What is app personalization?
App personalization means giving users a customized experience designed to fit their individual needs. It’s the opposite of the one-size-fits-all approach.
Is app personalization important?
It goes without saying that there’s a lot of competition for apps these days. If users don’t have a great experience using your app on the first try, they’re likely to delete it. Even if they keep the app on their device, they may never use it again.
Personalizing your app allows you to give users a great experience the first time around—and every time thereafter. People enjoy using apps that anticipate their needs, give them more of what they want, and integrate with other parts of their life.
How to personalize your app
Here are nine ways to personalize your app:
- Data segmentation
- Geolocation and smart recommendations
- Push notifications
- Social media integration
- Anticipatory design
- Progress milestones
- Customized content
- AI and chatbots
Some of these techniques work better for certain apps than others, and you probably won’t want to use all of them. But using the relevant ones in a smart way can help your app be more successful.
- Data segmentation
Whatever else your app is or isn’t doing, it should be collecting user data. Gathering data isn’t just important for personalization; it helps you figure out how people use your app, what you can improve, which parts of your app are working, and which aren’t.
Data segmentation means collecting certain information about your users: such as device, location, level of engagement, purchases, and time spent using your product. Then you can segment these users into different groups and develop personalized campaigns to reach each segment.
Data segmentation is also about testing what works for different types of users. And once you have that data, you can personalize the app experience for each different set of users.
- Geolocation and smart recommendations
Once you have data about things like a user’s location, you can provide personal recommendations and content centered around that location. This works especially well if your app is for something like food delivery, taxi services, or restaurant or sightseeing suggestions.
The real magic happens when you can combine geolocation with other data points. For example, combining search history with geolocation allows you to recommend points of interest in a user’s area. This is known as a smart recommendation.
- Push notifications
Push notifications are a great way to increase engagement with your app. If you have a special offer you want your user to take advantage of, an update about an event they showed interest in, or a reminder of an action they need to take, you can use a push notification to get that information to them.
For example, Duolingo, a language-learning app, uses push notifications to remind users to practice every day. If you’ve collected data, you can customize these notifications for each user.
- Social media integration
Integrating with social media can make the experience of using your app easier and more enjoyable. For example, using social media to sign in to an app is a lot easier than creating a whole new profile. Allowing users to share their experience on social media also creates social proof, building trust in your product. And it’s a fun way to personalize the experience.
- Anticipatory design
Anticipatory design is kind of like smart recommendations. It means you’re trying to anticipate your users’ needs. One example might be Google Maps sending a notification that your daily commute to work may be longer today because of traffic.
Using anticipatory design helps keep your app useful and relevant, and it builds trust in your users because they see that you’re looking out for them. If your app gives someone exactly what they need, exactly when they need it, they’re probably not going to delete it anytime soon.
- Progress milestones
Everyone likes to feel that they’re making progress. Whether you’re rewarding users for completing a lesson or giving out points for reviews or ticket purchases, milestones and achievements can help increase engagement with your app.
- Customized content
Apps like Twitter give users the opportunity to like or follow content. Then they recommend content they think the user will like based on what they’ve interacted with in the past. Another example is Netflix, which recommends shows it thinks users will like based on what they’ve already watched.
Offering personalized content that matches your users’ interests is a great way to keep them coming back for more. Giving users a like or share button can go a long way here, as you can use that interaction to figure out what they like.
- AI and chatbots
If you haven’t already, you may want to consider using AI in your mobile app. AI (artificial intelligence) can be a great tool for collecting and analyzing user data.
Another great tool is the chatbot. For example, Flo, a women’s health app, uses a chatbot to ask about symptoms and help users find answers. Giving people that individual interaction—even if it is with a machine—makes the user experience more intimate and enjoyable.
Need help personalizing your app? Give us a call.
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