Well, precisely it is not a new product, as it is actually an enhancement to an existing one. In fact, analytics has long been delivering statistics about Web sites. But it is only now, with the introduction of Mobile App Analytics, that Analytics is set to show data for mobile apps as well. The product is dubbed as: Google Mobile App Analytics.
So far, Google Analytics has drawn closer to mobile-application tracking from a perspective that is more tailored to conventional websites, said JiaJing Wang, a Google product manager.
With the new reports, Google Analytics will deliver results for iOS and Android applications that include deeper, broader and more specific metrics, he said.
Elaborating further the executive said, “Application developers and marketers need to have a thorough understanding of their mobile applications’ usage,” Wang said.
Admittedly, there are other app measurement services available, but they do not provide all the relevant data satisfactorily in one place. Mobile App Analytics is expected to have that all under one roof with its “holistic app analytics,” added Wang.
With the latest release, Google Analytics will have options for several reports, of which one set of reports will focus on measuring new and active users of a specific application, the different versions in use and the devices it is being installed on, as well as how consumers are finding it at the Google Play store.
Another set of reports will target on user engagement data, such as the frequency with which people use the application, the length of sessions and the in-application usage patterns, as well as trends in crashes and bugs.
“You have to understand what users are exercising before you can make meaningful improvements to your mobile applications,” he said.
A third type of report will monitor the arrival of particular results, which include ad clicks, in-app purchases, and pre-configured session duration goals.
Lastly, there is one set of data, though, that is inherently inaccessible for iOS apps: Google Play referrals.
Besides, app use has overtaken Web use for quite some time now, and it is only reasonable for Google to start supporting app statistics in Google Analytics.
Moreover, as Google is offering these reports free, it is possible that competitors will drop prices of their more advanced analytics products. This will do well to developers, said Forrester Research analyst Michael Facemire.
According to Wang, Google Mobile App Analytics goes live by the end of the summer. In the meantime, if you are an app developer and you wish to participate in testing the tool, you can sign up for the beta version here.