Beyond Installs: Understanding and Enhancing Post-Install Metrics

You’ve done the hard part—your app or game has made it to users’ devices. But what happens next? This is where the real challenge begins. The difference between a one-time install and a loyal user comes down to post-install engagement metrics. These metrics are like a window into your users’ world, revealing how they interact with your app, what features they love, and where they might be losing interest. Understanding and optimizing these data points is key to transforming installs into long-term success, helping you retain users and maximize your app’s revenue potential.

In this blog post, we’ll cover:

• What are post-install engagement metrics?
• Why are they crucial for app and game success?
• The most important post-install engagement metrics to track.
• How AppSamurai can help you enhance these metrics.

Let’s dive in!

What Are Post-Install Engagement Metrics?

Data points and KPIs that reflect how users interact with your app or game after installation are called post-install engagement metrics. In contrast to install metrics, which focus solely on acquisition (e.g., install volume, cost per install), post-install metrics take into account what users do after downloading your app. These metrics help answer questions like:

• How often do users open the app?
• How long do they stay engaged?
• Are they completing specific in-app actions?
• What is the retention rate over time?

Tracking these metrics offers valuable insights into user behavior, preferences, and pain points, allowing you to make data-driven decisions that improve user experience and maximize revenue.

 

Why Are Post-Install Engagement Metrics Crucial?

Simply put, a high number of installs doesn’t guarantee success. In fact, research has shown that user retention remains a significant challenge for mobile apps. Notably, data indicates that about 90% of users stop engaging with an app within a month of its installation. Within just three days, 77% of users abandon apps entirely, and only a small percentage continue using them beyond the three-month mark​. To sustain long-term growth, it’s essential to understand not just who is installing your app, but how they are engaging with it after the install.

Here’s why post-install engagement metrics matter:

1. Retention and Loyalty
   The more engaged users are, the higher your retention rates will be. Engaged users are more likely to return to your app regularly, make in-app purchases, and refer it to others.
2. Optimized User Experience
   Analyzing user behavior helps you identify drop-off points, frustrating features, or popular elements within your app. This allows you to refine the user journey and enhance the overall experience.
3. Higher Monetization Potential
   Engaged users are more likely to spend money within the app, whether through in-app purchases, subscriptions, or ad interactions. By focusing on post-install engagement, you can increase your app’s revenue potential.
4. Better ROAS on User Acquisition
   Investing in user acquisition can be costly. Without a focus on post-install engagement, you risk losing the users you’ve worked so hard (and paid so much) to acquire. Tracking these metrics ensures that your UA efforts translate into sustainable growth and ROAS.

Top Post-Install Engagement Metrics to Track

Now that we’ve established the importance of post-install engagement, let’s look at the key metrics that can help you measure and optimize it.

1. Retention Rate

The retention rate is the percentage of users who return to your app after their first visit. It’s usually measured on Day 1, Day 7, and Day 30.

• Day 1 Retention usually indicates how well your onboarding process works and the first impression of the users.
• Day 7 Retention reflects short-term user engagement.
• Day 30 Retention gives you insights into long-term user loyalty.

A high retention rate suggests that users find value in your app, while a low rate may indicate a problem with user experience or content.

Pro Tip: A/B testing different onboarding flows and offering personalized experiences can boost retention rates significantly.

2. Session Length and Frequency

Session length measures the average time a user spends in your app per visit, while session frequency indicates how often they return. Together, these metrics give you a comprehensive view of user engagement.

• High session length suggests users are deeply engaged with your content.
• High session frequency means users find your app valuable enough to return regularly.

3. Churn Rate

The churn rate is the percentage of users who stop using your app over a given period. It’s the opposite of retention and is a key indicator of user dissatisfaction.

To reduce churn, focus on understanding the reasons behind user drop-offs. Common causes include poor user experience, lack of content updates, or technical issues.

4. In-App Engagement Metrics (Events, Actions, and Conversions)

These are specific actions that users take within your app, such as:

• Level completions in a game.
• In-app purchases or subscriptions.
• Sharing content or inviting friends.

Tracking these events helps you understand which features or content drive the most engagement and which ones may need optimization.

5. Lifetime Value (LTV)

LTV measures the total revenue a user is expected to generate throughout their lifetime as a customer. It’s one of the most critical metrics because it helps you determine how much you can afford to spend on acquiring new users while still maintaining profitability.

A high LTV indicates a successful monetization strategy and strong user loyalty, while a low LTV suggests that users are not engaging with monetization features.

 

How AppSamurai Can Help Boost Post-Install Engagement

At AppSamurai, we understand that acquiring users is just the first step. To achieve sustainable growth, apps need to focus on boosting post-install engagement. Here’s how we can help:

1. AppSamurai DSP.

With AppSamurai DSP, you gain access to advanced features designed to drive meaningful post-install engagement and boost overall app performance:

1. Optimized Timing for Installs: Utilizing dayparting, we target certain days, hours, and peak periods when users are most likely to engage by analyzing their behavior patterns. Data-driven timing improves engagement rates by displaying your ads at the most opportune times.
2. Geographic Targeting: We utilize in-depth geographic insights to identify high-engagement regions. With more ad visibility in key cities or areas where your app is more likely to be used, your campaigns will be more efficient and lead to better engagement.
3. Source-Based Targeting and Tailored Creatives: Our DSP employs source-based targeting, allowing us to segment users based on their demographics and interests. We can then deliver creatives tailored to specific audience segments, enhancing user engagement. Additionally, we adapt creatives based on content preferences and seasonal events, such as major sports matches, to capture heightened user interest and maximize impact..
4. Effective Whitelisting: Whitelisting strategies ensure your ads appear only on premium and vetted inventory. Using this approach minimizes the risk of ad fraud and ensures that your campaigns focus on high-quality placements, which attract more engaged users and improve long-term retention.

Read how we helped Shahid increase in-app subscriptions here.

2. Rewarded Campaigns

Rewarded models in mobile games foster a value exchange where players voluntarily engage with different offers in return for rewards, enriching their gaming experience while providing an effective growth strategy for developers.

Rewarded Playtime (Play-2-Earn)
Rewarded playtime campaigns offer rewards based on the time users spend playing the game, helping turn them into loyal fans. As players dedicate more time to the game, their likelihood of making in-app purchases rises, streamlining the process of scaling mobile games.

Rewarded Engagement (Multi-Level Approach)
With AppSamurai’s offerwall, players can choose games that appeal to them. As they progress through game levels and complete in-game actions, they earn step-by-step rewards, boosting engagement and significantly increasing ROAS by encouraging users to complete higher-value post-install actions

Final Thoughts

Post-install engagement metrics are the lifeblood of any successful app or game. By focusing on these metrics, you can not only improve user retention and loyalty but also unlock new revenue opportunities and maximize the ROAS of your user acquisition efforts.

With AppSamurai’s tailored strategies and data-driven approach, you can go beyond installs and build a thriving, engaged user base. Get in touch with us today to learn how we can help you grow your app.