If you have a smartphone, you most likely have pages of mobile apps. There are the apps you use regularly for long periods of time, the ones you use but only momentarily and the “dead” apps that you use once in a while – but otherwise remain idle on your screen.

All enterprises and developers want their app to be the “go-to-app.” But in order to do so, you need to build an application that users remain loyal to. The more lasting value your app has for a consumer, the more likely they are to use it intensively.

According to Sarah Perez of TechCrunch and mobile analytics firm Flurry – the category of the app you develop (social, news, communication, photo, etc.) plays into consumer loyalty. Here are the highlights:

“Quadrant I: Apps that are used intensively and to which users remain loyal over time. News and communication apps appeared here as they have stable, growing audiences and are best positioned to generate ad revenu or charge a subscription, said Flurry. Consumers see these apps as having lasting value.
Quadrant II: Apps that are used intensively, for finite periods of time. These deliver their value in bursts and include streaming music, dating and social games. With dating apps, once they do as promised (get you into a relationship, that is), they’re no longer needed, for example.
Quadrant III: Apps that are used infrequently and have high churn. Personalization apps are found here (think: changing a background or homescreen wallpaper). Once setup is complete, they’re rarely used. These apps should have premium pricing models, says Flurry, in order to charge users before they access the content.
Quadrant IV: Apps used infrequently, but deliver high value when used. These apps stay on a user’s homescreen indefinitely. For example, airline, hotel or car rental booking apps aren’t constantly used, but their value increases when the user is traveling.”

Here is Flurry’s Infographic of the quadrants: