App Links

The process of utilizing a custom URL to direct users to a specific page within an app is known as mobile deep linking. Deep links are dedicated links that take you directly to an app instead of a website or a store. They can send you straight to a specific place within the app, instead of just opening it up. This technique helps guide users to explore deeper within the app, beyond the initial launch screen, ultimately improving user engagement and retention.

Deferred deep linking is a technique that allows a link to route a user to a specific in-app destination even when the app is not yet installed on their device. When a user clicks a deferred deep link, they are first directed to the App Store or Google Play to install the app. After installation and first launch, the app recognizes the original link context and automatically navigates the user to the intended content, offer, or screen — rather than dropping them at the generic home screen. This is especially valuable for web-to-app flows and paid acquisition campaigns where users discover an offer on a web landing page, click through to install the app, and need to land directly on the relevant paywall, trial offer, or personalized onboarding experience. Without deferred deep linking, the attribution context and user intent are lost during the install step, leading to higher drop-off and lower conversion rates. Implementing deferred deep linking typically requires integration with an attribution provider or deep linking service that persists the link parameters through the app store redirect.

Web-to-App (Web2App) refers to the strategy and infrastructure that enables mobile app developers to acquire users and process subscription purchases through web-based flows before transitioning the user into the native mobile app experience. In a Web2App model, a user typically discovers the app through a paid advertisement or organic search, lands on a web page where they learn about the product's value proposition, completes a subscription purchase through a web-based checkout (processed by a third-party payment provider like Stripe), and is then directed to download and activate the app with their subscription already provisioned. The Web2App model has gained significant adoption among subscription apps for several reasons: it allows developers to avoid the 15–30% App Store and Google Play commissions by processing payments outside the native billing systems; it provides richer attribution data since web-based tracking isn't subject to the same ATT restrictions that limit in-app attribution on iOS; it offers a larger canvas for communicating value and presenting offers compared to in-app paywalls; and it enables more flexible pricing, offer, and discount strategies that aren't constrained by app store billing rules. The primary technical challenges of Web2App include maintaining a seamless user experience across the web-to-app transition, reliably syncing subscription entitlements between the web billing system and the app backend, handling edge cases (user doesn't download the app, switches devices, etc.), and solving post-iOS 14.5 attribution challenges that affect the ability to connect web conversion events to the advertising campaigns that drove them.

The mobile app onboarding process involves a series of steps that new users take to get started with an app. This process entails guiding users through the product, providing relevant information, and helping them set up their accounts. This is the first opportunity for users to understand the value of your product. By the end of the onboarding process, users should be familiar with the mobile user interface (UI), navigation patterns, and basic app functionality. A smooth app onboarding process can increase app usage as it reduces user uncertainty and frustration.

User acquisition refers to the strategies and activities used to attract new users to a mobile app or platform. It encompasses paid advertising, organic discovery, and referral programs working together to drive installs and grow an engaged user base.