App Store Optimization delivers 3.2 times more downloads per dollar than paid installs. But downloads mean nothing without a retention plan. We run acquisition and retention as one connected mobile strategy — ASO, push, SMS, and ads.
A mobile marketing agency handles App Store Optimization, push notification strategy, SMS marketing, and mobile-specific ad campaigns — covering both getting users to install an app and keeping them engaged after install, since acquisition without a retention plan wastes most of the spend.
The number that should reshape every mobile budget: 77% of app users abandon an app within the first 3 days of installing it, and day-30 retention averages only 5% to 8% across most categories. Most mobile budgets are still weighted almost entirely toward acquisition — chasing the install that's most likely to churn within a week.
One builds the app. The other gets it discovered and used.
| Service | Handles | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile Marketing | ASO, push, SMS, and paid campaigns driving installs and retention. | Apps that already exist and need users, engagement, and revenue. |
| App Development | Building the native or cross-platform application itself. | Businesses that need the product built before marketing it. |
Where mobile budgets leak, and what each channel is actually good at.
Top-performing apps — the top 10% — hold day-30 retention above 15%, roughly triple the category average. The gap between average and top-performing isn't a better product. It's a better onboarding and re-engagement plan for the users who already installed.
ASO delivers 3.2x more downloads per dollar than paid install campaigns. Personalized push generates 4x higher open rates than generic broadcasts. SMS converts at 21% to 40% on promotional sends. And the counterweight worth respecting: 23% of app uninstalls are caused specifically by push overuse, which is why frequency gets tested against churn, not just engagement.
Installs are the easy half. Keeping them is where mobile budgets either compound or leak.
ASO outperforms paid installs per dollar, and 68% of users search the store.
15% of ecommerce revenue from 3% of message volume, when timed well.
98% SMS open rate within three minutes, on opt-in audiences.
Onboarding built for the window where 77% of installs disappear.
Deep linking so each channel’s real contribution is measurable.
Spend reinvested where users actually stay, not just where they install.
Acquisition and retention scoped together, never as separate programs.
Keyword optimization, screenshots, and conversion-focused store listings across the App Store and Google Play.
Behavior-triggered, personalized push sequences built to re-engage without tipping into uninstall-driving overuse.
Opt-in SMS sequences for time-sensitive offers and updates, the highest-response owned mobile channel.
Paid install and remarketing campaigns across Google, Meta, and TikTok, targeted for quality over raw volume.
First-session flow and early-lifecycle messaging built specifically to survive the critical first-3-day window.
Deep link and attribution setup so every channel's actual contribution to installs and revenue is measurable.
Four stages, with budget reinvested where users actually stay.
We map current acquisition cost, retention curve, and store listing performance against category benchmarks.
1–2 weeks · AuditWe optimize the store listing and first-session flow, since both determine whether an install survives day 3.
2–4 weeks · BuildWe launch behavior-triggered messaging sequences across push and SMS, testing frequency against churn.
2–3 weeks · LaunchWe track retention and revenue by channel monthly, reinvesting acquisition budget where it actually retains.
Ongoing · OptimizeMessaging, attribution, and store intelligence platforms wired to one retention view.
Real work, real numbers — see how we did it for To Her Focus.
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To Her Focus had 280K+ Instagram followers but limited monetization. We built a custom website, launched YouTube, and shipped the LaGrub recipe app — transforming a single-platform influencer into a multi-channel brand.
5
Revenue Streams
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Active Platforms
280k+
Audience
Mobile marketing works best paired with these.
The full strategy service this sits under.
ExploreThe store listing work, in depth.
ExploreBuilding the product before marketing it.
ExploreCross-channel flows alongside push and SMS.
ExploreUsability review for the onboarding flow.
ExploreTesting push copy and store listing variants.
ExplorePaid install and remarketing campaigns.
ExploreInstall campaigns where mobile attention already is.
ExploreThe things clients ask us most before starting a mobile marketing program.
A mobile marketing agency handles App Store Optimization, push notification strategy, SMS marketing, and mobile-specific ad campaigns — covering both getting users to install an app and keeping them engaged after install, since acquisition without a retention plan wastes most of the spend.
Bigger than most budgets account for. Roughly 77% of app users abandon an app within the first three days of installing it, and day-30 retention averages only 5% to 8% across most categories. Acquisition spend that isn't paired with an onboarding and retention plan is largely wasted.
Yes, substantially. App Store Optimization delivers roughly 3.2 times more downloads per dollar compared to paid install campaigns, and 68% of mobile users discover new apps through app store search rather than ads, which makes store listing optimization one of the highest-leverage, lowest-cost channels available.
Yes, disproportionately. Push notifications generate roughly 15% of attributed ecommerce revenue from just 3% of total message volume — the highest revenue-to-volume ratio of any direct messaging channel — because push reaches a self-selected, high-intent audience that already installed and kept the app.
SMS delivers roughly a 98% open rate within 3 minutes of send and converts at 21% to 40% on promotional messages, outperforming both push notifications and email on raw response metrics. Push reaches only users who installed the app, while SMS reaches anyone who opted in, making the two channels complementary rather than competing.
Yes, significantly. Personalized push notifications generate roughly 4 times higher open rates than generic broadcast messages, and notifications kept to 7 words or fewer see a 94% engagement lift over longer messages, since users decide whether to act within seconds of a notification appearing.
App development builds the product. Mobile marketing gets it discovered, installed, and used afterward — App Store Optimization, push and SMS strategy, and paid mobile campaigns — work that starts once an app exists and needs users, not before.
Yes. Roughly 23% of app uninstalls are caused specifically by overuse of push notifications, which is why frequency and relevance matter as much as the message itself. Behavior-triggered sends outperform broadcast blasts — a well-timed notification builds engagement while an over-sent one destroys it.
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