With so many mobile apps on the market, users can get frustrated with switching between multiple platforms and applications. A satisfied consumer is more likely to pay for products and services. Hence, it makes sense for businesses to provide them with the most hassle-free method of connecting with the content they seek. This is where deep links come in.
What are Deep Links?
A deep link can be considered an advanced version of the standard hyperlink. When a user clicks on a standard hyperlink from a webpage, email, or SMS, they are sent to the home page of the app or the app download page. The user then has to login and search through the app to find the content that they saw earlier.
Deep links, however, send users directly from A to B. When a user clicks on a deep link, they are sent directly to the relevant in-app content without having to log in or navigate the app on their own. Due to its functionality, deep linking provides a host of benefits for both consumers and digital marketers.
1. Streamlines the User Funnel
Deep links direct users to your chosen destination with essentially zero navigation. Users can easily access specific in-app screens instead of being directed to the home screen of your app and being expected to make the correct menu choices. By removing the redundant steps of the typical linking process, you provide a better user experience.
The seamless navigation benefits your business as well. Interest and attention span can drop quickly when users have to make extra effort to receive information or take part in a promotion. Modern consumers can choose from countless digital promotions and businesses cannot afford to lose leads due to an inefficient linking process.
Aside from reducing friction in the leads generation process, deep linking allows you to direct users to different in-app contents between separate applications. With deep linking, you can simultaneously run multiple different campaigns that funnel to a specific landing page or section in your app without having to worry about user navigation.
2. Improves User Retention
The improved user experience created by deep links increases customer satisfaction and retention. According to an article on TechCrunch, users who were served deep links had twice the app activation rate compared to users that were not. Because you can personalize the invitation and onboarding experience with deep links, users are more likely to follow through.
Users who were served deep links have similarly been shown to double in retention and app visit rates. Since the user’s initial experience with the app was positive, they are more eager to check it again soon after. Apart from engagement, deep links can be used to with personalized promotions or reminders to prompt users to re-engage with your app.
3. Optimizes Marketing
Deep linking can support digital marketing campaigns to increase engagement and conversions. The easier and more convenient the shopping process, the more conversions businesses will earn. The majority of consumers prefer to complete transactions using e-commerce apps instead of mobile sites and deep linking allows you to do this seamlessly.
Businesses can add deep links to SMS or email marketing campaigns as well as social media content. For example, you can publish a promotional post on Facebook that links to in-app content without users having to login to your app. You can likewise advertise exclusive deals via deep links in push notifications to entice existing app users to reconnect.
4. Enhances Analytics
Deep links allow you to gather clear data about user link clicks. The information you gather can tell you about the number of clicks that each link campaign earned based on channel, country, target audience, and more. With this information, digital marketers can evaluate campaigns and find out which formats generate the best results.
If campaigns are not performing as intended, evaluation of deep links can help you to address issues and plan future campaigns differently. Over time, campaign analytics can help a business to calculate the cost of user acquisition and the return on investment of promotional campaigns. Knowledge is power and deep links can provide the essential metrics.
5. Adds to Organic SEO
In addition, deep links support search engine optimization (SEO). Because Google Search indexes mobile deep links, your app content has the chance to be displayed on its search engine results pages just like a regular website. This means that new users may discover your app while searching for something similar. Once they do, the deep link will lead the user to download your app.
The digital consumer of today has little capacity for inconvenience. Deep linking is an effective way to direct acquired leads to the desired location with as few steps as possible. To learn more about deep links and how to implement them, refer to this detailed deep linking guide. If you want to improve the user experience and increase customer retention, deep linking must be a part of your digital marketing strategy.