Branch DeepviewsAutogenerated app previews with deep links.For desktop and mobile.

Mobile Deep LinkingWhat? Why? How?

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What is a deep link?

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Headline

A deep link is a hyperlink that instead of linking to a home page is linking to a specific website or piece of content.

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HeadlineDeep links go deeper than just to the home page because they contain all the information to direct you to a specific place.

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Deep links go deeper than just to the home page because they contain all the information to direct you to a specific place. On the web, deep links have been around for ages.

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So why is mobile deep linking such a big deal?

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Headline

Whereas on the web I can share a deep link to some piece of content, I couldn’t really do this in a mobile app.

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While websites have a standardized document structure apps don’t.

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To share a piece of content I have seen in an app I would need to tell you what app to download and where to click to find exactly the content I saw.

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Welcome  The same was true for app developers who wanted to promote specific content or a special offer in their app, through ads.

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The same was true for app developers who wanted to promote specific content in their app, such as a special offer.

Clicking the ad on the mobile web would direct me to a generic welcome screen of the app - or worse - to the app store.

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From there, I have to find

the special offer myself.

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Even if it was a good deal, how likely am I to spend time searching for it?

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Fortunately, companies like Branch have solved this problem.

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Once you have integrated a few specific lines of code, you can create links to the content in your apps and direct users to any place you want, even if they first have to install the app.

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Here, deferred deep linking comes into play.

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With deferred deep linking, clicking on a link that points to content inside an app you have not installed…

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…will bring you to the download page inside the app store.

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After down-loading the app, you will directly be routed to the piece of content you were expec-ting — no search required.

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But wait! Theoretically, app stores are a barrier for information and analytics.

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After installing an app, the store won’t share where a user originally comes from and what he is looking for.

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In order to still direct you to the right place, deep linking solutions use something called device or fingerprint matching to connect a user before and after they enter the app store.

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Which brings us tocontextual deep linking.

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With contextual deep linking you can pass information through the app store, e.g. the referring information that is required for deferred deep linking.

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Contextual deep links can also transport information about who the user is,

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… where she is coming from,

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… which ad campaign she clicked,

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… which friend has referred her,

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…or which promotion code she wants to apply to her order.

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With contextual deep linking, you can give users the most personalized and targeted app experience possible, especially when they open the app for the first time.

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Beyond that, you are able to analyze exactly which campaigns and channels are effective at converting.

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Pretty cool, right?

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So, how can I use mobile deep links?

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Add deep links to your standard

share sheet

The app opens directly to the

shared content

Users share the links with friends on any platform

Clicking takes the user to app store if they don't have the app

Content SharingIncrease app sessions and reach new users https://branch.io

You define the reward rules for new and

referring users

We automatically attribute new users

to the referrer

Users share the link with friends on any

platform

Rewarded ReferralsConvert web users to mobile https://branch.io

Add a smart download banner over mobile

content

Deliver the user to the same content in-

app immediately

Send users to the right app store for their

device

Smart BannersTrack installs to give users a continuous experience https://branch.io

Use deep links for ads on any platform

The app opens to the advertised

content immediately

Users go to the app store if they don’t have

the app already

Deep Linked AdsTrack installs and reduce steps to conversion https://branch.io

Show an automatic preview of the app content in browser

Deliver the user to the same content in-

app immediately

Send users to the right app store for their

device

DeepviewsExperience app content before install https://branch.io

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