You Don’t Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression: The Importance of Real-Time Personalization

Have you ever downloaded an app and immediately abandoned it after using it just once? If so, you’re not alone. In fact, a shocking 80% of app users abandon an app after the first use! This phenomenon is often caused by a variety of factors, such as a poor user interface, a complicated sign-up process, or slow loading times. However, even if these issues have been resolved, app developers still face the challenge of delivering value to users from the very first interaction.

The solution to this problem lies in real-time personalization. Real-time personalization is a technique in which the user experience is tailored to an individual’s preferences and behavior in real-time. This approach to personalization leverages data collected from a user’s interactions with an app or website to provide a personalized experience that is relevant to their needs and interests.

By personalizing the user experience from the very first interaction, app developers can create a more engaging and relevant user experience, which can increase user engagement and retention. Here’s how:

1. Design the Onboarding Process for Personalization: The first step to real-time personalization is designing an onboarding process that elicits user preferences without asking too many questions. A great example of this is the Flipboard app, which asks users to choose three interests from a short list of popular topics before showing any content.
2. Act on User Preferences Immediately: Once the app has collected user preferences, it should act on them immediately by delivering relevant content, whether it’s news, posts, recipes, products, dating profiles, restaurants, or anything else that the user may find valuable.
3. Track User Behavior: To ensure that the app remains relevant over time, it’s important to track user behavior to uncover implicit preferences. This can be done by analyzing how the user interacts with the app and using that data to personalize the experience in real-time. Waiting for the user to return to the app may be too late!
4. Continuously Personalize the User Experience: Personalization is not a one-time effort. As users continue to interact with the app, it should continue to collect data and use it to personalize the user experience, especially as their interests and preferences change over time.

For example, let’s say you have an app that provides users with recipes. Upon signing up, the app could ask the user to choose their favorite cuisine and dietary restrictions. The app could then use this information to provide personalized recipe recommendations from the very first session on the app. However, as users’ tastes change over time, these changes can be tracked through their actions within the app. The app can then leverage this information to offer real-time, tailored recipe recommendations, ensuring that the user always has access to recipes that align with their changing preferences.

In conclusion, real-time personalization is a crucial aspect of app development that can help set your app apart from the competition. Don’t let your app become part of the statistic of abandoned apps. Start personalizing your user experience from the very first interaction and watch as your app thrives! Want to learn more? Get in touch with us.