My 24 Hours Income Team Impact: Report: In 2015, App Stickiness Hit Highest Point Since 2012

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Report: In 2015, App Stickiness Hit Highest Point Since 2012

Localytics, an analytics and marketing platform for mobile and Web apps, has released its latest data measuring app stickiness and app launches through the end of 2015. Analyzing data from apps using its mobile engagement platform, Localytics found both figures increased last year. Specifically, data showed the average app stickiness for 2015 climbed to 25 percent, up four percent from 2014’s average, while app launches increased to an average of 11.4 launches per month, up 13 percent from 2014.

In this context, app stickiness is the average of an app’s engagement and retention. Localytics measured engagement in terms of power users, or the percentage of an app’s users who complete 10 or more app sessions in a month, while retention was measured by loyal users, or the percentage of an app’s users who return to an app within three months of their first session.

Localytics found the average app’s engagement increased to 31 percent in 2015, up five percent from 2014. Meanwhile, the average app’s retention reached 18 percent last year, the highest the figure has been since 2013. Overall, this increased engagement and retention in 2015 resulted in app stickiness hitting its highest point since 2012.

Media and entertainment apps were considered the ‘stickiest’ apps of the year, with these apps having an average stickiness of 29 percent for 2015.

In a blog post, Caitlin O’Connell, marketing research analyst at Localytics, commented:

This should not come as a huge surprise as media and entertainment apps are ahead of the curve when it comes to personalization and striking the balance between asking for information and using it to provide value.

In terms of overall app launches, this number peaked in October 2015, at 12.8 average launches per month.

The data showed e-commerce and retail apps had a particularly strong second half of the year, with the category reaching an all-time high of 18.6 average launches per month in October, leading into the holiday season.

O’Connell added:

As more retailers invest in personalized experiences, the winning companies will be those who truly understand their users in their moments of need, especially during the holidays.

Localytics’ complete data is available here.