Q&A: Why isn’t our app more sticky?
Q&A: Why isn’t our app more sticky?
This is the second in a series of articles answering common questions and pain points CEOs and CTOs ask us to help solve. The first was Why aren’t more people signing up for our app? Today, we’ll dive into the next functional stage: why isn’t our app more sticky? Or, in other words, why aren’t more people using our app regularly?
It seems almost unfair that brands have to both create useful, attractive, magnetic technology and convince people to use it, but this is the nature of the path to innovation. People are habit-prone, and yet it’s much more effortful to nurture a new behavior into a habit than one might imagine.
Last week, we used the analogy of a prom date to describe the signup process. If a signup is like going to prom, creating stickiness is like nurturing a long-term relationship.
Have you nailed your app or website’s entry point?
Most users will come to your product not because of a generalized intent to experience all it can do, but because of a single, specific, immediate want or need. These entry points range from momentous to mundane. For example, a user might download an app like Duolingo to learn a new language, or download a banking app to use the travel controls on their card. Those happen to be mobile app examples, but the principle is the same for web properties: the user has a specific purpose in mind.
It is crucial that the very first session makes them feel successful in their purpose and puts the brand on the same side as the user.
Sounds simple, right? In reality, there are a surprising number of ways to mess this up.
Taking instead of giving: Many brands ask for a bunch of demographic or preference information in that first interaction under the banner of “personalizing” the app for the user. This doesn’t fool anyone. This tactic puts your brand in the position of being a barrier to the user accomplishing their goal instead of a guide or advocate. Look for less obtrusive ways of getting the information you need gradually over time.
Opening the floodgates: You’re so excited to show the user everything your platform can do that instead of letting them interact with the one thing they came for, you show them 23 other things they could also do right now. That’s not helpful; it’s overwhelming. Take the user to what they came for first (in our example above, the travel controls), and then, after they’ve finished, offer them more options for related features.
Making the user play Survivor: Conversely, some brands provide no guidance at all, leaving the user to fend for themselves as they search for sustenance (aka the feature they need). This is often due to running out of time or budget, but don’t skimp on guiding users—just make sure it’s self-directed, moderate (not overwhelming), and not popup-based.
Death by tutorial: Giving users access to training materials is helpful. Popping up a tutorial on every screen is not. It implies that your app is hard to use and the user needs a tutorial to get around. Try to integrate nudges into the app itself that users don’t have to think about accessing. Then have more extensive information available as a backup if you have a more complex flow.
You want the user to feel you delivered impeccably on what they needed in that first interaction. It should feel like your app or software anticipated their needs as if it had known them forever.
Wait, are we still talking about apps? Because that sounds like a great date between two compatible people.
Does it look and feel magnetic?
Attraction matters with your app or software just as much as it matters in dating. There’s a legitimate phenomenon known as the Aesthetic-Usability Effect, which states that people who find an app aesthetically pleasing will also tend to believe it works well—even in the face of flaws. It’s a bit akin to not noticing your partner’s fumbled attempt at opening your door because they make your knees a little weak when they wink at you.
What specifically creates that spark for an app? From our experience, you want to be in at least the 75th percentile of aesthetics so that you are providing a noticeably better look and feel than your average competitor.
That’s the look component of look and feel, but what about the feel component? Feel comes from language choices, animations, transitions, empty states, and flow decisions. These don’t have to be perfect, but you want them to be discernibly better than competing apps. If you can’t optimize everything, focus on the emotional peaks of the experience, both positive and negative.
Have you made the user the hero?
Notice that in the first section, we focus on making the user feel not only taken care of but successful in the first interaction. That’s no accident. When user frustration arises, it’s often a result of feeling incompetent or powerless. The user begins to feel at a disadvantage when working with the app—this thing that’s supposed to be on their side seems to be opposing them at every turn. Just like in a personal relationship, if one party feels powerless or at a disadvantage, the relationship suffers. In the case of an app, that feeling of disempowerment can translate to mistrust of the organization.
The antidote to that mistrust is making the user feel empowered and confident. Want them to have more trust in your organization? Help them to have more trust in themselves. Make them feel successful by using key moments to increase their confidence.
Acknowledge success (and setbacks): Everyone wants a partner who cheers them on when they succeed and comforts them when they are down. Success is the more comfortable one to address. A user completing a task should always be acknowledged. The tone can vary depending on the nature and size of the task—a gentle nod for small tasks, a big celebration for major tasks. It’s also important to consider the emotional nuance surrounding the task. “Congratulations, you finished filing your claim for your deceased pet!” is not the right energy. For somber tasks, acknowledge with dignity: “Your claim is complete. We are so sorry for your loss.” When appropriate, you can even add a component that acknowledges legacy: “We will be donating $1 to Furry Friends Refuge in honor of Fluffy.”
See them through challenges: A good partner doesn’t abandon you when you hit a challenge. Similarly, your app shouldn’t leave users who encounter an issue all alone. If you know there are tricky spots, acknowledge it and provide a path to assistance. This can be as simple as a message: “Lost access to your PIN? Call Customer Service at XXX-XXX-XXXX.” And of course, link the number so it’s click-to-call on mobile devices. Helping the user persevere through challenges makes them feel confident and successful.
Use micro-education that doesn’t patronize: Educational pieces have their place, but clicking on one requires the user to acknowledge to themselves that they don’t know enough about a topic. This can be a barrier to learning if the user would prefer to believe they already understand a topic. Imagine if your date said, “You probably don’t know about X, let me educate you.” Gross. Now imagine what would happen if your date just happened to be excited about a topic important to them and was talking about it, and you learned along the way because of the infectious power of their enthusiasm. That feels much better and deepens your bond, because it puts you on the same side (rather than one party being the educator and the other the learner). For an app, try incorporating useful details and information as a part of the standard flow, not an educational sidetrack. This should be framed conversationally, so it feels as though the organization is positively geeked out about the topic and excited to get into the details.
By helping the user to feel successful, you increase their confidence that they are in the right place.
Have you created self-reinforcing loops?
In most apps, stickiness comes from a few key features that can become a habit. Think of it this way: in a relationship, there are things you do once in a while, like going on a big trip, and things you do every day, like chatting about your day. The things you do every day form the backbone of your connection, and the things you do once in a while create excitement and intensity.
In an app, it’s much the same concept: there are routine functions that a person will do over and over again (checking a balance, verifying claims) and things that happen only occasionally (applying for a loan or researching a planned surgery). The mundane daily tasks are the primary source of stickiness, but only if you elevate the experience.
Think of how you can make those repeated tasks a positive experience for the user. To do that, we combine the three factors we discussed previously: we make sure we nail the entry point, make the user the hero, and make it look and feel magnetic.
Sound like a lot of effort for day-to-day interactions? Because of the frequency of the user interaction, it’s a huge opportunity to build lasting connection and loyalty. You can even use it to judiciously create an on-ramp for more strategic initiatives by introducing them at the right point in a comfortable daily interaction.
Stickiness builds loyalty
Making an app sticky is a lot like nurturing a strong relationship: it’s about showing up consistently, building confidence, and creating moments that feel good enough to repeat. When you get this right, your app stops being a one-time experiment and becomes a partner they keep choosing day after day. In the next article in this series, we’ll explore what happens once you have that foundation—and how to deepen engagement even further to create additional beneficial actions like referrals.