What are the most effective mobile marketing metrics and KPIs to track?

1 App Downloads

App downloads are the most basic metric that shows how many people have installed your mobile app on their devices. App downloads can indicate the initial interest and awareness of your app, as well as the effectiveness of your app store optimization (ASO) and app promotion efforts. However, app downloads alone do not tell you much about the quality and retention of your app users, so you need to look at other metrics as well.

2 App Usage

App usage metrics measure how often, for how long, and how deeply your app users interact with your app. These metrics include active users (the number of users who have opened your app at least once in a given period), sessions (the number of times your app is opened and used by a user in a given period), session duration (the average length of time a user spends on your app per session), screen views (the number of screens or pages a user views within your app per session), and events (the specific actions or behaviors a user performs within your app). By tracking these metrics, you can gain insight into how engaged and loyal your app users are, as well as how well your app meets their needs and expectations.

3 App Retention

App retention metrics are essential for the long-term success and profitability of your app, as they provide insight into your app users' value and satisfaction. Examples of these metrics include retention rate, churn rate, and cohort analysis. Retention rate is the percentage of users who return to your app after a certain number of days or weeks since their first use, while churn rate is the percentage of users who stop using your app after a certain number of days or weeks since their first use. Cohort analysis compares retention rates across different groups of users who share a common characteristic or experience. By measuring and analyzing these app retention metrics, you can identify and address the factors that influence your app users' behavior and loyalty, as well as optimize your app features and user experience.

4 App Revenue

App revenue metrics measure how much money your app generates from users. This revenue can come from in-app purchases, in-app advertising, and app referrals. By tracking these metrics, you can evaluate and improve your app monetization strategy, as well as calculate your ROI and LTV. Additionally, app revenue metrics can help you understand the effectiveness of your strategies and make informed decisions about how to optimize your app for maximum profitability.

5 App Ratings and Reviews

App ratings and reviews are the feedback that your app users leave on your app store page, such as stars, comments, suggestions, complaints, etc. This feedback can influence the perception and reputation of your app, as well as the decision of potential app users to download it. Common app ratings and reviews metrics include the average rating (the average number of stars given on a scale of 1 to 5), rating distribution (the breakdown of the number of ratings by each star level), review sentiment (the analysis of the tone and emotion of comments), and review topics (the analysis of the main themes and issues addressed). These metrics can help you monitor and improve your app quality and customer service, as well as identify and resolve your app users' pain points and expectations.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?