Using the Deep Link Email and Mobile Marketing

Prior to the advent of the mobile, all was straightforward and easy. In any case, the desktop web was simply desktop web. However, with the in-built fragmentation that comes with mobile technology in the form of different environments, different operating systems and different identifiers, the story has completely changed. It has become more complex.

To complicate matters, while websites come with a link structure that is standardized, apps lack that feature, making mobile connectivity to be more of a chance happening. The simple links of most Apps find it challenging to link between different apps or even between apps and the mobile web. They become completely mixed-up, unable to identify which environment, OS, device the user is coming from and the desired or preferred destination.

The challenge then becomes how to take these simple links and generate a web functionality similar to an HTTP setup for mobile apps and then enabling it to be universally applicable on all platforms.

Deep Linking

How then can the user access the desired content from the word go? What is the key to creating the best user experience irrespective of the location where the email is opened or whether the user has installed the app or not? The answer lies in universal deep linking.

Deep links are good at connecting the app-to-app and web-to-app environments. At the same time, if the user already has the mobile app installed, it is good at supporting the opening of a particular screen on the app. In case your users has not installed the app, you'll be sending them nowhere, except if they are on the latest Android and iOS and versions, in which case they'll be sent to the website on their mobile.

Deferred Deep Linking

The development of deferred deep linking marks a major improvement to the standard deep links, improving both the supported user acquisition and the user experience. Deferred deep linking has the capacity of detecting if the user already has the app installed on their gadget and directing them to the appropriate app store (in case they have not installed). It opens a particular screen on the app upon installation and first time launch.

The above proves that both user acquisition and re-engagement can be supported by an email campaign. When your users already have the app installed, straight away they go to the relevant screen on the app. If this is not the case, they can go to the Apps Store to download the app and proceed to obtain the relevant content.

True Personalization Enabled via a Link

Through an additional link parameter covering angles like who your users are, what your users are clicking on, where they came from, and which campaign, you can personalize the screen of the app and boost user engagement to higher levels. If for example, the smart deep link has been configured having a parameter for [NAME], you could populate the field with the name of the user's name and so on.

As the App Store is able to strip this data, it can “ask” the provider of the deep link for this data (which network, which campaign, which parameters etc.) and keep this in memory path. It can then dispatch the same back in real time to the app so the personalized app screen gets displayed upon launch.

Smart Redirect Possible from all the Platforms

This is a favorite of marketers as it simplifies matters through permitting just one link configuration per campaign. It is capable of automatically detecting where your users need to be and where they are coming from. Therefore, rather than configuring the minimum 5 tracking links for Android, iOS, Windows, Web and Amazon, all that a user needs is a single link.

Using a single link lessens the margin of error, whether it's links that are broken or links that ultimately take your users to the wrong destination. Keep in mind that Facebook, Twitter, iOS and Google all have inbuilt deep linking technology, although fragmented. For example, a Twitter Card is not going to work on Facebook, etc.

If responsive design analogy is applied, similar to the way your email design becomes responsive, so should be the link. This implies that when your user clicks on an email on their desktop, the link ought to open on the particular web landing page. If using Windows device or an Android, the link ought to open a particular app screen.

Measurement and Analytics

The biggest challenge facing marketers today is connecting and measuring the data dots in real time across channels. In terms of measurement, deep links provide an excellent tool for tracking user activity—all the way from marketing engagement, to activities after installing and finally the general app usage. In fact, the more data is available on the link, the more the quantities of data you will be able to measure and then optimize with.

Conclusion

A fundamental part of email and mobile marketing during this mobile-first age is deep linking. It is helping mobile connectivity and improving the experience of the user. It is also enabling tracking across channels and granular measurement—all achieved in a