Stability is key to success of mobile apps

Stability is key to the success of mobile apps according to a new report from Bugsnag which shows that a drop of just one percent in stability can lead to a loss of a star in app store ratings.

Users rate apps on the Google Play and Apple App Stores based on their overall experience with factors like usefulness, design, engagement and stability. While the median stability across analyzed apps within the report is 99.8 percent, more stable apps are found to have a competitive advantage, resulting in higher ratings.

Developers are responding to issues by updating their apps more regularly to deliver new features and address software bugs. Where bi-weekly releases were once industry standard, data across industries indicates that apps are now more likely to be being updated on a weekly basis.

"The results of our second ASI report highlight the need for better proactive error monitoring and stability management to help engineering teams build healthier apps that deliver superior customer experiences," says James Smith, SVP of the Bugsnag Product Group at SmartBear. "When developer organizations can effectively manage and improve the stability of their apps, they are able to achieve higher app store ratings, increase release frequency without sacrificing quality, and assess the health of their apps compared to peers in their industry."

The report also points out differences between industries. Those sectors that tend to attract millions of users with typically low customer loyalty may have developers prioritize building new features faster than keeping up with bugs. On the other hand, apps that tend to serve a niche audience and could be priced higher, such as a B2B workflow app, may want to strike a balance between new features and fixing bugs where stability is prioritized.

You can get the full report on the Bugsnag site.

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