How Mobile Networks Can Torpedo
Your App's Best Features - and Your
Retention
Jay Hinman, Neumob VP of Marketing
Mobile App Conventional Wisdom: Networks
“Mobile networks are so fast in 2017, maybe we don’t need to worry about app speed any more.
Just look at the 4 bars on my iPhone 7…!”
“5G is just around the corner. Mobile networks will be faster than the fastest Wi-Fi - right?”
“If I focus development on what I can see within my app, maybe I can safely ignore how it’s
actually performing around the world”
Mobile App Development Shortcomings
We’re building full-featured, SDK-loaded apps full of moving parts, and we assume that networks are keeping up worldwide
We rightly focus on crashes - but are missing the bigger picture (in-app errors, missing ads, slow load times, broken images etc.)
We watch our apps perform beautifully in our own backyards, but often neglect to measure the experience in other markets
OpenSignal: The Global State of Mobile Networks● Most countries now have 3G or better signal
availability 75% of the time
● 4G/LTE continues to roll out in developed and developing countries○ USA - 81% LTE penetration○ China - 74% LTE penetration○ Israel - 58% LTE penetration○ Russia - 49% LTE penetration
● South Korea has the world’s fastest networks
● All signs show network buildouts are robust and healthy around the world.
So what’s the problem??
The Actual, Lived Experience of Mobile Users
LTE Penetration does not = app speed (Correlation is not causation)
Congestion, especially at peak hours, doesn’t care what network you’re on
2-second load time in US may be a 10-second load time for the same content in India, China, Russia or Brazil
They’re easily frustrated, and they don’t tend to keep apps for long
How Users Respond to App Trouble
How Users Respond to App Trouble
Source: Neumob consumer research Q4 2016Source: Neumob consumer research Q4 2016
Typical Mobile Network Error Rates● Anywhere between 3-12% - highly variable and
dependent on network conditions
● United States: average of 3% network errors
● India, China, and slower networks in Europe & Latin America: up to 12% in-app errors
If Your Ads Don’t Display, You Don’t Get Paid
2-40% of mobile app ad requests are undelivered due to app speed issues or in-app errors (very country/network dependent)
Undelivered ads = unseen impressions =loss of revenue
Undelivered Ad Rates for Major Entertainment App (Unaccelerated)
Country Ads Requested Undelivered Ads % Undelivered Ad Network
India 1,205,168 225,624 18.72% Millennial Media
China 4,062,865 275,382 6.78% Millennial Media
Brazil 1,358,046 125,492 9.24% Millennial Media
India 2,036,694 342,239 16.80% MoPub
China 6,143,181 2,253,061 36.68% MoPub
Brazil 876,932 123,424 14.07% MoPub
United States 1,291,058 270,214 20.93% MoPub
Source: Neumob platform, December 2016
Mobile Ad Load Times - Huge Network Dependencies
● MoPub ad load times for a popular, global app that uses Neumob (all times without Neumob acceleration)
● United States - 489ms (good!)vs. Singapore - 1,149ms
● Turkey - 605ms (not bad!) vs. India - 1,120ms
But…..but…..5G is Coming!
● US launch - best estimates for general availability: 2021, likely later
● Massive network overhauls required for mobile operators - rich & well-capitalized will go first
● “LTE Advanced-Pro” will be stepping stone that opportunistic carriers will call 5G
● “Mobile-first” countries will lag - 2023-2025
Bottom line: It’s coming, but it’ll take a long time to impact user experience.
The Impact of Mobile App Acceleration
103% faster in Germany
82% faster in India
82% faster in UK
75% faster in Russia
● Faster time to checkout means less time to be distracted and abandon the shopping cart● Faster app speeds mean stronger app brand loyalty, and an increased desire to use app next time● Easier and faster path to checkout means more windows for increased page views, and potentially
added transactions● Better app store reviews, which leads to more app downloads and higher revenues
9%
increase in
daily app
sessions
Conclusions & Recommendations
Get a handle on your app’s load times, in-app error rate, speed and overall performance - and not just where your Sr. Execs or developers are
Understand the lived experience of your app users -not just marketing (front-end) metrics, but back-end metrics as well
Measure, test, fix and measure again
Accelerate your app where you’re not measuring up to boost sessions, transactions and user satisfaction
