The Secret To Boosting Mobile User Retention In 2019

With the majority of online interactions now taking place on mobile, it is more important than ever to make sure that your online properties are geared towards the mobile user. Recent statistics have shown that there is at least a 60% chance that a returning customer will make a second purchase, whereas with new customers the likelihood of making a purchase is just 20%.

As you can see, user retention is a big deal – the more users you successfully retain, the more likely you are to have repeat paying customers. This can be an incredibly cost effective investment as recruiting new customers can cost up to 5 times more than retaining them.

So what can you do to maximise your mobile user retention levels into 2019?

• 1. Inspire customers with a worthwhile mission. Some brands have gathered a strong following based on their products having a cult status, but others gain their customers’ loyalty by backing certain causes. A great example of this would be the sustainable UK clothing brand Wawwa. Their eco-friendly brand mission resonates perfectly with their target audiences, so customers not only enjoy purchasing and using their products but can feel good about supporting the brand.
• 2. First impressions can be everything. Your customers are already navigating a saturated market – one where they have seemingly unlimited options. In this market first impressions can be everything, so it is important that your customers come away from their first interaction with your brand or product with a positive feeling. A simple way of boosting users’ first impressions is to rely on information recovery methods. These can include allowing users to sign up or sign in using pre-existing accounts such as Google or Facebook for example. It can also help to have a welcome package in place with tutorials where appropriate, so new users can get to grips with your product quickly and easily.
• 3. Focus on creating excellent UX. We recently wrote a blog on the value of good UX, and this cannot be understated. User experience design underpins every interaction your customers have with your business and therefore it needs to be top notch. Good UX puts the user first and revolves around creating digital products which are easy and enjoyable to use, as well as offering value to users. If your website or app meets these expectations then you are more likely to see returning customers with a degree of loyalty to your brand. Another factor relating to good UX is the importance of offering a service which is convenient to use. 56% of users are more likely to share information (such as giving their email address for marketing purposes) in exchange for a faster and more convenient service, so make sure your UX facilitates this exchange.
• 4. Use push notifications wisely! Using push notifications usually goes one of two ways. Either your customers will find it a useful and convenient feature which enhances their experience (good!), or they will find it annoying or even inappropriate (very bad!). Different users will have different tolerances to having their browsing interrupted, so push notifications need to be used very carefully, and very sparingly.
• 5. Incorporate some level of customisation. The more closely a customer’s experience matches their expectations, the more likely they will be to seek out a repeat experience. For you, this can mean repeat business. There are a few simple ways you can incorporate a degree of personalisation across your websites and apps. For example, offering recommended products based on previous browsing behaviour or orders can help your customers locate products or services which may be of interest to them. Another simple example might be to use personalised homepage sliders based on the user’s location. This can be tied in with the above point on push notifications; allowing users to customise the types of notifications they recieve can go a long way to helping them feel empowered as consumers.

Radical Web Design specialise in fine tuning your brand to help retain customers through thoughtful design. If this sounds like something you could benefit from then please don’t hesitate to get in touch.