300% More Active Users of a Camping App Developed with React Native
Campy offers a platform for nomads, motorhome lovers, campervan travelers, and RV adventurers. The client reached out to us with a clear vision: to build Europe’s ultimate camping app, loaded with features to simplify and speed up trip planning.
Leveraging our React Native expertise, we dove right in, nearly tripling Campy’s active user base and increasing average engagement time by over a minute.
- Mobile app development
- Backend refactoring & development
- App performance optimization
- Product development & growth
- Monitoring 3rd party integrations
- React Native
- Node.js
- Google Cloud
- RN Reanimated
- RN Gesture Handler
- RN Screens
- RN SVG
- RN Firebase
- React Navigation
- RN Maps
Goals & challenges
Campy started developing the camping app in-house but quickly realized specialized expertise was crucial to scale. That’s where we came in, using our React Native skills to enhance the app’s functionality and usability.
Campy’s goals were to:
- Grow a loyal user base
- Build an extensive database of campsites across Europe
- Launch subscription-only features for revenue growth
- Increase engagement with user-generated reviews, photos, and campsite edits
From day one of our cooperation, we collaborated closely with Campy’s team to ensure the app's development was on track and lay a strong foundation for the app’s ambitious growth.
Integrating APIs to expand the database
One of Campy’s main goals was to grow the user base, so we focused on building out its campsite database across Europe. Since the app’s value comes from its content, having a wide and accurate selection of campsites was crucial for attracting new users and keeping them engaged.
To achieve the goal, the client leveraged the Places library in the Maps JavaScript API to gather key information about campsites, including locations, amenities, reviews, and pricing. We then developed a custom "campy-scraper" to pull additional details from campsite websites. By applying LLM processing, we refined and integrated this data into Campy’s database, ensuring it was comprehensive and up-to-date, giving users reliable information for planning their camping adventures.
Over the first year of our partnership, the number of app users increased by 67%.
Increasing the number of subscriptions
To help Campy grow revenue – increasing not only the number of free users but also of paid subscriptions – we teamed up with its crew to roll out premium features such as:
- Camper navigation – we integrated Mapbox’s API, letting users input their vehicle’s dimensions to get custom routes that avoid unsuitable and unsafe roads.
- Multiple favorite lists – premium users gained unlimited favorite lists, giving them more ways to organize and personalize their campsite picks.
- Distance map layers – multiple options to display locations within a set distance or travel time radius.
- Weather forecast – for every location available in the Campy app, users can view a 7-day weather forecast.
- Discover trips – gathers the most interesting trips in one place, giving users a curated selection to explore and a great starting point for planning.
- Unlimited trip copies – enables users to copy trips from Discover to My Trips, where they can modify the stops or change the order to suit their needs.
To promote the premium subscription, we collaborated with Campy to enhance app communication and marketing strategies.
We implemented in-app notifications, emails, and banners to highlight the benefits of premium features, alongside prompts encouraging users to upgrade immediately after sign-up. We also introduced a referral program, letting existing users share a link for three months of free premium access with friends, making it easier to bring in new sign-ups and spread the word about premium features.
On top of that, we ran A/B tests on different pricing models and purchase screens to figure out the best way to boost conversions. The app tweaks, premium features, new additions, and marketing efforts all contributed to a more than fivefold increase in revenue in one year.
Seamless trip planning and experience sharing
Campy’s vision wasn’t just about functionality – the client wanted to build a lively, engaged community.
To make it easier for app users to plan trips, share photos, and tell the stories behind their adventures, we introduced the Trips feature.
This feature allows users to:
- like and comment on each other's trips
- browse travel suggestions in the Discover tab
- copy public trips to modify them
- create their own trips using available campsites
- add descriptions and photos to stops
- share trips with friends
- follow friends’ trips to get notified about updates.
Not only does it provide inspiration, but it also boosts user engagement by making the app a fun and engaging place where users can stay connected and interact with one another.
Boosting community engagement with gamification and the Discover section
To improve app retention, we built a gamified system where users earn "leaves" for any user-generated content like reviews, photos, or campsite details. When they contribute, the leaves grow into trees, and for the most active users, into entire forests, encouraging more contributions.
We also added a Discover section where users could share trip itineraries with the community and check out others' adventures. The most popular trips would appear at the top of the tab, encouraging users to dive into others' experiences. This turned Campy into a real social platform connecting camping enthusiasts.
Improving app speed and performance
Our adventure with Campy wouldn’t be complete without fine-tuning the app’s core. We zeroed in on the crucial map-loading performance and mapped out the steps to make it faster and smoother.
We improved the Map User Experience by fetching locations only when necessary and based on user demand. Additionally, we eliminated redundant re-renders and removed duplicated fetch requests.
The result? Faster map loads, delivering a smoother, more seamless experience in only 2 months:
- Android: 3.36s → 2.45s
- iOS: 1.24s → 0.97s
“Very professional. Great communication where correct expectations are set, and topics are discussed well before they become an issue. They always put the interest of our company first and talk about the app as if it were their own, showing ownership and responsibility. What’s unique and impressive is the culture among colleagues and their relationship with clients. It’s fun but always professional, which makes you feel secure and comfortable.”
Results
During our cooperation with Campy, we fine-tuned app performance, minimized downtime, and introduced new features to help boost in-app purchases. Some project highlights include:
-
~3x
more active users in 2 years
-
500K+
app downloads on App Store
-
60s+
increase in average engagement time per active user
-
3.36s → 2.45s
app speed improved in 2 months