With the mobile app industry becoming more competitive, users tend to delete apps quickly after trying them only a few times.
According to a recent survey by mobile app experience company Airship, 57% of users give apps only one or two chances before deciding whether or not to keep them.
The survey further revealed that 73% of consumers will decide if they want to delete a new app within the first two weeks of downloading it, a behavior consistent across all countries, household income levels, and generations.
“App user acquisition means almost nothing if brands aren’t able to retain their users and drive repeat usage,” Thomas Butta, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer at Airship said, adding:
“Brands today need to deliver value by using every opportunity to make life better for their customers.”
What Motivates Users to Keep Using New Apps?
Airship found that the top three reasons that respondents continued to use mobile apps were ease of use (35%), simplifying their lives (31%), and saving them time (27%).
Moreover, deal-motivated apps continue to find popularity despite the persisting economic difficulties. The survey found that deal-driven actions experienced the greatest increase as a motive for consumers to choose to push notifications from their mobile applications.
As reported, cheap goods apps Temu and Shein were the breakout apps in the first quarter of the year, dominating app download charts.
Unsurprisingly, searching and browsing app stores remain the primary way that people discover new apps to download. This holds true across household income levels, generations, and the majority of countries.
Notably, word-of-mouth recommendations represent the second most common app discovery method across various countries.
Why do Users Delete Apps?
The reasons users delete apps vary significantly. First and foremost, 32% of respondents deleted apps to free up phone storage, while 30% were put off by too many in-app ads.
Alarmingly, 26% of respondents deleted apps because they never used them, which highlights the need for brands to communicate the value of their apps to customers better.
The survey results suggest that a positive onboarding experience is critical to fostering app usage and optimizing retention. Brands need to establish connections with customers outside of the app through email or SMS.
Ultimately it could be that app builders need to pay more attention to creating apps that are more tailored to the individual, as another Airship report suggested:
Holding onto customers and inspiring loyalty calls for mobile app experiences (MAX) tailored to the individual. You need to show them you know them. Learn why.https://t.co/62yvjuJft6 #CustomerExperience #MobileAppExperience #CXM #MobileApp
— Airship (@airship) May 30, 2023
Finally, the data shows that first impressions are everything when it comes to mobile apps.
Within the first two weeks of downloading an app, 73% of consumers will decide if they should keep or delete it, making it critical for brands to make a good first impression.
Airship completed the survey in partnership with Sapio Research, speaking to over 11,000 consumers aged 18 or over from various countries, including the USA, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, South Africa, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and Brazil.
The survey was intended to shed light on what motivates consumers to continue using mobile apps, how they discover them, and why and when they may delete them.