PW.live: 58% More Installs, 41% Better Retention
PW.live, an EdTech app, grew installs 58% and improved 30-day retention 41% over a 6-month engagement in 2025. SerpHike combined ASO improvements with usage-triggered messaging flows, replacing scheduled blast campaigns with automation tied to course progress.
What was the starting point?
- App Store and Play Store listings underoptimized for exam-prep search terms
- Retention flows limited to scheduled email blasts, not usage-triggered
- Paid UA running without ASO support, raising cost per install
What did SerpHike change?
| Area | Change |
|---|---|
| ASO | Rewrote store listing around exam-specific search terms |
| Paid UA | Refocused spend on higher-intent install campaigns |
| Automation | Usage-triggered email/SMS/WhatsApp nudges tied to course progress |
What was the result?
Installs grew 58% and 30-day retention improved 41% over the 6-month engagement in 2025. Figures reflect a real engagement, an exportable report is available on request.
Why retention was the bigger win
Installs are easy to count and easy to buy. Retention is what makes them worth anything. Adjust's benchmarks show average app retention falls to 26% on day one and 7% by day 30 (Adjust retention guide). A 41% improvement in 30-day retention changes the economics of every install, paid or organic.
What made the difference
- Store search: Apple says around 70% of App Store visitors use search and nearly 65% of downloads happen right after a search (Apple Ads). Rewriting listings around exam-specific terms captured more of that intent
- Paid acquisition with ASO support: better listings convert more ad clicks, lowering cost per install
- Behaviour, not schedules: messages triggered by course progress replaced scheduled blasts
What other app businesses can take from this
Habit matters more than reach. Duolingo's product team found improving current user retention had five times the impact on daily active users of any other lever, and that streaks helped cut daily churn among its best users by over 40% (Lenny's Newsletter, Jorge Mazal). For learning apps, nudges tied to real progress, such as a missed lesson or a nearly finished module, work far better than generic reminders.
Opens are not the measure. Apple's Mail Privacy Protection inflates open rates (Litmus on Apple Mail Privacy Protection). The engagement was judged on lessons completed and retention, not message opens.
See app marketing, ASO and marketing automation for how we run each piece.