Common Customer User Engagement Metrics

1. Daily Active Users (DAU) - this metric refers to the number of unique users ‘interacting’ with your product in 24 hours. Note however, that your definition of ‘interaction’ and  ‘active users’ will vary from company to company.

For the majority of web and mobile-based software, DAU considers each instance of unique log-in as daily interaction. That said, consider the case of mobile banking apps. Log-in alone is not necessarily indicative of any useful activity. In fact, it costs the company something for the user to operate the app, but does not deposit, withdraw, or transfer money. In this case, it’s perfectly reasonable for the product manager to define ‘active user’ as someone who has completed a transaction instead of log-ins.

Similarly, the same is true for education apps like Duolingo. If a user logs-in, but does not interact with the app and promptly closes it - does that count as an ‘active user’? Again, it’s up to you as product manager to consolidate these considerations in a holistic and systemic strategy.

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2. Monthly Active Users (MAU) - this metric is similar to DAU, except it’s tracked per calendar month. There are instances when monthly tracking is preferred to daily tracking. For example, tracking monthly active users provides you with insights on certain larger marketing initiatives spanning weeks.

3. Stickiness - this metric refers to the tendency of a user to go back to your product. There are many reasons for this. Some of these potential are:

• Your product is solving their pain points effectively
• Your product is convenient or cheap or both
• Your product has great marketing and has established loyal customers
• Your product is providing satisfactory customer support

This is important to track because the longer a user interacts with your product, the longer is your window of opportunity to offer add-ons, higher-tier subscriptions, adjacent services, and other profit-generating opportunities.

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4. Retention Rate - this metric refers to a product’s ability to turn customers into repeat customers. As a general rule, higher retention rate equates to higher profitability. So product managers are incentivized to keep this number up. In some sense, a comparison on retention rate with other similarly situated companies will provide you a performance metric relative to your industry.

Inversely, tracking the percentage of customers who stop being your customers is called Churn Rate. They’re both sides of the same coin and are helpful in getting a pulse check on your customers’ satisfaction.

Product Management is Understanding Product Metrics

Mastering customer engagement metrics is more than just a numbers game; it's an art that intertwines understanding customer behavior with strategic product decisions.

As we've explored, metrics like DAU and MAU provide a window into daily and monthly user interaction patterns, while Stickiness and Retention Rate highlight user loyalty and commitment.

Importantly, the interpretation and application of these metrics should be tailored to the unique characteristics and goals of your product. By doing so, product managers can make informed decisions, drive user satisfaction, and ultimately, ensure sustainable profitability.

Remember, in the ever-evolving digital landscape, staying attuned to your customers' needs and behaviors is not just beneficial — it's essential.

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