You Should Be Tracking These Metrics to Have a Successful App
In today’s day and age, there are thousands and thousands of apps out there for people to use. These apps can do a ton of different things, and several have become so successful that they have made their founders and creators billionaires. So how do these apps get so successful? Well, tracking metrics was a large part of it.
Tracking metrics is all about seeing what is working for your app, what isn’t working, and how you can fix what isn’t. With that in mind, this article is going to look at some of the most important metrics that you should be monitoring within your app.
App Downloads
Of course, the amount of app downloads you are getting is incredibly useful to keep track of. This should be the very first indication of how your app is doing. If you are getting lots of downloads, great, but if you are not, then you need to look at why. It could be your description, could be your marketing or even your icon/screenshots.
The number of downloads isn’t the only thing important, so is noticing how they trend over time. If you are having a hard time getting downloads, maybe it’s time to increase your marketing efforts. Also, it is important to know that there is no set amount of downloads that you should be looking to get, as it will differ from app to app.
Active Users
Tracking the number of users is also a metric you want to keep updated. However, not just the overall users you’ve had, but the active users. These active users are those who regularly use your app. You can also segment active users into daily active users and monthly active users. The ultimate goal is to have everyone turn into a daily active user, someone who uses your app each day.
However, with 20% of apps only being used literally once after downloading, retaining users isn’t always an easy thing. You need to offer in-app updates frequently to address concerns and don’t be afraid to send push notifications to remind your users to revisit your app.
Screenflow
Measuring and tracking screen flow is essentially following along where a user goes throughout your app and the path they take. This is useful as it will not only show you where most users are going but how they are getting there. This will also help to illustrate which pages need to be improved (as they don’t get much traffic) and tracking can also show which page people are at when they leave your app.
By knowing which paths are most used by your user base, you will be able to make them even more efficient to give a better performance and hopefully attract new users.
Average Visit Time
Tracking this metric will show you the average duration of each user session in your app. This is very useful as it can show just how engaged with your app your users are. If a user just checks the app for a minute and then turns it off, that is not as valuable as if a user is on it for a half hour or more each session.
If your users only interact with your app for a short period, you should look at adding more things to do to engage them and keep them using the app longer. If your users already spend a lot of time on your app, it is all about making that experience as great as possible for them.
In-App Feedback
Of course, no app is perfect, so you need to offer somewhere for your users to give you some feedback. This could be in the form of a survey, a contact form, or other method of delivering communication. By offering this option, you will allow users to let you know what they like, what they don’t like and anything they think needs to be addressed further.
In addition to helping you fix problems and right wrongs, giving this option to users (and keeping track of it) will make the users feel as if their voices are being heard and that they have an active part in helping your app become successful. This will make them feel more connected to the app and thus, more likely to continue using it.
Thankfully, there are tools out there that can help you track and monitor not only these metrics but also the overall performance of your app, which is also important to do to prevent downtime, that can cost companies tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.
If you are interested in checking one out or learning more about what they can offer, be sure to check out https://stackify.com/what-is-apm/.
