A growing number of titles are suffering from ‘app burnout’, in which users frequently access them for a short period before losing interest, according to the latest App Stickiness index Localytics.
The analytics and marketing firm measures power users (the percentage who visit apps more than ten times per month) and loyal users (the percentage who return to an app within three months of their first session). App stickiness is the average of these two types of users.
App burnout occurs when the proportion of power users is significantly greater than loyal users, suggesting that although people download an app and interact with it frequently for a short period, they soon reach the ‘engagement ceiling’.
Power users have tended to be more common than loyal users, but the trend has become even more pronounced during the second quarter. This indicates a greater prevalence of app burnout, it said.
The games and technology categories saw a particularly marked increase in app burnout during the period, according to Localytics.
iOS and Android are equal in terms of power users (32 per cent) but the Apple platform produces higher figures for loyal users (24 per cent versus 21 percent), boosting its app stickiness to 28 per cent, compared to Android’s 26 per cent.
The media and entertainment vertical, which includes music and social media titles, continues to demonstrate the greatest app stickiness (22 per cent), while technology has the lowest (16 per cent).
Localytics said developers can combat app burnout by better understanding user behaviour, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of apps, so they can tweak their products to improve engagement.
“By understanding their app stickiness, marketers can also put insight into action by creating better and more engaging apps,” commented Raj Aggarwal, CEO of Localytics.
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