4 Steps to Make User Engagement Count Using Mobile-App Analytics

Adobe is part of the vanguard of mobile analytics. So, naturally, we have mobile-app analytics down to a perfect science in house, right? While we would love for that to be true, analytics will never be a static thing. That’s why we are not only a provider of mobile-app analytics, but also users of mobile analytics.

When creating strategies for our mobile apps, we’ve found that there are a few key points to remember during any development. Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that mobile-app development is an iterative process. A strong brand will always be testing and learning new things about their audiences in all their forms. This is why we will always be learning about our customers and their experiences through analytics.

The value an app provides can be vast, but it is critically different from the Web experience and should have different key performance indicators (KPIs) as a result. Analytics can help you understand which actions are most valuable on your app. From there, mobile analytics can help you identify which users are actually taking those actions.

1. Identify the Source and Volume of Users
Without understanding how users are reaching your app through your campaigns, it can be difficult to understand who they are and what their motivations may be. Analytics can help you track which users are reaching which pages to then take action to download the app. Once users begin to interact with your app, you can see how often they use the app and for how long. You can begin understanding which points in the process users are likely to drop off; it gives you an end-to-end journey to see which campaigns are fruitful and which are not.

2. Listen to the Users
It is important not only to passively track your users, but also to actively seek feedback. Mobile-app reviews can provide you with valuable feedback — be sure that you are listening to it. It can alert you when there is a bug in the program or the UX (user experience) needs a refresh. Actively seeking your users’ feedback — and then acting on it — allows you to provide a customer experience that is both positive and increases brand loyalty.

3. Create Awareness With Relevant Messaging
Once you understand your audiences and their individual experiences, you can begin personalizing messages to educate them about your app and your brand. Looking at analytics, you can understand which users use which features in your app. From there, you can prompt them about other features and even other apps that may be relevant to them. Without analytics, this tactic looks like spam. With analytics, it allows you to educate users about things that will help improve their overall customer experiences.

4. Nudge Users Toward the Full Potential of the Brand
Once you understand the typical trends and journeys that your users go through, you can identify what the likely path is for a given customer. You can personalize messaging and timing to help guide users through journeys that make sense for them based on which audience type they fit into. Behavioral data allows you to identify which trigger points indicate an increased likelihood to take an action — and understanding this behavior can help you to truly customize your marketing message to your users so you can provide them with the greatest value.

Mobile is only one component of a larger, overall digital-brand presence. However, it is a platform that is in a prime position to help you better understand your users. It is a platform that is often not integrated into a holistic analytics program. Garnering valuable mobile-analytics data allows you to optimize your customer experience in a variety of ways. Perhaps, just as importantly, it allows you to unify your data and create an increasingly robust analytics strategy.

We are constantly implementing these tactics here at Adobe. We’re never done learning, and that’s why we will always be a leader in mobile analytics — as well as a customer.