In a previous article, we discussed the value and best practices of A/B split testing. Apps that are developed with decisions based on user data rather than developers’ feelings are able to better serve the needs and pain points of app users. However, to perform great A/B split testing and optimize an app, a developer needs to get his or her hands on this data in the first place. This is where mobile analytics platforms come in the picture.

Mobile analytics platforms allow developers to get in-depth data on the usage of the mobile app. With mobile analytics, developers are able to see how customers interact with the app and how customers navigate through the user experience. Importantly, developers are also able to see where customers don’t interact with the app and where customers are stopped in the user flow. Such data can provide red flags to developers and notify developers to have a closer look, as such bottlenecks for users may indicate a software bug or a confusing UX design that needs to be improved.

So, what are some of the best mobile analytics platforms available?

1. iOS App Analytics

iOS App Analytics is a must for any developer working on the iOS platform. This platform is native to iOS and is developed by Apple itself. This platform includes app analytics features, analytics for in-app advertising, as well as financial reporting so you can determine and manage your apps profitability. iOS App Analytics also allows developers to segment user groups by app download date, which allows more precise analysis on cohorts that have experienced different in-app experiences as the app is updated.

2. Mixpanel

Mixpanel is another great mobile analytics platform, and combines and presents data in a beautiful user interface and dashboard. Mixpanel also employs machine-learning to offer suggestions to developers on ways to improve the user experience within their app. Mixpanel also offers useful team sharing features so that all members of a development team can collaborate the same data.

3. Google Analytics for Mobile Apps

Google Analytics for Mobile Apps provides SDKs for both Android and iOS apps, and provides a wide suite of features. Importantly, Google Analytics for Mobile Apps plugs can be easily integrated with other Google Analytics tracking data from the developers websites and landing pages. Google Analytics for Mobile Apps is also supported by Google Analytics Academy, which provides developers with a quick and easy resource for all aspects of Google Analytics. https://analytics.google.com/analytics/academy/

4. Apsalar

Apsalar is a great option for both iOS and Android developers in need of mobile analytics, and the platform also boasts useful app marketing features such as in-app messaging capabilities to specific user groups. Apsalar also allows developers to easily visualize and manage user funnels in order to see where combat the source of user drop offs.

“If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.”

This was said by the business consultant Peter Drucker in the context of business management. However, the same principle applies for mobile app development. If developers can't measure their users' behavior, they cannot improve the user experience in any rigorous, data-driven way. While there is a large variety of mobile app analytics platforms on the market, each of these mentioned platforms will easily serve your needs as a developer, and each will allow you to make critical, data-driven decisions in your development process.

To read more on how we used mobile app analytics and user data to achieve 1000% growth, read our article here.