Mobile App analytics for companies

The use and application of mobile technologies in companies, has induced changes in the type and style of analysis applied to users and customers, very different than what was the norm up until now.

Mobile channel is becoming more and more important for any company, but not only for those strictly related to technology, also for traditional businesses.

Knowing one's target and its behaviour, specially in a changing environments such as the technologic, is an important part for the development and growth of the company. The analysis of the outcome is vital in order to achieve the goals of the company, to improve its services to the public, to know exactly who is its target and, definitely, to ensure that the experience and all the interactions of the user is being profitable for both parties. 

App analytics for mobile industry has gained great importance over recent years. Specially since the use of mobile devices has increased dramatically, and since big companies have reacted to this change in telecommunications. As an example, Wal-Mart (the famous retail North-American company, with more than 50 years of history), has managed that nearly 50% of its online visits come from its mobile web.

This obvious change has affected other companies, sectors and industries that have also seen the necessity to adapt to the specifications and demands of the market.

Regarding analytics and monitoring, the results that companies now seek when launching a certain mobile app or web project, are slightly different too.

Initially, the number of downloads along with the acquisition of more users were the main and most relevant concepts when analysing the health of a 100% mobile project. But all this theory has changed along with the growth in usage of smartphones and mobile gadgets: there has been a variation when analysing tendencies. Now, as well as studying the initial acquisition of users, post-download behaviour is something to take into account.

This way, knowledge of the client and its habits allow to maximize the profit of the app, improving company-customer relationship and checking meticulously the return of the investment (taking into account that the majority of mobile apps are usually free).

Questions such as 'Does he/she maximizes its performance? Which sections does he/she use the most? Does he/she use the app for its ultimate purpose? What can we do to improve his/her experience? Does it bring any profit? How long does it take? And so on. These are some of the questions that can be answered through this kind of analysis.

A/B testing can be a good tool to help you define a strategy that has had the best results. These tests usually get very relevant results whenever an applied change in any part of the app has been made and the targeted audience has specially liked and accepted. With this small tests, the company can really learn and know which aspects of the app/website must it focus on.

Google Analytics and Flurry are two of the most used tools (and also with the best performance andresults) when analysing and monitoring users' behaviour once the app is downloaded and/or when interacting with a specific website.

Google Analytics is the service provided by Google that allows you to get detailed statistics taking into account, mainly, visits to a website. Possibly the analysis tool most currently used. Besides, Google Analytics also has a specific section which analyzes web and mobile applications (Google Analytics for Mobile Package).

On the other hand, Flurry, is specialized in analysing and monitoring data extracted only from mobile apps. Results are be extracted from the analysis and observation of users. Besides, it also allows to segment the whole target audience if the company wants to launch an advertising campaign.

Both tools, always with the right settings, can effectively monitorize and analyze users' behaviour of any app and/or web and, so, they allow companies to study post-download use (the ultimate objective).

Which companies are the best ones applying this kind of analysis?

Usually, small and new enterprises or companies actively related to new technologies have greater usage of these tools. We could say that big companies and consolidated industries are still implementing all these new functionalities and changes when monitoring its target.

Even so, more and more companies (both start ups and matures), believe in the idea of giving more meaning to the mobile part of the enterprise (mobile first policy). Meaning that the core of its business is focused on the mobile part, betting for apps and webs instead of the traditional way of doing business.

And this is a tendency that will surely keep growing and growing.