Any person’s natural interest can make them download your mobile app. Some apps may never get launched once after the download. The percentage of the further use falls even faster. Only 1 in 4 mobile apps are used more than once after the installation. Once your mobile app gains a user, you can’t tell for sure whether you are going to lose them in a blink of an eye. Here user retention is one of the most important and challenging metrics. According to a report by Appboy, the average retention after 1, 2, and 3 months of use is 54%, 43%, and 35% respectively.

Every user is your customer, and what can be better than long-term customers? No matter how you monetize, losing valuable users/leads means losing money and opportunities of further connections, and in the end makes efforts to gain new users rather meaningless.

The way to prevent losses is to keep your clients interested in what you offer. Engaged gamers will continue spending money on in-game items; engaged m-Commerce consumers will continue purchasing goods; SaaS users, businesses small and large, will further bring stable profits to the owner company; and so on, that’s simple. As for mobile apps, there are several things to hold on to, which sometimes get forgotten or neglected.

1. Know Your Loyal User

First you must know who your loyal user is, to target those who actively and extensively utilize your app. Identify the behavior of your main loyal user groups. You’ll be able to know the value your app can provide them with, and where you should pay special attention. Remember that it’s generally more difficult to retain Android users, since iOS users spend more time with their devices, and as a result, in apps. You might even have to use different marketing tactics and channels for retaining different groups of users.

2. Gather Feedback And Respond Quickly

This is an essential means of having control over users’ needs and requests, usually placed after the completion of a certain positive action within your app, in order not to interrupt the experience. Feedback is an invaluable source of information for you, but it’s also a strong tool for keeping the retention.

While people undoubtedly want their needs to be solved through your mobile app smoothly and quickly, a feeling that the software owner cares for them and listens to their suggestions, is a very good bonus. Don’t hesitate to engage into conversations with your users and answer their questions.

3. Push General Updates

This follows the previous point. Respond to reported bugs with updates. Various fixes are a usual thing for any app on Earth. Depending on the app, you may keep the relevance by managing the content within a regular schedule. Be careful with major overhauls – when you release one, watch the feedback closely. If you are consistent with updates, people will remain interested in your product.

4. Send Notifications About New Features, Events, Etc.

Various notifications can be used for informing users of interesting and relevant changes and updates. They must clearly show users the value of their message. A new breakthrough feature? A special offer? Perhaps event-based e-mails? Show how useful they are. People don’t want just to receive e-mails, they’d rather receive the actual value of what’s within. Use notifications wisely: they must be polite, not annoyingly frequent or interrupting. Don’t allow anything without the user’s permission.

5. Give OutRewards

Okay, you satisfy all the previous points and show your attention and care for users. Your app runs smoothly and people got used to it, but there is much more you can do for them. Rewards. They will be loved by every single person who is already loyal to your app. And for potential users who only begin trying it out, it’s a great opportunity to gain the upper hand versus competitors. Free digital goods, such as additional in-game levels; unlocked content and features, such as filters and fonts in photo-editing apps; extra storage space. People won’t miss the chances to get them.

6. Build A Community

Well, flashlights, to-do lists or converters might not need them. But startups, specialized social networks, or owners of several mobile products make the most out of communities in the Web, outside the app. Let your marketers use your own supporting website, or for example, the all-essential pages on social networks, where you can directly respond to questions and possibly avoid negative reviews. Check the existing communities of similar apps for ideas. This is not just a way to present your mobile products, this can become a channel of relationships which significantly strengthens user retention.

7. Always Give A Reason To Come Back

This is the main point. Users must return to your app time and again, and reasons may vary. If you have a game, it must be addictive (which basically means good dynamics, challenges and rewards along the game). This may be social integration, which allows to perform more operations without leaving the app. This may be the resulting user-generated content, which maintains interest for returning. Or maybe you’ll warm it up with exclusive content or features for power users. Always keep your app interesting and memorable.

With the help of these simple tactics you can incentivize your users on further interactions and keep their lifetime value at a high level. Increases in loyalty mean increases in direct revenue. The famous 80-20 rule is often applied here, stating that 20% of customers drive 80% of revenues to businesses. Keeping these numbers stable and healthy is the task of every brand, every startup. Loyal users will be more willing to share good reviews about your app, and may play a considerable role in attracting new people. A good development team will help you keep the product polished so it not only gets downloaded from the store, but as well remains on devices for a long time. Retain the value, and you’ll retain your loyal users.