How To Increase The Retention Of Your App

App development companies have now realized that top apps do not stay on the users’ devices longer
than 23 days on the average before they are deleted. In fact some apps enjoy less than one-month
fame before they crash. In fact, some app development companies have encountered mass download
and mass delete soon after.

You may also find out that a mobile app that has witnessed more than 15 million downloads and
installs now has less than a million active users. You may think that the number of downloads is a mere
exaggeration. No! Not at all. It is very possible especially with game apps.

So, mobile app development companies now have to take app retention more seriously. This makes
app development even more difficult. It means real work on your app begins the moment the app is
launched. This article outlines some of the reasons for low rate of app retention and how app
development companies can mitigate the discouraging trend.

Users want variety

Users want a feel of as many apps as possible. This is especially true for game apps. Once a game has
been cleared by a user, he will delete it to create space for another game app. Think about it. There are
more than 6 million apps in over 300 app stores and most of them are free. Why will they confine
themselves to only a few apps?

You can mitigate this be introducing new features in your app while updating it regularly. Before any
update, you may also engage the users of your app on the kind of features they will like to see. If it is a
game app, mobile app development companies need to continuously increase the number of levels
offered by the game so that it will take players a longer time to clear. This is also a way of introducing
new missions.

According to a staff of a reputable mobile app development company, using a single app for a long
time is like eating the same dish everyday. People want to explore other apps. This is the major reason
some apps are deleted after only one use. Some people downloaded it just to see what it offers not
because they really need it. So, the biggest challenge app developers have to cope with is users’
insatiable craving for variety.

Space constraint

Another big problem is that users cope with space constraint. A lot of users do not have enough
memory space for all the apps that they need. Unfortunately, apps don’t work on external memories.
When their memory is full, they have to keep deleting apps to create space for in-coming apps.

This is another reason users are always weeding the apps on their phone. They are forced to keep only
very useful apps on their phone and they also make use of their memory space judiciously. This is why
they often prefer the smallest app for the same purpose. If several apps are developed for the same
purpose, they are likely to choose the smallest of them to be able to conserve their memory space.

As an app developer, you need to ensure your app is as small as possible. One way to achieve this is to
restrict your app to only features and functions that are relevant to the purpose of your app. The fewer
the functions and features, the smaller your app will be.

Poor onboarding experience

Another common reason new users dump apps after using it once is poor onboarding experience. Even
though it is important to make your app as simple as possible, your app should be able to walk new
users through. Apart from the fact that it makes them understand the app more easily, it also makes
them feel special.

There are users that have been enjoying these walkthroughs on different apps. When that user is made
to navigate her way through in a new app, it will be a bad onboarding experience for her and chances
are high that she will drop off. So, take the time to take new users through your app and make them
understand the use and benefit of every function and feature on the app.

Too much typing

Typing in mobile device is so difficult thing to do. This is why users enjoy apps that do not require much
typing. On that note, it is a really bad idea to provide a long registration form for new users. It requires
much typing. Make sure you work on your app to make users type less and click more. In fact, it is
better to take it further by designing your app in such a way that users can get what they want with
fewer clicks and swipes.

Privacy concerns

Users are now careful about their data and how companies use it. So, they are often looking for
assurances that their data is safe on a particular app. Don’t assume that they know. You should always
let them know how safe their data is on your app. Also let them know what you are doing to keep their
data safe and assure them regularly that you will never share their data with third party organizations.

A lot of apps lose users when they begin to ask for questionable permissions. Instead, if you need the
permission of your users on anything, explain why you need it to them and explain why it is the best
for you, the app, and them. Don’t make the mistake of asking for permissions without proper
explanation.

Too many ads

While ads and pop-ups may be bearable on PCs and laptops because they take negligible screen space,
they are very annoying and frustrating on mobile devices because they take a considerable amount of
screen space. They can be very distracting too.

It is often manageable to use an app with a few ads but some app developers take it to the extreme
with clutter of ads. This is another reason people dump some apps angrily. Ensure you reduce the
number of apps you upload on your app if you have to retain the users of your app.