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20 Comments

How do you talk to users online?

I am trying to talk to some users to better understand their need and their experience using our app. I don't get much response. So I'm looking for recommendations on how to improve user contact.

What I do is write them emails manually with personalization and even careful research. Open rate is very low (5-10%). One group I emailed to are those leaving email on my website to sign up for product. I asked for only email address. Just added live chat to the website hoping it would be more convenient to interact with users, but no messages so far. Another group I emailed to are most active users.

Is it common that response rate is very low and I just need to increase the number? Or should I try other methods?

on November 12, 2020
  1. 1

    Hi, i would like to start a business with new projects can you help me out for this . i am from india looking for new opportunities to provide employment in my country.

  2. 2

    If you have your's customer email, you could connect with him on LinkedIn. I did this manually for two months, and yesterday wrote a post on how to automate it with Puppeteer - https://geekrodion.com/blog/linkedin

  3. 2

    There are only two reasons your open rate is that low:

    1. Your email domain has deliverability issues (use this to check https://toolbox.googleapps.com/apps/checkmx/check?domain=)
    2. Your subject is really, really bad. A bad subject is like "Company Questionnaire" - it's not personal. When writing your subject and email - imagine you are writing to a close friend. Open/read/click rate is a lot higher if you do that.
    1. 1

      Wow, +1 on that first tool you posted. Found a few issues myself.

      Thanks a lot!

    2. 1

      Thanks a lot! I checked with the link and found critical problems with our domain. Will work on them.
      https://prnt.sc/vicgz4

  4. 2
    1. Can you start with your F&F?
    2. Have you tried forums, subreddits, Slack Channels, and FB groups?
    3. Read the MOM test by @robfitz
    1. 1

      I was aiming to talk to existing users. But your recommendations are helpful too.

      1. 1

        Oh yeah definitely! Didn't realize you already had users. Good luck :)

  5. 2

    Open rate is a bit low, but it depends on many factors like the number of people you've emailed, the app, what their commitment to the app is, etc.

    If you haven't done so, you could target the people with the most activity. Low-no activity people won't ever likely respond. I just did a campaign, and started with the customers who've ordered from us the most, and sold $15k-$20k worth of product in 2-3 days.

    Since it's an app, you could prompt them somewhere in the app. Also, you may want to try offering them something of value, in exchange for their feedback.

    Can you share the exact email (and subject line) that you share with them? Also, when you do that, please include the app name to provide context.

    1. 1

      Here's another email I sent to existing users of our pre-made recognition app.

      • App name: Lookuq Orchid
      • App: Android and iOS download available in https://www.lookuq.com/orchid
      • Recipients: 3 users with most events and sessions tracked in GA
      • Subject line: Contact from developer of Lookuq Orchid
      • Body:

      Hi {{first_name}},

      I’m Mai from development team of Lookuq Orchid application. I’m writing because I saw that you have been using our app often. Hope you enjoy it!

      I would love to learn how we can be more helpful to user. Are you willing to share your thoughts with me? If you agree, I will send a few questions to collect your feedback.

      Looking forward to your response.

      1. 1

        Thanks for sharing, it is helpful to have context. Cool app :)

        I think the problem is two fold:

        1. If this has only gone out to 3 users, it's hard to get a true sense of response rate with such few people.

        2. Your email subject and copy is not compelling or precise enough to get a response. Both need re-writing.

        Also, I'm not clear on what the make-up of the 3 people are -- meaning, where do they live, what is their language, etc. If I assume they're English speaking from America, UK, Australia or other US speaking countries, then then #2 above is likely the problem.

        1. 1

          Thanks a lot for detailed comments on both emails. I tested on 3 people and will increase the number.

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            Happy to help. If you re-write them, and want me to take a look, please let me know :)

    2. 1

      Thank you! For more information:

      • App name: Lookuq Visual Encyclopedia
      • URL: https://www.lookuq.com/create-your-own-app (for app creators)
      • Recipients: Those who left email address in our Sign up box. (I changed it to link to a Google Form now.)
      • Subject line: {{first_name}}, welcome to Lookuq Visual Encyclopedia!
      • Body:

      Hi {{first_name}},

      Congratulations! You're ready to get started with Lookuq Visual Encyclopedia, a platform to create visual recognition app without coding.

      You'll be able to:

      • Create a new image recognition skill for free
      • Get paid if you are willing to share the skill with interested businesses.
        I would love to learn how we can help. Please share with me your use case by filling in this form https://forms.gle/mzSkayP9wRZnNpLQA. And I'll follow up with detailed guide on how to start.

      Mai

      1. 1

        I have the same general feedback as your other email.

        Also, your subject is "Welcome", and many people may not open a welcome email. Even if they do, your "ask" (for feedback) is buried at the bottom.

        If you're looking to get feedback, then you need to be more direct. The subject has to be compelling, and the body has to get to the point quickly.

        I like that the emails are short, but they need some restructuring to capture the readers attention.

  6. 1

    I would suggest making the email more personalized because if people feel like they are being sent a mass email then they are more likely to not reply or read the email. There are many ways and sources to create personalization. I suggest using the site twik for all things personalization.

  7. 1

    That is a pretty low open-rate. Do you communicate often? If you have emails being sent out (even system generated ones) from the beginning that could help normalize communication between you and your customers. If it's an app you could try push notifications as well.

    1. 1

      Thanks for your insight! I don't communicate often. That could be the cause.

      Would you recommend email users from a general address like contact@company.com or a personal address? The personal address may look suspicious sometimes?

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        Use a company email.

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          Sorry for confusing. I mean which one is better? contact@company.com or name@company.com?