Ending Soon! Save 33% on All Access

3 Ways to Drive More Sales In Your App Getting someone to download your app is just the start. Now you need great marketing.

By Jason Feifer

A user downloads your app. Success!

Except… why aren't they using it?

To find out what's wrong, we set up an unusual consulting session between an entrepreneur and a digital marketing consultant—and filmed it so you can benefit too.

Lavinia Hajji is the founder of Dance Embassy. It's a studio that teaches dance classes, and she created a new app to help customers book classes—but the app isn't getting the traction she hoped. We connected her with Emma Bates, the former head of global marketing at Away, who's now the co-founder and CEO of the app-based company Diem.

Here were three fixes that Bates proposed:

1. Incentivize!

Even if users download your app, they may not develop a habit for using it. "Create a reason for them to do it," Bates says. You could offer discounts for purchases made through the app, for example, or gamify the experience with special prizes for every 5 or 10 purchases.

2. Segment Your Audience

"For certain demographics, different things drive them," Bates says. She offers a hypothetical: Maybe young women who already took a dance class will be motivated by a push notification, whereas young women who haven't taken a dance class will convert better after seeing influencer stories on Instagram. There's no way to predict what will work, so Bates suggests doing a lot of experimentation. "Think of ways that you can reach them with different formats and then move them through he funnel in different ways," she says.

3. Call Your Customer

A user almost purchased something, but then they closed the app and never came back. Why? It's the question plaguing many entrepreneurs—and Bates says that, at the very beginning, there's only one real way to find out. "Just reach out to them," she says. Call your customer and nicely ask why they didn't finish purchasing. Was it a bug in the app, or did they just change their mind? You'll learn a lot about what works and what doesn't, and you can then update your app accordingly.

But that's just the start. For more great insights on how to boost your app, watch the video above.

This series is brought to you by Mailchimp. Learn more about Mailchimp's Smart Marketing which combines the power of data science and AI to help you work confidently, create better marketing, and grow sales.

Jason Feifer

Entrepreneur Staff

Editor in Chief

Jason Feifer is the editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine and host of the podcast Problem Solvers. Outside of Entrepreneur, he is the author of the book Build For Tomorrow, which helps readers find new opportunities in times of change, and co-hosts the podcast Help Wanted, where he helps solve listeners' work problems. He also writes a newsletter called One Thing Better, which each week gives you one better way to build a career or company you love.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Growing a Business

Want to Expand Your Market Overseas? Here's Everything You Need to Know About Global Logistics in 2024

With rising geopolitical tensions and changing market conditions it can be hard for businesses to navigate supply chain logistics even in a post-pandemic world. Here are three tips from the CEO of an international customs brokerage.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Social Media

How To Start a Youtube Channel: Step-by-Step Guide

YouTube can be a valuable way to grow your audience. If you're ready to create content, read more about starting a business YouTube Channel.

Business News

Elvis Presley's Granddaughter Fights Graceland Foreclosure, Calls Paperwork 'Forgeries'

The 13.8-acre estate was scheduled to be sold in a public foreclosure auction on Thursday. Presley's granddaughter and heir, Riley Keough, is fighting to save Graceland in court.

Business News

Kickstarter Is Opening Up Its Platform to Creators and Making Big Changes to Its Model — Here's What's New

The company noted it is moving beyond traditional crowdfunding and making it easier for businesses to raise more money.