If you work with a desktop or on-premise application and you’re tasked with increasing product growth, you may be panicking. You know you need clear user data to fuel growth, but with desktop or on-premise applications, that user experience might be getting fragmented or jumbled.
Breathe easy. Driving growth through on-premise apps may be easier than you realize. In this article, we examine what on-premise applications are and how to use PX to uncover desktop and on-premise growth.
What are on-premise applications?
Desktop or on-premise applications are software products that run directly on the user’s servers. Essentially, these applications give the user control over local hardware or software infrastructure. These applications are different from Cloud or AWS options because the user is usually in charge of security and upgrades.
Wondering what the advantages of on-premise applications are?
Data security is one common benefit of using on-premise applications. After all, when you use third-party software, you’re also sharing data with those companies. Basically, using on-premise applications means you have more control over security, and you can avoid potential infrastructure-related problems, such as vendor lock-in.
On the other hand, on-premise application users also are responsible for maintaining infrastructure or software on their own. That means they usually need to make software updates on their own and are responsible for maintaining security.
What are common on-premise application examples?
Some of the most common examples of on-premise applications are Slack, Adobe, and Zoom. Again, these are products that run on the user’s in-house infrastructure. Despite common misconceptions, product leaders and managers can still gather and use a massive amount of user data with desktop products.
The bad news? There are a few common challenges that product leaders and managers face when it comes to on-premise applications. Here are some common problems:
- Customers don’t always have the latest releases.
- Time to value (TTV) is usually longer.
- You may need to manage seemingly disconnected offline and online data.
How can you improve your desktop and on-premise applications with PX?
Analytics and user data are the fuel that will feed your product-growth plans. And with Gainsight PX, you can unlock in-depth analytic data, including for desktop and on-premise applications. Here are a few ways PX helps you improve your users’ experiences:
Create a single source of truth.
Especially for enterprises, unifying data is important for growth. With in-product analytics, you can beam a light on KPIs that inspire your teams to work together. For instance, maybe you want to improve onboarding and lower TTV. PX lets you set up an onboarding dashboard that measures all of your onboarding KPIs. At the same time, you can drill deeper into behavioral analytics to see what actions you need to take and what decisions are working.
Take a proactive approach to retention.
If you want to drive growth through on-premise applications, you need to embrace a proactive approach to retention. PX gives you the tools to both measure and improve retention. In addition to laying out clear retention dashboards based on your most important metrics, software also lets you dive into user preferences, behaviors, and habits.
One additional way to boost retention for on-premise apps is through in-app engagements. For instance, you can use engagements to let users know when it’s time to upgrade or alert them to that hot new feature you’re about to launch. Overall, in-product analytics and engagements make it easier for you to keep users engaged, educated, and on board.
Use PX to boost communication.
One of the best ways to connect with users in on-premise apps is to show them you value their feedback. You can accomplish this by using surveys, guides, and in-app engagements at strategic points in your user’s journey. Once you dig into in-product analytics and uncover sticky features, you can also use guides to show users how to unlock those valuable assets. At the same time, you can sprinkle in in-app engagements to encourage users to take the path you’ve planned for them.
Push users forward with behavioral analysis.
There are friction points hidden in every on-premise application. And your users aren’t always going to follow the path you planned for them. For instance, if your goal is for a user to create a video, it may take five steps for them to reach their objectives. If they’re getting lost along the way, their experience suffers, and it holds up TTV.
PX provides the tools to help you push users toward value faster. You can examine user paths through behavior-based analysis, such as path analysis, and identify friction points. From there, you can drop in engagements or guides to help your user engage with your product more fluently—enhancing their experience and chopping down TTV.
Become a product-led success master.
Perfecting your product-led flywheel will lay the groundwork for faster growth and a user-first product. But when it comes to mastering product-led growth, your flywheel only scratches the surface.
Read our free guide, “Product Led Success: Professional’s Handbook,” for an in-depth look at product-led growth and a breakdown of what you can do to drive ongoing growth through your product.
