Why is mobile app marketing important?
What are the biggest mobile app marketing mistakes and how can you avoid them?
Before listing them one by one, let’s see why mobile app marketing is important in the first place.
Today, more than 3 billion people have a smartphone. Smartphones have successfully changed the entire landscape of how consumers think, approach, decide and purchase. Be it news, shopping, social media, communication, navigating or entertainment, it can be found on a mobile phone.
When it comes to marketing in general, every marketer’s essential job is this: to be where the consumer is. And, today, the consumer is on their smartphone.
Mobile is the newest powerful place for businesses to reach out to and connect with their target audience. It is also a very personal medium, so a business has to be extremely careful about its approach. There are many mistakes that a business might end up making in mobile app marketing. So here are a few of them that should be avoided to succeed in marketing.
Mistake #1: Treating Mobile like a Desktop
Treating mobile as a desktop is the first mobile app marketing sin. A lot of mobile apps are similar to the desktop version, albeit smaller. Businesses try and shrink the desktop version to fit on a small screen and enable it with the same functionalities. However, apps are meant to be different. Apps offer a different experience and therefore they should be treated separately. Over-the-top designs may look good on the desktop. But this might not be the case for mobile.
It is common to assume that mobile users will plug in as much information as a desktop user. The reality, however, is that typing on a mobile device could be very time-consuming. Hence, the app should be designed by keeping this in mind.
Furthermore, mobile users are always on the move. It is therefore important for businesses to design a mobile-compatible website that is easy to navigate. You shouldn’t have website visitors hunt for buttons. And you shouldn’t also forget the importance of responsive web design.
Mistake #2: Developing Without Planning
Many companies try to make their app available on the app store as soon as possible. The moment these apps are available, they start collecting downloads that could surprise the business. The general assumption in such cases is that the app is a success without necessarily focusing on the audience that is using the app and also the long-term steadiness of such downloads; also known as retention.
Companies should take advantage of the existing website and its audience to carry out appropriate marketing and promotion of any new app. For example, customers should know about the launch in advance. They should be able to relate to the potential benefits that the app will offer. And once you launch the app let your customers that you are Live!
Mistake #3: Offering Business Website as an App
With a multitude of apps available on the Play Store and App Store, the benchmark of every new app is really high. Businesses that launch a mobile website and pass it off as an app are signalling to the end-users that they might not know what an app really is.
This will result in the end-users turning towards alternative solutions and real apps. Apps should be built to allow access with the slowest of internet connection. The end-user is never bothered about the complexity that goes behind building an app. They are entirely focused on their personal experience of the app.
Mistake #4: The Retention Issue
One of the biggest problems you can face in mobile app marketing is the retention of users. Most apps experience tremendous losses. More than 90% of users end up uninstalling the app in 6 months or less since the first download.
If a business is investing a huge amount of money in a mobile app, it is critical to understand the key aspects that will bring back the users to the app. If the app’s utility offers novelty over recurring use, chances are that the retention percentage will be extremely low. Factors such as retention could require assistance from a mobile app marketing agency for overall success.
Businesses should avoid assuming that the traffic inflow will continue at the same pace and degree. People do not come back to the same app just because you expect them to. Hence, the company should take enough steps to ensure retention and motivation for the clients to come back.
Mistake #5: Ignoring Customer Base
It could take expertise in marketing strategies for a business to pay continued focus on the existing customers of their app. Existing customers should never be taken for granted. Customers will always find alternatives, but the business won’t.
Existing customers offer the right opportunity for businesses to understand the likes and dislikes of the target audience. This is possible to understand if the business can engage with them on a personal level. Consumers need to know that businesses value them. Therefore, two-way communication is imperative for a business’ survival. This can be integrated into the app for improved flow.
Companies, which create separate tabs for feedback and review, could have a hard time getting any relevant information because it could be painful for the customers. If a company is genuinely interested in feedback, it is important to make the channels more accessible and easier to use.
Mistake #6: Neglecting Real-Time Marketing
Real-time marketing involves the constant promotion of the app. Most businesses fail to do this and don’t realise that it could be as easy as reaching out to consumers via social media for a start. Engagement is as important as an initial promotion. Seek constant feedback and respond to consumer queries faster than competitors. Today, a business may have a heavy inflow of traffic, but taking it for granted could mean zero inflow soon. It makes sense to be ahead of the competition as well as attract customers regularly. This requires continued analysis and fast results.
While designing an app, every business should evaluate its marketability, accessibility and purpose. Since there is no shortage when it comes to the app’s variety, businesses should know that users are constantly on the lookout for some value addition from any app that they download. While designing an app, every business should evaluate its marketability. Before spending huge amounts of money and time in building an app and also mobile app marketing, it is best to evaluate its potential and the return on investment that it could generate.
Pranab Bhandari is a content manager and consultant at India-based SEO company in India “Techmagnate”. His content has been published in several national and international publications.
