In the second of our Three Minutes With series of articles, Bango Marketplace talk with Dobromir Dobrinov from Mobisystems about the importance of customer loyalty, user retention and how 5G will change everything.

Mobisystems is a production and software company that develops mobile apps on Android, iOS, and Windows. Some of Its flagship apps are OfficeSuite and Oxford Dictionary of English. Apps developed by MobiSystems bring in more than two million new users a month on top of more than 300 million installations. With dozens of partnerships with hardware OEMs like Huawei, Sony, Alcatel, DT and Acer, Mobisystems is redefining how customer loyalty is improved and retained in the apps era.

Bango Marketplace is where app marketers go to immediately reach paying users. Created using purchase information gathered from over $1Bn of in-app payments, Bango Marketplace audiences get you straight to the paying users so you generate revenue faster. Access these audiences directly through your preferred advertising platform, no integration required. Finding the users that pay is vital to a successful business, getting you to revenue faster. Bango audiences provide a unique way to reach paying users. 

Bango Marketplace: What is the biggest challenge the company faces today as a global app developer? 

Dobromir Dobrinov, Marketing Specialist at Mobisystems: Recognition and customer loyalty comes first. Today, it’s even harder to win in a competitive market where apps are produced every day. This stands as our constant challenge which drives our innovation and product improvement. Second, is how we can win our users over and convert them to paying customers providing value with our apps for their everyday life.

Bango: What have you noticed about purchasing behavior in different geographical markets? Do any patterns emerge? 

DD: Every market is different. We constantly improve and adapt to our users and their purchasing behavior. Many factors come into place. It’s not only geography but also the current political situation, purchasing patterns set of global companies, also people’s attitude and understanding of how you communicate in their language. One example of that is the subscription versus one-time purchase in different countries.

Compared to two or three years ago, more people today find value in subscriptions. This is the only way for developers to push their apps forward and keep up with the market. We can see this with the increase in subscriptions worldwide, even in more reserved countries.

Bango: When it comes to user retention, what stands out for the company as the most fundamental aspect? 

DD: This is something we think about a lot at Mobisystems. Loyalty and retention are a cornerstone for us.

When you create a marketing funnel you can track users’ journeys and see where you can improve. As simple as that sounds, it is difficult as many people must do the right steps to incrementally improve the user experience around and within the apps.

It is natural for growing companies to focus on new user acquisition and sales. Many times, as soon as any company reaches a certain status their affection to customers drops significantly. They stop focusing on user retention as bringing new customers onboard is less expensive. We strive to differentiate and continue caring for our loyal users.

Bango: What’s been the biggest change in the last 10 years for getting your app out there? 

DD: A decade ago, when the app market was still forming, preloads were the only guaranteed way to connect to customers. Today, app stores, social networks and servicing around these are way more advanced. Preloads still have a major role but are not a cornerstone for getting your app well known worldwide.

Now, we focus on targeting the right channels to reach our customers. There are lots of new apps out there and we need and want to attract the next generation’s attention in the most meaningful ways – the networks they use, the message they want to hear, the value they seek. It’s not new conceptually, you have to use the right tools and adapt quickly. Ten years ago, changes that took two to three years to penetrate the market now come into place within six months or less.

Bango: What is the company’s view on downloads v installs v monetization? 

DD: The entire app industry is focused on selling and selling more. The entire user funnel is important. It is a process, not pieces. There are multiple reasons for people to install an app, there are much less to stay and even become a paying customer.

The first breakpoint for the developer is when users open your app. Was it worth the download? Can you guide the users to purchase in the best manner possible? Can you help them find the value within your app? We constantly ask ourselves: Did we do a good job to convert users into customers, providing real value to them?

Installs push the apps in the ranking. This means more people will download the app. Downloads generate opportunities to increase your paying customers. But that’s only one part.

If you want to serve your customers better, you need to know them. GDPR is a great thing but when you need to know where your loyal user stands you need to track that. Google and Facebook, for example have that data, but they won’t share with us that George bought and Paul installed. We get a vague, blurry picture on customers actions. There are many challenges with that. One way to solve it is to focus on the well-known “buying personas” so we can bring value to a more specific audience and try to analyze its members behavior.

Bango: So, what’s next for mobile apps?

DD: Apps were born out of technology. They are destined to rely on it.

In the next 10 years, we’ll see significant advancements due to the 5G connectivity, AI and augmented reality. Our world is reshaping fast and apps are the first to adapt by nature.

Little by little the consumers will ultimately set their world to comply extensively with their needs. Everything will happen in an instant and without much hesitation. For the users it will be easy to change the apps. So there stands the continuous challenge – create apps that consumers will find valuable to use in their life and even their lifetime.M<