Strong initial demand for the iPhone 6s has translated into a surge in iOS app downloads, according to the latest analysis from data-centric mobile marketing firm Fiksu. The company’s App Store Competitive Index for October showed a 23 percent rise over September in combined daily downloads of the top 200 free iOS apps.
Accompanying this rise was a 3 percent drop in the Cost Per Loyal User Index, as “users were busy downloading their ‘vital apps’ on new devices — apps they have a higher propensity to keep and use,” Fiksu reported in a statement.
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The decrease in CPLU offset a rise in the Cost Per Install Index, which doesn’t factor in loyalty. CPI rose 12 percent to $1.72 for iOS in November, an 18 percent year-over-year increase. On Android, CPI dropped 10 percent to $2.42, but that’s still more than double the $1.15 CPI figure Fiksu reported last year.
“While the Android market is less mature in some ways, the continuing high CPIs demonstrate that Android monetizes very well for some advertisers,” the Fiksu report states.
As the holidays approach, Fiksu CEO Micah Adler says this time of year is crucial for finding the right users.
“During the Thanksgiving break, we expect to see an influx of downloads on new devices, particularly as friends and family share downtime and even their favorite apps,” Adler states in the report. “With nearly 20 percent of millennials finding new apps through friends and family, this time of the year is a key period for marketers to acquire more of the right, loyal users.”
A surge in users can have a big impact on an app’s visibility, improving rankings in top charts as well as search results.
