Here at Artisan, we speak with a number of people who have highly rated apps and feel that the job is done once the user downloads the app. “Why mess with success” is what we hear a lot. It’s troublesome that many people believe that a high level of user downloads is synonymous with mobile success.

App discovery is only the first step

Having a user discover and download your app is really just the first step in the journey towards mobile success. The logical next steps are to wow app users with an excellent experience that will keep them engaged and to convince them to share the app with their friends. Unfortunately, marketers are failing to take this second step and an over-emphasis on the importance of downloads has resulted in an atrocious user retention rate. In fact, 1 in 4 apps are discarded after the first use, and the average 30-day retention rate is only 54%.

Keeping mobile users engaged

Many brands have begun to recognize that downloads are not the end game and have invested in providing an engaging mobile experience. CVS is a great example. In this Forbes article, Brian Tilzer, the Chief Digital Officer at CVS reports that their CVS/pharmacy Mobile app reached nearly 8.2 million downloads by the end of last year. More importantly, CVS has focused on retaining these users by making the app as customer friendly as possible. The efforts have paid off and he reports “today more than half of all digital prescription refills are from mobile channels.”

Innovating at the pace of mobile

Clearly, CVS has achieved a great amount of success in mobile. Traffic from the CVS Mobile site and app are increasing year over year and mobile channels are growing rapidly in importance throughout the company. It’s time for CVS to rest on its laurels, right? Brian Tilzer says, “wrong.” CVS is still focused on finding ways to improve the user experience and make customer lives easier. Take a look at the full article in Forbes and learn how CVS is taking the approach that “brands need to be smart, savvy, and innovative to provide personalized value in each interaction.”