Gone are the days when mobile app development was all about having a great idea, fully functional features and stunning visuals. Today, the marketplace has shifted to the mobile apps and no matter which category you want to post your app in, there is a lot of competition waiting for you. So, even when you, as a developer and conceptualizer are completely satisfied with the outcome of the app, you are not assured to get a great response from the target users. This is why it is very important to not just release an app on the app store and forget about it. The application owners should try and understand the user interactions by analyzing the KPIs (Key Performance Indicators).
Why is KPI analysis so important?
If you want to succeed with the plans to promote and market your mobile app, then you should keep on measuring the success of the app in terms of the KPIs. Regular monitoring of the indicators helps you understand how the app is faring in the market and provides you scopes to better certain areas. It is also a quick way to set the valuation and worth of the app, which comes to use when you have to converse with the stakeholders or funding agencies. The success and performance metrics coming out of KPI evaluation should help you in future development and marketing plans.
Essential KPIs
- User Downloads: The number of times your app has been downloaded is the most basic KPI you should keep an eye on. If you are seeing high download count, that means users are liking the idea or service you have projected before them. Rest of the KPIs is dependent on this too.
- No. of Installations: Most people feel that number of downloads and installations are the same, but they are not. Many times, people would just download the app and shun it after that. So, in such cases, the user has liked your idea but due to certain issues could not end up using the app. Most of the times, this is also an indicator that the file size of the app is too high.
- No. of Uninstallations: Ok, so users downloaded the app used its features and then decided to uninstall it. There cannot be a single or handful of reasons for such uninstallations, and users will not care to leave a feedback. But you can make sense from such a data if the number of uninstalls has significantly increased after you launched a new version or started advertising through the app. When new things introduced in the app are not liked by the end users, the rate of uninstalling will automatically be high.
- App Crashes: If a user installs your app and it crashes time and again, it will leave a bad impression in the minds of the users. As apps are built with a complex mesh of codes they have the likelihood to crash. But this tendency of the app should be monitored and rectified as soon as possible; otherwise you will lose a lot of users.
- Tracking Upgrades: Whether you are offering free or paid updates, the success of the new version should always be tracked. New versions are always launched with an intention for the betterment of services, so it is essential to understand how that is faring among the users. If you are going for the paid update, you should measure the free v/s paid metrics. You should also see the ratings for the newer version v/s older one. If the existing users are not updating to the newer version than that would mean updates should not be launched into the market, unless they are unavoidable.
Monitoring or KPIs often give app developers and businesses the insights they much require bettering their offerings. So, measure them and move up the ladder of success!
