Yet challenges persist: a 10-country survey reveals most consumers use apps only once or twice before deciding whether to delete them, making onboarding experiences crucial

Mobile app experience company Airship released new global consumer research at MAU Vegas detailing what motivates consumers to continue to use mobile apps, how they discover them and why and when they are likely to delete them.

Consumers today are turning to apps for convenience and efficiency. Overall, the top three reasons 11,000 global respondents use apps from their favorite brands are “ease of use” (35%), followed by “simplifies my life” (31%) and “saves me time” (27%). While the economic climate is challenging, and deals, rewards and targeted offers grew the most as opt-in motivators, the reasons consumers continue to use apps are increasingly about higher-level benefits: ease, speed and simplicity.

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“No one else besides Airship can unify and optimize the entire mobile app customer lifecycle, from app features and discovery to campaigns outside the app and experiences inside the app.”

Searching and browsing app stores continues to be the top way people discover new apps to download. This holds true across household income levels, generations and the majority of countries. Search engines are the second most common app discovery method, followed by word of mouth (WOM). Personal recommendations are a key driver of app downloads in the U.K., France and Canada where consumers turn to WOM as much or more than the app stores. In the U.S., Germany and Singapore WOM is the second most common method of finding apps.

When asked why they delete apps, “freeing up phone storage” (32%) and “too many in-app ads” (30%) rose to the top. Alarmingly, “never used” (26%) was the third most common reason for deleting apps globally. In Canada, France and Germany, “never used” was the most common reason for app removal, and in the U.S., U.K. and Singapore, it ranked second. This data suggests that brands must quickly and clearly convey the value of the app to customers. Improving mobile app onboarding experiences are crucial to fostering app usage and optimizing retention. Additionally, establishing connections with customers outside of the app, such as through email or SMS, can help drive them back to the app.

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First and second impressions are everything for new app customers. Most consumers (57%) only use an app once or twice before deciding to delete it or not. Furthermore, within the first two weeks of downloading a new app, 73% of consumers will decide if they’ll delete 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. Brands today need to deliver value by using every opportunity to make life better for their customers,” said Thomas Butta, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer, Airship. “No one else besides Airship can unify and optimize the entire mobile app customer lifecycle, from app features and discovery to campaigns outside the app and experiences inside the app.”