How to generate more app development leads with referrals

how to get app development leads

At the very basic level, let’s try to reverse engineer how a successful app development agency can thrive and grow.

 

The end point is closing the contract. Before that, there was a proposal and consultation calls. However, none of these would be possible without leads in the first place.

 

Businesses need high-quality leads, preferably also at high quantities. I assume you as professional know this.

 

Research shows that 68% of b2b marketers still struggle with lead generation. And this is particularly the case for small app development studios or new developers.

Today we’ll consider a very effective strategy that will help you to get more app development leads.

 

This is one of those blogs where you really want to pay attention.

 

Why?

 

Because closing more app development deals is essential for the survival and growth of your business.

 

How to generate app development leads through referrals

 

It’s very likely that you heard about referrals before. The ubiquitous use of referrals as a traffic source can be quite annoying, especially if you are new.

 

Many perceive this advice as useless because it often falls into the category of ”ask your friends and family”. If you happen to have a new Amazon store, then sure, asking friends and family for few discounted purchases and reviews to kick-off things is good.

 

But realistically, asking your friend or family if they want to have an app developed for them is pretty far stretched. Especially if you aim to charge adequate prices and create a quality app with the potential to go viral.

 

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We’ll demystify referrals as a traffic source by providing you with a quite simple strategy. Marketers don’t tend to fail their campaigns because of their lack of information. On the contrary, we have too much information. Marketing fails due to the lack of effective execution.

 

You need to start using referrals. And this study shows why:

  •        Referred customers have higher lifetime value
  •        Referrals close faster
  •        Referrals have higher conversion rate

app development leads

Asking for app development referrals

The first step in this simple strategy is to overcome your fears of asking. You probably know that you should ask your past clients for referrals. But you never reached out to them to close more leads for app development.

 

Ask yourself why this is the case, when leads are essential for growth.

 

Some people simply don’t like to ask, be rude or simply it’s not their way of doing ”things”. This mindset is, to say the least, not ideal for growing your business.

 

The 3 things to do in order to overcome the fear of asking for referrals:

– understand that referrals are a genuine source of leads used by the majority of businesses

– you need more projects to survive, let alone grow

– automating and optimizing this process will make it predictable and less ‘scary’

 

The preferred way of asking for referrals should be via email. Unless you are very skilled at handling phone calls and insist on calling, emails can be optimized and tested for future success.

 

When it comes to the actual email, remember the following:

1) Be direct. The truth is that people are busy. And nobody has time, nor they want to make time to read long-winded emails. Especially if it’s not about them. Be direct and express what you want, in a tactful way.

 

2) Be personal. Personalized subject lines and email copy always outperforms generic email content. Make sure you address the recipient directly.

 

3) Be specific. You should be specific in 2 things. Firstly, you should shortly allude to their experiences with you and how great everything turned out for them. Secondly, be specific in the great solution you provided for them and others, and ask whether they know someone who has a specific set of problems that you can directly address. This can be based on the verticals or other market segments you focus on.

 

4) Don’t make it complicated. Remember you are asking them for something. The easier way to do it should be just contacting you via email with the basic information of your potential new project.

 

5) Offer incentives. As always the What’s In It For ME (WIIFM) rule applies. It’s true that are more likely to send a potential client your way if they were happy with your solution. But this is not always the case. Work out a sensible commission fee to act as an incentive for them to refer you a new client. People are driven by financial incentives, and if you do close a new app development client from their referral, everyone will be happy. Depending on your margins you can offer a fixed fee or percentage of the project value. This comes down to how much time and money would you normally spend for attracting new leads.

 

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Last words of advice

Depending on your culture and the way you nurtured your clients before, during and after the project will influence your interactions.

 

There isn’t a ‘winning’ template for generating app leads via email referrals. But all successful outreaches follow the principles we outlined above.

 

Conclusion

Referrals are incredibly important and effective for generating new business. This is particularly true if you are stuck generating leads through other sources.

 

The aforementioned study also showed that despite the effectiveness of referrals, only 30% of businesses have a set process.

 

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Don’t be one of them. Follow the process described and reach out for more business. Close more projects by leveraging your great work and relationships you built. Savvy entrepreneurs are likely to have wide networks of connections who will want your solution.

 

Like with any strategy, you need to work and optimize your outreach. From emails to negotiating terms. However, the proof is in the pudding.

 

Businesses using referrals grow faster by 11%, so persistence, strategy and great quality of work is the key. Have you used referrals to grow your app development agency? Comment below, we’d love to hear!

 

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