As designers, we often rely on the same metrics to measure the success of our products, such as user engagement, retention, and conversion rates. However, this approach can be flawed and may not provide a complete picture of our product’s performance. In fact, relying on the same metrics for every product can be counterintuitive and misleading.

In the medical field, for instance, the metric of inpatient mortality is not a good indicator of hospital performance. As a study by F. Perry Wilson, MD MSCE, shows, this metric is biased against safety-net institutions that care for more vulnerable patients who are more likely to have poor outcomes. In this case, the metric is not accurately reflecting the hospital’s performance.

Similarly, in the world of app design, relying on the same metrics for every product can be misleading. For example, a social media app may prioritize metrics such as user engagement and retention, while a productivity app may prioritize metrics such as task completion and time spent on tasks.

Different Metrics for Different Apps

In reality, different types of apps require different metrics to measure their success. For instance:

Social media apps: Engagement metrics such as likes, comments, and shares are important for measuring user interaction.

Productivity apps: Task completion and time spent on tasks are important for measuring user productivity.

Games: Gameplay metrics such as level completion, score achieved, and time spent playing are important for measuring user engagement.

E-commerce apps: Conversion rates and average order value are important for measuring sales and revenue.

KPIs to Consider in Different Flows of Different Apps

In addition to considering different metrics for different types of apps, it’s also important to consider different KPIs in different flows of the app. For example:

Onboarding flow: Metrics such as user retention and completion rate are important for measuring the effectiveness of the onboarding process.

Navigation flow: Metrics such as time spent on task and navigation complexity are important for measuring the ease of use of the app.

Search flow: Metrics such as search query relevance and search results accuracy are important for measuring the effectiveness of the search functionality.

Checkout flow: Metrics such as conversion rate and average order value are important for measuring the effectiveness of the checkout process.

Examples

For instance, a social media app may prioritize metrics such as user engagement and retention during the onboarding flow, while prioritizing metrics such as search query relevance and search results accuracy during the search flow.

Similarly, a productivity app may prioritize metrics such as task completion and time spent on tasks during the navigation flow, while prioritizing metrics such as conversion rate and average order value during the checkout flow.

Conclusion

In conclusion, relying on the same metrics for every product is wrong. Different types of apps require different metrics to measure their success, and different KPIs should be considered in different flows of the app. By understanding which metrics are most important for each type of app and each stage of the user journey, designers can create more effective and successful products.

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