1、Airship12022 Mobile App Experience Gap Survey2022 Mobile App Experience Gap Survey Airship22022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyTheres a ton of research showing how mobile apps can maximize value for everyone involved.But achieving that value takes more than developing an app and driving downloads.T

2、he real challenge is the long game.To find out how mobile app teams are doing in this long game,we surveyed more than 200 developers and marketers about their mobile app experience practices.Forty percent of respondents work for organizations with 1,000 or more employees enterprises.All respondents

3、have responsibility for a companys customer-facing mobile app or are actively involved.The survey confirmed much of what weve discovered working with the worlds leading brands.Many brands are driving growth and profits with app-centric experiences,but others have barely started.Mobile app experience

4、(MAX)as a concept and as a set of best practices is still very much a frontier.No surprise.Airship32022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyBrands investing in MAXare primed to see+50%gains in customergrowth,time on app,retention and significant bumpsin revenue.Source:Apptopia,October 2021Airship42022 M

5、obile App Experience Gap SurveySummary of FindingsCompanies are all over the place in their methods of earning the trust of customers.Best practices in mobile app experience are only beginning to emerge.MAX is still a frontier.Marketing requests are generally not priorities for development teams,com

6、pared to new feature releases and bug fixes Larger companies struggle with speed,moving more slowly due to complexity,organizational layers and longer approval cycles Most companies rely exclusively on development resources to improve app user experience Developers and marketers generally communicat

7、e well.Contentious discussions are more likely to occur in very small or very large companies Companies of all sizes have standard approaches for getting work done,but theres great variation in how they make app improvements.Some organizations tie themselves to calendar cycles,others are super-focus

8、ed on bug fixes.Marketing requests for things like updated preferences,better onboarding flows and customer sur-veys are generally not top priorities.Some experiment constantly,some never do.Bigger companies are more likely to have layers and complexity that can slow things down.More than a third up

9、date app feature tutorials and opt-in flows quarterly or less often,while others make adjustments monthly or even more frequently.The evidence collected in our 2022 Mobile App Experience Gap Survey confirms that a majority of brands dont yet understand the significance of the MAX phenomenon or have

10、failed to apply their resources and agile methods for implementing more effective mobile app experiences.Airship52022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyWhos Doing What?The teams managing mobile apps are often large and diverse.They include marketing-oriented people and mobile app product owners(market

11、ers)on one hand.On the other hand are IT and engineering folks(developers).Teams vary greatly in size,typically spanning both internal and external resources.Developers obviously have a heavy hand in the creation of mobile apps.Their work includes strategy,features,programming languages,platform upd

12、ates and more.They also have to integrate apps with other business systems to enable elegant,real-time customer experiences.System integration,in particular,is an enterprise challenge with many moving parts.The larger the company,the more the complexity.Launching an app and attracting downloads is o

13、nly part of the battle.Teams must also be think-ing about life after download.Customers need to be able to find the app,download it,register and then keep using it.For engagement to be sustainable,developers and marketers must work together to improve app experiences and close the gap between so-so

14、and excellent mobile app performance.Airship62022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyMind the GapsWorking with brands,we see significant gaps in mobile app capabilities between high-performing teams and less advanced teams every day.These gaps reflect a companys overall MAX maturity.Teams close the gap

15、s as they sharpen their operational abilities.For companies early in their MAX journeys,gaps appear across the full range of mobile operations.From app store optimization to driving activation,sustained engagement and more,companies need to keep their eyes on the entire mobile app lifecycle.This res

16、earch looked at gaps in seven operational areas:App Store Optimization Release Cadence Onboarding Preference Centers Customer Surveys Experience Optimization Team Communications Airship72022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyApp Store OptimizationA decade of data across organic and paid search in the

17、app stores shows that successfully opti-mized apps can generate up to 50%of their organic traffic from keywords related to features and functionality of their apps.This represents a huge addressable opportunity for brands to expand market share.Failure to optimize apps for non-branded keywords,even

18、for the most recognizable brands,means they are leaving half of their growth story up for grabs.We asked respondents about a range of activities where opportunities for improvement exist.One im-portant area is the ability to monitor changes in app visibility and conversion rates in the App Store and

19、 Google Play Store.The importance of app store optimization(ASO)is widely recognized among develop-ers,with 89%citing“good”or“great”capabilities,with monitoring done regularly or daily.Developers Rate Their Ability to Monitor Changes In App Visibility and Conversion Rates Across the App Store and Go

20、ogle Play StoreGreat,We Monitor It Daily27.0%Poor,We Need to Improve1.0%We Dont Monitor This1.0%Fair,We Could Do Better9.0%Good,We CheckRegularly62.0%Marketers,like developers,also recognize the criticality of ASO and conversion rate optimization.Two-thirds of marketers said they experiment monthly

21、or more frequently to improve visibility and conver-sion rates in the app stores,with 27%conducting experiments weekly.Ironically,the largest companies are where developers and marketers cite the most room for improve-ment in ASO.Forty-one percent of marketers at enterprises experiment only quarterl

22、y or less frequently;20%of enterprise developers admit they could do better.Airship82022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyWeeklyMonthlyQuarterlyAnnually or LessWe Dont UpdateOur App StoreListing26%58%37%15%21%48%44%24%26%16%11%5%5%10%2%24%29%26%58%37%15%21%48%44%24%26%16%11%5%5%10%2%24%29%SMBMid-Mark

23、etUpper Mid-MarketEnterprise41%of Marketers at the Largest Companies Experiment Quarterly or Less Frequently to Improve App Store Visibility and ConversionGreat,We Monitor It DailyGood,We CheckRegularlyFair,We Could DoBetterPoor,We Need To ImproveWe DontMonitor This4%31%7%3%45%25%93%65%55%53%20%31%4

24、5%93%65%55%53%25%20%7%3%4%SMBMid-MarketUpper Mid-MarketEnterpriseDevelopers at the Largest Companies Rate Their Ability to Monitor Visibility and Conversion Rates In the App Stores Less PositivelyOverall findings suggest that many companies prioritize life before download over life after download.As

25、 more come to understand the value of enduring relationships with customers and how critical it is to make the most from customer acquisition investments we expect more will shift their priorities to span the entire app lifecycle.Airship92022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyRelease CadenceLike other

26、 areas of technology deployment,the world of mobile apps is driven by a range of competing requirements,including new features,ongoing hygiene,and scheduled and strategic enhancements.This research looked specifically at the cycles companies use for managing mo-bile app improvements.While theres wid

27、e variation in what different team members consider important,almost all agree that time is of the essence.More than 90 percent of developers and marketers said the impact of waiting to get app enhancements to market is significant.And yet,theres plenty of waiting involved.For companies of all sizes

28、,“major new features”are the primary factor driving the overall app release cadence.Marketing and product team requests were considerably more impactful for enterprises(25%)than for smaller companies.The second most common driver(for everyone other than SMBs)was“bug fixes.”SMBMid-MarketUpperMid-Mark

29、etEnterprise57%7%7%21%7%62%19%12%8%55%18%18%9%35%28%25%10%3%Major New FeaturesBug FixesSmall Cosmetic ImprovementsMarketing or Product Team RequestsSet ScheduleWhat Most Impacts App CadenceAirship102022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyIn the realm of life after download where apps earn their stripes

30、 marketing requests to enhance app activation,user onboarding and customer understanding are where relationship improvements blossom.Unfortunately,marketing teams are almost exclusively dependent on development resources to get mobile app experience improvements made.Fully 96%of marketers said they

31、rely on developers to improve the app user experience for enterprise marketers its 98%.In addition to exploring the overall cadence of releases,we also asked developers what factors affect the predictability of the app release cycle.“Q&A testing”is the single most important factor,at 36%overall.Unsu

32、rprisingly,one-third of respondents at enterprise companies cited“internal approvals”as the second factor most impacting predictability.Both“review cycles in the app stores”and“com-pliance items”were also significant factors,though results varied across companies of different sizes.Airship112022 Mob

33、ile App Experience Gap SurveyQA TestingInternalApprovalsReview Cycles in the App StoresRelease Notes for the App Stores Compliance Items 36%20%18%10%17%What Impacts the Predictability of App Release Cycles Most?SMBMid-MarketUpperMid-MarketEnterprise43%7%7%36%7%50%8%27%8%8%18%18%14%23%27%35%33%18%13%

34、QA TestingInternal ApprovalsRelease Notes for the App StoresReview Cycles in the App StoresCompliance ItemsFactors Impacting the Predictability of Release Cycles Vary by Company SizeAirship122022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyBrands generate 3.5x more revenuefrom customers who use their appsthan c

35、ustomers who dont.Source:eMarketer,“Frictionless Commerce,”May 2020Airship132022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyOnboarding Activation and onboarding are the most critical phases in the customer app lifecycle because thats when most customers drop off.Which may explain why marketers are so preoccupi

36、ed with making improvements in those areas.30%of marketers said they think about onboarding,activation and customer understanding on a daily basis 41%said weekly.Indeed,a full 97%of marketers said onboarding experiences,such as feature walkthroughs and per-mission soft-prompts,have a significant imp

37、act on user behaviors.DailyWeeklyMonthlyNeverQuarterly30%41%18%10%1%How Often Marketers Think About Improvements to Better Onboard,Activate and Understand Mobile App CustomersAirship142022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyPreference CentersConsumers today are more aware of their data rights than ever

38、,and they tend to engage more with brands that respect their privacy,satisfy their needs and deserve their attention.An in-app cross-channel preference center gives customers an easy way to tell brands what they want and dont want.Theres huge variation in how different companies approach preference

39、centers.Among developers,the majority(53%)said it takes multiple weeks to create,code,deploy,and test a preference center within their app.In large enterprises,nearly a third of developers said it takes a month or multiple months to do so far longer than in companies of other sizes.This is one examp

40、le of how bigger companies seem to be at a time-to-value disadvantage.1 WeekMultiple Weeks1 MonthMultiple MonthsWe Dont Havea PreferenceCenter25%53%13%8%1%How Long It Takes Developers to Create,Code,Deploy and Test a Preference Center Within the AppAirship152022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyMore

41、than 80%of marketers and developers alike said they had updated their preference centers with-in the last year.Half said they updated them within the last six months.Again,however,we see that company size does not correlate with frequency of preference center updates.Nearly one-quarter of enterprise

42、 marketers and developers were either not sure or said it has been 1-2 years or longer since they had updated their apps preference center.1 WeekMultiple Weeks1 MonthMultiple MonthsWe Dont Havea PreferenceCenter14%31%79%50%55%45%32%23%8%7%9%20%12%5%10%3%14%31%79%50%55%45%32%23%8%7%9%20%12%5%10%3%0%2

43、5%50%75%100%SMBMid-MarketUpper Mid-MarketEnterpriseCompany Size Does Not Improve Speed of Deploying App Preference CentersAirship162022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyDespite the amount of time required to create and deploy a preference center,and the length of time since the last update,marketers

44、are very confident(perhaps overly so?)that they offer enough prefer-ence center options to encourage opt-down rather than opt-out.Confidence at the largest companies is lower.LessThan 6 Months Ago6 Months to1 Year Ago12 Years AgoAroundThree Years Ago5 or MoreYears AgoNot Sure51%58%65%27%31%26%33%43%

45、11%12%5%2%1%2%3%7%2%4%15%51%58%65%27%31%26%33%43%11%12%5%2%1%2%3%7%2%4%15%SMBMid-MarketUpper Mid-MarketEnterpriseCompany Size Does Not Correlete with Recency of Preference Center UpdatesAirship172022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyCompanies with mobile apps are already investing in preference cente

46、rs,and many have the resources to make updates in a matter of weeks.That timing may seem quick enough today,but it probably wont keep pace with changing customer demands.Looking ahead,companies will opt to use no-code platforms to manage their preference centers much more quickly and effectively.Str

47、ongly AgreeSomewhat AgreeNeither AgreeNor DisagreeSomewhatDisagreeStrongly Disagree41%44%9%4%2%Marketers Are Confident They Offer Enough Preference Center Options to Encourage Opt-Down Rather Than Opt-OutAirship182022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyCustomer Surveys The main purpose of in-app survey

48、s is to measure and improve customer satisfaction and collect zero-party data.This contributes to personalization of in-app experiences,which helps the brand engage with and hold onto customers.More than half of developers and 70%of marketers survey app customers at least monthly to measure satisfac

49、tion and collect zero-party data.Only 38%of enterprise developers survey app customers monthly,compared to more than half of companies of other sizes.Survey frequency by marketers and developers run in parallel,with developers generally surveying less often than marketers.WeeklyMonthlyQuarterlyAnnua

50、lly or LessNeverNot Sure20%30%36%40%26%18%11%10%4%3%2%20%30%36%40%26%18%11%10%4%3%2%DevelopersMarketersHow Often App Surveys Are Used to Measure Satisfaction or Collect Zero-Party DataAirship192022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyWeeklyMonthlyQuarterlyAnnuallyor LessNeverNot Sure14%15%57%42%50%18%27

51、%20%35%14%14%5%4%18%4%5%5%8%14%33%14%15%57%42%50%18%27%20%35%14%14%5%4%18%4%5%5%8%14%33%SMBMid-MarketUpper Mid-MarketEnterpriseHow Often Developers at Different Size Companies Survey App CustomersYoud think enterprise marketers would survey customers more often than smaller companies because they te

52、nd to have more resources,larger audiences and a greater need for targeting,given larger port-folios.Turns out,thats not the case.Smaller companies may be more nimble,more alert to the promise of MAX,or both.WeeklyMonthlyQuarterlyAnnuallyor LessNot SureNever47%26%19%47%42%52%29%29%11%16%24%5%5%20%5%

53、2%20%47%26%19%47%42%52%29%29%11%16%24%5%5%20%5%2%20%SMBMid-MarketUpper Mid-MarketEnterpriseHow Often Marketers at Different Size Companies Survey App CustomersAirship202022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyAPP-BASED CUSTOMERS are3.5x more likelyto make a repeat purchase than non-app customers.Source:

54、eMarketer,“Frictionless Commerce,”May 2020Airship212022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyExperience Optimization One important goal of this research was to understand the relationships between development and marketing in creating better mobile app experiences.We started that exploration with a focus

55、 on enhancement requests.Only 13 percent of marketers said all of their requests for enhancements get incorporated into their apps.Theres a big gap between what marketers say they want and what actually makes it into the app.Is it the result of unrealistic expectations?Nice-to-have-but-not-really-ne

56、cessary improvements?Whatever the explanation,company size does not impact the percent of marketing and product team requests added to the app.AllAt Least 3/4At Least HalfAt Least 1/4Less Than 1/4None16%16%21%16%33%24%10%12%47%32%26%14%21%20%5%5%43%39%16%16%21%16%33%24%10%12%47%32%26%14%21%20%5%5%43

57、%39%SMBMid-MarketUpper Mid-MarketEnterpriseMarketing/Product Requests Added to App by Company SizeAirship222022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyWith regard to overall responsiveness,marketers gauge the turnaround of requested enhancements more positively than developers do.Thats paradoxical,since ma

58、rketers are the ones making the make requests and presumably would be impatient for delivery.Perhaps this speaks to a broader history of mobile apps taking much longer to develop,and at great cost.As mobile apps have become the digital center of customer experience,no doubt developers are upping the

59、ir game and turning projects around faster.At the same time,and for the same reasons,developers may be overwhelmed with requests and cant make deliveries as fast as they would expect of themselves under normal circumstances.Immediately,with the Next App Update Multiple WeeksWithin a MonthOften Not A

60、ddressed Due to PrioritizationMultiple Months34%40%37%46%22%9%6%4%1%1%Marketers View Requests to Enhance Onboarding,Feature Adoption,Opt-In and Data Collection Happening Faster Than DevelopersDevelopersMarketersFulfillment varies by company size.Enterprise developers were least likely to say that re

61、quests to en-hance onboarding,feature adoption,customer opt-in and data collection were handled immediately with the next app update.Airship232022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyNowhere is marketers optimism more on display than with enterprise companies,where nearly twice as many marketers(37%)as

62、developers said these requests were handled immediately,with the next app update.In contrast,twice as many developers said those requests took a month or multiple months than marketers.Immediately,With the Next AppUpdateMultiple WeeksWithin a MonthMutilple MonthsOften NotAddressed Dueto Prioritizati

63、on36%31%43%20%31%32%43%64%14%31%8%10%7%5%28%36%31%43%20%31%32%43%64%14%31%8%10%7%5%28%SMBMid-MarketUpper Mid-MarketEnterpriseDevelopers Gauge How Quickly Marketing Enhancements to Onboarding,Adoption,Opt-In and Data Collection Are AddedImmediately,With the Next App UpdateMultiple WeeksWithin a Month

64、MultipleMonthsOften NotAddressed Dueto Prioritization20%37%43%44%28%12%10%5%2%20%37%43%44%28%12%10%5%2%DevelopersMarketersEnterprises:How Quickly Marketing Enhancements to App Onboarding,Adoption,Opt-In,and Data Collection Are AddedAirship242022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveySimilar to preference

65、centers,a majority of developers(52%)said it takes multiple weeks to code,deploy and test multi-screen feature tutorials and opt-in flows for the app.This finding was consistent across all sizes of companies,though a third of developers at enterprise companies said deployment takes a month or multip

66、le months,or they dont have these experiences.1 weekMultiple Weeks1 MonthMultiple MonthsWe Dont HaveThese21%23%64%18%50%50%50%36%7%12%15%10%3%7%14%20%21%23%64%18%50%50%50%36%7%12%15%10%3%7%14%20%SMBMid-MarketUpper Mid-MarketEnterpriseCompany Size Does Not Improve Speed of Deploying a Multi-Screen Fe

67、ature Tutorial or Opt-In Flow Within the App 1 WeekMultiple Weeks1 MonthMultiple MonthsWe Dont HaveThese24%52%15%9%1%How Long Does It Take to Create,Code,Deploy and Test a Multi-Screen Feature Tutorial or Opt-In Flow Within the AppAirship252022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyOnce multi-screen featu

68、re tutorials and opt-in flows are deployed,nearly two-thirds of respondents assess and adapt them at least monthly 25%claim to do so weekly.Overall,35%of companies said they improve these experiences on a quarterly basis or less often,jumping to 45%of enterprise companies.With developers primarily f

69、ocused on major new features and bug fixes,and QA testing and internal approvals most impacting app release predictability,its critical that companies continually assess and adapt app feature tutorials and opt-in flows.Its the single greatest lever for marketing and product teams to turn new downloa

70、ds into engaged users and,ultimately,loyal customers.WeeklyMonthlyQuarterlyAnnually or LessWe DontRefineNot Sure31%21%30%48%33%49%35%20%31%21%19%31%3%2%10%4%6%2%2%31%21%30%48%33%49%35%20%31%21%19%31%3%2%10%4%6%2%2%SMBMid-MarketUpper Mid-MarketEnterpriseHow Often Companies of Different Sizes Assess a

71、nd Adapt Feature Tutorialsand Opt-In FlowsAirship262022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyTeam Communications One of the reasons many brand marketers have neglected the experience aspect of mobile apps is their dependence on developers.Marketer roles are vastly different from developer roles.They spea

72、k different languages and probably even view the world differently from one another.Yet historically,mobile apps have depended on the working relationships between these two groups.Half of developers we surveyed(51%)said they work very well with marketing and mobile products owners,with another 37%s

73、aying they were decent partners.Roughly 12%said their relationships were contentious.Assuming,as results show,that mobile app user experience is dependent on developers,these pre-dominantly positive relationships bode well for the business model.There are enough challenges in a relatively young indu

74、stry without in-fighting.Presumably,aspiring brand leaders would want their teams to work well together.Interestingly,it appears that very small companies and very large companies have the most difficulty with team relationships.Eight times more marketers at SMB and enterprise companies described th

75、eir communications with developers as“contentious discussions”than those at mid-sized companies.Airship272022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyWork Very Well Together Decent PartnersContentious DiscussionsUncooperativeDifficult51%62%37%29%12%9%0%0%0%0%Marketers Are Slightly More Positive Than Develop

76、ers About Their Working RelationshipDevelopersMarketersWork Very WellTogetherDecent PartnersContentiousDiscussions29%54%64%50%50%38%32%35%21%8%5%15%29%54%64%50%50%38%32%35%21%8%5%15%SMBMid-MarketUpper Mid-MarketEnterpriseThe Largest and Smallest Companies Have Lower Levels of Satisfaction In Cross-D

77、epartment Working RelationshipsAirship282022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyIt takes a focused effort to motivate new customersinto downloading an app,but thats just theBEGINNING.What comes next is a delicate danceinvolving value and trust.It requires movingcustomers across the chasm fromactivation

78、 to loyalty,which is no small feat.Airship292022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyClosing ThoughtsRealizing the full business potential of mobile apps is challenging.Teams often have to collaborate inside a pressure cooker,with growing demands for responsiveness.Along the way,they encounter a complex

79、 set of gaps between their current operations and optimal performance.Companies are slowly closing these gaps through practical experience and new technology solutions.Many are finding they can use an app experience platform to do much of the heavy lifting.Without this kind of platform,too many get

80、stuck doing what theyve always done:relying on developers and using their mobile app as a blunt promotional channel instead of a relationship-builder.Airships mission is to make it even easier for brands to deliver elegant app experiences using low-and no-code solutions.That means app teams can get

81、things done more quickly and at a lower cost.Weve been doing just that for thousands of brands around the world for more than a decade.With no surprises.If you would like a deeper dive into the results,please reach out to us.Airship302022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyAbout AirshipAt the dawn of m

82、obile apps,Airship powered the first commercial messages and then expanded its data-led approach to all re-engagement channels(mobile wallet,SMS,email),app UX experimentation,no-code native app experience creation and App Store Optimization(ASO).With the Airship App Experience Platform and Gummicube

83、s ASO technology and expertise,brands now have a complete set of solutions to optimize the entire mobile app customer journey from the point of discovery to loyalty driving greater value for everyone involved.Having powered trillions of mobile app interactions for thousands of global brands,Airship

84、is proud to be at the forefront of what has become the digital center of customer experience,loyalty and monetization mobile app experience(MAX).No one knows more,does more,or cares more than Airship when it comes to helping brands master MAX.For more information,visit MAX(Mobile App Experience),AXP

85、(App Experience Platform),“8 Privacy Principles and Practices for Building Better Mobile App Experiences,”and .FORTUNE50014Leading Brands Trust the Worlds LeadingApp Experience PlatformAirship312022 Mobile App Experience Gap SurveyMethodologyThe survey was conducted among 100 App Developers and 102

86、App Marketers and Product Owners with active involvement or responsibility for customer-facing mobile apps from companies of over$2 million annual revenue.Respondents were limited to English-speaking regions U.K.,U.S.,Australia,Canada,India&Singapore to ensure questions were clearly understood.The i

87、nterviews were con-ducted online by Sapio Research in June 2022 using an email invitation and an online survey.Enterprise companies were those with 1,000+employees.SMB ranged from 11 to 250,while lower mid-market was 251 to 500,and upper mid-market was 501 to 999 employees.Respondents by Company Siz

88、e(in employees)SMB16.3%Mid-Market22.3%UpperMid-Market21.3%Enterprise40.1%Respondents by Job RoleNon-Managerial Role12.0%Director22.0%VP/Department Head11.0%Manager55.0%2022 Airship Group,Inc.Airship and the Airship logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Airship Group,Inc.in the United States and other countries.Airship-Mobile Gap Survey 2022-EN_090222