Engaging Apps: Why Are 48% of App Users Attracted to the Facebook App

September 29, 2015 | Rob LaPointe

Engaging Apps: Why Are 48% of App Users Attracted to the Facebook App
Engaging Apps: Why Are 48% of App Users Attracted to the Facebook App

The number one factor to app success is engagement. Whether you are a Facebook App developer or just an entrepreneur looking for the right opportunity, engagement is key. Having an engaging app is the only way to make any sort of money and the only way to growth hack your business.

The Facebook app for Android and iPhone isn’t markedly well-developed or designed. To be clear, they’re both fine – but it’s not like Instagram where the design really stands out. It doesn’t provide a necessary service or even one that is really that unique. However, 48% of all smartphone owners in the U.S. use the FB app.

To figure this out, we need to hammer down the question here: it’s not “how to build an app like Facebook” or “what design is the best;” it’s “how to engage users.” That’s what FB is doing: the app is fun, engaging, and encourages people to return over and over again.

Entrepreneurial success swings on one all-important hinge: getting your product noticed. More ventures fail because they don’t have a good brand-building strategy than because of poor coding or design. While both a robust code and a good design are essential, neither will matter if nobody knows about your product. So, entrepreneur start your own mobile app today & attract success.

So let’s have a Facebook app tutorial, from the perspective of the developer. What techniques should you use to sell your app?

1. Loyalty

Product loyalty is not a new concept. Every successful entrepreneur from the beginning of business knows that loyalty is all-important. Loyalty not only drives continued engagement, but it builds a brand name.

Whether you are a Facebook App developer or a barista at Starbucks, encouraging user loyalty should be of utmost importance. This can be done in a variety of ways:

Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, and other retailers frequently offer users unique coupons or deals that can only be attained via the app. This method drives engagement both to the physical location and to the app itself. People will keep using the app if it keeps giving them free stuff.

Giving customers what they want and need is another excellent way to engender loyalty. The Facebook app developers specifically did a great job here. They listened to what people wanted, studied how they navigated Facebook, and then created an app that makes their everyday Facebooking activities a cinch. We could all learn from them. If you want more information contact us at SDI. We can talk to you about good analytics that can help you understand your traffic.

2. Branding

Branding and loyalty are intertwined but there is a definite difference. Branding specifically refers to the name, logo, or design by which your company is known. We can all think of famous brands: GE, Facebook, Costco.

What’s important to about a brand is that it invokes both a cerebral response (i.e. we know that GE is a mega-corporation) and a visual response (the famous cursive “G & E”). A brand will become the face of your app, company, business, or whatever.

A brand name isn’t set in stone; plenty of well-known brands (Pocket, for instance) did not start off like the names by which they are known today. Your brand is how everyone will recognize your app. Choose wisely.

3. Design

Okay, so we’ve already been over that the design of the Facebook app is nothing too noteworthy, but there are some elements we should talk about. Design strategies are used in both the user interface (UI) and the user experience (UX).

You will more frequently see UX associated with how an app looks and UI with how it functions. Really though, UX is often used interchangeably – after all a good UI leads to good user experience.

The Facebook app looks nice and is a well-thought-out design, but that’s not what is remarkable about it. What is noticeable is how well it functions. The layout was clearly painstakingly designed and is super understandable. The multiple screens involved in its usage is logical, smooth, and easy to operate.

4. Marketing

Even though Facebook is a globally recognized name, they still had to market for their app. It may not have been the most important aspect of their launch campaign, but it was an important part.

Digital marketing isn’t easy. It’s vastly different than the traditional Madison Avenue techniques and requires a person who is part developer, part marketer, part webmaster, and part ninja. Yes, ninja. Hire someone who is qualified and experienced – you probably don’t have the marketing budget that FB has.

No matter the engagement strategy that you choose, it’s important to remember a few essential elements:

  • Engagement not only makes you more money, but it also saves you money. Products that people love to market themselves through word of mouth.
  • Engagement isn’t about you! Entrepreneurs are a unique bunch: we need to be a little cocky and self-assured in order to bring the best products and services possible. Sometimes that needs us to be very involved – after all, got into this because we are experts in our field right? This is not one of those times. This is one of those times when it’s all about the customer. The opinion that matters is the opinion of those paying for your product. No ifs, and or buts.
  • Engagement is difficult. There’s no other way of putting it. Engagement is one of the hardest parts of running an app business. But it’s also one of the most rewarding. Not only does it make you money, but it makes your customers happy. A happy customer means a paying (and talking) customer.

If you would like to learn how to make your own engaging Facebook Style app, get in touch with SDI today. Our Facebook App developers for hire have been doing this for two decades and we can pass that experience onto you in a one-to-one free consultation. We also offer a free quote, and if you call now at 408.805.0495 or email us and we’ll design the first 4 screens of your app for free. Game on!

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