Deep Linking: The Hidden Pathway That Makes Apps Smarter

Have you ever followed a link in a message or ad and ended up directly in a certain part of an app? For example, you could click on a link and end up exactly in your shopping cart (and not just on the homepage)? That’s what deep linking can do. That’s pretty amazing in itself, but now, when deep linking is integrated with an effective mobile measurement partner like Apptrove, it can become even more convenient and measurable for businesses.

What is Deep Linking?

In technical terms, deep linking really can be simplified down to a shortcut. It allows a user to bypass the entry to the app (the homepage) and go directly to the room where they want to be. Think of it this way. If I want to buy sneakers in an online store, a deep link can take me directly to their sneakers section, and not just the homepage of the store.

For the users, it saves time. For the business, it eliminates users getting lost or bored. If companies use deep linking, they receive better conversion rates simply because they arrive at what they want faster.

Why Deep Linking Matters

According to eMarketer, more than 80% of digital time is spent in mobile applications. The challenge is that applications do not inherently work like websites. With websites, any page can be linked through a URL (and anyone can find it). With apps, however, deep linking is needed to tell a user where to go.

Deep linking offers the ability for apps to:

• Enhance the experience with less friction
• Enhance advertising value, leading to exact content
• Enhance deep semi-permissions and bring users back through the core feature

Without deep linking, your app’s marketing may seem jolting and you will lose users mid-journey.

The Types of Deep Linking

To even further complicate linking, not all deep links are the same. There are different choices you will be guiding users, depending on the state of having the application has been downloaded or not.

Deferred Deep Linking

Deferred deep linking comes in useful when the user doesn’t have the app yet. For example, you click on an ad about a good deal with a food delivery app, and you didn’t previously have the app loaded. Your experience shouldn’t be sent to some random homepage after installation; deferred deep linking will remember that experience. Upon the app load, it will drop you right on the promotion’s page.

Dynamic Deep Linking

Dynamic deep linking is dynamic in nature based on conditions – such as the type of device or platform. Let’s say you send a promo link to friends. On iPhone, it opens the App Store if they don’t have the app, and on Android, it opens Google Play. If they have the app installed, it goes right to the promo page. Dynamic deep linking ensures every user has the experience you intend for them.

App-to-App Linking

Sometimes apps need to communicate with one another. This is the role of app-to-app linking. For example, when you are paying for something in the shopping app using PayPal, the shopping app neatly opens PayPal, allows you to pay; and then brings you back to finish your order. This seamless experience when switching between apps is called app-to-app linking.

Challenges in Deep Linking

Although deep linking is powerful, there are some challenges:

• Platform Differences: iOS and Android approach links differently. 
• Broken Links: If they are not set up correctly, deep links can break and frustrate users. 
• Privacy Rules: With rules like Apple’s App Tracking Transparency constantly changing, it becomes harder to measure user journeys. 

This is the reason that so many businesses are utilising third parties like Apptrove to do both the technical side and the measurement for them. 

The Future of Deep Linking

As apps become more intelligent, deep linking will only become more relevant. With the potential for personalised recommendations and experiences across apps, the technology will help ensure that users seamlessly reach their destination immediately. When combined with dynamic deep linking and app-to-app linking, it can create a one-of-a-kind world for users, where it feels like multiple apps are integrated into one cohesive experience. 

Final Thoughts

Deep linking provides a covert pathway that creates better experiences for users, streamlines to help businesses be more effective, and provides value metrics for marketing campaigns. Whether it’s through deferred deep linking, dynamic deep linking, app-to-app linking, or URL deep linking – the objective is the same: to route users, exactly where they want to go. 

Plus, with the right mobile measurement partner like Apptrove, businesses don’t just link users – they know and understand them. Now that’s power.