Overview analytics tools iOS-application: all you need to know about for successful promotion

Eighteen months ago there appeared a remarkable book, "Drill money! Marketing of mobile games and applications "from AppInTop. The book is written for developers and publishers of mobile applications. With the permission of AppInTop we publish with minor cuts chapter dedicated to mobile analytics tools.

The whole set of services is divided into two branches: the system analysis of the quality of advertising campaigns or trackers, and analysis of what is happening inside the system applications. The former are intended ultimately to optimize traffic purchases, to assess the impact of your marketing activities. Second - modifying appa as "cash machine". Do everything equally well can not yet any tool. So you need the services of both categories.

Systems analysis of the quality of advertising campaigns

With proper marketing, people will come into your HW from dozens of sources: CPI-networks, CPM-networks aggregators, independent advertising sites, affiliate programs, social networks... - enumerate all too long. In addition, be sure to regularly experiment with new channels.

To evaluate on the fly, whether as a whole pays the traffic and how profitable a particular channel and system needs analysis of the quality of advertising campaigns. In particular, they help to understand the sources in the most delicious ann come to him in the context of ARPU and LTV users and which give a faint exhaust.

The basic identification scheme analytics in such systems. A person clicks on the banner applications connected to the tracker, and his gadget (IP, device type, operating system, browser version, and so on. D.) The information is transmitted to the system. Formed a "digital fingerprint" (eng. fingerprint) tablet or smartphone. If it is installed on the device, it sends information about the new "media" in the intelligence system in the future HW. With a high degree of probability that understand not whether old acquaintance got into her field of vision.

However, speaking in the language of forensics, "fingers" are not sufficiently clear to absolutely accurate, unambiguous identification. For example, a person establishes a game with the same IP-address, and runs it for the first time with the other. All trace is lost. This kind of technical problems darkness. The share of losses and mistakes sometimes reaches 35%, the same is usually at the level of 15-25%.

However, the benefits of trackers gives rise to close their eyes for play in measurement accuracy. From a tier solutions of this class, we chose to compare the three most common: Flurry free and paid AppsFlyer and Tune (last Mobile App Tracking).

Flurry

One of the main advantages Flurry - free of charge. Flurry - sample hybrid service on the one hand, it is able to somehow keep track of traffic sources, on the other - provides internal analyst.
In terms of the analysis of audience data Flurry skill is not so modest. To be registered:
- active audience;
- session;
- installs sources;
- frequency and its use appa retention rate;
- user events (events) with the support of several parameters;
- APME arising errors;
- audience segments (sotsdem, country, ad campaigns, and so on.);
- conversion funnel.

If we imagine an analog Maslow's hierarchy for mobile marketing, then at least the first two floors Flurry needs covered, and this is due to its immense popularity.

Flurry does not work well with the tracking. Analysis of traffic sources made it through referral links, and the percentage of errors in the system is often much higher than its paid counterparts. Flurry of data through you if you want to collect more than will be able to learn initially. To the extent that it is possible to track the length of time on any screen. The system calculates a decent quality for the many important business metrics Appa, including audience retention rate

Service and a number of inherent disadvantages. From time to time due to the web-interface speed high load is poor, and the statistics are updated with delays. There are also frequent complaints about the technical support of the product. However, it bought Internet giant Yahoo! in 2014, he gradually gets rid of the sluggishness. In addition, in many aspects of the analyst are already not very flexible: for example, audience segmentation still leaves much to be desired, you can create a maximum of ten segments. The creators of games should also be noted that not ruled out the difficulties in integrating Flurry with widespread engine Unity 3D.

In turn, the conversion funnel - one of the main tools of "vnutriappovoy" analysts - not the strongest side of Flurry. While here, they allow a variety of convenient options: for example, you have the right to set the period within which the next step is to take place in funnel (e.g., to the first level has been loaded on the device not later than twenty minutes after training, and so on. d.).

Reproaches the product, however, it does not deserve. Firstly, it is, again, free of charge. Secondly, though not without workarounds, but most of their tasks developer middling using Flurry decides. Third, when you realize that you need more advanced solutions, it will be easier to deal with them, and you will know in what specific additional options need.

AppsFlyer

AppsFlyer - classic tracker, in recent years, however, expanding its arsenal in the direction of the internal analysts. At the current stage of its development, it is capable of, for example, to measure conversion activities within the application, and Retention.

Among other things, the system learn to count from the behavior of the audience in the application a number of financial metrics such as revenue, ROI, LTV and ARPU. The partners in the service of more than 900 ad networks and platforms, including Facebook and Twitter, and their range is expanding. As a consequence, AppsFlyer of forces with sufficient accuracy to classify traffic, no matter where he acted in the application. When imposing "analytical muscles" service has a clear, easy-to-use interface, and this bribes.

One of the main pieces of the system is the separation of purchased, organic and "own" - with Appa website of mailings, etc... - traffic

As AppsFlyer tracker virtually faultless: provides an excellent summary of the clicks and installs, enables detailed analyze advertising campaigns, supports deep linking (with the possibility, for example, "down to earth" person in particular location of the game). To optimize marketing activity AppsFlyer fit could not be better: in his summaries quickly becomes clear in what sources of traffic it makes sense to invest the budget, and which are not.

The tracker is also suitable for the isolation of fraud - "empty", "imitation" installs. Separating grain from chaff contributes in particular measurement interval between the installation and appa action which is the key to its use classic scenario. Really poor service locations can be counted on the fingers of one hand. For example, AppsFlyer at the moment does not provide information on the average length of the session, what is easy to see in the same Flurry. It is useful to keep in mind that AppsFlyer perfectly fits with Mixpanel internal intelligence system, forming a very powerful combination with it. Another significant advantage of the system is that it operates at a relatively prompt a Russian-language customer support.

Payment in AppsFlyer charged for one attracted, or "inorganic" installs. Standard fee - $ 0.05 per unit. When the screen than 5 thousand. one installs the price is reduced to $ 0.04, and with taking dvadtsatipyatitysyachnoy strap drops to $ 0.01.

Tune

Tune (Formerly known as Mobile App Tracking, or MAT) - the most powerful tracker, suitable for those who need to analyze "on the outskirts of Appa" everything that moves and does not move. On average, according to experts' observations, the Tune allows for the smallest share of errors in the measurements - at the level of 15-20%.

The interface for the system meets its functionality. In other words, it is quite complex. But it allows you to draw almost any information about what the value of this or that plant, or that traffic channel brings the application developer. As befits a high-grade tracker, the Tune provides detailed reports on clicks and installs, and in addition, is able to calculate the return on installs, LTV and ROI on different traffic sources.

Further, in the simplest forms Tune implemented cohort analysis. In other words, it is possible to track the behavior of a dynamic user group, formed by different criteria. For example, it is easy to see the audience from what country showed the highest revenue per installs and how the situation has changed over time. It should be noted that the system is able to visualize the data in real time. This allows you to make quick decisions on whether working with one or another advertising network or other media partner.

The system has developed API, through which the most demanding measurements are carried out when necessary.
With regard to the basic functionality of Tune, it also has an Achilles' heel: once the service has been disconnected from Facebook Mobile Measurement Program, in view of which track installs from the world's largest social network, he currently does not give. Like AppsFlyer, Tune well integrated c Mixpanel. If you are going to engage in mobile development and marketing professional may be reasonable to prefer this combination.

Up to 50 thousand. Tune measurement per month free of charge, each greater than this amount will cost $ 0,002. There are also discounts for volume calculations. Upon reaching the threshold of 2 million "attributions" one will cost $ 0,001.V Tune average in operation more than AppsFlyer, but it is functional and meets all requests. And we need those with analytics on the right to "you."

Systems analysis of user behavior within applications

Trackers help us penetrate into someone who comes to the lines of our application. And in order to understand how this human mass behaves in Appa and why we need it, are other services. Due to similar systems available to us knowledge about how people are active in the application, how loyal to him, what scripts to work with him choose what actions make the most if the proportion of high-paying, what the average check on what you manage to earn the most, and so on. d. Competition in this area is sharp as a scalpel and dissect all in any way successful internal services intelligence - only confuse ourselves. Therefore, we take the focus of "the big three»: Adjust, Mixpanel, Google Analytics.

Adjust

In fact, the team Adjust It seeks to build a universal platform that will provide attribution installs (who and where you I come), and provide analytics within the application, and to provide data on what is happening with them in markets (service AppTrace). With regard to the general characteristics of the application, the Adjust displays the information about clicks and installations, sessions, of DAU and MAU. But the real interest closer to the KPI business: it lets you know how well monetized ann how much and by what it earns.

Service is included in the pool of the official partners of Facebook on mobile measurements, as previously mentioned AppsFlyer. It is also tightly integrated with Twitter. In total, he has more than 300 media partners.

From competitive advantages distinguish the platform which is embodied dynamic cohort analysis, which, in particular, is very useful in calculating the LTV. With it, you are free to "cut" the audience any strata and examine it under any circumstances whatever angle. Including through cohort analysis in the Adjust manages a high degree of certainty to reveal the "non-living" and not relevant to your product users. Let's easy to see that on the second day after installing the game from some segment of audience activity falls sharply. Using Adjust if desired, you can also try to determine the k-factor or coefficient virality Appa. Taken into account, for example, how far this diverges your users with links to the application to Facebook.

Among the other advantages of the system:
- semantic analysis reviews the application, broken down by country;
- deep linking for new, not existing users;
- tracking application presets.

Being extremely rich functionality, the tool is a commercial: its operating costs start at $ 129 per month. Meanwhile, the trial thirty-day period would be enough to score such a complex product is needed,

Mixpanel

Currently Mixpanel - the most serious, multifaceted instrument inside of analysts in the mobile industry. Add: the most serious - in finished form, "out of the box."
Measurements in Mixpanel amenable to mass parameters, including:
- active audience;
- session;
- events in Appa;
- financial metrics.
Dynamics of changes is displayed in real time, usually with a delay of only a few seconds.

Segmentation and cohort analysis in Mixpanel on top. In particular, it is possible to measure the Retention of individual events: if you want - see how often repeat an action in Appa, after made it once. Note that has similar functionality and built-in Facebook analytics, with it It allows you to monitor repayment of events - almost anyone - and much more deeply than Flurry.

Konsersionnaya funnel in Mixpanel allows you to specify conditions for each event in it. And in the previously created the funnel does not cost anything to make a cut on the parameters of any of the events it. Dynamics of conversion from one stage to another is also easily accessible. You can build funnel for any number of steps, and for any length of time

An interesting option - to send targeted messages to any part of the audience through Appa Mixpanel, so-called in-app messages. They are akin to the push-notifications (more about them in the next chapter), but thanks to the precise and natselevaniyu "Inscribed" in the environment can influence the behavior of clusters of narrow audience into a profitable developer side. However, sending push-notification system is also able to.

Today, the use Mixpanel comes at a price. The service has a whole line of tariffs and subscription fee depends on the amount of processed their actions. For the analysis of 20 million events per month will have to pay $ 2 thousand.

google Analytics

Google Analytics is traditionally considered to be lagging behind, as initially was not suited for mobile realities. However, rapidly catching up and just gets better from month to month.
In its current state of Google Analytics is able to give a base sufficient for a large part of the information developers:
- Audience (new, active users, etc...);
- the application frequency of use
- session;
- sotsdem;
- user events;
- Retention;
- transactions and yield appa;
- bugs and glitches.

Currently the service, for example, does not support the default event parameters in the form in which they are implemented competitors. However, the situation, let us recall, is changing rapidly. In addition, a great number of opportunities available through API Google Analytics or implement workarounds. Google Analytics is gradually coming to the realization of the full cohort analysis, which can do its largest competitors - Adjust and Mixpanel. Conversion funnels in the strict sense of the system to do supposedly can not, however, offering - in her terminology - chain "goals", you'll get his. On the other hand, to build a funnel on the basis of available data, it is impossible: the countdown starts from the moment of its creation.

An important plus Google Analytics - display real-time statistics. However, the service estimates are fraught with errors due to the fact that as soon as the volume of the audience becomes in any way significant, the Google Analytics begins to conduct sampling - takes only a small sample of the audience, and, based on this information, prognostic dorisovyvaet picture. By and large, due to the shortcomings of the previous web system in the mobile arena in the long run turn into her own merits. Google Analytics - a complex universal constructor from which - it would be the desire and ability - it is possible to collect any reports. Service is able to consider all sorts of options and parameters, filtering and segmentation data he realized at the highest level.

Google Analytics is actually free of charge (unless your application is not committed millions of daily actions). He effortlessly integrates with trackers, for obvious reasons, easy to fit in with other Redmond corporation tools, such as Google Play Developer Console, Google AdWords and Google AdSense. And most importantly, it quickly adapts to the current needs of the mobile market players. So, perhaps, somewhere six months none of us mentioned the shortcomings in the system will remain.

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Learn more about analytics applications, as well as all aspects of the creation, development and promotion of iOS-app you can learn free download book "Pumping money! Marketing of mobile games and applications. "