Metrics MAU, WAU, DAU: When to Apply and How to Improve

The effectiveness of mobile applications and online services is closely tied to user activity. If people are logging in and using the service, it indicates that the developers' idea is successful and will generate revenue. It is important to track user behavior and conduct analytics to understand the problems and growth areas of the product.
This issue is addressed by product metrics measuring activity over a day (DAU), a week (WAU), and a month (MAU). The time tracking interval is chosen depending on the type of application and the tasks it solves. DAU, WAU, and MAU metrics reflect how popular the product and individual solutions are.
In this article, we will discuss why it is important to track how many users remain active over different time intervals. We will explain the correct calculation of results and ways to influence them.
DAU metric
The DAU indicator denotes how many active users logged in and/or performed an action in the application in one day (Daily Active Users). Only unique visitors per day are counted. If one person opened the product multiple times, only the first entry is considered.
When to apply the DAU metric
Counting active users per day is suitable when the application or service is designed for daily interaction: calendars, planners, habit trackers, games, music, and so on.
WAU metric
The WAU indicator reflects the product's weekly active users (Weekly Active Users). Similar to the daily activity metric, only unique visits are counted, but WAU is not the sum of DAU over seven days.
When to apply the WAU metric
This metric is relevant for services/apps intended for regular use, but not necessarily daily. These include health trackers, delivery services, messengers, financial tools, and others.
MAU metric
The MAU indicator counts users who accessed the product at least once a month (Monthly Active Users). This metric is calculated separately and is not the sum of DAU or WAU.
When to apply the MAU metric
MAU is relevant for platforms that do not require daily or even weekly usage. These include services for booking travel, paying taxes, utilities, marketplaces, and so on.
How to accurately calculate MAU, WAU, DAU
While product metrics do not require complex formulas, there are nuances in their calculation that should be considered.
Why calculate MAU, WAU, DAU
These metrics are crucial for understanding the real popularity of a service or application. The number of downloads on the marketplace alone doesn't provide a complete picture, as users might not even open the product after downloading it.
Therefore, DAU, WAU, and MAU are calculated to:
How to improve DAU, WAU, and MAU
Metrics are not static; they are influenced by various factors. Therefore, creators of digital products can adjust these metrics through marketing tools and technical improvements.
Key factors for improving metrics:
An effective way to diversify content is by introducing gamification elements and a system to reward user activity.
It's important to assess the effectiveness of your service or application from various angles, not just by focusing on WAU, MAU, and DAU. Typically, additional metrics are considered, such as the Sticky Factor, LTV (Lifetime Value, the total revenue from a customer over their lifetime), conversion rates, CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost), and others.
Summary
MAU, WAU, and DAU are metrics that measure user activity over different time periods: thirty or thirty-one days, seven days, and one day. They are used to assess the popularity of an app or online service, evaluate marketing effectiveness, gauge the impact of new features, and attract investment.
To calculate these metrics, it’s important to define what constitutes user activity, choose the right tracking period (day, week, month), consider external factors, and segment the audience.
To increase MAU, WAU, and DAU, strategies such as targeted messaging, personalization, engaging content, and continuous interface improvements, along with ongoing analytics, are employed.
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