Why Most Mobile Apps Fail After Launch

The mobile app launch process is often incorrectly perceived as crossing the finish line.

In fact, it is only the beginning.

There are thousands of apps available on the app store that were:

• Well-Designed
• Built Using Modern Technologies
• Successfully Launched

And Then Went Quiet For Months

As a result, there has been increased interest in popular searches such as: “Why do mobile apps fail after launch?” The questions “What is the reason for mobile app failure?” and “What makes a mobile app successful?” are often asked.

The truth is:

The main reason that mobile apps do not succeed is not bad code; rather, it is poor decision-making after launch.

This article will provide an insight into why mobile applications fail after launch, structural errors made by development organizations, and the differences between high-performing applications and those that fail.

The Reality of Mobile Applications Failure

Mobile apps have become increasingly popular. However, according to the Mobile Research Institute (MRI), many apps are losing most of their users within weeks after launch. Many of these apps have severe retention issues, resulting in them failing to meet revenue expectations after launch.

Examples of this failure are common and include:

• Stalled or Low Growth Rate
• Increased or High Churn
• Slower Development of Apps
• Abandonment of the App

To understand why these failures occur, we need to examine metrics other than launch metrics.

First Reason: Teams Look at Launch as Validation of Product-Market Fit

Actually, launch only confirms:

• The ability to build the app
• The ability to distribute the app.
• What it doesn’t prove is:
• That users will derive value
• That the problem is painful enough
• That the experience can be repeated.

Without true Product Market Fit, company growth will stall almost immediately.

Reason #2 – Poor Retention will Kill Apps Faster than Low Download Rates

Downloads are intuitive and easy to track. Retention is much more difficult to measure and even more difficult to remedy.

• Most failed apps exhibit this pattern:
• The user shows initial interest
• The user will likely use the app once or twice
• There is no habit formation or continued engagement.

The phrases, “Why did users uninstall my app?” and “What are the causes of low retention for my mobile app?” are frequently paid for ad dollars. Therefore, they reflect the overwhelming need for mobile app retention.

Common Retention Killers

• Users do not perceive any ‘value’ in their first interaction with your app
• Your onboarding process is confusing
• The app has too many features but not enough outcomes
• Your app is either slow in performance or it crashes frequently
• You send notifications without providing any direct value to the user

Users do not uninstall apps because they never installed them; they uninstall because they never returned.

Reason #3 – Weak Post-Launch Iteration Strategy

Many developers invest a tremendous amount of time, money, and resources into pre-launch activities. Very few invest any time or effort into continuing to learn once their product has launched.

Successful mobile apps continue to have users, while continuously learning about their users by:

• Analyzing their users’ behaviour
• Identifying points of friction
• Constantly iterating and improving their apps fast.
• Unsuccessful apps primarily:
• Release infrequent, large updates
• Rely on their assumptions about their users rather than on hard data
• Take too long to respond to user feedback post-launch

The launch of the app should be the start of learning, while most unsuccessful apps learn at a slower pace post-launch.

Reason #4 – Performance and Stability Problems Undermine Trust

Mobile users are brutal; they will not give your app the benefit of the doubt if your app slows down or crashes due to performance issues.

An example of where your initial technical decisions-native versus cross-platform mobile app development-will matter more to your app’s success post-launch than they did pre-launch.

Some Typical Post-Launch Mobile App Performance Issues

• Poor or Janky Animations
• Long Startup Waiting Times
• High Memory Usage
• Battery Drainage
• Some users will be willing to

Instability will not be tolerated.

The fifth reason for an app’s failure is due to it being built on an architecture that does not meet the true needs of the product.

Some examples of a mismatch between the architecture chosen and what the app really is:

• Cross-platform architecture chosen for the promise of speed, but the app really requires heavy platform-specific features
• Native architecture is chosen for the status it provides, but the team cannot maintain two code bases
• Developers went with a “shared code” approach that was taken to the extreme and created excessive complexity

The above prompts are addressed by questions such as:

• What is the difference in performance and speed between native and cross-platform apps?
• What are the disadvantages of developing in a cross-platform environment?
• After the app is launched, architecture becomes significantly more important as it relates to scale, performance, and iteration.

The sixth reason is that teams build what they believe to be “features”, when in actuality they are just attempting to build value for the user.

After generating revenue, teams then create “feature lists” instead of having a value-based roadmap.

• New screens
• Additional settings
• New options

The question many users then ask if they do not find anything useful in the app is, “Why did I even open this app?”

When apps never match feature growth with user clarity, developers create excessive complexity and do not deliver value to the user because they are just focusing on adding features to the app.

Successful apps prioritize user outcome over building features.

Lastly, the seventh reason why most apps fail is due to not having a clear plan for making money or running a business.

Most teams launch an app without a plan for monetization or running a business with the belief that they can figure it out “down the road”. In reality, the “down the road” option never comes.

Typical monetization missteps:

• Charging for the upgrade was not listed as a feature.
• Users who signed up for free do not continue to pay.
• Advertising detracts from the user experience.
• Premium value is not apparent to the user.

As a result of those two facts, the search phrases “What is the earning potential of an application?” and “What are common reasons apps do not generate revenue?” are expressions of this issue; people are seeking answers for their searches.

An application that does not articulate its value will find it difficult to justify ongoing investment.

Point 8 – Poor Onboarding Experience and Long Time to Value

A majority of users will determine if an app is of sufficient value to retain based on their initial experience within a few minutes.

If users have not:

Undergone a true understanding of how the application operates.

Perceived any tangible gain from the application and

Completed a meaningful action through the application.

They will leave.

Responsibly Creating and Managing an App begs for high performance and is manageable through:

• Creation of first-session experiences.
• Minimizing the steps users must complete to earn value.
• Reducing Unnecessary Friction.

Onboarding must not be viewed as a traditional tutorial. Onboarding is a sales process.

Point 9- Interpretation of the platform’s expectation of the end user.

• The behaviour of an iOS and Android user is uniquely different.
• Applications that fail due to a team:
• Not interpreting or adhering to the expected UX conventions on the respective platform.
• Not treating each platform differently where warranted.
• Not taking advantage of the platform’s advantages available on the respective platforms.
• Through this need for successful implementation of native development, Cross-platform applications require that development efforts have specialised customisation built into them.
• The branding and promotional activities associated with launching an application are paramount to the successful brand and promotional activities required.

Point 10 – Post Launch: No Growth and Distribution Strategy

Many applications have the preconceived notion that:

• “If it’s good, people will find it.”
• This is scientifically inaccurate.

Most applications that do not succeed after launch lack appropriate:

• Acquisition Loop.
• Referral Incentives.
• Content Strategy/SEO strategy.
• Lifecycle Marketing.
• Applications that do not have a growth engine are entirely dependent on PAID (Traffic to propel growth) or(Luck).
• Neither model scales reasonably long term.

Why “Great Apps” Fail – Even Great Apps Are Developed And Made To A High Standard But Still Fail; Why Do They Fail?

Why They Failed

• The user’s pain point did not warrant an application because the level of pain was not high enough (i.e., not compelling).
• There was no recurring benefit for the user after download.
• The market did not have enough interest over time.

Technical Excellence Is Necessary To Create A Great Application, But Technical Excellence Alone Won’t Ensure A Successful Application Launch.

What Successful Apps Do Differently After Launch

Successful Apps See Launch As A Starting Point In A Discovery Process

Measure the Retention Rate of Users Instead of Measuring The Number of Users Downloading The App.

Base Iterations On User Behavior and Actions, Not On What The App Creator Thinks Users Want.

The Architecture Of An App Is Designed For The Actual Use Of The App.

Continuously Improve The Performance Of An App Via New Versions.

Build Feedback Loops Into The App For User Feedback.

Design Apps With Potential Failure In Mind In Order To Mitigate Against Potential Failure Points.

Checklist For Post Launch: Will Your App Survive?

Weekly Check After Launch:

• Will Users Come Back To Your App?
• Do New Users Get Value Quickly?
• Is The Performance Of Your App Improving Or Deteriorating?
• Are You Providing Learning Value In Addition To Feature Value?
• Is The Architecture Of Your Application Still The Best Fit For The Product’s Needs?
• If not, you are in jeopardy of failing to survive the post-launch success phase.

Conclusion

The Primary Reason Most Mobile Apps Fail Is Not Because They Don’t Get Launched.

What Causes Mobile Apps To Fail Is:

A Launch Is Not The Same As Success.

To Think Of A Launch As Success Is A Mistake.

User Retention Is Very Low After Launch.

Over Time An App’s Architectural Decisions Deteriorate.

Learning Slows Down Over Time.

The User Value That Generated The Initial Success of An App Will Not Be Reinforced Over Time.

Successful Apps Are The Ones Treating The Post Launch As The Most Important Phase of Development.

Visibility = Launch Discipline = Survival.

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