127ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Doughertypage.title=Build Better Apps
227ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Doughertypage.metaDescription=Get actionable insights to optimize your app and learn what works best for your business.
327ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Doughertypage.tags="analytics, user behavior"
427ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty
527ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty@jd:body
627ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty
727ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty<p>
827ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  While looking at your data in beautiful reports can be fun, the real power of
927ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  Google Analytics is uncovered when you derive insights from your data. Having
1027ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  Analytics in your app can help you identify where in your app users spend
1127ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  most time; it can also help you see where users are getting stuck. You may
1227ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  find that users who tend to take a specific action are more likely to
1327ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  convert, so see if drawing more users to that action has an impact on your
1427ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  conversion rate.
1527ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty</p>
1627ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty
1727ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty<h2 id="actions">What Actions Get People to Convert?</h2>
1827ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty
1927ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty<p>
2027ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  Go beyond looking at the sheer number of actions people take in your app.
2127ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  Combine your custom event data with conversion metrics and see what actions
2227ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  tend to have the highest conversion rates. Build custom reports to identify
2327ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  which events or screens have the highest conversion rate or revenue. Once you
2427ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  know what’s successful at getting users to convert, derive a hypothesis as to
2527ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  why an event or screen might have good results. Then, if appropriate, drive
2627ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  more users there to see if it has an impact on conversion metrics.
2727ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty</p>
2827ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty<p>
2927ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  In the example below, <em>Shopping in Star Shop</em> has a high conversion;
3027ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  this result isn't surprising since users are indicating that they're
3127ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  interested in buying by being in the shop. More interesting is seeing that if
3227ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  someone Lost More than 10 Times, the conversion rate is low and those users
3327ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  didn’t generate much money. It might be worth offering a promotion after 8 or
3427ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  9 losses to keep the user interested. Also notice that users who started a
3527ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  <em>New Game after Gameover</em> generated lots of revenue. You might
3627ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  hypothesize that those users are determined to take another chance, so more
3727ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  inclined to convert. Lastly, the <em>Discovered Secret Stairwell</em> is
3827ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  particularly interesting &mdash; the conversion rate is fairly low, but it
3927ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  generated lots of revenue, indicating that it was potentially difficult to
4027ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  find, but those that discovered it purchased a lot. It may be worth seeing if
4127ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  driving users to find the staircase could increase conversion.
4227ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty</p>
4327ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty
4427ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty<div>
4527ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty<img src="{@docRoot}distribute/analyze/images/event-actions.png">
4627ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty</div>
4727ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty
4827ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty<h2 id="flows">Know Your Flows</h2>
4927ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty<p>
5027ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  Your home screen is probably the most visited screen in your app. But do you
5127ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  know what happens after that? What percentage of users navigate through which
5227ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  flows, and where do they drop off the most? In a gaming app, it may be useful
5327ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  to investigate which levels have the highest percentage of users leaving your
5427ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  app, in order to see where users find it difficult to proceed. You can then
5527ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  take action by modifying sections of your app that might need improvement.
5627ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty</p>
5727ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty
5827ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty<p>
5927ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  Similarly if you've an e-commerce app, the behavior flow report will show you
6027ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  at which stages of the purchase flow the highest percentage of users abandon
6127ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  their purchase. By taking these data and improving your purchase flows, you
6227ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  may be able to reduce your drop-off rates.
6327ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty</p>
6427ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty
6527ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty<p>
6627ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  In the example below, users tend to click the Level Up action after they
6727ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  consult the Sorcerer. If users tend to get stuck on a level, then you might
6827ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  want to guide them to see the sorcerer before completing a task.
6927ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty</p>
7027ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty
7127ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty<div>
7227ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty<img itemprop="image" src="{@docRoot}distribute/analyze/images/flows.png">
7327ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty</div>
7427ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty
7527ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty
7627ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty<h2 id="test">Not Sure of the Right Approach? Test it</h2>
7727ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty
7827ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty<p>
7927ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  Stop guessing when it comes to finding the right features for your audience.
8027ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  Use Content Experiments in your app to run A/B tests &mdash; without needing
8127ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  to update your app. Think a stronger call to action like “Buy Now!” will
8227ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  drive more purchases than the more common phrase “Checkout”? Test it! Content
8327ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  Experiments uses Google Analytics data to optimize towards your objectives
8427ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  and Google Tag Manager to control the test from the server &mdash; so you can
8527ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  test multiple variations of the same app at the same time. And since this is
8627ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  a standard feature of Google Analytics, you don’t have to set up additional
8727ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  tagging for your KPIs; you simply focus on building your variations.
8827ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty</p>
8927ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty
9027ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty<p>
9127ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  Experiment results are displayed in Google Analytics reports that summarize
9227ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  all of the key information about your experiment. Experiments and Variations
9327ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  are also available as user segments, which allow you to superimpose that
9427ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  information over all of your Google Analytics reports to gain even deeper
9527ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  insights. However, don’t worry about keeping an eye on your reports: you can
9627ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  set an experiment to lock-in the winning variation for all of your users
9727ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  automatically.
9827ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty</p>
9927ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty
10027ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty<div>
10127ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty<img src="{@docRoot}distribute/analyze/images/a_b_testing.png">
10227ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty</div>
10327ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty
10427ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty
10527ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  <div class="headerLine clearfloat">
10627ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  <h2 id="related-resources">
10727ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty    Related Resources
10827ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty  </h2>
10927ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty</div>
11027ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty
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11627ab5a079b0248e1f8e36f756aaeba77dcd886b2Dirk Dougherty</div>
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