Author: Ragnar Egilsson

Categories
Blog

Mobile User Acquisition on a Budget: Reviews and Referrals

space shuttle launching user acquisition for mobile apps

The following is an excerpt from chapter three of Intellectsoft’s upcoming, comprehensive guide: “User Acquisition Explained: A Cost-Effective Strategy for Finding the Audience Your App Deserves”.

The effective use of reviews and referrals can be a remarkably cost-effective way to draw in new users for your app.

 

MAKE REFERRALS EASY

When people say that an app “went viral,” what they really mean is that an app “experienced rapid user growth as a result of word-of-mouth marketing.”        

Two-word explanations are better than 12-word explanations, so it’s understandable why the first phrase took off. But it’s important to acknowledge what the second phrase is saying:

Virality is not a random, mysterious occurrence. In reality, it’s as quantifiable as any other marketing attribute.

The most obvious viral metric to start with is referrals. According to Facebook, referrals from friends or family are responsible for 36% of all app discoveries. As a developer, there are several reliable ways to get your users in a giving mood:   

Social Sign-In. App activity can be shared in social media feeds, raising your brand awareness within your user’s networks.

Social Sharing Icons. Less intrusive than social sign-in, but also a great way for users to selectively share their app accomplishments and activities with friends and family.  

Direct Invites. Messages received via text or email from a close contact tend to have higher authority and are often more convincing.

Incentivized Referrals. Discount codes or similar freebies provide users with a clear and immediate value in exchange for their app advocacy.

 

By baking these mechanisms into the fabric of app functionality you can effectively recruit an army of marketers with little to no monetary investment. Just make sure users actually have a chance to explore and enjoy your app first. Otherwise, greedy referral requests could send users running in the opposite direction.

 

DON’T BE SHY ABOUT REVIEWS

Ratings are a primary variable in app store ranking algorithms, and they also happen to be where most users first look when scanning their search results. This can be great news for underdog developers.

No matter how much name recognition or financial resources your competition has working in their favor, they still need to put out a quality product. If they don’t, they’ll risk drowning in a flood of one- and two-star reviews.

The sentiment of app user reviews isn’t the only factor here, however. In fact, growing evidence suggests that the volume of reviews may ultimately be more important. But regardless of whether ranking algorithms can ever be fully understood, a healthy number of positive reviews can only be good for business.

The trouble is, the average app user has little interest in submitting any app reviews. In fact, approximately two-thirds of apps sitting in the iTunes Store have failed to attract a single one. So consider it your responsibility to start the conversation.

There are plenty of options out there for how to style your message, but how you prompt users is far more important. A few of the golden rules for in-app pop-ups include:

DO let users explore the app before requesting any favors (> 5 sessions)

DON’T interrupt users in the middle of an activity

DO capitalize on satisfying moments like task completion

DON’T talk like a robot or badger like a spammer

DO provide clear and simple options for users to select

 

Among a certain portion of mobile app users, however, anything resembling a traditional rating request will automatically be dismissed. As a result, more publishers are prioritizing user feedback loops instead.

Media app Circa News, for example, seeks reviews by initially asking users if they are enjoying their experience. If the user replies positively, only then are they asked to rate the app. If the user replies negatively, they are asked whether they would be willing to submit feedback to Circa instead.

This is brilliant in two ways. First, the decision flow makes it easy for happy users to write app store reviews and harder for disappointed users to do the same. Second, it gives Circa an opportunity to rescue bad experiences while simultaneously gaining perspective that will help prevent future disappointments.  

 

This is just a taste of our upcoming user acquisition ebook for anyone diving into app development. Whether you’re with a cash-strapped startup or a well-funded venture exploring the most strategic investment choices for user acquisition, make sure to follow Intellectsoft for information on how to get your free copy of User Acquisition Explained

Categories
News

Mobile Roadie Website Relaunch

Hikers looking over the horizon. A relaunch of mobile roadie, new adventure in mobile development

Mobile Roadie clients and friends,

We are thrilled to debut our redesigned website today, featuring an all-new list of customized app development tools engineered for a variety of businesses and verticals in mind, ranging from sports teams and conference organizers, to religious organizations and bands.

As part of our website relaunch, we wanted to share two client success stories with you, featuring the world-famous Pacha nightclub in Ibiza and the immensely popular Broadway show, Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark.

From our first conversation with the Pacha team, we knew our partnership would be something special. As one of the world’s premier nightclub and event brands, this team creates social magic and unforgettable moments for clubgoers. We were thrilled to be a part of it! Pacha finds Mobile Roadie’s geo-fencing capabilities to be the most useful feature of their app. Utilizing their users’ location information they can send targeted notifications about upcoming events, as well as send push notifications to their devoted  fans when Pacha organizes parties abroad (like Pacha’s Festival Amsterdam in fall 2015). The Pacha team also mentioned that Mobile Roadie makes it very easy to update their app on-the-fly, which is a “must” since they never know when the perfect party opportunity will pop up.

Since its launch in January 2012, the Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark app has been downloaded almost 3.2 million times, serving as a testament to just how much this show has captivated Broadway and Spider-Man fans alike. While the app offered users exclusive information, photos, and updates, most importantly it provides the show with an opportunity to bring users the music they love. This in turn drove over $5,600 of music sales from within the app, creating a win-win scenario for both the cast and the fans.

This website redesign is just a small part of many exciting changes we’ll be rolling out in the coming months, including new themes, a wider range of color selections, beautifully updated designs, increased security features and app code optimizations. Keep an eye out for future announcements in the coming weeks and months! Cheers from our team in Los Angeles and happy app-building!

Categories
Blog

Millennials Make Mobile A Must For Hotel Marketers

Personally entitled, professionally lazy, technically gifted, and socially progressive are just a few of the labels applied to Americans born in the final 20 years of the 20th Century.

Volumes of market research have been devoted to determining exactly how true those descriptions are, but there’s at least but there are at least two attributes that aren’t up for debate:

1) Millennials embrace mobile devices and engage with them more than any other group

2) Millennials are now the largest generational segment in the U.S., representing more than a quarter of the total population.

As a result, catering to this pivotal customer segment has become a business priority for modern marketers. And for those stationed in the hospitality industry, smartphones open up a crucial line of communication.

TECH GUIDES TRAVEL EXPERIENCES

As anyone with an Instagram account can attest to, smartphones play a major role in how Millennials discover, coordinate, experience, and share their travel adventures. It’s no surprise, then, to see recent research from Oracle confirming hotels as a hub of mobile interaction.

Prior to arrival, 55% of Millennials have browsed a hotel website via smartphone while 45% have directly reserved a room using a smartphone.
Once at their destination, 24% check-in via mobile while 84% connect their device to the hotel’s WiFi during their stay.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT REMAINS

The hospitality industry at large deserves credit for embracing mobility faster than most, but there is still plenty of work left to be done.   

One of the more interesting findings from the Oracle survey revealed that just 12% of Millennials had ordered hotel room service via mobile device.
Initially, it might be tempting to explain that statistic as more a matter of luxury than technology – that Millennials balk at the cost of room service. But when framed against the fact that 39% of Millennials have ordered food delivery via smartphone in other contexts, it seems to suggest hotels may be fumbling an important opportunity.

That suspicion was confirmed by Millennial hotel workers themselves, one-third of which felt their employers “made bad use” of technology. Perhaps worse, only 15% indicated that their employers were receptive to staff feedback on technology issues.

WHERE DO APPS FIT IN?

The sum of those survey findings could feel discouraging to some, but for hotel marketers ready to embrace change, it has all the makings of an attractive opportunity for revenue growth..

The most powerful way to turn mobile into a competitive advantage is through the development of a dedicated app. When everything from booking rooms and massages to discovering attractions and directions can be accomplished from a single, portable interface, guests can’t help but be converted by the convenience. Every time they open a device with the hotel’s app installed, they will be greeted with the hotel logo introducing them to services they may not even have been aware of. And by integrating smart social media features, you’ll give loyal guests a stage to sing your praises and convince prospective customers. Thereby a mobile app becomes a way to engage customers prior to arrival, upsell them on services during their stay, and gives them an opportunity to advocate for the hotel brand following departure.

But hotel app development cannot be approached with a “build it and they will come” mindset. Considering that just 13% of the surveyed Millennials have used a hotel app to facilitate a trip, promotional efforts may still be the weak link in app strategy. As a result, hotels need to make sure any app they do create becomes the focal point of mobile marketing efforts moving forward.