How do you benchmark mobile analytics across platforms?

1 Define your goals and metrics

The first step in benchmarking your mobile analytics is to define your goals and metrics. What are you trying to achieve with your mobile app or website? What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) that reflect your success? For example, you may want to increase your app downloads, user retention, session length, revenue, or conversions. Depending on your goals, you may need different metrics to track and compare your performance across platforms. For example, you may use app store ratings, churn rate, average revenue per user, or conversion rate.

2 Choose your tools and methods

The next step is to choose your tools and methods for collecting, analyzing, and reporting your mobile analytics data. There are many options available, such as Google Analytics, Firebase, Mixpanel, or Flurry. Some of these tools are platform-specific, while others are cross-platform. You may also need to use different methods for different platforms, such as SDKs, APIs, or web tracking codes. You should consider the features, costs, and compatibility of each tool and method before deciding which ones to use.

3 Implement and test your tracking

The third step is to implement and test your tracking code or SDK on each platform. You should follow the best practices and guidelines of each tool and method you use. For example, you should use consistent naming conventions, avoid duplicate events, and respect user privacy. You should also test your tracking code or SDK on different devices, browsers, and operating systems to ensure that it works properly and accurately. You can use tools like Firebase DebugView, Google Analytics Debug Mode, or Mixpanel Live View to monitor and debug your tracking events.

4 Analyze and compare your data

The fourth step is to analyze and compare your data across platforms. You should use the same metrics and time periods for each platform to ensure a fair and meaningful comparison. You should also account for any differences or biases in your data, such as sample size, user behavior, or seasonal variations. You can use tools like Google Data Studio, Tableau, or Power BI to create dashboards and reports that visualize and compare your data across platforms.

5 Identify and act on your insights

The final step is to identify and act on your insights from your cross-platform mobile analytics benchmarking. You should look for patterns, trends, gaps, and opportunities in your data that can help you improve your mobile app or website performance. For example, you may find that your app has a higher retention rate on iOS than on Android, or that your website has a lower conversion rate on mobile than on desktop. You should use these insights to inform your decisions and actions, such as optimizing your design, content, features, or marketing strategies.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?