Why identify users? Because it’s the best way to gather accurate data and get the permissions you need to message them. An identified user is a customer who has provided information that allows you to identify them on a recurring basis across one or more channels.

An anonymous user who uses both app and web will receive disconnected content. In fact, the more channels they’re opted-in to, the more their experience becomes fragmented. In many cases, customers end up receiving different messages from different channels, or the same message from multiple channels at the same time. 

When customers are anonymous, their data ends up trapped in one channel. Brands miss half the story.

• It’s difficult to prove ROI because there is no cross-channel attribution. 
• Acquisition costs remain high because brands are continuously paying to re-acquire the same customer. 
• Customers remain anonymous, meaning brands miss out on the preferences those users have already shared.

The good news? There’s a solution for disconnected experiences. 

Encouraging users / customers to sign in or sign up jump-starts identification. 

If we identify the individual we can transition from disparate channel experiences. Recognizing the individual across channels allows brands to unify experiences. Converting users from anonymous to identified creates an opportunity for progressive profiling. 

Airship’s research on customer identification shows improvements in conversion metrics from higher cart value to increased sessions. Identified users purchase 41% more frequently than anonymous users. 

1. Prioritize Strategic Onboarding

The first 30 days are the most critical window for securing a long-term relationship. Apps that run specific onboarding campaigns (focused on the value to the customer of signing in) see 78% more identified users than their category average. And top performers see an increase of more than 5x their category average. 

By using targeted in-app experiences during the initial download phase, brands can reduce the time to authentication by hours and achieve sign-in conversion rates as high as 47.2%. High performers in this phase see a Day 30 Activation Rate that is 56% higher than average.

2. Clearly Communicate the “Value Exchange”

Customers are generally willing to share personal data, but they expect a clear benefit in return. Brands should use in-app messaging to educate users on the specific advantages of signing in—whether that is unlocking a personalized “Year in Review,” accessing loyalty rewards, or receiving real-time order updates. Explaining the value of the digital “virtual branch” or “personal assistant” can increase sign-in response rates by 2.9x.

3. Orchestrate a Seamless Web-to-App Journey

It’s not too late to connect the dots. Some customers may interact with your brand in multiple channels and only log in on one of them. Add banners on your website and email, especially in post purchase flows, that highlight the value of the app. 

Many users begin their journey as anonymous visitors on a mobile website where acquisition costs are soaring. By using cross-channel orchestration to drive these web visitors into the app, brands move them into a low-cost, owned environment where they are far more likely to authenticate. This web-to-app strategy results in a 70% higher purchase rate and makes customers 3x more likely to make a repeat purchase.

By implementing these strategies brands can convert more users from anonymous to identified,  and unlock the full value of every customer interaction and deliver truly seamless, cross-channel experiences.