Fiksu: Volume of app downloads skyrocketed in November

Mobile just keeps getting bigger.

The Fiksu App Store Competitive Index, which tracks the average aggregate daily download volume of the top 200 free apps in the iOS app store (it does not track paid apps), recorded 8.1 million downloads in November. That is a 42 percent growth over the previous year’s 5.7 million, as you can see in the chart above. Fiksu attributes the surge to new iPhone ownership and increased device use over the Thanksgiving break. Fiksu gets its information from 3.5 billion app installs and 5.4 trillion marketing events tracked across 1.7 billion devices.

Fiksu also finds that it’s becoming less expensive for app makers to find loyal users. The Fiksu Cost Per Loyal User Index was $1.58 in November, down 12 percent from the previous year. This goes along with increased app use, as Fiksu states that in-time usage is up 21 percent from last November.

The mobile market is obviously continuing to grow. According to market researcher Newzoo, it could be worth $25 billion in worldwide revenues by the end 2014.

Want more app downloads?
Get our free report on seven proven tactics to boost your app store rankings.

“Breaking the 8 million app download threshold marks a staggering new milestone for mobile marketers and sets the tone for a new year filled with both promise and challenges.” said Micah Adler, the chief executive officer of Fiksu. “As we’ve seen in past years, the effect will surely last into January with volumes and acquisition costs continuing to rise. While January isn’t a bargain time for marketers, it is an important time to plan for acquiring new users and adopting strategies for retaining them.”