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In the age of technological evolution, every company, for which the product or focus allows it only a little, pays great attention to the possibilities of using data from apps. This data provides an overview of the decisions, purchases and overall behaviour of their users, and is essential for marketing and business purposes. Thanks to them, progressive companies learn how to attract their audience and increase their turnover. As the average consumer spends more than 70% of their time in front of the screen in various types of apps, this space is becoming a great point of sale where retailers compete for their attention.
Under the term “data from apps” we perceive all data obtained from mobile apps, which are used to analyse and identify users, record their online behaviour in real time. This data are then used in sales processes or communication platforms. The data point can be, for example, user profiles, installations, processes, location tracking data or push notifications.
What types of data can you get from an app?
There are many types of data that you can obtain and evaluate. Among your business and marketing, these are the most interesting:
- the number of times the app was opened, in the case of a web app – the page views
- the time and length of each visit in the app
- information about visitors – their interests, profession, age or gender
- the progress of user activities in real time
- online user behaviour
- location of users
- information about the devices that users use
- logins/logouts and total user activity at various times during the day.
Many companies use this data to create a user path. Thanks to them, they can better understand their users and predict how they will behave in their app. This allows them to continually improve the user experience.
In particular, the following findings from data obtained from apps appear to be key:
- reasons for in-app visits
- customer interaction issues
- the results of the decision to purchase or a specific action
- data analysis and retention of existing customers.
How to get this data from your app?
Apps use a software development kit (SDK) to retrieve data. When it comes to web apps, the data collection strategy may vary depending on the type of website. They may use JavaScript or cookies.
Measuring and obtaining information about user activity and behaviour usually begins with a visit to the web or launching a mobile app. The recorded data are then analytically evaluated.
In what ways can you use the data from the app?
Use of data to generate reports
As mentioned above in the article, data from apps are valuable sources of information that will allow you to gain an overview of the market. This is important because you know, for example, whether your customer base is growing and where your users are coming from.
These so-called Acquisition Metrics provide an idea of the acquisition cost and thus help identify the return on investment (ROI). For example, you can use them to track conversion rate reports in your app and then optimise it accordingly.
Creating a strategy with respect to patterns of user behaviour
It’s important to really understand how users are behaving in your app. Behaviour Metrics are used to properly prepare all the steps you want to take to target your audience.
Sometimes small things can decide success. The Tripadvisor mobile app recently saw a 27% increase in conversions, more than doubling their acquisition of new users. The only change was to allow quick login to the app using Facebook.
Tailoring your advertising strategy to user responses
According to eMarketer, mobile advertising currently accounts for nearly 70% of total digital advertising, which is about $135 billion.
With metrics, you can improve and personalise your organic and paid ads based on the data you collect about your users. This will allow your user or potential customer to see ads that are relevant to them. This optimises your advertising costs and increases your conversion rate. You can also incorporate various in-app referral programs, with which your users can directly recommend the app to their friends in exchange for receiving a reward.
In this case, the volume and type of ads, their size or orientation are also important. Marketing teams can create outputs based on the reactions obtained or focus on what they are specifically interested in testing.
Evaluation of the degree of interaction
According to a research study by Localytics, up to 58% of users who download your app will not reuse it after 30 days. The obtained data can therefore be used to increase the engagement of your audience in order to ensure its activity in the app. If you pay attention to your customers whom you focus on, you will better understand their behaviour in the online environment, their interests, and rapidly changing purchasing decisions. You can segment users based on emails or push notifications, for example.
In this case, you can measure and evaluate the average time the user spends in the app, the frequency of app launch, or the intervals between launches. This will help you identify the users who open your app most often and stay in it the longest. With this, you can better specify and categorise your target group and at the same time find out how to attract them and increase their interaction.
Analysis based on collected data
Thanks to the obtained data, you can easily determine the average lifespan of your customer and the differences in the rates of their activity. All this is also based on the type of their devices from which they enter your app. This optimises the process of acquiring new customers and, in addition, makes it easier for you to keep the existing ones.
Retention Metrics can be categorised by device, channel configurations, or installation dates. They are also one of the key players, for example, in measurements associated with new app updates.
Other information you can get is the device type and version, screen size, IP address, mobile operator, RAM/ROM and many more.
Summary
Data collected from apps is one of the means you can use to support and grow your business. It can tell you everything that’s going on in your app – how it’s actually used, what works and what doesn’t, or what needs to be changed. However, in order to use them properly, it is necessary to understand them correctly. When measured, evaluated, and then used properly, app data will help you achieve your goals and take your app to the next level.
