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Apple Testing an App Analytics Service
In preparation for the WWDC Developer Conference, which is set to take place in June, Apple has opened up the beta program for its new iOS app analytics service. The service is simply named “Apple’s App Analytics”, and it will offer mobile app developers access to detailed insights about the way that people use their apps.
The service works in a similar way to traditional web analytics, giving insights such as:
-How often your app is viewed in the App Store -How many times your app is opened by customers -How your in-app purchases are performing -Which websites are referring the most prospective users to your app -How your own marketing campaigns are converting in terms of app downloads or purchases
##Why Use Apple’s Analytics? If you are a mobile app developer, you may be wondering why you would want to use Apple’s App Analytics when you can include tracking code inside your apps and get a lot of information from traditional web analytics services. Well, one reason is that Apple’s Analytics allows you to create custom campaign links to send users to the App Store, and Apple is providing developers with information about which visitors are converting. This level of information is something that is beyond the reach of some simple tracking code.
##A Limited Beta There are a limited number of spaces on the beta, and they are being awarded on a first-come, first served basis. This means that developers who are interested in taking part in the early wave of the beta will need to sign up quickly.
It will be interesting to see how Apple’s move into the analytics space will be received. There are already a few app analytics providers in the marketplace, including App Annie and Flurry. These are established analytics providers with a lot of experience. Apple is in a unique position as a first-party developer to offer a higher level of service. Their acquisition of Burstly early last year means that they have the in-house expertise required to produce a high-quality analytics system. However, early reports suggest that Apple’s system lacks some of the advanced reporting features that are offered by premium third-party analytics providers. In the short term, it is likely that most mobile app developers will end up using multiple analytics providers rather than cancelling their existing premium accounts and depending entirely on Apple.
Tim
