free upgrades, priority support, or discounts on future rides.
Engagement:
- Personalized Recommendations: Uber implemented personalized recommendations based on user preferences and history. The app would suggest popular destinations, favourite routes, or frequently used services based on user behaviour, enhancing the app's engagement.
- Notifications and Offers: Uber utilized push notifications to send relevant updates, exclusive offers, and promotions to users. This strategy encouraged users to open the app and engage with the platform regularly.
- Social Sharing: Uber integrated social sharing features, allowing users to share their ride experiences or invite friends to join them. This social engagement helped in spreading awareness and attracting new users to the app. Uber's success can be attributed to its focus on providing a seamless and user-friendly experience, implementing referral and loyalty programs, and utilizing personalized recommendations and notifications to keep users engaged and coming back to the app. These strategies contributed to Uber's growth as a leading ride-hailing platform.
Now let us consider youtube, an open-source content-providing platform that leverages users’ attention, selling it to businesses in the form of advertisements and monetising it.
Download:
- YouTube focused on optimizing its app store listing by utilizing relevant keywords, an attractive app icon, and a compelling app description to improve visibility and search rankings in app stores.
- Cross-Platform Availability: YouTube ensured its app was available on multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, and web browsers, to reach a wide range of users.
- Marketing and Advertising: YouTube invested in marketing campaigns and advertising to promote its app. This included online ads, social media promotions, partnerships with influencers, and leveraging its existing user base to drive downloads.
Retention:
- Personalized Recommendations: YouTube implemented a sophisticated recommendation system that analyzed user preferences, viewing history, and interactions to suggest relevant videos. This kept users engaged by continuously providing content tailored to their interests.
- Subscription and Notifications: YouTube encouraged users to subscribe to their favorite channels and enabled them to receive notifications for new videos, ensuring users would return to the platform regularly to catch up on the latest content.
- User Interaction and Community Building: YouTube fostered a sense of community by allowing users to like, comment, and share videos. This engagement with the content and interactions with other users helped create a sense of belonging and attachment to the platform.
Engagement:
- User-generated Content: YouTube empowered users to create and upload their own videos, fostering a vibrant ecosystem of user-generated content. This engaged users in actively participating on the platform, whether as creators or viewers.
- Social Integration: YouTube integrated social sharing features, enabling users to easily share videos on social media platforms. This facilitated the spread of viral videos and attracted new users to the platform.
- Personalized Home Feed: YouTube further enhanced user engagement by curating a personalized home feed, showcasing a mix of subscribed channels, recommended videos, and trending content, thereby increasing the likelihood of users spending more time on the platform.
YouTube's success can be attributed to its focus on providing a vast library of content, implementing personalized recommendations, enabling user interaction and community building, and leveraging social integration to increase engagement and retention. These strategies have contributed to YouTube becoming one of the most popular and widely used video-sharing platforms globally.