The way to fine-tune APP operations: "users + push" of data

There are too many apps to choose from on the market, and it is the nature of many people to get bored with the old and love the new. It seems not an easy task for your app to stand out from similar products and win the hearts of users. In order to get your target users to download it, register it, use it and even be loyal to it, here is an excellent method - data-driven refined operations .

Carrying out refined operations not only makes more scientific, full and effective use of resources and saves costs, but also greatly improves APP retention rate and conversion rate . At the same time, it also enhances user experience , increases user favorability and further cultivates user loyalty .

As the saying goes, "no data, no operation", with the help of technical embedding, registration filling, questionnaire surveys, acquisition from third-party platforms, etc., we comprehensively collect user behavior data, user attribute data, APP platform traffic data, activity data and external data to form a systematic dynamic database, build user portraits , label users, make channels precise, and personalize content, so as to achieve refined APP operations.

Today, let’s talk about two very important aspects of APP refined operation - user operation and content push.
➤ Refinement of APP user operations <br />Users are the lifeblood of an APP. Refined operations should start with user operations: understand users and be good at catering to their preferences.

At this stage, user data is the foundation. We need to collect data from two dimensions: behavior and attributes and label users to answer the questions of "who is the user" and "what did the user do".

1. Understand who our users are through attribute data?

User attribute data includes three aspects: natural attributes, social attributes, and psychological attributes.

Among them, natural attributes are innate and will remain stable for a long time once formed. They include: name, gender, age, height, weight, region, constellation, blood type, etc.; social attributes refer to the marriage, position, education level, contact information, etc. obtained by people in social activities, which are in a relatively stable state; and psychological attributes, including deep subjective consciousness such as emotions, cognition, personality, needs, motivation, and values, are both innate and acquired.

Attribute data shows us the image of the user. With each additional attribute data, the user's image becomes more complete and more valuable for refined operations:

Female users (gender)
Female users in Guangdong (gender + region)
Female users aged 25 in Guangdong (gender + region + age)
25-year-old unmarried female users in Guangdong (gender + region + age + marital status)
…….

When we have collected enough attribute data, we can initially build a user portrait, segment users with the same or similar attributes into groups, label the groups, and manage them systematically to prepare for refined operations.

So, how can we better obtain real user attribute data?

Based on the product characteristics of the APP and the user's behavioral habits, I think using "registration" and "small questionnaire" are two effective ways.

1) When new users register for the APP , the basic information they fill in, such as mobile phone number, QQ number, nickname, etc., directly becomes important user attribute data. Some registration content also requires users to fill in gender, birthday, occupation, etc. The more complicated the registration process is, the more user attribute data can be obtained. APP operators should make good use of the registration process.

However, special attention should be paid to not blindly increase the registration content and complicate the registration process just to obtain more data. This will seriously affect the product experience and even cause users to give up registration midway.

Data collection when new APP users register
2) A small questionnaire survey within the APP . The word "small" is emphasized here because it is usually a questionnaire page that pops up on the startup page when the APP is opened. Users can choose to skip it directly. It is not mandatory, so it is not advisable to have too many pages and too much content. In order to attract users to fill out the questionnaire, in addition to being concise and simple, the text also needs to be attractive.

Of course, in addition to setting up questionnaires on the startup page, you can also conduct some prize-winning questionnaire activities within the APP to collect data in a targeted manner.

Data collection of in-app questionnaires

2. Understand what our users do through behavioral data?

User behavior , to put it simply, refers to what users do on the APP.

In the process of downloading and using APP, users will generate many behavior points, including but not limited to registration, login, search, browsing, commenting, liking, collecting, sharing, scoring, adding to shopping cart, placing orders, paying, using coupons, participating in activities...; and in each behavior point, the length of time and number of times that can be used as data for statistics will be derived, such as: the number of times the user logs into the APP, the length of time stayed on a certain page, the purchase amount, etc.

To collect user behavior data, certain technologies are needed. Technical personnel must first install SDK points inside the APP to further obtain the corresponding behavior data.

At different times and in different scenarios, these user behaviors are constantly changing, and they are all dynamic information. APP operators capture user behavior data (login time, browsing time, whether or not to make in-depth comments, etc.) and conduct long-term tracking and statistics. This allows them to better analyze the time periods when a certain user or a group of users use the APP. For example, if they are accustomed to opening the APP between 8 and 10 p.m., when operators push APP activities or notifications at this time, the opening rate will be maximized, which is also an important part of refined operations.

In addition, user behavior data can be used to categorize users to determine whether they are active users or loyal users. When user attribute data is combined with user behavior data, a complete user profile can be built, giving users more specific labels:

For example: A 25-year-old unmarried female user in Guangdong added xx product to the shopping cart at 10 am. Using this information, operators can push a discount coupon to the user in a targeted manner in the shortest possible time, prompting them to have the urge to buy immediately and further improve conversion rates.

From attributes to behaviors, we can fully understand users and meet the personalized needs of different users. This is the manifestation of refined user operations.
➤ Refinement of APP content push <br />Based on accurate users and user data, we can achieve refined scenario-based push, making the connection between APP and users more personalized and friendly, improving user experience and increasing conversion rate.

The push mentioned here mainly involves the push of APP activities and messages (notifications). The selection of channels, determination of time, and writing of content are the three most critical links in APP push. If one of them is not handled well, it will greatly affect the push effect. What refined push needs to do is to combine them organically.

1. Choose the best push content and channels for different user groups

Attracting new users , retaining existing users , promoting activation, and converting existing users are the four most important goals of APP operation. With the help of the user data obtained previously, we can divide the existing APP registered users into new registered users/old users, active users/dormant users, lost users, and loyal users:

1) For newly registered users, the key is to retain them . You can use push notifications, SMS, APP internal banners, APP startup pages and other channels to deliver information and activities such as "new users enjoy special discounts for first time use" to newly registered users.

2) For dormant users (i.e. users who gradually lose interest after downloading and using the APP and have not opened the APP for a long time), they need to be awakened. However, since these users no longer open the App, it is completely ineffective to push activities or notifications directly within the App. It is necessary to allow them to receive relevant push notifications without having to go through the App.

Push, SMS, and email are the best channel choices, which can be seen on the phone lock screen, notification bar, and desktop icon to achieve a preliminary reminder effect. The pushed content must be of interest to the user or be useful to the user.

3) If lost users need to be recalled, they can be recalled through SMS and email.

4) For active users or loyal old users , there is no channel restriction. Then, based on the user’s other attributes or the pushed content, the most suitable one will be selected from all channels. We can push gratitude and feedback activities or information to them, which not only reflects the human side of the APP, but also increases their payment conversion rate; we can also push "old users bring in new users" content and use old users to bring in new users.

Based on user attribute classification, you can push content with the characteristics of this group to users of different genders, age groups, regions, occupations, marital status, etc., rather than blindly pushing content to cover all users. For example: if an activity that is only aimed at women is also pushed to male users, it will cause unnecessary information disturbance to male users and leave a bad impression.

2. Controlling the time and frequency of push notifications is a sign of respect and care for users

To achieve truly refined push notifications, in addition to considering the different faces of each person, don't forget to carefully consider the time and frequency.

The nature of the APP itself also affects the time and frequency of push notifications to a certain extent. Some APPs are suitable for daily push notifications, such as information, news, and weather APPs. However, the number of push notifications per day must be controlled. The time of each push should be fixed, or at least stable within a certain time range (except for major or emergencies), and try not to disturb users during working hours.

For food delivery apps like Ele.me and Meituan , the best time to push information such as coupons is between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m., which is in line with the habit of office workers to order food in advance. It will not cause information interference and can maximize the conversion rate of push notifications.

Some apps need more accurate user data to determine the best time and frequency for push notifications. No matter what type of APP it is, no matter what user group it is facing, push notifications must be done with caution.

Pushing the right content to the right people at the right time is the simplest and most powerful expression of refined and scenario-based push.

Refined user operations and content push have opened the door to refined APP operations.

This article was compiled and published by @草莓君(Qinggua Media). Please indicate the author information and source when reprinting!

Product promotion services: APP promotion services, advertising platform, Longyou Games