{"id":29378,"date":"2023-07-28T13:22:39","date_gmt":"2023-07-28T20:22:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.helpshift.com\/?p=29378"},"modified":"2024-04-15T02:03:25","modified_gmt":"2024-04-15T09:03:25","slug":"understanding-mobile-apps-user-journey-and-why-it-matters-to-app-developers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.helpshift.com\/understanding-mobile-apps-user-journey-and-why-it-matters-to-app-developers\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Mobile App\u2019s User Journey and Why It Matters to App Developers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Making your app users complete an action that adds to your end goal is becoming increasingly difficult. The reason being, if they don\u2019t associate with it, they would rather switch apps than do what you expect of them. In this post, we\u2019re going to share how you should analyze the entire user journey to improve the user experience and get more conversions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow do you get your users to do what you want them to on your app?\u201d<\/em><\/strong> <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is one question that has been haunting app marketers forever, and we totally relate. You ask users to sign up after a download and they leave the app. You recommend a purchase to them and they abandon the app to look for an alternative. Basically, if there\u2019s anything you want them to do \u2013 it\u2019s rarely going to happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s where the importance of a user journey comes in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is a User Journey?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A user journey is defined as a series of steps that represent how you want users to interact with your app. It involves the analysis of how users are interacting with the app to identify the weakest points in the path to conversion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It could be hesitance in making an in-app purchase, trying out a new feature, or simply not being able to understand how to use one. Mapping the user journey from the time of download and their first session is important for your app\u2019s growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are the Stages of App User Journey?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are the core steps of an effective user journey that maps the user activity from discovery to purchase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

App discovery \/ App awareness<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hundreds of apps appear in the app stores on Android and iOS every day. App developers need to focus on app store optimization on priority and create referral marketing campaigns that encourage the users to share the app in their circles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

App download \/ User acquisition<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This stage in a user journey looks into what made a user download the app after discovery. Is it because there were no other options available to them, the reviews of the app, what the app had to offer, or any other reason?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowing the motive and the source behind an app download is important for marketers to optimize their user acquisition strategies<\/a>. When you know what people are looking for, why, and how you can offer the same to them, you can personalize your marketing campaigns better. The higher the level of your personalization, the greater the conversion rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

App developers also need to establish their brand names in the target market. They must maximize their online presence across social and other digital channels, get their apps featured on media sites popular with their users, and make sure that their potential users see the app\u2019s value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

App onboarding \/ App exploration<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s face it, you and we don\u2019t have to think the same way. While you might want us to write an article only in pointers, we may be the kinds who prefer in-depth posts or vice versa. The same holds true with your app users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When a user downloads your app, they have the freedom to explore it on their own, at their own pace. Now, this may lead them to explore the features that are a unique selling point of your app or they may miss them. Giving the user entirely free reign and absolutely no in-app guidance<\/a> can also result in them getting a little too overwhelmed or confused with what the app has to offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where the user onboarding flow steps in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onboarding is like giving your users a quick walkthrough of your app. From the features, it offers to how they can make the most of them, in a step by step manner. It makes exploration of the entire app a breeze for the user and assures the developers that none of the features are ignored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, here\u2019s how Slack introduces its users to the app\u2019s features:<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

App reuse and purchases<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

According to Localytics<\/a>, the average mobile app retention across all industries is 25% after 90 days. Yes, most apps have a large churn of 75% \u2013 irrespective of how good the app is or what it has to offer. Getting your users to the app after their first session is a challenge that app marketers still face. Yes, user retention problems are for real!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The primary reasons for a churn being the users found another app that seemed better to them, the app was unsuccessful at becoming their break time companion, or it could simply engage the user at the right time while they were away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have spoken about how in-app and outside the app communication as well as engagement are important to keep the users hooked. Be it using in-app chats, activity feeds, or push notifications<\/a>, app developers need to ensure they remain at the top of their user\u2019s mind amidst all the market competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

App monetization<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While there are apps like Candy Crush and Game of War making millions out of their users, most apps face a challenge when it comes to converting their users into paying users. The first way out that a lot of users see is to look for another app that offers similar features for free \u2013 and that\u2019s where the first app experiences a churn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now one way of monetizing your app is running multiple in-app ads \u2013 but then that puts your app at the risk of not being able to deliver a great experience. Another tactic that apps take to monetize from their users is blocking out a few features from the freemium model \u2013 this doesn\u2019t interrupt the user\u2019s experience and if implemented properly, converts higher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a previous post, we discussed 10 in-app tactics that can help you monetize from your users:<\/p>\n\n\n\n