Blog
Free
Consult
Monetization
— 7 min read

LTV Modeling Your App Deserves

What is LTV? Why is it important? And how do you measure it?

<article-h2>Why is LTV Important?<article-h2>

<step-margin-s>——————————<step-margin-s>

<p-l>LTV is important because it is a measure of how much money an app user is worth over the lifetime of their use of the app. It helps developers and marketers to understand the value of their app users and how much money they can expect to make from them in the future.<p-l>

<p-l>This can help them to optimize their marketing and engagement strategies to maximize their returns from each user. Additionally, it can help them to decide which features to prioritize and which to deprioritize, based on their understanding of what users are willing to pay for. Ultimately, LTV is an important metric to monitor in order to maximize profits.<p-l>

<step-margin-s>——————————<step-margin-s>

<article-h2>How to Calculate LTV?<article-h2>

<step-margin-s>——————————<step-margin-s>

<p-l>In order to calculate Lifetime Value (LTV), you need to take into account multiple metrics. First, you must calculate the average revenue per user (ARPU) by dividing total revenue by the total number of users. Then, you need to calculate the average revenue per paying user (ARPPU) by dividing total revenue by the total number of paying users. Finally, to calculate LTV, you must multiply the ARPU by the average lifespan of a user. This will give you an estimate of how much revenue a user is likely to generate over their lifespan with your app.<p-l>

<step-margin-s>——————————<step-margin-s>

<article-h2>What Should Be Measured?<article-h2>

<step-margin-s>——————————<step-margin-s>

<p-l>When calculating Lifetime Value (LTV) for apps, there are a few key metrics that should be measured.<p-l>

  • Average Revenue per User (ARPU): This is a measure of the average revenue generated from each user over their lifetime. It’s calculated by dividing total revenue by total users.
  • Retention Rate: This is the percentage of users that are still actively using the app after a certain period of time. This is important because if users are not staying engaged with the app, then there is no real value being created.
  • Frequency of Use: This is a measure of how often users are returning to the app. If users are not returning often, then the value of the app is diminished.
  • Engagement: This is a measure of how engaged users are with the app. If users are spending a lot of time on the app, then there is likely more value being created.
  • Monetization: This is a measure of how effective the app is at monetizing its users. If users are not converting or generating revenue, then the value of the app is greatly diminished.

<p-l>Measuring these key metrics will help to accurately calculate LTV for apps and identify areas where improvements can be made to increase user engagement and value. Let's look at them in more detail.<p-l>

<step-margin-s>——————————<step-margin-s>

<article-h3>Average Revenue per User (ARPU)<article-h3>

<step-margin-s>——————————<step-margin-s>

<p-l>ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) is a key metric for measuring the success of an app in terms of its ability to generate revenue. By measuring ARPU, app developers, and marketers can gain a better understanding of how their app is performing and identify areas for improvement.<p-l>

<p-l>Measuring ARPU for LTV (Lifetime Value) in apps is a great way to track the performance of an app over its lifetime. ARPU for LTV can be used to measure the revenue generated from a user over the course of their engagement with the app. To calculate ARPU for LTV, the total revenue generated from a user over the entire time they use the app is divided by the total number of users. This allows app developers and marketers to gain a better understanding of how well their app is doing in terms of generating revenue.<p-l>

<p-l>By measuring ARPU for LTV in apps, developers and marketers can gain valuable insights into their user base and identify areas of opportunity to further engage users and drive more revenue. This metric also allows them to compare their app’s performance to other apps in the same space, helping to identify areas of improvement. Additionally, by measuring ARPU for LTV, app developers and marketers can gain a better understanding of how the user lifetime value of their app changes over time, which can help inform their strategy for user acquisition and retention.<p-l>

<step-margin-s>——————————<step-margin-s>

<article-h3>Retention Rate<article-h3>

<step-margin-s>——————————<step-margin-s>

<p-l>To measure the retention rate for LTV in apps, developers need to track the number of users that return to the app over a certain period of time. This is typically done by tracking user activity over a given timeframe, such as the number of days or weeks since the user's last visit. By tracking this data, developers can see how frequently users are coming back to the app and how many times they are using the app over a certain period.<p-l>

<p-l>In addition to tracking user activity, developers should track the number of purchases that users make over a certain period of time to get an accurate picture of how much money they are spending on the app. By combining this data with user activity tracking, developers can get an accurate estimate of the lifetime value of their users.<p-l>

<p-l>By tracking user activity and purchase data, developers can get an accurate estimate of the lifetime value of their users and use this data to optimize their app and maximize their profits. Measuring the retention rate for LTV in apps is a key metric for assessing the success of an app and will help developers ensure that their app is successful and profitable in the long run.<p-l>

<step-margin-s>——————————<step-margin-s>

<article-h3>Frequency of Use<article-h3>

<step-margin-s>——————————<step-margin-s>

<p-l>By understanding the frequency of use for LTV, app developers can better understand how their users are engaging with their app and how they can optimize the user experience to increase engagement and LTV.<p-l>

<p-l>To measure the frequency of use for LTV, app developers need to track the user’s key actions and activities within the app. This includes tracking how often the user opens the app, how long they stay in the app, what content they view or interact with, and what actions they take within the app. The more data that is tracked, the better the understanding of the user’s engagement with the app and their associated LTV.<p-l>

<p-l>In addition to tracking user activity, app developers should also analyze the data to identify patterns and correlations between user activities and LTV. For example, looking at the data may reveal that users who view a certain type of content have a higher LTV than users who don’t view that content. This type of analysis can help app developers optimize the user experience and increase LTV.<p-l>

<step-margin-s>——————————<step-margin-s>

<article-h3>Engagement<article-h3>

<step-margin-s>——————————<step-margin-s>

<p-l>Measuring engagement for LTV (Lifetime Value)  provides insight into how often users are interacting with the app and how loyal they are to the product.<p-l>

<p-l>Engagement metrics for LTV can be divided into two categories: active and passive metrics. Active metrics are those that measure user engagement during a specific session, such as time spent in the app, number of page views, and number of clicks on links. Passive metrics are those that measure user engagement over time, such as the number of sessions over a given period of time and the frequency of visits.<p-l>

<p-l>By tracking active and passive engagement metrics, app developers can gain insight into how users are interacting with their app and how much they are engaging over time. This information can be used to identify areas of improvement and optimize the user experience. Additionally, it can be used to assess the value of an app and its potential to generate long-term revenue.<p-l>

<p-l>By understanding user engagement, app developers can better understand their user base and make informed decisions about how to optimize and monetize their product.<p-l>

<step-margin-s>——————————<step-margin-s>

<article-h3>Monetization<article-h3>

<step-margin-s>——————————<step-margin-s>

<p-l>Measuring monetization for lifetime value (LTV) in apps requires a comprehensive understanding of user engagement and behavior.<p-l>

<p-l>User acquisition costs measure the cost of acquiring new users and can be used to determine the ROI of an app’s user acquisition campaigns. Average DAUs measure the average number of users actively using an app each day, which can help identify the most popular features of an app. Average revenue per user (ARPU) measures the average revenue generated from each user, which can be used to estimate the expected revenue from future users. Finally, user retention rates measure the percentage of users that come back to an app after a certain period of time, which can help determine the potential for long-term growth.<p-l>

<p-l>By tracking these metrics, app developers can gain a better understanding of their LTV and the success of their monetization efforts. Through this data, they can identify areas for improvement and make decisions on how to optimize their app to maximize revenue.<p-l>

<step-margin-s>——————————<step-margin-s>

<article-h2>Lifetime Value Models<article-h2>

<step-margin-s>——————————<step-margin-s>

<p-l>Lifetime value (LTV) models are predictive analytics models used to measure the value of a customer over the course of their relationship with a company. These models are used to help companies understand how much a customer is worth to them over the course of their lifetime and make better decisions about how to invest in customer acquisition and retention.<p-l>

<p-l>LTV models for apps typically use a combination of customer segmentation, customer behavior data, and financial metrics such as Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) and Lifetime Value Per User (LTVPU) to assess the customer’s value. By analyzing customer behavior data, developers can better understand which features and services customers use and how they use them, allowing them to tailor their services to meet the needs of their customers.<p-l>

<p-l>By using LTV models, app developers can make better decisions about how and where to invest in customer acquisition and retention and make sure they’re getting the most out of their customers. They can also assess the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns and identify which types of customers are the most valuable to their business. Ultimately, LTV models are a powerful tool for helping app developers maximize the value of their customers and increase the success of their app.<p-l>

<step-margin-s>——————————<step-margin-s>

If you found this blog post useful, subscribe to our newsletter to get even more articles and case studies.

Continue Reading

Activation
— 10 min read

First-time User Experience (FTUE)

Discover
Acquisition
— 8 min read

How to Make a Mobile Marketing Strategy for an App

Discover
Monetization
— 8 min read

A Guide to Building Your App's User Personas

Discover
Monetization
— 10 min read

Customer Journey Map Tutorial for Apps (So You Don't Get Lost)

Discover
Retention
— 9 min read

In-App Notifications & User Retention

Discover
Activation
— 8 min read

How to Build Product Walkthroughs for Your App

Discover
Monetization
— 10 min read

Guide to Product-Led Growth with Examples

Discover
Monetization
— 7 min read

Why You Need a Product Growth Manager

Discover
Activation
— 12 min read

Onboarding UX: Provide a Better UX Experience

Discover
Retention
— 10 min read

How to Find Your Aha Moment and Optimize It

Discover
Monetization
— 10 min read

Applica’s Experiment History Review Framework

Discover
Retention
— 7 min read

Customer Retention Strategies Examples for Apps

Discover
Activation
— 5 min read

What is User Activation in Mobile Apps?

Discover
Acquisition
— 5 min read

Best Practices for App Metadata

Discover
Activation
— 5 min read

How to Find User Activation Metrics for an App

Discover
Engagement
— 6 min read

Top Strategies for Mobile App Re-engagement

Discover
Monetization
— 8 min read

Mobile Paywall Examples that Convert

Discover
Monetization
— 6 min read

Difference between ARPU & LTV

Discover
Acquisition
— 8 min read

Fix Your Customer Lifecycle Funnel in 5 Steps

Discover
Acquisition
— 7 min read

How to Reduce User Acquisition Costs for Mobile Apps

Discover
Monetization
— 9 min read

Mobile Paywall Design Best Practices

Discover
Acquisition
— 13 min read

User Acquisition Strategy for Apps 101

Discover
Monetization
— 8 min read

Mobile Product Monetization Strategies

Discover
Monetization
— 11 min read

App Monetization Strategies for Android

Discover
Acquisition
— 6 min read

User Acquisition Strategies for Mobile Games

Discover
Engagement
— 6 min read

Best Mobile Attribution Tools in 2023

Discover
Activation
— 5 min read

User Activation in Mobile: 5 Easy Steps

Discover
Monetization
— 8 min read

Best Subscription Paywall Solutions for Apps

Discover
Monetization
— 13 min read

How to Monetize Your App: 13 Strategies

Discover
Activation
— 7 min read

Perfect Prompt: How to Make an ATT Prompt That the User Will Accept

Discover
Monetization
— 8 min read

App Growth Strategy: Why You Need It, Action Plan to Build One

Discover
Monetization
— 9 min read

Fake Door Testing: Reduce Risks, Build Efficiently

Discover
Activation
— 4 min read

5 Tips to Boost User Activation

Discover
Monetization
— 7 min read

13 App Growth Metrics We Track, and So Should You

Discover
Acquisition
— 8 min read

App Funnel Strategies in 2023: a Step-by-Step Guide

Discover
Monetization
— 10 min read

Future-Proof Mobile App Growth Strategies for 2023

Discover
Monetization
— 8 min read

How to Kick Off Your Subscription Optimization

Discover
Engagement
— 5 min read

App Onboarding Experiments Analytics: A Guideline

Discover