7 Metrics to track to attain App Nirvana
Mobile is huge and apps are the talk of the town. With debates galore, everyone seems to have an opinion about what works with apps. Here, we hear from the horse’s mouth- Sarang Lakare’s IntouchApp is built from Pune for the globe. Climbing the ladder, the app has scaled good heights in a short time… Sarang points out the 7 metrics they track with Intouch...
1. App installs & global distribution
The count of total app installs gives a good indication of discoverability of the app and the pain point it is solving. A potential user being able to find the app and installing it is very important for the survival and growth of the app. Global distribution is another important aspect for apps that are not bound by geographical boundaries. Adoption in multiple countries indicates the app can spread by itself (virality).
2. Registrations
Installing the app is one thing and using it is another. Many apps need the user to register first such as Dropbox, Twitter, etc. IntouchApp also falls into this category. While these apps may come pre-installed on many devices, the actual usage happens only when a user registers and logs in. Since the registration is a barrier, crossing it indicates a strong need and usage intent from the user.
3. User Engagement
Now that the user has installed your app and registered, the next most crucial check is- how is the user using it? We all have many apps on our phone, but we end up using less than 10 on a daily basis. Tracking engagement also gives insights into what the user is doing with the app, allowing you to iteratively improve that functionality. For an app such as Intouch that focuses on multi-platform capabilities, it is important to track how many devices users are using. Multiple device usage indicates user satisfaction and stickiness.
4. Value Generation for User
At the end of the day, an app is trying to make a user's life easy in one way or the other. It is important to track if the app is generating enough value for the user over time. As long as user sees the value, she will not uninstall the app! As simple as it gets.
5. Reviews and Ratings
What your users think about your app, rather, how they rate and review your product on app stores is extremely important. Not only do good ratings increase the search ranking of your app, the chance of a user installing the app depends on the overall ratings and the reviews. Tracking the ratings quantitatively and the reviews qualitatively is very important in iterating and improving the product. It is also important to put the "rate our app" screen in strategic places in your app to get favorable reviews.
6. The Social Pulse
If users like your app, they tell about it to their friends and colleagues. This is the best and most cost-effective uptake you can expect for your app. Tracking the overall "pulse" of your app: what your users are saying about your app and checking if they are suggesting it to their friends is very important. Monitoring social media can tell you if users like your app and what they do not like about it too. This can help you improve the app by iterating quickly.
7. The Extremes
Often, the extremes can surprise you and hence tracking them is very important. In our case, we track the maximum number of contacts managed and the maximum number of devices connected for a user.
It is also very important to take into consideration the amount of marketing dollars while tracking these metrics. Those with a lot of extra cash can put marketing dollars leading to some good numbers. All the growth IntouchApp has achieved so far is with no money spent on marketing at all.
About IntouchApp: IntouchApp is a universal sync solution for mobile contacts that aims to be the "Dropbox for contacts". Once installed, contacts are automatically backed up, synced and de-duplicated to create a clean master contact list on the cloud. Contacts can be restored to any device by simply logging into IntouchApp on that device. People using IntouchApp can connect with one another to share their latest contact that stays updated automatically on the phone. The app is available on all leading app stores or here
IntouchApp is developed by Pune's Volare Technologies Pvt Ltd. The company founded by Sarang Lakare is advised by Alok Kejiriwal and is internally funded. They are now looking for funding to fuel their growth.