The top three reasons consumers use apps are…

A new survey reveals the specific features that make consumers find value in an app.

The top three reasons respondents use apps from their favorite brands are “ease of use” (35%), “simplifies my life” (31%) and “saves me time” (27%), according to a global survey of 11,000 consumers from mobile app experience company Airship.

Searching and browsing app stores continues to be the top way respondents discover new apps to download. Survey data show this holds true across household income levels, generations and the majority of countries. Search engines are the second-most common app discovery method, followed by word of mouth.

Personal recommendations are a key driver of app downloads in the U.K., France and Canada, where respondents turn to word of mouth as much or more than app stores. In the U.S., Germany and Singapore, word of mouth is the second-most common method of finding apps.

When respondents were asked why they delete apps, “freeing up phone storage” (32%) and “too many in-app ads” (30%) were the top two reasons, followed by “never used” (26%). In Canada, France and Germany, “never used” was the most common reason for app removal, and in the U.S., U.K. and Singapore, it ranked second.

Close to six in 10 (57%) respondents only use an app once or twice before deciding whether to delete it or not. Furthermore, within the first two weeks of downloading a new app, almost three in four (73%) respondents will decide if they will delete it, a behavior consistent across all countries, household income levels and generations.

“App user acquisition means almost nothing if brands aren't able to retain their users and drive repeat usage. Brands today need to deliver value by using every opportunity to make life better for their customers,” said Thomas Butta, chief strategy and marketing officer, Airship. “No one else besides Airship can unify and optimize the entire mobile app customer lifecycle, from app features and discovery to campaigns outside the app and experiences inside the app.”

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The survey was completed in partnership with Sapio Research among more than 11,000 consumers, age 18 and older in the U.S., Canada, U.K., France, Germany, South Africa, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and Brazil.