How to Keep Users in Nigeria Hooked On Your Mobile App

The frequency with which mobile apps are now being launched in the Nigerian app market is on the rise. The competition among mobile apps are fierce and developers are no longer simply worried over getting their applications installed on users phones, instead, they are concerned on how to become part of the user’s regular routine.

It is apparent that the number of downloads are no longer a valuable metric in gauging the success of an app. While number of downloads may indicate app value, it is mostly “vanity measurement”, same as registered users and screen views.  Developers are much more concerned with actionable measurements like engagement, monthly active users (MAUs) and average revenue per user (ARPUs) as these reveal the true value of the app.

If an app’s actionable figures do not match its vanity metrics, there is a high change your users are not as engaged on your app and need more motivation to keep the audience opening the app and interacting – a difficult thing to do as users are generally picky.

The big question now becomes: how can app creators keep the interest of users who have a million other things to do and so many other apps to distract them? Jovago.com, an online hotel booking portal answers this question as they share tips on how developers can get users hooked on their mobile app.

Tailor the app to user’s unique preferences
All users are not the same, and every mobile app user wants to make their experience unique and tailored to their personal preferences. While ensuring that all of the content in the app is relevant and native to the experience, include features with options that allow the user to personalize the app, even if it is something as simple as changing the background colors. Also, you can customize the content and messages you send to users by ensuring they get varied in-app messages or content. This basically will give users a more positive view of the app in general and gives them a reason to fall in love with the app.

Stop Charging Your Users for everything
If your app is good, users will be willing to buy them at a given cost, and even make some in-app purchases. However, while frequent in-app purchases are lucrative for some app developers, they can discourage users and make them run for the hills. Users expect to achieve a goal with an app, constant prompting to make purchase is not only distracting but can put the user off. Find a way to optimize your in-app purchases or monetize your app a smarter way. Avoid making your users feel like they’re being over-charged or extorted, or they’ll never stick around to spend any kobo.

Make your app fast
It’s no secret that time waits for no man, and so people would generally go for apps that can help them save time or achieve their aim in the least time possible. Mobile app users hate slow apps. According to the Mobile App Survery Report, the average smartphone user expects apps to open in less than 2 seconds.  If your app does not meet that criteria, you may need to optimize your app to get rid of any lag. An average user in Nigeria will only use an app for about 1 minute before moving on. You can’t hook users if your app takes longer than this to open. Find a way to make things fast and your users will stay hooked.

Use Repetition
One would think repetition would only conjure up boredom, but with apps, it’s a different ball game. As a matter of fact, apps that require continuously repeating the same actions are extremely effective in enticing users and keeping them hooked. According to experts, this is so because the human mind has an affinity for or is drawn towards doing the same thing over and over. Generally, repetition is a theme that crosses all forms of addiction, and something video games have used to their advantage for decades. For instance, Candy Crush, a highly repetitive game, is one of the popular mobile games in the country and almost everyone who installs the game quickly gets addicted to it.

Be Social, Use email and social media marketing
Social media and email marketing is not just a great tool to gain more users and more downloads, it can be used to update already existing users of the app on what they may have forgotten about, thereby rekindling their interests and reinforcing loyalty. Again, an app that works with social platforms, lets users share information with others, post on social media and leave comments. These actions have proven to be very addictive, as most Nigerians like to show off and are commonly nosy about other people’s lives. Developers can take advantage of this by linking apps to social media such as Facebook and Twitter.