MUMBAI: MTV Networks (MTVN), a division of Viacom, has revealed the results of a new study to take a look at the life cycle of apps - from how they‘re found to why they‘re ultimately cherished or deleted.
The research, titled "Love ‘Em or Leave ‘Em: Adoption, Abandonment and the App-Addled Consumer", was drawn on a quantitative survey of more than 1,300 self-reported daily mobile app users, as well as qualitative interviews with dedicated app consumers.
An overall 83 per cent of people in the study said they were addicted to apps.
Out of those surveyed, 53 per cent said that personal recommendations are important in deciding which apps to download, while 52 per cent relied on user reviews and 42 per cent said seeing a friend use a particular app was a critical component. Additionally, 47 per cent discovered apps via app stores from Apple and Android.
The study said, for free apps, a higher number of positive ratings drive most consumers (50 per cent) to download.
The second most-important factor (43 per cent) is personal recommendation.
For a paid app, however, price (63 per cent) and whether there is a free or preview version of the app (49 per cent) are the biggest factors in whether or not to download.
MTV Networks EVP and chief research officer Colleen Fahey Rush said, "Our brands live and die on buzz. But app discovery and adoption is just as driven by buzz as any other content that we create."
TV and movie apps can have a shelf life of just a few weeks (38 per cent are deleted in the first three weeks after download), but they do offer multiple chances to engage consumers, as two-thirds of them (66 per cent) are checked at least once a day, the report claimed.
According to the study, two-thirds check their favourite TV or Movie app at least once a day, with nearly half (44 per cent) checking it several times a day. Each time it‘s open, 45 per cent spend more than 10 minutes with their favourite TV or Movie app.
For gaming apps, the grace period is a little longer. Fewer than 20 per cent of gaming apps are deleted in the first three weeks of ownership. As further proof of the power of app addiction, nearly half (49 per cent) of gaming app users check their apps at least several times a day.
While the early stages of the app life cycle are often based on recommendations, the final stages are more personal. Only 37 per cent of entertainment apps and 39 per cent of gaming apps continue to be used because friends use the same apps.
For TV and movie apps, ease of use (79 per cent) and new content (55 per cent) are the biggest reasons consumers will use an app for the long term. Better alternatives (55 per cent) and lack of new content (42 per cent) will drive a consumer to delete an app.
"Ultimately, the long-term success of an app is tied to fun and function. App users are looking for experiences that will make them feel smarter, more empowered or more entertained,” said Fahey Rush.
