Did you know 77% of new users never use the app 72 hours after installing it? An average app loses 95% of its newly acquired customer base within the first three months across both Android and iOS verticals.

The reasons for the same are many, including unattractive UI, bad onboarding experience, privacy concerns, excessive push notifications, reduced need, and more. That is why it is necessary for a growing business like yours to identify the loopholes in your mobile app and to improve the experience it offers.

1:1 communication is a must

Although it is OK for the first customers to explore the mobile app on their own, it is critical for your startup to get the product/market fit right when the app is in the beta phase. And, that can happen through increased engagement with the first customers. These numbers justify my point:

• By 2020, customer experience will overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator. [Walker]
• 89% of businesses will soon compete solely based on customer experience. [Gartner]
• Businesses burn a hole in the pocket while acquiring a new customer. Seriously, that is expensive by six to seven times more than keeping an old customer engaged. [Marketing Metrics]
• The probability of selling an existing customer is 60-70% as opposed to 5-20% in the case of new customers. [Invesp]

Therefore, reach out to your first customers and take their feedback as soon as your mobile app starts getting downloads. As a business owner, you need to understand the gap between what a consumer wants and what your product offers.

Products doing it right

Slack and Intercom engaged with their early customers from the beginning itself. It’s through their initial conversations with them were the two collaboration software tools able to fill the gaps between what their customers expected and what was offered to them.

So, the idea is to stay in touch with your customers to get first-hand feedback from them. I understand getting feedback consistently sounds tedious, but it will surely help you improve the product journey.

How can you have meaningful contact with your early customers? I suggest three easy ways on SmallBizDaily.