Developers go through the arduous process of creating their apps. Then they may think, once they release it, they can just sit back and watch the downloads roll in. But it isn’t that simple. Sure, developers can go that route; however, it’s unlikely to gain any real popularity.
There’s another element to app development—KPIs.
What are KPIs, and why are they important?
KPI stands for Key Performance Indicator. It also goes by another name: application performance metrics or app metrics. KPIs are how app developers track what interactions users have with their apps. Two places developers can go to look at their app’s statistics are Google Play Console (Android) and iTunes Connect (iOS).
What do KPIs track?
The elements of the apps’ KPIs track have increased over the years, providing developers with different tools to use. Some of those include:
- Downloads/Installs
- Benchmarks (aka how well the app does on a regular basis)
- Rate of Installation/Download
- App ratings
- Reviews
- Ranking in Categories
- Popular Keywords
What Happens After the Download/Install
It often doesn’t take much to convince people to download or install an app. They know they can delete it if they aren’t satisfied. As a developer, this should be something to avoid. Nearly one-fourth of global app usage reports apps being used only once. The goals of every developer should be to attract as well as keep their users.
KPIs help with this by looking at a few more specific features of apps. Things such as:
- Average Daily Active Users (ADAU)
- Daily Active Users (DAU)
- Weekly Active Users (WAU)
- Monthly Active Users (MAU)
Focusing on WAUs or MAUs is the best option, particularly for smaller developers, since it gives a more accurate long-term rate of usage. Retaining long-term users is beneficial because it also creates a positive relationship between the developer and the user.
On the other end of that spectrum is the ‘churn rate,’ which is the number of people who stop using the app altogether. Apps with high churn rates don’t do well among users or in rankings. Alternatively, if a developer is able to keep users, they are often MAUs. A positive thing regarding MAUs is that they can turn into WAUs or even DAUs.
For apps that offer in-app purchases like subscriptions or product purchasing, KPIs can analyze how long it takes for users to make those purchases. The lower the time spent considering a purchase, the better an app’s analytics will look. If users are spending a lot of time debating whether or not to make a purchase, it becomes less likely they will purchase anything at all.
Closing Thoughts
App developers who keep a regular eye on their KPIs may have much more success than developers who aren’t interested because they don’t think it’s important. Analytical tools are available for developers as ways for them to be successful. Something vital to remember is that there are more businesses and people out there who want developers to be successful than not. When an app thrives, others thrive too.