How to migrate millions of app users
Digital products don't stand still. The notion of launch and leave is (thankfully) dead and buried. That said iteration isn't always an option and sometimes the need for a migration from an old, to a new platform is unavoidable. But how do you make sure that shift is as seamless as possible what are the considerations that will then keep your shiny new app up to date and ahead of the competition?
Migrating your users to a new app, or consolidating multiple outdated apps into one new and improved version can give your product and the relationship with your customers a new lease of life. Where to start?
Carefully contemplate the roadmap
Before beginning any major migration, it is vital to have a clear roadmap in place. This includes setting realistic goals and timelines, and determining the resources needed for the migration.
Do you have enough internal resources to undertake the task? Do you need a digital partner to lean on? How can your user experience be improved? What new technologies and features can be integrated?
You could even take this opportunity to undertake user research to find out more about what your users like and dislike about your current offering, and what they would like more of in the future.
Communicate with your users
It's crucial to keep your users informed on any upcoming migration, including why the migration is necessary, what they can expect, and how to prepare for the change. Providing users with clear and concise information, including a timeline, or a final day to migrate by, can help alleviate any concerns your users may have and increase their trust in your product, and your brand.
This is a great time to stress the importance of community management of reviews in the App Store - this is where your users will often let you know if they’re experiencing any issues during migration.
Preparing appropriate responses for users who might require guidance during migration will allow you to both communicate effectively during this period and prevent your App Store rating from suffering.
Test and iterate
Before the new app is launched, testing is of course a must, leaving any issues or bugs firmly in QA. This app should be impressive to new users, and the last thing you want are issues leaving the user thinking there has been little to no improvement. Trust can be quickly lost. Continuous iteration also ensures a smooth transition and continued positive user experience.
Make migration a positive experience for user
Users don't want to jump through hoops to access your new app; it is vital to make the experience as positive as possible for your customers so that you don’t lose them along the way. Making the migration process as smooth as possible with clear instructions, easy-to-use migration tools, and dedicated support will go a long way.
Ensure ongoing support
Even after users are moved over, it's important to provide ongoing support. This includes offering resources on how to use the new app where appropriate, addressing any concerns or questions left in users reviews, and regularly updating the app to continuously optimise your offering. By providing ongoing support, you can help ensure continued user satisfaction and retention.
Migrating a large volume of users to a new app can be a complex process, but it doesn’t have to be painful. Always keep in mind that minimising the risk of user disruption and increasing user satisfaction are the end goals, so don’t lose sight of this.
Migrating millions of pizza-lovers
Domino’s came to Apadmi in 2019 needing a complete app refresh - this involved migrating millions of users to an ultimately the new app. The migration needed to be as smooth as possible to ensure Domino’s day-to-day running remained unhindered.
The Apadmi team managed to successfully migrate millions of users to the new app without missing a beat and providing a highly personalised and optimised experience in the process.
By supporting the migration with community management, and offering users and improved user experience within the new app, we were able to ensure Domino's hungry customers were kept satisfied with the new product. Sales were not negatively impacted, and the Domino's team were delighted with the process.
If you need help migrating your users to a new and improved app, Apadmi is a digital partner you can trust to guide you through the process. Whether you simply need to bolster your team with engineers to get the migration complete, or you need a full team of digital experts to make the process as smooth as possible, we are here to help.
Contact us today to take the next step.