No doubt, growing a user base is a key phase of overall product, and business growth, however it is only the starting point of a growth strategy. Many businesses I have consulted on have devoted so much of their resources to growing their users, that retention was an afterthought with little or no budget allocated to this phase.
User retention refers to the proportion of users who come back to use your product or website on a regular basis. 10 tactics to consider when improving user retention are:
Funnels-setting user funnels are important to understand how your product is being used or engaged with. It also helps you to understand more about who your audience is, and what your user’s preferences are. By incorporating analytics into your growth process and analyzing what users are doing and where you are losing them you can gather crucial information as to changes that may need to be made to the user funnel to improve retention.
Email Updates –by sending regular correspondence with users about updates and improvements you not only remind them about your product, you offer them the opportunity to get excited about new features that could improve retention. Just be sure that the emails you send present value to the user and provide updates and features in brief targeted messages that immediately answer the question “what’s in it for me?”
Drip campaigns-are a series of email messages that are customized to users that go beyond just product updates. They can be reminders about product preferences, updates on users in their networks, and messages that can nurture leads and re-engage users though the funnel and prepare them for transaction.
User Needs-products that are successful at developing user retention are also successful at keeping them engaged. Creating content or tools that take into consideration the user’s needs outside of the product can also create loyalty and trust that in turn keeps them engaged with the product, and therefore increases retention.
Engagement Rewards- providing rewards for engagement such as bonus features or product savings motivates users to continue to use a product or return to a site. Adding a share feature that helps users display these rewards can even further increase engagement and therefore retention.
Feedback-soliciting feedback from users is the best way to assess what your users want, or what needs to be improved. By improving your product or site you are also likely to improve retention. All surveys and forms should be short, if more information is required, solicit further feedback during another visit.
New Features- by regularly adding or updating features, you can continue to create interest in your product. But be cautious not to just add features without first inquiring what your users want, testing the new features on a sample of users, and asking for feedback. Adding features that do not make sense to the user can actually cause users to abandon your product.
Exit surveys-be sure to utilize a user deactivation, or inactive user as an opportunity to learn more about how you can improve your website or product. Conduct an exit survey prior to deactivating the account, or reach out to a user who has yet to activate to see if they need assistance, or to learn where an issue in the process may be identified.
Remarketing-remaining visible to people who have already visited your website or used your product can be a great way to stay top of mind, build trust, and drive people back. Remarketing can be a great source for both user acquisition and retention.
Gamification-by adding motivational features and rewards that create competition or even a points system keeps people engaged. The more invested people are in a product or website, the less likely they are to abandon it.