Measuring Your Apps Success

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It's the moment of truth: your mobile app's been released to the public, and it's time to see how well all your hard work is gonna pay off. As the information related to your app's performance trickles in, there's a ton of data to analyze. That information not only tells you what's going right with your app, but can also give you hints as to what might need to be adjusted to make it even better.

There are those who are more than content to check their app's number of downloads and convert that into plain dollars-and-cents data. That's all well and good—and it is very important information to consider—but there's a lot more data you can collect to really dig deep into the details of your app's performance. We'd like to explore the many metrics you can collect and analyze once your app is released.

Downloads. This is probably the most important—and easiest to interpret—metric there is when it comes to mobile apps. Multiplying the number of downloads by the price of the app will give you a rough estimate of your app's profitability. By subtracting various expenses, you'll get an idea of your return on investment (ROI).

User Age. If your app is meant to be targeted for younger users—say, 18- to 25-year-olds, you'll want to study this demographic closely. If you're hitting your target audience, great! But if the majority of people downloading and using your app are older, for example, you might want to adjust your content for a younger audience—or capitalize on the audience that it's been attracting.

Location. Where are your app's users physically located? This information can be especially useful if you have brick-and-mortar locations to which you'd like to direct them through your app. Even if not, you can still infuse location-specific information based upon where they're located.

Length of Usage. How long are your users actually using your app? Do they open it, do their business, and jump out moments later? Or does it engage them for longer periods of time? If they're only in your app briefly, you might want to consider features that keep them there longer so they can explore it in more depth.

Frequency of Usage. If a user downloads your app, uses it once or twice and then ignores it, that's hardly a desirable outcome. If your data shows this happening, you'll likely want to add features and incentives to your app that keeps folks coming back to it on a regular basis.

Path of Usage. What screens of your app are getting attention, and which ones aren't? There are metric-tracing programs that will tell you where, and for how long on each screen, your users are in your app. This information not only lets you know what might need tweaking, but can also help you with the design of future apps.

Performance Comparison. How is your app performing in comparison to similar apps on the market? Whether you've got one direct competitor or a hundred, it's handy to see all the apps in your category compared and averaged out. It's a great way to see where you stand, and to compare features of competing apps.

Consumer Interests. You can utilize the interest categories that customers enter in their apps store profiles to expand your app's marketing. Additionally, this information can be used to develop other apps that can be released under your brand.


By tracking and studying your app's metrics, you'll have a better idea who's using your app, and exactly how they're using it. If you've got an app idea, and you want to make sure its metrics are transparent once it's been released, make it a point to discuss with your app developer how they track this information. In the spirit of full transparency, Appvisors installs a metric-tracing system called Flurry in every app we design for just that purpose. Take a look at our web page at Appvisors.com, and give us a call at 512-800-4654. Let's build your next app together!

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