Mobile App Analytics – Best Tips and Tools
It’s important to measure user behavior.
..and there is a variety of app analytic platforms
and services providing you with good app data; to do just that.
The tips to follow will help you avoid some expensive mistakes.
1) Using Analytics can help with your market research
By using tools like TestFlight you have the ability to learn what your users really like and refine your app before putting it out for the world to see on the App Store.
2) Design for your Users not for Yourself
Fact of the matter is, your users may not use your app the same way you do.
..and it goes without saying that this can certainly be frustrating when developers spend countless hours planning their users “experience” and “flow” through the application only to discover the users might not use the app in the way you had anticipated or intended.
This is why it’s so important to get unbiased feedback from users.
Apple permits up to 100 users to be authorized per each standard developer account, and developers should really try to take advantage of each of these to collect feedback from a diverse sample of test users.
One tool you can use to get quality UI feedback is PathMapp.
..which of course, I wrote about in a previous article (so I won’t dive into it).
Basically, it allows you to track your users movement through heatmaps.
3) Pick a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) that fits with your target market.
Before jumping into the numbers (analytics) you want to make sure you’ve determined what you’re hoping to better understand.
As an example..
A content publishing app may be more concerned with user retention.
whereas
An ecommerce app is primarily interested in purchase conversions.
Much like what I wrote about in an article just a couple days ago..
Wayne Chang, founder of Crashlytics notes,
“A bunch of useless numbers on a screen are not helpful. But, the right information, at the right times, can provide incredible insights that are actionable for the developers.”
4) Different Apps require Different Analytics Providers
With over 700,000 Apps in the Apple App Store (250,000 being made specifically for iPad) It’s worth knowing and it’s worth saying that some analytics providers cater to different app verticals.
I.e..
Playtomic might be a good fit if you’re developing a mobile game..
..while
Localytics might be a better choice if you’re building a content delivery app.
Just remember, not all apps are created equal, and neither are all analytics platforms.
5) DO YOUR RESEARCH
You’ll avoid the mistakes your competitors have already made (and will likely continue to make if they don’t do their research and analyze their market data).
Distimo is one of the analytics providers that offers data.
But, if you’re an indie developer it may be a little expensive to access.
A free tool that can be used to track your analytics ASWELL as those of your competitors in the App Store is SearchMan
Having these insights will help you determine a variety of things which could include:
- Price
- Title
- Keywords
- App Icon
- etc..
6) Do it right the first time
Making sure you install the platfoms SDK right will save you a lot of headaches. If in doubt, call your analytics provider’s support team to make sure everything is as it’s supposed to be. They may also be able to offer some helpful pro tips to help you get the most out of their product.
7) Choose a Provider you’re comfortable with
Fact of the matter is, if you’re app is a hit you’re going to want to be working with a provider that you can scale your buiness with EASILY. It shouldn’t be a hastle if you receive an influx of users, or you receive hardly any. You want to choose a provider you can grow with as your business grows.
Lastly..
With over A BILLION smartphones in the world today, and a rapidly developing market. It should be expected that analytics providers will be evolving at an equal pace and if you roll up your sleeves now you’ll be saving yourself A LOT of time and MONEY in the future by making mistakes that analytics would have otherwise steered you away from.
That’s all folks.
Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
-Kevin
Kevin is an Online and Mobile Marketing Strategist who has worked with companies of all sizes over the last 6 years. You can follow Kevin on any of the social platforms below.
