The objective of this report is to analyze the behavior of app store users tracked by our team when running A/B testing experiments on SplitMetrics Optimize. For this reason, some data may differ from the official statistics of the app stores.
| Metric | The App Store | Google Play |
| Average Conversion Rate | 24% | 13% |
| Average Engagement Rate | 41% | 18% |
| Explored & Converted | 6% | 2.2% |
| Explored & Bounced | 18% | 6% |
| Direct Installs (from the First View) | 23% | 12% |
| Average Video View Rate | 2% (13% publishers use video on the product page) | N/A |
Shopping apps on the App Store have notably higher conversion and engagement rates compared to Google Play. This suggests a more effective user experience or stronger brand trust among iOS users.
For app marketers, it means that they may need to focus on developing a recognizable brand that can drive immediate installs.
Users in the shopping category tend to install apps immediately (direct install rate of 23%). This indicates the importance of brand recognition for shopping apps. Since few visitors install the app after exploring it, as reflected in the Explored & Converted metrics, it is clear that users typically know what the app offers beforehand.
The engagement rate benchmark for shopping apps is 41% on the App Store and 18% on Google Play, indicating that users do not spend much time exploring the app page. Given the low engagement, it’s advisable not to use videos on the product page. Instead, focus on straightforward messaging and use colorful art styles in your screenshots to capture user attention.
The bounce rate is higher on the App Store, indicating that a larger proportion of users explore the app but do not convert. This could mean that while iOS users are more engaged, they also have higher expectations and are more critical of the app experience.
The average video view rate is extremely low on the App Store and absent on Google Play.
