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Ask HN: Why is Reddit on mobile so obsessed with making me use their app?

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Re: Ask HN: Why is Reddit on mobile so obsessed with making me use their app?

#331

Post by sixo »

It is pretty offensive that they say "reddit works better on the app" when the only reason for that is that they broke everything on mobile (on purpose?) in a series of badly-implemented redesigns.

I'm never going to install it, and I have all but stopped reading it because these prompts are so obnoxious. That's probably +$ for Reddit though.

I don't understand why companies constantly do stuff that serves only _themselves_, and then expect users to engage with it because it exists. Users are able to identify when something is valuable to them. If you make it valuable they will use it. Consider the difference on an ecommerce site between a comment section vs a few company-picked "testimonials" above the fold. _Everyone_ knows the testimonials are garbage. Maybe your conversion goes up a tick the first time you put them on the site, but when a repeat viewer sees the same ones again they're going to roll their eyes and register you as untrustworthy. Whereas a (reasonably-managed, honest) comment section provides loads of information that's actually valuable to the consumer.

Re: Ask HN: Why is Reddit on mobile so obsessed with making me use their app?

#332

Post by floatingatoll »

yodon wrote: post #295

As a conversion optimization question, I suspect Reddit would get better conversion on their "do you want the mobile app" banner if they only showed it randomly about 10-15% of the time. By showing it every time, they cause viewers to remember their "why would I want that - I don't" decision from the previous time they saw the question. Reducing the frequency would likely result in more people considering the questio…

Anti-tracking cookie defenses will mean that, for sites you don't visit with sufficient frequency, any remembered decision will be forgotten a week after your last visit.

I believe this is why cookie warnings have suddenly skyrocketed, and why Google Recaptcha treats us all as robots suddenly. It means that the form of 'intermittent' tracking you describe will only work for everyday Reddit visitors, not for those sufficiently occasional to see their cookies purged.

Re: Ask HN: Why is Reddit on mobile so obsessed with making me use their app?

#333

Post by jczhang »

krn wrote: post #88
mattacular wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What does that have to do with using their web site versus their app

It increases engagement metrics, which is the most important thing for an ad company looking to raise more money in the future.

you put it so simply i almost missed it: they are an ad company

Re: Ask HN: Why is Reddit on mobile so obsessed with making me use their app?

#334

Post by dcwca »

Because the mobile application is a much better, richer and faster experience for daily active users. For a casual user who is following a link from a google search, perhaps the web version is better. Reddit would like to convert users from the latter group to the former, because stickiness on their platform is what drives revenue. It's not a public service that owes you free information at ease, it's a business.

Re: Ask HN: Why is Reddit on mobile so obsessed with making me use their app?

#335

Post by [deleted] »

soylentcola wrote: post #248
hh3k0 wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's quite irritating if you browse 18+ subreddits and they stop you from seeing content, stating you need the app to see 18+ content. It's easily circumvented by replacing "www" with "old" in the URL, however, quite irritating nonetheless.

Really? I just went to /r/gonewild on my phone (browser) to test it out. It gave me the usual "are you 18+?" message and let me proceed to all of the amateur nudity you'd expect. (Firefox mobile, not in desktop mode if it matters).

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Why is Reddit on mobile so obsessed with making me use their app?

#336

Post by gokhan »

veqz wrote: post #62

Yeah, it's annoying. I've also seen them block entire subreddits for mobile. E.g. this is what I see on my Android phone when trying to read r/Europe: https://veqz.net/reddit_block_europe.jpg («This community is available in the app»). My two go-to solutions are: 1. Use old.reddit.com/ 2. Stop using reddit

They block on the subreddit's main page, but individual pages are not blocked. I sometimes request desktop site, click on the discussion I want, than go back requesting mobile site. Works well where there's always a long and daily discussion on the sub.

I will never download the app just because they do this.

Re: Ask HN: Why is Reddit on mobile so obsessed with making me use their app?

#337

Post by csa »

polote wrote: post #319
yodon wrote: post #295

As a conversion optimization question, I suspect Reddit would get better conversion on their "do you want the mobile app" banner if they only showed it randomly about 10-15% of the time. By showing it every time, they cause viewers to remember their "why would I want that - I don't" decision from the previous time they saw the question. Reducing the frequency would likely result in more people considering the questio…

I have nothing against you, but this is always super funny when you get some random people suggesting how to improve the conversation rate of an app, which probably have several people working full time on the issue. Yes there are always ways to improve, but some people working there are expert on this specific topic, if the topic is important for the company they probably already do what is the best

> which probably have several people working full time on the issue

I think you grossly overestimate the intelligence, creativity, and willingness to optimize of most FT employees.

Re: Ask HN: Why is Reddit on mobile so obsessed with making me use their app?

#338

Post by smolder »

optimalsolver wrote: post #82
mlang23 wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You mean like when ethernal october hit, the internet was doing something right to attract all these wonderful people? Just because the masses like something doesn't mean it is good.

So what should they use as a standard of success? How many Usenet poseurs give them the thumbs up? That don't pay the bills.

IMO, net quality of life is the ultimate measure of success. Is the world a better place for humans as a result of some action? Our economic system does a poor job of rewarding the best behavior in that sense.

Re: Ask HN: Why is Reddit on mobile so obsessed with making me use their app?

#339

Post by brainless »

polote wrote: post #319
yodon wrote: post #295

As a conversion optimization question, I suspect Reddit would get better conversion on their "do you want the mobile app" banner if they only showed it randomly about 10-15% of the time. By showing it every time, they cause viewers to remember their "why would I want that - I don't" decision from the previous time they saw the question. Reducing the frequency would likely result in more people considering the questio…

I have nothing against you, but this is always super funny when you get some random people suggesting how to improve the conversation rate of an app, which probably have several people working full time on the issue. Yes there are always ways to improve, but some people working there are expert on this specific topic, if the topic is important for the company they probably already do what is the best

Did you know that companies that get on top 10 of most stock exchanges around the world don't actually stay there in like 10 years? They slip drastically, anywhere in the world.

Yeah, so companies aren't led by super humans. They make stupid decisions all the time.

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