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What is an App Clip on iPhone? How does it engage and retain customers for brands and businesses?

Apple was playing another catch-up on Android. In iOS 14 there is an rather interesting new feature called App Clip. It is not totally groundbreaking. In a way its concept is largely similar to Android Instant App – mini mobile apps that can run on the device without having to be installed. So what exactly is an App Clip? Why brands and businesses should care about it? How could they possibly make use of it to engage and retain customers?

How App Clips work?

Let’s answer the above questions by first understanding how App Clip works.

App Clip is a baby version of an iPhone app that allows users to access a specific set of functionalities of the full app easier as needed. It is lightweight and fast. Opposed to the conventional route of discovering and installing new apps at the App Store, App Clip completely forgoes the installation part. Called Invocation by Apple, users open it directly either by scanning a QR code, tapping on a NFC tag, or through clicking a link in Safari or Messages.

To illustrate the 6 App Clip Invocations supported by iOS 14.
Using Apple’s wording, Invocation is how users discover App Clips in the first place. The 6 App Clip invocations include Safari Smart App Banner, iMessages, NFC tags, visual codes, Apple Maps and Location-based suggestions.

A more positive and user-centric experience

Of course it is more than merely saving users from installation. Even it is not a full app, App Clip still supports ‘Sign-in with Apple’ and ‘Apple Pay’. Such integrations drastically improve the user experience in the sign-up process and mobile payment during checkout. And with an account that is linked to the user’s Apple ID, the user has the option to hide his/ her email to keeping their personal information private. All in all, App Clip irons out all the kinks in starting to use a new app.

Apple Map integration

Perhaps what really surprised the developer community is, businesses with a physical location can link their App Clip to it. As a result users can find and open a company’s App Clip on a business listing in Apple Maps. Imagine a user ‘looks around’ in Apple Map and discovers your store. He/ she is no longer limited to call your company or visit your website through some preset links. Users will have a lot of other options. They can chat with your representative online, download a coupon, or even order and pay from within Apple Map.

And the interaction in Apple Map is not just a one-way train. If the users have his/ her ‘Location-based Suggestion’ turned on on their iPhone, based on their physical location and mobile activity, Siri may proactively recommend a nearby business/ App Clip that the users may be interested in.

App Clip stays on the iPhone too

No matter how the user first opens it, all App Clips will stay and accessible in the iPhone’s App Library for 30 days unless the user deliberately deletes it.

This following flowchart summarizes how the App Clip Invocation works.

This flowchart shows how the App Clip invocation and launch experience works.

Why App Clips?

By now you should already have some ideas how App Clip works and how it could make everyday tasks easier for the users. The possibilities are countless. It’s really up to the brands and developers to come up with new ways of deploying App Clips with their apps.

Here below we have listed some other real life scenarios on App Clip usage:

  • To join a queue at a restaurant, a bank or any customer service center. You’ll be notified when you are next in line.
  • Instead of queuing up at the kiosk or service counter, you can order food from you own iPhone/ Apple Map, even before arriving at the fast food chain. Again you will be notified when the food is ready to pick up.
  • Consumers can use it to go through an initial setup process for an connected device.
  • Drivers can pay and top up a meter with it, whether it is for parking or a charging station.
  • Customers can use it to rent and unlock a device quickly, be it a scooter or a battery bank.
  • Video game developer can allow customers to experience and play a starter level or two of a huge mobile game.
  • Movie theaters can put QR code on posters for users to scan and launch movie trailers on-demand.
  • And many more…

Why users can’t just download and install the full app

The fact about not installing the full app is the process involved authorization, download, sign-up and account activation is indeed very inconvenient. Many users are becoming fatigue with app downloads. Customers sometimes find it frustrated when businesses require them to install an unfamiliar app to complete a purchase. People are downloading those only apps that are truly necessary. This is a problem for any companies or products that rely on the app ecosystem. If customers don’t install new apps, brands can’t market and monetize through them.

iOS 14 requires users to opt into ad tracking

With iOS 14, Apple has turned IDFA (The Identifier for Advertisers) tracking off by default. Users have to explicitly enable it by switching on the ‘Allow Apps to Request to Track’ under Privacy. Apparently on one is doing it. Without IDFA, brands and advertisers can’t measure advertising campaigns to track and target potential customers as easily. App Clips is filling this gap by giving them a new way to get their products or apps in front of the right audience.

4 Key App Clip Benefits for Mobile Marketing

Without requiring users to download an app to do tasks quickly may sound like losses for those businesses whom are looking to market more efficiently or to increase their app download rate. As it turns out, App Clip is making brands and businesses more accessible and connected by presenting the following distinct advantages:

1. Discoverability

App discovery continues to be the number one challenge for brands and businesses. We’ve talked about why users just wouldn’t download and install full apps. App Clips offer a workaround of this conundrum by enabling businesses to showcase only the relevant information or services to their customers exactly when they need it. Brands and businesses will now be able to start their spot advertising campaigns in order to put themselves in front of their target audiences.

2. Demonstrating the Value of Performance

By putting your business in front of the customers exactly when and where they need it would give you the opportunity to demonstrate your thoughtfulness and company’s value to customers; who otherwise may have gotten very frustrated with a bad experience.

3. Not Losing New Customers Anymore

Many online users would choose to leave than complete the transaction if they are asked to sign up an account or install an app. With the already available robust discoverability architecture plus the support of ‘Sign-in with Apple and ‘Apple Pay’, there’s not much left for brands and businesses to work on to catching the attention of, and not losing any new customers.

4. Keeping the Conversation Going

For up to 8 hours after the users opened their App Clip, businesses are allowed to send push notification to the users. Push Notification is powerful when used properly. It gives businesses an opportunity to continue the conversation and provide additional value.

Undoubtedly App Clip is changing the app scene. The mobile world is becoming even more interactive. Conversion growth will be following through the help of higher visibility and ease of use. To succeed in the mobile-first world, brands and businesses need to think and act differently about their mobile marketing strategy in customer acquisition though.

Are App Clips available on your iPhone?

App Clips are available for devices running iOS 14.3 or later. The oldest model that is able to run iOS 14.3 is iPhone 6s and iPhone SE. And since the debut of iOS 6 in 2014, all iPhones come with NFC readers. Having an NFC reader would allow users to open App Clips by tapping their iPhone on the NFC tags.

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By means of a polished user experience, App Clip helps users to complete a task as quickly and easily as possible, where and when they need it. Through such a seamless mobile connection, both new and existing customers will be more satisfied and stickier. That subsequently lead to a strengthened relationship between your brand and its customers.

If you’re looking for expansion into App Clips, we are here to help! Our team covers everything you need to devise and implement the best mobile marketing strategy to unleash the awesome power of the smart phone economy.

Drop us a line to talk about your mobile app project idea!

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