Mobile marketers have less than six days to re-engage users before they uninstall, with 40% of users who uninstall an app willing to redownload it further down the line, according to new research.
The study, from Adjust, a Berlin-based global mobile measurement leader, looked into the user lifecycle of any given app.
The comprehensive study shows at which rate users uninstall and reinstall apps, revealing that mobile marketers have under six days after the last app open to re-engage before users delete an app.
Adjust analyzed over 8 billion installs, across acquisition types, platforms, and verticals to understand when and why users uninstall and redownload an app in order to get rid of the user journey black box. The research also revealed that 40% of users who uninstall an app are willing to redownload it further down the line.
“Without uninstall and reinstall data, mobile marketers can’t retrace when users drop off, improve retargeting campaigns, or evaluate partners properly,” explained Paul H. Müller, Co-Founder and CTO at Adjust. “Before, when a user re-installed an app, it appeared either as a session, reattribution or a new install – which gives an inaccurate view of the user journey, compromises data sets, and eats into marketers’ budget.”
Marketers have under six days to re-engage users before they uninstall
Adjust’s data science team established that the average user waits just under six days between their last app open and uninstalling. However, this rate varies wildly across verticals – ranging from under 3 hours after the last app open to more than 15 days after. Entertainment and lifestyle apps are especially quickly discarded, their users on average uninstalling apps between half a day and a day. E-commerce and travel apps, on the other hand, have a much longer life span, and are typically deleted 10 to 11 days after a user’s last session.
Games’ pulling power: they see the highest rate of reinstalls
Fortunately for marketers, not all those users who uninstall are lost forever. In fact, a high percentage of uninstalled users come back within 12 months. Games, Social and Publications have the highest rate of reinstalls, all around the 40% mark. Games have a particular pulling power, attracting the highest reinstall rates – mainly because of their addictive nature and games publisher’s focus on retargeting.
Why uninstall and reinstall tracking matters
Without lifecycle tracking, it’s impossible to get the full picture of user behavior. So while churn is an unavoidable part of app cyclicality, understanding when and why users uninstall is key to successful retargeting. And it’s worth getting it right: Adjust found that retargeted users generally stick around longer, show 150% higher engagement rate and generate 37% more revenue than new users. For further insights, check out all findings here.
Source: http://www.adjust.com.