Product operations: let users linger

In the current Internet field, new products are emerging, product operation is particularly important. In fact, products and operations are interlinked, products are to provide users with value, operation is to let users understand this value, they are interdependent, strategic goals are consistent. Any operation revolves around "user", including "Attract user" and "Retain user", use an idiom to generalize is to let the user linger over.

1. Attracting users

Said to attract users, have to mention the source of traffic. In any third party statistical software, "search engine", "External links", "Direct login" traffic has been standardized-the search engine is often attracted by the content, external links from a variety of promotional marketing, as well as soft text and Word-of-mouth; Direct logins are usually loyal users, and users in the following "retention user in detail. To add, in the SEO there is a motto "content for the king, outside the chain for the Emperor", for the operation of attracting users as applicable.

1.1. Content Construction

Content is the essence of web1.0, but also the foundation of the Internet. In the web2.0 era, UGC and even SNS site content is still inseparable from this foundation, but the way to operate from "operators to create content" gradually changed to "operators to guide users to create content." Can be divided into 3 stages:

1, in the cold start, still need operators to create content, but they installed as a user;

2, the operation needs to encourage users to create high-quality content in line with the Community positioning;

3, the operation needs to guide users to browse the content of what they want to see, and motivate users to participate in the formation of user interaction with the user;

These three are complementary and indispensable, and the former is the foundation of the latter. Some people say Sina Weibo also does not install user Ah? T.sina on August 14, 2009, the project team to invite at least 20 people to register, although this did not last long, but it does belong to the category of users, even at this stage, countless zombie five Maoist party, behind also standing Sina shadow. Stage 2 is a sign of community entry into the development period. Weibo in the postponement of the 9.10 days after the public test, won the "Kai-Fu Lee quit the Battle" after the formal entry into the public view, celebrities are Sina to create high-quality content trump card. But for most startups, such resources and opportunities are hard to come by. How to "encourage users"? What is "in line with community positioning"? How can users "create quality content"? This is the real Kung fu of web2.0 product operation. For example, the integration System of the white society, such as vertical community content positioning itself, and then a variety of recommendations, various squares, various certification ... Even if only 1 can produce content that is consistent with community orientation, the operation must be in time to keep up with the author: We like your users, and tell the rest of the community: such content is welcome here, that's enough, there are a lot of ways to not enumerate. When the second stage is done, it will be a good thing to guide the recommendation and encourage participation, and in addition to the rules and functions provided by the product itself, it is still possible to mobilize the behind-the-scenes hands of the stage, or to play topics and activities. The trend has been timed, three-stage operation does not succeed or fail, only efficiency is good or bad.

I would like to say that the content to attract users, who knows this said again, but can confirm that the website product operation content Construction of the above three points, whether to attract users or retain users, are very effective, retain users in the following will be elaborated.

1.2. Outer chain construction

There are many kinds of chain, for micro-blog, the portal itself is the most effective outside the chain source of SNS products, Word-of-mouth is the largest outside the chain, small and medium-sized 2.0 sites and vertical communities, advertising, soft text weight; A station and garbage station, friendship links, exchange links, alliances and other SEO means to bring the chain can not be ignored. The outer chain is a result, relying on the choice of channels, not the process itself. Many seoer make the chain as a belief, results often become their own epitaph, the root cause or the relationship between the content and the chain of the cart before the horse, this is the short-term interests of the drive or impetuous mentality of the disclosure is not known, but a solid value of the chain, must follow the pace of product growth.

Focus on viral marketing. Viral marketing is a kind of word-of-mouth, but in the web2.0 era is the most important element of user attraction. Although the source of viral marketing on third party data is equivalent to "direct input" or various mail links, it can still be analyzed from the internal data (the number of successful users invited to register). Viral marketing is no cost to the product itself, and once the number of audiences starts to grow at a geometric level. But the hidden costs of viral marketing are borne by the user, and the user must have sufficient reason to spread and invite, depending on the value of the product or service. Especially for the web2.0 site, the target audience and the core users of the communication channel in line with the product can quickly capture the market, and can help users establish a solid relationship, and further improve the adhesion of the site, Gmail is the most typical example. Remember, pure profit-driven viral marketing can only give you 1 seconds of pleasure and then destroy the future of the product.

2. Retention of users

Allows users to stay is the essence of operation, but also a measure of the core index of the site. We talk about "effective users", "Active Users", "core users" in detail to retain their operational strategy:

2.1. Effective users

Effective users differentiate between spammers and active users, and often products create potential value for such users, but the value is not enough to entice them into active users, or users who come in and out through various attractions. Retention of such a user strategy can be done from three places: stimulate him to come, give him the benefit; show the core value of the website.

Tactically, it only takes one reason to stimulate effective users. Can't you find a reason? Whether it is a friend call, event invitations, questions for help, or hot spots, popular RSS subscriptions, or various festivals of various events, the operation only to tell him. Good mail, SMS better, if there is a sweet voice of the MM call wake up the best but, of course, the cost will be geometric level rise. What's the benefit of being here? It is the bottom line to fulfill the promise of stimulus. Help or guide the user to use the function or content that stimulates him to come over, enable the user to complete the operation smoothly, comfortable leave, the purpose of the operation is achieved. Don't forget to show the core value of the site, which is directly related to whether the effective users can be converted to active users, notifications, prompts, guide ads or accurate push content will magnify the value created by the user, and even surprise you.

2.2. Active Users

The operation of active users is the most important to retain users. Often active users ' perceptions of the site are matched to the site's location, and they come to the site every week or even daily to obtain content that is their primary purpose, including interesting content (media attributes) and relationship-generated content (relationship attributes). In addition, active users are more likely to use additional services or value-added services for their products, which is a major source of core users. There are many ways to retain active users, almost every means of operation can be used, but different sites are not the same focus, the different product lifecycle operation strategy is not the same. Although this is "the right nonsense", but in the driver of the KPI, can do for the product "tailored" and consider the long-term operation is really few. Active users have two operating goals: improve health; Increase the degree of activity.

2.2.1. Improve Health

First, operations need to be close to the user. Relative to the effective user rarely and core users will be used, active users in the process of using products will produce a lot of problems, encounter a variety of puzzles, operations need to establish and improve the help system, so that users do not because "do not know how to use" This low-level problems and loss. Almost all successful websites have complete help centers, q&a, problem feedback, customer service calls, membership forums and even problem-solving mail and comments adopted thank you, the new version of the best to have the old versions of the conversion, important functions or easy to operate the function needs to add a intimate tips ... These can not only avoid the degradation of active users, but also reflect the product "user-centric" thinking.

Second, operations need to guide product updates. From the details, the use of products and user feedback can identify the advantages and disadvantages of each function of the product, need to improve the upgrade in time; From a macro perspective, operations need to focus on policy changes, market development trends and competitive products, combined with product strategy, and constantly adjust the direction and rhythm. In the Internet, especially China's internet, there are too many dead and shady products. Product upgrading and the fittest is the Hard of product operation, also determines the product can reach what height. Learning, innovation and even the speed of imitation may be the determinants of success, the need to operate closely with the product, the best operation itself is to do the product, or to do the operation of the product, which helps to jump out of their own frame, more far-sighted view of their products.

Finally, the operation needs to tightly grasp the construction of content and community atmosphere. In attracting users-content construction has a detailed description, but this is emphasized once, content is the basis of all Web sites. In the web1.0 era, Yahoo picked up free content to create the rules of the Internet, in the web2.0 development period, from blogger to Wiki, from YouTube to Twitter, the way to create content has changed, but content is still the cornerstone of their success; In the mature stage of web2.0, the rise of SNS can also be understood as the content of the relationship, the content relies on the relationship to spread, the two promote each other, creating today's Facebook. In the main theme of internet development, the way of operation from the creation of content gradually to the rule over, to create a better communication platform for users, through the product mechanism and operational positioning, so that the content of the elimination of natural law, so that quality content can effectively spread and encourage relevant users to participate, this fantastic future, not exactly what you want ?

However, to improve product health everything should be based on the data spoken. In reality, after bitter product research, whether it is user interviews or role modeling, whether you're a user or a designer, you're built on a virtual plan, and the entire product is based on this Story plan, and no matter how good the plan looks, it needs proof of the facts. Therefore, operations need to build a complete set of data analysis methods, whether it is Google Analytics or professional adobe Omniture, or to develop a database based statistical analysis tools, operations need to use these tools to monitor the user's use of the product, And found that the problems or highlights, including but not limited to the analysis of user behavior, analysis of product usage, analysis of the success of the operation strategy. Let the data speak, also is the operation of Hard, need am to catch.

2.2.2. Increase the degree of activity

Activity is a very tangled indicator, with many dimensions, and what kind of activity is satisfying depends on the positioning of the product, just as LinkedIn does not expect his users to be on the same day as MySpace users. In addition, it should be noted that the promotion of active degree need to master the temperature, pure KPI-oriented only see active degree is playing with fire, that will destroy your product. Increase the activity of the way any content operators can jump out of a large pile, the most typical is the activity. In the user's general loneliness intolerable situation, the activity can attract the eyeball, lets the user participate in, forms the interaction, this activity goal achieves.

Broad-sense activities can be divided into content-type, functional type, three types of burning money. As the name suggests, content-type activities is the topic, controversy and events, characters, such as packaging products, from the popular recommendation of automation to artificially created voting, view PK and interviews, etc., are content-oriented activities of the way. Content-oriented activities is also a mature community products of the main card, play more, less restrictions, quick results, but also to a variety of stuffy and bitter forced the men of the female team to ease the pressure to resolve the loneliness. Functional activities, usually associated with product features, are small enough to remind the Guide tutorial (this has become the mobile end of the product of the unspoken rules of the-_-), the purpose is to help users to use, while the function of the KPI to lay the groundwork. Of course, the most common type of functional activity is the ability to bring virtual or practical benefits to the user, to gain points, to make the product more fun (such as inviting friends), or to happy with the money-burning activity. Burning money type activities usually have their own goals, or bring users, or bring traffic, the most time to improve the activity of the dash indicator, so that the boss burned cool, users play high, enjoyable.

2.3. Core Users

Finally, talk about retaining the core users. The core user's operation must revolve around the core value of the product. Of course, to do the core value, is the product of the Hard, for all users, but for the core users, in doing a good job on the basis of the essential products need to give them more features or content differences and privileges. This is closely related to product positioning and operation strategy, and also an important part of the growth system. In addition, to treat the core users, need to do a good service and value-added. Need more intimate service, more efficient, such as 1 to 1 dedicated customer service managers, such as 7x24-hour online rescue, so that users do not have to worry about, in value-added, more points, more priority experience, more activity lottery number is a good way, high-end point channel back point, or send golf cards or Cuban cigars, Human Nature Point invited to the company to visit the Exchange or participate in an annual meeting and so on, to achieve the ultimate is to win the corrosion, so that the core users with you wear a pair of trousers, to do this, God horse propaganda promotion of horse virus marketing is a cloud.