There is a different world behind a mobile app.
People wake up and before they start their new day with a cup of coffee in the morning, they first check their smartphone and see is there any amazing thing happening around them.
In 2012, Mark Zuckerberg while speaking on stage at TechCrunch Disrupt had said:
“Mobile is a lot closer to TV than it is to desktop.”
Well, it is pretty much right. In 2012, when the mobile industry was in its inception stage, people were used to know updates through TV. But today the scenario has changed. People have become highly dependable on their smartphones for getting any updates or completing any possible tasks.
TV stays at home, Desktop stays at office, but mobile is a device that makes you panic if you forget to carry.
As technology is growing, people’s curiosity is also growing. And smartphone is the first tool through which people know something instantly.
That is why businesses endeavor to reach out maximum number of mobile users to enhance their business through mobile apps.
Well, it seems amazing to visualize the success of a business through mobile app, but do you have your eyes on the reality as well?
There are millions of apps on Google Play Store and Apple Store, but out of them how many apps are downloaded. You aspire for great business success through your mobile app but when you check mobile app analytics, you find a low number of downloads. Obviously, you don’t want to see such results.
As per a market report, about 95% of all apps users ignore which don’t have high number of 5-star ratings, reviews, eye-catching UI/UX, and more.
So now let me ask you a question- is your mobile app giving you the results that you had expected before its development?
If your answer is NO, today in this blog I am going to tell the key reasons why users are not downloading your mobile app and share with you helpful solutions that can not only resolve the issues but also boost the number of downloads for your mobile app.
App development succeeds when it gains high number of downloads.
Let’s begin from the beginning.
What is the reality behind a mobile app download?
You create a mobile app for a specific goal, but that goal can only be achieved when your app gets downloaded by users. This is the very first stage for the success of your mobile app before it brings success to your business.
While apps are used more than ever today, they aren’t downloaded as much as we hope. Sometimes we get easily influenced by the success of other famous mobile apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat, Tinder, etc.
This indicates a fact that only specific apps are dominating the overwhelming majority of users’ attention. And small scale apps get faded beneath the shades of stellar apps.
Want proof?
Let me show you the recent data.
Data Source: Sensor Tower
In the USA, majority of smartphone users even don’t download any mobile app in a whole month. However, they use famous and in-built mobile apps.
On average, more than 100, 00 new Android apps and 30,000 new iOS apps are released in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store respectively every month.
But despite of such million numbers of apps and billion numbers of users, companies witness a low rate of app downloads.
Therefore, app user acquisition is a critical problem for your mobile app to make it work for your business goal. These are some serious reasons that prevent users from downloading your mobile app. Only it takes to identify those issues so you can fix them easily and rapidly.
So, let’s start our discussion on:
Key Reasons Why Users Are Not Downloading Your Mobile App
1. Only Top Apps Dominate the Whole Market
As per Nielsen report, 70% of entire smartphone app usage is accounted for by the top 200 apps in the marketplace. If you see the data, apps which are developed or backed by bigger brands get higher number of downloads. You will be surprised to know that there are only 13 apps which have crossed the 5 B downloads mark till now.
Data Source: Sensor Tower
You need to understand that getting million or billion downloads is not so easy. Apps which have strong reach by brand identity gets higher download mark. If your app doesn’t have a brand identity or supported by a large enterprise, chances are there the app won’t get huge number of downloads.
Besides this, if you create replicas of Google or Facebook apps, it doesn’t mean you would be successful. In fact, your app will have to face huge competition from these undefeatable competitors. As a result, a few numbers will be there in your app downloads.
Solution: Be original, avoid following how to make an app like Facebook or Google
Don’t expect too fast and too high for the success of your mobile app. YouTube, TikTok, WhatsApp, Facebook, have become star not in just one night. Instead of copying popular apps, bring originality in your app and plan for long-term scale, and give it sufficient time to make it fully successful.
2. Companies Don’t Know Their Target Users
Before users know your app, you should know your users. Why I am saying this. In a recent survey, it has been found that maximum companies fail to understand who their target customers are. As a result, they build such apps that don’t reach target users.
Solution: Research Target Audience
Research your target audience and users with multiple KPIs and create buyer personas based on location, age, interest, profession, habits, etc.
3. Not Choosing Popular App Categories
Well, it is true that your app has its own specific business goal. And you try hard to achieve this by empowering your mobile app with best features and latest technology. But sometimes even great apps with great features struggle to maximize app downloads.
Reason?
Best products are sold in the best market.
There are different categories of mobile apps. Games, non-games, education, shopping, productivity tool, business, travel, on-demand delivery, health and more. Each category has its own specific audience. If you see the below data, you will realize why app category matters a lot.
Most popular Google Play Store app categories in 2021
Data Source: Statista
Gaming app is the most popular app category on Google Play Store. Mobile app development agency and developers sometimes fail to analyze app market and its future prospects.
Businesses endeavor to build great apps without prospecting which particular market or category could bring greater results. Eventually, it leads to decrease app download growth of their apps.
Solution: Choose the best Category for your app
I am not suggesting here to change your app category. But check if you can build something for a category that can leverage your app with high number of users.
4. Lack of Mobile App Marketing
App discovery doesn’t just happen in the app store.
Search is a primary method for app discovery by users. Marketers strongly believe that customers head to an app store to discover new apps. In fact, 40% of smartphone users browse for apps in the app stores (Google or Apple).
This is where marketers fail. Mere launching a mobile app on the app store is not a guarantee to the app search. Businesses need to monitor various methods that customers use to find an app.
If you keep focusing only on the app store to marketize your app, it means you aren’t targeting other routes where users might be searching for a relevant app like yours. Consequently, not reaching those users within a timeframe may lead to the loss of future customers.
Solution: Make Your App Discoverable Everywhere
Your mobile app marketing should focus on every possible route where your target customer may try to find a relevant app like yours. From Google search to paid ads, go everywhere to drive search traffic to your app. This will ultimately increase more visibility on your app and chances of downloading will increase.
5. Not using Google AdWords
You are putting great effort into app store optimization and search engine optimization to drive traffic to your app. But even after all of this, you witness not an impressive hike in the app download growth. This happens with most businesses.
Customers not only turn to search new apps; they actually download apps because of search ads. 43% of people said they were prompted to download an app by a search ad.
Businesses sometimes ignore the importance of Google ads either due to competition on SERP or lack of budget. But this is among the top reasons why mobile app discovery doesn’t happen easily on search engines.
Ads are the digital catalyst to boost your app visibility. Leaving it behind may leave you behind.
Solution: Drive App Installs using Google AdWords
You should pay attention to advertising your app on Google AdWords. Create app campaigns with SEO keywords on search network, YouTube Network, and Display network that can inspire users to install your mobile app instantly.
6. Poor App Store Optimization (ASO)
App store is a marketplace for your app. There are already millions of apps which are running similar to your business and when you enter this competitive market, you realize your competitors are already far ahead before you started.
Users download apps from the app store. This is the first and last destination of all visitors who are searching for new apps with better features. Companies go to their backseat thinking that a successful app launch on app store is the beginning of business success. That not true in reality.
A poorly optimized app will struggle to rank high in play store search, making it hard for users to find your app without searching particularly for it. Not having Meta descriptions, relevant keywords, creativity, and other app store optimization strategies will hurt your app download numbers.
Solution: Plan Effective App Store Optimization Strategy
Figure out where ASO is lacking or working ineffectively. Every small element is essential to attract users. Understand how app store optimization works on Google Play Store and Apple Store specifically.
For mobile app, ASO is above SEO because it enhances the visibility of your app in the marketplace. Work on every aspect that it takes to improve ASO such as:
- Positive Reviews
- Keyword relevance
- Revenue
- Country
- Backlinks
- User Generated Content (UGC)
- App Retention
7. Bad UI/UX
Users see your apps before they download it.
Just like a showroom, that is designed in a way to attract customers through vibrant colors and appealing posters and slogans. Similarly, your app is a digital product placed on the online marketplace-App store.
If your app is not getting a sufficient number of views, this is a sign that your app is failing to attract users.
UI/UX is the part which is considered highly important in app development. Bad UI/UX kill the prospects of your app. App having ineffective UI increases page load time and as a result, it enhances the bounce rate.
So, even if users are downloading your app, it might be possible they will abandon your app due to bad user experience. And they may write negative reviews.
Solution: Improve Your App’s UI/UX
Users rate your app based on their experience of using it. If your app fails to give them great user experience, it would be very difficult to go back and revamp that issue.
So, identify what are the reasons that are negatively affecting the app’s UI/UX. You can add eye-catching pictures, small yet amazing videos, seamless navigation, elegant app icon, and app usage screenshots to give inside looks of your app.
8. You Don’t Remind Users
Today, people don’t use only one app on their smartphones. In fact, research tells that a user has on an average 80 apps installed in their smartphones. But people aren’t using all of those applications.
The reason is people forget how many or what apps are installed on their smartphone. And while users sometimes spend too much time on their favorite apps, it seems obvious they will forget your app. Therefore, even you have inspired users to install your mobile application, if you forget to remind them of your app, they will forget the app.
Data shows that a person uses an average of 9 mobile apps per day and 30 apps per month.
So what does it mean?
It’s clear; people are downloading your app, but not using them.
While in this blog, we are discussing what ultimately causes low number of app downloads.
It is again essential to keep the pace up after the stage when a user downloads your app.
Solution: Keep Reminding Users
The best method to deal with such issues is of course to simply remind your audience frequently of the existence of your app and keep inspiring them to use.
Best method to do so is to:
- Send push notifications.
- Redirect your mobile traffic to your app through deep-linking or App Store redirect.
- Put banners on your website to download your app.
- Add links to your app for your newsletters.
- Mention your app on every commercial platform as far as possible.
9. Not using the power of Social media
You don’t need a lecture on the importance of social media. Let’s talk to the point. How social media affects your app downloads?
Social media relies on sharing the content between users to make any content into viral or trending topics. The speed of sharing content or anything goes through mobile apps. Therefore, we see how a mobile app gets viral and hits millions of download in a shorter span of time like FaceApp and Tik Tok app.
Companies who fail to leverage the power of social media to their apps. They usually end up in the creating and revising app marketing strategies.
Social media channels are the best tools to influence users to download your mobile application. Remember! people spend more time on social media platforms than app store. Failing to direct social media traffic to your app store may lead to app failure.
Solution: Go Social on Social Media Channels
Well, it is not new that you should promote your mobile app on social media platforms. But the key to boost app download is to be interactive with users on social media platforms. Keep updating them with the latest features of your app and convince them why they should install your mobile app. If your app addresses the needs of users, it can motivate them to download your app enthusiastically.
10. Negative Reviews
Users trust users. Before they buy anything on app, they first check reviews of other users or customers despite your great advertising and marketing.
That is why big brands address every small issue that is causing inconvenience to their users.
So let me ask you my last question.
Are you addressing your users on the online platforms?
This requires Online Reputation Management to maintain a good relationship with existing customers or users so that the reputation of your brand should remain good.
Today’s customers are highly demanding, intelligent, and impatience. You need to quickly answer their queries and resolve their issues happening with your app. Otherwise, before they uninstall your app, they will write negative reviews on social media platforms and app store, and may do negative word-of-mouth marketing about your app.
And we see how negative reviews influence people greater than positive reviews. So, it is important to satisfy your users need and provide them with the solution they are looking for.
Solution: Enhance your ORM (Online Reputation Management)
Ultimately, how quickly and efficiently you manage users concerns with your app will build your online reputation. If you succeed in this game, congratulations, happy customers are the best marketers of your app. They will promptly tell their friends to download your app and write positive reviews.
How to convert negative reviews into positive marketing:
- Respond to users’ comments
- Appreciate negative reviews
- Humanize your solutions
- Be more interactive with users who give negative reviews
- Resolve issues quickly
- Tell them strong reason if you are unable to resolve their issues.
Conclusion
Low app downloads can seriously hurt your business and sales. Whether users are forgetting, not downloading, or abandoning your app, for every cause there is a solution. You simply need to detect those warning signs and quickly work to improve that. And this post will help you do so effectively.
Now, I would like to hear from you.
Did you get the solution that can help you increase the number of downloads for your app? Or did I miss something to include here?
Either way, let us know by leaving a comment below right now. You can also share this blog with your friends or colleagues and help us inspire people to maximize their app value.
