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User Journey & Retention

Grow Smarter Across the Entire App Lifecycle

Acquiring users is only half the battle. Master the art of user retention, map comprehensive user journeys, and optimize every touchpoint to drive long-term growth and loyalty.

Journey Mapping

Visualize every step from discovery to loyalty.

Retention Analysis

Identify why users stay and maximize their lifetime value.

Churn Prevention

Spot friction points and re-engage at-risk users.

LTV Growth

Turn casual users into profitable, long-term advocates.

Definition

What is User Retention?

In mobile marketing, user retention is defined as the percentage of users who continue to use an app after a certain number of days post-install. It is a critical indicator of how well users are engaged and finding value in your application.

Retention is typically tracked over specific cohorts (e.g., Day 1, Day 7, Day 30) to visualize the "retention curve" – showing how many users stick around over time versus those who drop off.

Retention Rate Formula
Active Users at End of PeriodActive Users at Start of Period
× 100
Example: (800 active users / 1000 installs) × 100 = 80% Retention
Core Concepts

User Journey vs. User Flow

Though often used interchangeably, these terms serve distinct purposes in app design and marketing strategy.

User Journey

A holistic view of the entire user experience, mapping emotional highs and lows across multiple touchpoints—from initial discovery to long-term loyalty.

Focuses on the "Why" and "How" of user behavior.

Covers awareness, consideration, install, and retention.

Used by marketers to optimize messaging and strategy.

User Flow

A granular, step-by-step schematic of how a user performs a specific task within the app, such as completing a purchase or signing up.

Focuses on the "What" and "Where" of navigation.

Tracks technical steps like clicks, swipes, and inputs.

Used by UX designers to reduce friction and errors.

Measurement

Key User Journey Metrics

Tracking and refining the user journey is essential for improving engagement. Analyze these key metrics to create seamless experiences.

Understanding Churn Rate

While retention tells you who stays, churn rate reveals who leaves. It represents the percentage of users who stop using your app over a given period. Think of it as the inverse of retention:

Retention Rate = 100% - Churn Rate

For example, if your 30-day retention is 20%, your churn rate is 80%. High churn signals friction points in the user journey—whether it's a buggy feature, confusing onboarding, or lack of perceived value. Identifying where users churn is the first step to fixing it.

20%Retention

Active Users (DAU/WAU/MAU)

Measures engagement over time by tracking unique users daily, weekly, or monthly.

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

The percentage of users who click on your ads, indicating campaign effectiveness.

Conversion Rate

The percentage of users completing desired actions like sign-ups or purchases.

Retention Rate

The percentage of users who return to the app after a specific period (Day 1, 7, 30).

Churn Rate

The rate at which users stop using the app, helping identify friction points.

Uninstalls

Tracks when users remove the app, revealing dissatisfaction or experience gaps.

Lifetime Value (LTV)

Estimates the total revenue a user generates throughout their entire time with the app.

Average Revenue Per User (ARPU)

Calculates the average revenue generated per active user to evaluate monetization.

Optimization Strategies

How to Improve Retention Rates

Improving retention starts with optimized onboarding and continues with sustained engagement strategies.

Individualize User Experience

One size never fits all. Leverage behavioral data to segment users and deliver tailored experiences. Personalization significantly increases engagement and effectiveness of retargeting campaigns.

Fine-tune Messaging

Creatives and timing matter. Use user stories, personalized push notifications, and in-app messages to bring users back at the right moment without overwhelming them.

Identify & Remove Bottlenecks

Locate frustration points like slow loading times, difficult levels in games, or complex checkout flows. Fixing these specific friction areas often yields quick retention wins.

A/B Test Everything

Don't guess what works. Continuously test new features, UI changes, and messaging strategies to discover what resonates best with your audience and drives long-term loyalty.

Prioritize Onboarding

Day 1 is critical. Ensure users immediately understand your app's value through a seamless, guided, and rewarding onboarding process that sets them up for success.

Optimization Tools

Journey Measurement & Adshift

Adshift’s suite of attribution and next-gen measurement solutions enable optimization of the user journey at every stage, from acquisition to long-term engagement.

Holistic Measurement

Adshift Measure empowers marketers to track every aspect of the user journey with precision. From identifying high-performing acquisition channels to monitoring granular post-install events, our platform provides a single source of truth.

Understand not just who installs your app, but who engages, purchases, and stays. Use these insights to reallocate budget to high-quality sources and refine your product roadmap for maximum engagement.

RightLink Deep Linking

RightLink is our advanced deep linking solution designed to repair broken user journeys. Whether users come from email campaigns, social media, or QR codes, RightLink ensures they land exactly where they expect to be—deep inside your app content.

By removing friction and unnecessary steps, RightLink significantly increases conversion rates and boosts retention. Create seamless cross-platform experiences that delight users from the very first click.

Ready to optimize your user journey?

Discover how Adshift can provide you the data you need to optimize your user journey, drive higher engagement, and increase conversions.