Clarify:

Less usage on the mobile apps than web app

Is this specific to the geography or specific area? No

Assuming there is no issue with specific to Ios and Android

Goal: figure out why the mobile app used less than web app and figure out how to fix hence increase the retention of the mobile app.

I am assuming that with the changes we make we are not aiming to increase the growth, aim is to increase the engagement on the mobile app

Airbnb: this is a marketplace where the hosts post the houses and availabilities and for the guests to rent them. The app is the mediator between host and guest and takes the commission after the transaction.

Reasons of customer to use web app:

–          Maybe the web app launched first then the mobile

–          UI may not be user friendly enough for the mobile app

–          The web app user would open the other tabs for the flight/train etc tickets to figure out overall experience cost

Solutions:

–          Add information to the web app to download the mobile app

–          Give some promotions to the web app users if they use the mobile app to rent the house

–          Run A/B and multivariant tests to understand if there is any mobile app UX related issue, then change the design accordingly

–          Suggest guests the discounted flight/train tickets once they selected the house then provide a full package for their travel

o   Guest selects the house and the days they want to stay

o   Then the send this to the checkout

o   At the checkout the app provides the questions like “how to travel to the address”

o   Options like “flight”, “rent a car”, “train” etc

o   The person selects the travel.

o   Then show the special events, concerts etc at the place of the house providing the discount.

o   Once the person selects house, travel type and tickets the full package should be hold.

o   After guests requests approval from the host(reserve), the house and the other “locked” options will be purchased automatically.

Prioritization/MVP: impact to the goal and cost

–          L L

–          L L

–          H M

–          H H

MVP: add the travel options and event tickets to the app, change the UI of the mobile apps

Metrics:

User Engagement:

DAU, MAU of the mobile app

# new reservations happened through the mobile app

The # of ppl moving to mobile app from web in the first 1 wk, 15 days etc

Feedback on the app store

Increase in the revenue through mobile app usage

Let’s understand the problem statement here. You are saying there is higher usage of the Airbnb website on Mobile devices than the native Airbnb apps on mobile devices?

>>> Yes.

There are a number of possible reasons:
1. Native app is slow as compared to the web app.
2. People do not like to load their mobile with another app that they do not use frequently and lose memory space. (Especially if they do not have big disk space)
3. The size of the mobile application is too big and deterring people from downloading and combined with memory loss.
4. Web app experience is the almost same as the native app or better.

On to the second part, why do you see it as negative? & what is the need to change the behavior of the customer to use the native app?

>>> If people have a native app on their phone, it gets revisits compared to the web app. It helps with sending notifications/pop-ups with deals etc.

Following are few things that will help better adoption of native app
1. Ensure the native app experience is better than the web app.
2. Native app is small as possible.
3. Prompt to download when people start with the web app. List the advantages of using the native app when they start.