Understanding that only some users who download your app will stick around is a crucial aspect of managing a successful iOS application. People are diverse, with distinct wants, needs, and expectations, making some user churn inevitable.
However, monitoring and actively working to minimize your churn rate is vital for sustained success. In this blog, we'll explore five effective strategies to help you reduce the churn rate in your iOS app.
Churn can be defined as the percentage of users who uninstall or stop using your app over a specific period.
High churn rates indicate that users need help finding value in your app or are facing issues hindering their experience. This can result in negative reviews, decreased app store rankings, and ultimately, higher uninstalls.
Understanding the common causes of churn can help you address the underlying. Some common causes of churn in iOS apps include:
Now, here are five tips to reduce churn in iOS apps.
Great onboarding ensures that the first-time user experience is highly tailored to the user's context and directs them toward key "aha" moments right from the start.
To ensure a seamless user experience, offering clear instructions and guiding users through key features for easy navigation is necessary.
Here are some strategies to enhance your app's onboarding process.
Reiterating the value proposition the user expects from your app can increase onboarding completion rates.
For instance, EazyDiner uses carousels that reinforce the core value proposition immediately after a user downloads the app, setting and maintaining their expectations while motivating them to explore the app's offerings further.
You can also use Stories to highlight your key value proposition and build trust with users. For example, IndMoney uses stories to share key market information.
Offer in-app tutorials or interactive walkthroughs to help users navigate and understand your app.
For example, Binance uses a guided tooltip walkthrough to educate new users and help them on their way to making their first trade. This leads to a rise in activation rates and over time reduces churn and improves LTV.
Social proof serves as a powerful psychological motivator, tapping into the desire for social validation and the confidence that others have found value in the same process. This can reassure users, highlighting the value of completing the onboarding journey.
Calm's onboarding includes questions about user goals (e.g., meditation, stress management). To maintain user motivation during this process, social proofing is added midway.
In-app messages play a crucial role in preventing user churn in iOS mobile apps by providing a means for effective communication and engagement.
A successful in-app messaging campaign requires the following:
Users often abandon apps right before converting, presenting an opportunity to boost conversion rates. MakeMyTrip, for instance, sends real-time in-app messages with coupons to users who frequent the checkout page without making a purchase. When these users return to the homepage, a timely offer digital nudges them to proceed with the booking journey, reducing the user drop-off.
By improving engagement, there is a chance of reducing user churn. For example, SonyLiv aimed to boost viewership for Rocket Boys Season 2. They prominently featured the show on the homepage and used a Floater to capture user attention. This increased watch times and engagement, effectively minimizing user churn.
Effective use of push notifications is crucial for engaging users and reducing their churn. It is important to use them sparingly because about 40% of them express a preference to stop receiving such messages if they are bombarded with a lot of them
To optimize their impact, personalize messages with attention-grabbing headlines and schedule them during users' peak activity times.
Learn from Netflix's strategy, which prioritizes reminding users of their preferred content rather than inundating them with irrelevant messages. Keep notifications non-excessive, yet feel free to use emojis for added personality.
Personalization plays a crucial role in retaining users and keeping them engaged with your iOS app. By offering personalized in-app advertisements, you can create a sense of belonging and make users feel engaged.
Here's how personalized advertisements can be effective in this regard:
For example, Spotify shows personalized ads for free users to upgrade their plan to experience upgraded features.
Consistently engaging with your target audience on social media platforms and sharing valuable content enhances the likelihood of retaining them as long-term users.
As you browse through Instagram, you've likely encountered sponsored posts from direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands you've previously interacted with, encouraging you to "Shop Now." This approach significantly increases visibility and click-through rates.
An illustration of this strategy is evident in Mcaffeine's use of sponsored posts to prompt users to revisit its app and make a purchase.
Reducing churn in iOS apps is essential for the long-term success of your app. By understanding churn, enhancing user onboarding, implementing push notifications strategically, offering personalized experiences, and regularly updating your app, you can create a loyal user base and achieve sustainable growth. Implement these tips today and watch your app flourish!
If you’re looking to reduce churn by improving engagement, start a free trial with Plotline which is a platform to help B2C companies activate, retain, and monetize their app users.