Add metrics and analytics to your app

by Megan D. Project Manager

If you have an application the best way to learn how to improve it is to understand how people use it. Understanding your users by looking at quantitative data can yield real insights as to what functionality is working well, what features the users use the most or don't use at all. Whether you use Google Analytics or any other software you can use the information they collect to improve your app. Using analytics can help you figure out whether you have created and organized your app in a logical way and may help you think of ways to improve user engagement and user experience.

Some information can be found in the Android developer interface as well, but if you want more serious info, you need to use a software. In Google Analytics you can use Events to track e.g. which buttons your users click, which screens they open and so on.

Naming your app should not be the first thing to do. Collect all the features of the app, start developing, implement new ideas and new functions, and during that you will come up with the most appropriate name. There is no point in naming the app first and then start developing, since during development you may change the concept of the app a few times, and may add such functions that will make it necessary to change the name. I mean the name is usually part of the package name, which is although easy to change, but problems may arise.

The name should consist of three words at most, and no more. It should be easy to pronounce and remember. You can use special app store optimization services witch can help you to choose general words e.g. Shopping list, Sleeping tracker, Notepad etc. or you can create unique names, e.g. Fuzz.

The latter is not suggested, because the name does not cover the type and the functionality of your app, and what is more important, the users will not find it due to the Android Market's search mechanism where the name bears the highest value (at least now). You will find apps with unique names on the top of a search list, but they are created by developers (freelance or company) with high reputation due to a certain number or successful apps or the app was first published long ago or was found interesting by Google who made it featured. No matter how far down the app appears on the list, people will always download your app and good ratings will bring more downloads which will make the app crawl higher in the search list.

If you first publish an app it will probably be displayed on the bottom of the first page or on the second or third page, but this depends on many factors. When people start downloading it starts crawling up on the list bringing you more downloads and revenue every day. Even if you created an app of which several other exist on the Market, people will always download it. This doesn't mean the app will be the first item in the search list someday. It might get stuck at a place or fall back on the list. Don't forget that other developers want their apps to be high on the list just as you do!

80% of the paid Android applications are downloaded less than 100 times. I was thinking whether I get a boost in downloads after getting into the 100-500 download category. The result was not surprising: neither the gradient of all downloads has changed, nor has the number of the daily user installs.