Why is Deep Linking a Game Changer for Mobile App Growth and Retention?

Imagine you hire a cab and specify the destination. The driver drives you until a certain point (which isn’t your destination) and drops you there. Hereon, you must find the place you wish to go to. You don’t know how far you are from your destination. But you must get there! In such a situation, you may find your way somehow. However, how would you rate this experience? Obviously, bad. And you will never hire the brand’s cab again!

Many users undergo a similar experience when it comes to mobile applications. They see a compelling offer and click on the link. After that, the link takes them to the mobile app’s homepage, already cluttered with content or to nowhere if the user doesn’t have the app installed on their phone. The users are on their own to search for the content they need!

Such experiences count – negatively, though. Users hate being misguided and abhor brands that do this. However, enter deep linking and picture changes.

Deep linking is a straightforward, yet effective and game-changing concept that helps transform the situation. Directing users to the content they clicked on, enables better experiences, increases the number of downloads, and helps the mobile app grow and retain users. Let’s explore how deep linking does it.

What is Deep Linking?

Deep linking isn’t merely a technique but a strategy. It helps enhance mobile experiences by directing users to a particular content within an app, instead of opening its homepage. Unlike traditional links that launch an app, deep links take users to a specific screen or action within the application, enhancing navigation and engagement. Think of it as a shortcut that helps users reach their destination within an app easily and quickly.

What are the Types of Deep Linking?

One can categorise deep linking into three different types. Let’s look at them.

• Traditional Deep Linking: It works when the user has the app installed on their phone. If that’s so, the link takes the user to the content they desire.
• Deferred Deep Linking: This guides users to the right content even if they don’t have the app on their phone. So, the link takes the user to the app store, executes the download and installation and then to the ad or content with which they had interacted.
• Contextual Deep Linking: This is an advanced form of deep linking. It works by storing user data (for instance, referrals, etc.) to provide a more personalized experience after installation.

What is the Need for Deep Linking?

So, why do you need deep linking? The answer encompasses many factors. First, the need to deliver incredible user experiences. The more effortless you make user-brand interactions for users, the better. Second, competition. With so many options, users won’t think twice before going to a competitor if they had a forgettable experience with a brand. Third, user experiences must be straight. Users prefer dealing with businesses that serve them with something straight and in the shortest time.

However, deep linking is also relevant for mobile app growth. For brands, it helps ensure users download the app and engage with it often. It addresses challenges, including;

• Enhancing user acquisition through seamless onboarding
• Increasing conversion rates by reducing navigational friction
• Improving engagement and retention by driving users to the desired content

What are the Benefits of Deep Linking?

Let’s look at some advantages of deep linking from the business viewpoint.

• Increased App Downloads

Deep linking serves as a marketing tool that helps improve the app installation rates. When a user clicks on a deep link, the link directs them to the app store if they haven’t installed the app yet. After installing the app, they go to the relevant content. This helps reduce drop-offs, which is pretty common in the case of earlier links that dumped the users to the homepage and then the users were left to navigate on their own.

• Improved User Experience

We enjoyed playing treasure hunts as kids! But only as kids. Now, as mobile app users, we prefer getting to a particular place as early and effortlessly as possible. Deep linking removes unnecessary steps, ensuring users reach the desired content instantly. So, whether it is a product page, offer page, etc., deep linking takes users directly to the page they want to see or the content that interests them.

• Increased Retention

By driving users directly to the relevant app content, deep linking helps increase retention and enhance engagement rate. For instance, businesses can run re-engagement campaigns with deep links in emails, push notifications, etc., bringing users back to the app, and increasing retention.

• Personalized User Journeys

Contextual deep linking takes user experiences to the next level. It allows apps to remember user preferences and deliver a more personalized experience. Thus, when a user clicks on an offer link from a particular campaign, the user will see exactly the promotional content after installation.

• Better Action Conversions

Businesses have specific goals in mind when they run a particular campaign. For instance, some campaigns aim to increase subscriptions, signups, purchase products, and more. No matter the objective, deep linking reduces the number of barriers across the conversion pipeline. It lets users reach their in-app destination in fewer clicks and enhances the overall conversion rate.

• Improved Discoverability and Cross-Platform Integration

These are a couple of other ways through which deep linking helps mobile apps grow. Deep linking enables businesses to integrate their app into external marketing channels like emails, social media, SMS, etc., to broaden their reach. Furthermore, it switches between the web and mobile, ensuring frictionless continuity.

Make Your User Journeys More Meaningful with Deep Linking!

Deep linking isn’t a fleeting hack but a long-term growth strategy. It is quick and works on the simple, yet important concept of getting users to the desired spot if you want to leverage deep linking across multiple platforms, partner with ChottuLink, an alternative Firebase Dynamic Links (about to close on August 25, 2025).

ChottuLink offers deep linking as a separate service and serves as an effortless switch from Firebase Dynamic Links. It offers universal compatibility across various systems and platforms, including Android, iOS, and the web, provides deferred deep linking support, and offers custom domain support, advanced analytics, and rest API support.

So, enhance your deep linking journey with ChottuLink. Join our waitlist!