Regularly updating your mobile app is, undoubtedly, one of the most critical steps in maintaining an active user base. Even the most loyal user may be tempted to try a newer competing app if he feels that yours isn’t offering the most up-to-date feature set. Getting users to upgrade is a surprisingly challenging task, as it is almost invariably a serious inconvenience for users. A well-planned upgrade campaign that incorporates strategies based on mobile app personalization, however, can make the task easier and yield a far greater acceptance rate.
Users can be discouraged from hitting that upgrade button for a number of reasons, ranging from concerns about changes to a familiar interface, to simple forgetfulness. As such, it’s important for developers to accept that simply releasing regular upgrades isn’t enough. Without an effective upgrade campaign designed to encourage users to accept the upgrade, the time and money invested in developing the upgrade may amount to nothing. The following are some valuable tips to guide mobile app developers in creating an effective upgrade campaign.
Mobile App Personalization is the Key to User Acceptance
Any developer worth his salt will have designed a new upgrade based on the needs and preferences of his user base. Making your users feel like they are being heard and cared for should inform your entire development lifecycle, and it’s even more important when inviting users to upgrade.
Amazon doing a great job of showcasing a new feature that its user base had requested, without being spammy or irrelevant.
A personalized upgrade campaign is more effective than a generic upgrade message in every way that matters. Personalization AI can help you deliver customized messages, at a time that is most likely to encourage each individual user to upgrade. Machine learning personalization features are now available to even small-scale developers, through services like Liftigniter, so there’s no excuse not to use personalization to improve ROI on an upgrade campaign.
Timing
Your upgrade prompt should reach each user at a moment when they are most likely to accept it. This should be informed by past user behavior, as well as connection type. Avoid prompting the user to upgrade when they are using mobile data, and instead schedule the message to appear when a wi-fi connection is detected. If location data is available, ensure that upgrade messages are only delivered when the user is at home or work, and not while she is traveling.
Personalize Upgrade Message Content
Why deliver a generic upgrade message when you can deliver one that is designed around a specific user’s pain points or preferences? Perhaps a user has experienced a crash in the past? Tell that user that the new upgrade specifically addresses issues that led to crashes. Know which other platforms your user is present on? Now’s the perfect opportunity to boast about your app’s new Instagram or Facebook integrations. A personalized upgrade message will not just be more effective at encouraging upgrades; it’s also a great opportunity to show your users that you care about their individual demands and preferences.
Dunkin Donuts puts the most valuable new features front and center with this upgrade prompt.
Use Video to Explain New Features
Translating developer-speak into something that users can actually understand is a challenge unto itself. That’s why a simple list of new features is very rarely a compelling reason to upgrade. All too often, there’s a huge disparity between what developers call certain features and functions, and what users call them. A short video can give your users the rundown of the new features you’ve worked so hard on, while presenting them in a way that is easy to understand.
Apply the “Rolling Thunder” Technique
Doug Hazelman, VP of Product Strategy at Veeam software, recently explained an upgrade campaign strategy which his company has dubbed “Rolling Thunder”, during an interview with Forbes.com. This strategy is based on sharing news about an impending upgrade, well in advance of its release, in the hopes of garnering user interest and excitement.
These announcements might take the form of tweets, blog posts, or even presence at live events. Critically though, Veeam aims to draw attention to only one or two new features at a time. This means that, by the time the upgrade is launched, users have had time to evaluate and process the value of each new feature. This is far preferable to a situation in which a user is presented with a lengthy list of new features, where the value of each may get lost in the noise. It also means that users may indeed anticipate the release of the upgrade, rather than feel inconvenienced by its launch.
Conclusion
When planning and budgeting for an upgrade to your app, it is vital to consider an effective upgrade campaign, along with the obvious development requirements. Plan this campaign alongside your development schedule and you will be able to spot opportunities to showcase all the hard work your team is doing to keep your app relevant and valuable. Use personalization AI and the data it provides to make your upgrade feel genuinely valuable to each user, and as a tool to deepen and improve relationships with your user base.
The great news is, sophisticated personalization functionality is now well within reach of even small startups. Liftigniter offers a range of personalization solutions that will help you collect user data and transform it into measurable results. Find out more here.
