What is Deep Linking, how to add Deep Linking for Android and iOS?

As already the name suggests, Deep Linking basically implies a detailed link that lands you directly in an app installed on your device when you click on a link. To answer the question of what is Deep linking it can be said that Deep links basically take you to specific pieces of content on an app where you can complete and fulfill your desired action such as buying an item, reading an online article, making online bookings, and many more. Implementing Deep Links offer a seamless user experience since the users are directed to specific screens within a vast app without searching manually. This improves user experience as the users can directly reach their preferred app locations without any interruption. Deep Linking is ideal for Android and iOS because both systems support good APIs for Deep Linking.

Nowadays, it has become mandatory for businesses to build a strong reputation and offer prompt services to their customers to stand out in the competitive market. In this context, Deep Links play an imperative role to connect customers to the relevant content they might engage with or are looking for. Deep Links are the easiest doorways through which customers can relate themselves to the targeted content in a timely manner. Now, we will elaborately describe what is Deep Linking and how the way it works for Android and iOS.

What is Deep Linking?

We all have been using Deep Links in our daily lives to guide ourselves or others to a particular location in the website or app that we want to reach or show others. Deep Linking is a perfect technique used by businesses for marketing strategies and simultaneously minimizing churn. You can keep your marketing campaigns sorted and completely target-oriented by incorporating Deep Linking within the campaigns. According to different studies, it has been found that an individual spends more time on their smartphones on average as compared to other devices. This will only increase in the coming days since smartphones are the easiest route to virtual reality where different solutions and services can be accessed online with Deep Linking as a reliable tool.

In simple words, Deep Links are similar to the other links or URLs we interact with almost daily. The link or URL will navigate a user to a particular app location.

Let us explain Deep Linking with an example,

https://www.amazon.in/ – This is not a Deep link because it is the general homepage.

Usually, when you try to access a link to a website, the website opens up in the web browser. But in the case of a Mobile App Deep Linking, a corresponding native iOS/Android native app opens up and not a web browser. In the case of a Mobile App Deep Linking, Deep Links serve the same purpose for mobile apps as they do for websites. With Deep Linking, your users can access a specific screen within the app instead of simply scrolling or checking the home screen on your mobile. Deep Links lead users to in-app content from web links, SMS, emails, social media sites, push notifications, etc., to particular app locations. Mobile users always have greater expectations than regular website users who access specific sites from browsers instead of using apps. Though these users are not much common these days.

Since mobiles especially smartphones are the fastest routes to extensive services and solutions, it is essential to prioritize mobile user experience and provide personalized services. This is what exactly Deep Links help to deliver.

Benefits of using Deep Links

Deep Linking is indeed an impressive method used by marketers especially mobile marketers for improving user experience, engagement, and retention. Deep Links offer a lot of benefits for effective marketing tactics which we will be discussing below,

• Boosts user Actions and Engagement

As already mentioned nowadays users expect prompt results from everything, they stumble upon whether an email campaign, ad, or a generic post. Every time audiences look for what’s next and expect constructive results. The instance can be better justified with an example. Let’s consider you came across a Netflix ad on a popular social media site and the video content interests you. But you don’t have a subscription plan or you are not aware of the name of the show. In such a situation, a Deep Link attached to a posted ad will not only take you directly to the Netflix homepage but also the content’s location. This will give you sufficient information about the show and also you can explore the entire app and decide what to do next.

This is how Deep Links effectively simplify user actions and keep them engaged with content as well as an app.

• Provides Valuable Usage Metrics

With Deep Links, businesses could improve their usage metrics since Deep Links enhanced user engagement, activation rate, and retention rate. Deep Links are likely to increase website or app visibility. This directly contributes to usage metrics.

• Ensures Seamless Onboarding

Nowadays running personalized campaigns with name levels is not enough to keep your users engaged for quite a long time. Businesses are investing a lot in onboarding new users with lots of customizations and attractive offers. But unfortunately, these things have now become outdated and customers expect behavior-based personalization. Deep Links are the best options to offer behavior-based personalization. With Deep Links, you don’t need to visit the whole app all the time. But rather you can configure notifications and access your preferred pieces of content via push notifications. This will be of immense interest to the new users and they will keep themselves updated with your app.

• Reduces Friction

Deep Links ensure a seamless user experience without any interruption of the network by reducing friction and churn while reaching out for content. Deep Links enhances the UX design of a site that further helps you to optimize campaigns as per your requirement or preference around a single page or category without any disruption on user navigation.

• Effective Marketing Results

Deep Links are good ways to entice customers with deals and offers by sending push notifications, SMS, or campaigns to customers. Customers can directly land on the pages you want them to see and explore more of your app. This will increase sales and revenue for your business.

Undoubtedly the benefits of using or incorporating Deep Links are extensive. But you need careful planning to use Deep Links and the way these are to be presented before customers for use. Now coming to another aspect, the limitations are very much prevalent apart from the benefits. This is why in the next section; we will be discussing the limitations or drawbacks of Deep Links and these drawbacks can affect your business.

Drawbacks of using Deep Links

Like everything else, Deep Links are not all positive. There are some potential drawbacks too which you need to manage as per your preference.

• All Deep Links might not be SEO friendly and can misguide to the users.
• Deep Links are not standardized or universal like URLs and web addresses.
• Users may find it quite difficult to bookmark individual pages or sites while exploring a piece of content via Deep Links.

These things need to be taken care of while implementing Deep Links. Since everything comes with both positive and negative aspects, drawbacks on the part of Deep Links are no exception. You need to be careful enough while incorporating Deep Links for your business and overcome the drawbacks with appropriate techniques.

Conclusion

Undoubtedly, Deep Linking has become an essential element for marketers especially digital and mobile marketers to improve user experience, engagement, retention, app visibility, and everything a business requires to deliver seamless services to its clients. This is why Deep Links are highly recommended to carry out effective marketing strategies to generate engagement and retention.

So, are you ready to incorporate Deep Linking for your business? Our Deep Linking services at Webuters can leverage your marketing campaigns and ensure highly personalized user behavior. Our experts at Webuters will help you to deliver fast services to your customer with superior segmentation and effective personalization capabilities. Get in touch with us at Webuters soon.