Acquiring new customers, getting users to install your app and keeping them engaged – The Mobile App User Retention – It is one endless rat race.
Adjust, the mobile marketing measurement company, surveyed over 8 billion app installs globally and found that mobile apps get deleted in 5.8 days from their last day of use. The study started in January and continued till July 2018. One pretty harsh statistic to deal with, isn’t it?
A blog post by Adjust, titled “Unmasking uninstalls: Three data points to think about”, states the duration for which a user uninstalls a mobile app, and discover how much time marketers have in order to provide a good reason to the users for a second consideration. This was done by establishing the average time between the last session and the ensuing act of uninstalling.
In the wind, it was found that users usually keep a mobile app for what seems to be like less than a week, before prompting in for the last session and subsequently, uninstall it.
What Prompts User To Uninstall Mobile App At the First Place?
Surprisingly, the Entertainment apps are deleted quickly after their last use. An average user uninstalls the entertainment app within half a day after the last session. And if an iOS user is using an entertainment app, then it stays for even less time: just nine hours.
If there are a billion smartphones, there are zillion reasons to abandon installed mobile apps!
For instance, the lack of efficient storage space. Sometimes, user’s phone storage is too full, and they can opt for deleting one photo-editing app or that extra ride-sharing app in place of their favourite videos in order to free up their space.
Again, at times mobile apps get deleted because they someway deplete battery life. Interestingly, there are times when users get bored of one app and it’s novelty wears off eventually.
There are other complex reasons that irk a user to uninstall an app. Poor design or user experience, of course, doesn’t end up being a sure shot way to stand against a user’s decision to delete the mobile app. Additionally, an ineffective app that fails to serve its intended purpose also leads to the sad ending of a mobile app, into the trash.
How Often Do Churned Users Return Back?
Although a fact remains that most users churn, most uninstalled users return. Adjust reports states that after analyzing over 8 billion installs, it was found that an average of 40% of uninstalled users resorts to the same mobile app in order to download it again.
Mobile apps from the Lifestyle, Social and Games domain have the highest rate of re-installs, all beaming over the 40% line.
Additionally, dating apps contribute at a higher rate towards these verticals and are most likely to be deleted, only to be re-installed again in case the previous set dates don’t work out as expected!
Games, believed to be setting a good benchmark in user engagement, horns in a huge amount of re-installs, specifically due to the addictive nature of the same. Again, if not engagement, many users come back in the lure of extra lives or levels up resulting in a higher degree of user re-engagement.
This analysis puts a lid on the notion that Travel and eCommerce have faded away. Interestingly, Travel and E-commerce show a big percentage of consumers resort back after churning, most of the times.
Mobile App User Retention Problem Still Looms!
Who wants to argue about the predominant space that the future of smartphones holds? With this, mobile apps have positioned themselves as the primary way through which we can engage content and express ourselves in the world around us.
However, as trivial as it may sound, many users with minimal phone space are required to delete inessential mobile apps at some point until the very next time they actually feel its necessity, and this does affect the whole pyramid.
Now what brands may focus on is that reinstall can only find it’s way back if they have had any good experience to cherish about. Engaging or retaining mobile app users is no easy feat and doesn’t come as simple as ABC. What remains to be answered is – What can spur apps to up their game in order to fit in, this upcoming year?
