What is WAU? Understanding weekly active users as a key metric

Ever wondered how often your users are actually engaging with your app on a weekly basis? Understanding this can be a game-changer for your business. That's where the concept of Weekly Active Users (WAU) comes into play.

In this post, we'll dive into what WAU really means, how it differs from other metrics like DAU and MAU, and why it's crucial for your app's success. Plus, we'll share some strategies to boost your WAU and keep your users coming back for more.

Understanding weekly active users (WAU)

So, what exactly is Weekly Active Users (WAU)? Simply put, it's the number of unique users who engage with your app within a seven-day window. This metric is super important for businesses that expect frequent user interaction—like analytics tools or social media apps.

WAU gives you insights into user engagement and retention. It helps you understand how both new and existing users are interacting with your platform, uncovering patterns in user behavior. Essentially, it reflects your app's stickiness by highlighting how many users are consistently coming back every week.

A high WAU means your users are engaged and likely satisfied with your app. That's a great sign—it suggests there's potential for upselling or encouraging users to upgrade their subscriptions. Keeping an eye on WAU trends over time can also help you spot retention issues or areas where you can improve the user experience.

Calculating WAU isn't too complicated. You just count the total number of unique active users who interacted with your app in the past seven days. But what's an "active user"? That depends on your app—it could be someone who logs in, makes a purchase, or performs any key in-app action.

For example, let's say User 1 logs in and performs actions twice in a week, User 2 logs in but doesn't do much else, and Users 3 and 4 perform various actions. Your WAU would be 3, including Users 1, 3, and 4.

WAU is one of the three primary active user metrics, along with Daily Active Users (DAU) and Monthly Active Users (MAU). While DAU focuses on daily engagement—ideal for apps needing daily interaction like gaming—MAU looks at monthly engagement, fitting for apps with less frequent use like travel or finance apps. Understanding these differences is key to effectively measuring and boosting user engagement.

Calculating WAU and analyzing user behavior

Defining what makes an "active user" is crucial for accurately calculating your WAU. Common criteria might include logging in, making a purchase, or performing some key action in your app. For instance, a fitness app might count users who log their workouts as active.

To calculate WAU, here's what you do:

1. Pick the specific seven-day period you want to analyze.

2. Count the number of unique users who meet your "active" criteria during that time.

3. Repeat this for each subsequent week to track trends over time.

By analyzing WAU trends, you can gain valuable insights into how users are engaging with your app. If your WAU is consistent, that's a good sign—you have a stable, engaged user base. If it fluctuates, it might signal changes in user behavior or satisfaction.

Segmenting your WAU data by user demographics or where they came from can uncover even more insights. By monitoring WAU along with other key metrics like retention rates, you can make data-driven decisions to optimize your product and marketing strategies. Regularly reviewing your WAU helps you stay attuned to your users' needs and behaviors, ensuring long-term growth and success.

Comparing WAU with DAU and MAU

You might be wondering how WAU stacks up against DAU and MAU. The main difference lies in the timeframe each metric measures. DAU tracks daily engagement, while MAU focuses on monthly activity.

Choosing between these metrics depends on your app's usage patterns. For apps with frequent interactions like social media or gaming, DAU is your go-to metric. WAU is ideal for apps with consistent weekly usage, such as productivity tools. MAU suits apps with less frequent engagement, like travel or finance apps.

The WAU to MAU ratio is a handy way to gauge user retention and app stickiness. A high ratio suggests users are consistently engaged throughout the month. For example, Duolingo boosted its DAU by focusing on improving its Current User Retention Rate (CURR).

Analyzing trends in your WAU over time can reveal insights into user behavior. Combine this with other metrics like activation rates and cohort retention for a comprehensive view of engagement. Tools like Statsig can help you track these metrics effectively and make sense of the data.

Strategies to increase WAU and enhance engagement

Looking to boost your WAU? Here are some strategies that can help.

First up, personalized push notifications can effectively re-engage users without causing notification fatigue. Tailor notifications to user preferences and behavior to keep them relevant and valuable. Just be careful not to overdo it—nobody likes excessive or generic notifications that might prompt them to hit the mute button.

In-app messages customized to your user's needs can also maintain engagement and boost retention. Use data-driven insights to deliver timely, relevant messages that guide users toward key actions. Keep these messages concise, visually appealing, and aligned with where the user is in their journey.

Don't forget about email campaigns and deep linking—they can improve the user journey and overall experience. Segment your email lists based on user behavior and preferences to deliver targeted content. Using deep links to direct users to specific in-app locations reduces friction and enhances engagement.

Analyzing WAU trends and patterns can reveal valuable insights into how users are interacting with your app. Combine WAU metrics with other KPIs like retention rates and revenue to get a full picture of user engagement. Regularly monitoring and adjusting your strategies based on data-driven findings is key.

Finally, defining clear activation milestones that correlate with long-term retention is crucial for optimizing WAU. Focus on early lifecycle events that predict user retention, as highlighted in this activation rate article. Continuously refine and test your activation milestones to ensure they align with user behavior and your business goals.

At Statsig, we believe that understanding and leveraging metrics like WAU can significantly impact your app's success. By applying these strategies, you can enhance user engagement and drive growth.

Closing thoughts

Understanding and effectively monitoring Weekly Active Users (WAU) can make a huge difference in how you engage with your users and grow your app. By focusing on user engagement, analyzing trends, and implementing strategic initiatives, you can boost your WAU and retain more users.

To dive deeper into these concepts, check out our other resources. And if you're looking for a tool to help you track and understand your user metrics, consider giving Statsig a try.

Hope you found this helpful!