How to Set Up Product Analytics From Day One

4 min readApr 4, 2025

Launching an app or game is just the beginning. If you want to grow, you need data.

That’s why analytics shouldn’t be an afterthought — it should be part of your product from day one. With the right setup, you’ll learn how users interact with your app, where they get stuck, what drives revenue, and what features they love.In this guide, we’ll walk you through why early analytics matters and how to implement it step by step using devtodev, a comprehensive analytics platform for apps and games.

Why Start Analytics Early?

Many teams put off analytics until they “have more users.” But here’s why that’s a mistake:

Optimize onboarding from the start — See where users drop off and fix it quickly.
Catch bugs or friction points — Analytics helps detect technical or UX issues early.
Measure marketing performance — Know where your users come from and what they do.
Set up monetization smartly — Even with a few paying users, you can test strategies.

Step 1: Install the Analytics SDK

Start by integrating devtodev’s SDK into your app. It works with iOS, Android, Unity, Godot, and more.

Setup is simple:

Pick your platform
Follow the step-by-step docs
Add the SDK to your app’s code

This starts collecting key user data automatically.

Step 2: Track Core Metrics That Matter

Once installed, devtodev starts tracking basic events. These will give you a strong foundation:

DAU (Daily Active Users) — See how many users engage daily
Retention (D1, D7, D30) — Measure user return rates
Session Length — Understand how long users stay
Conversion to Payment — If you offer purchases, this is keyUse built-in devtodev reports to view these metrics without extra setup.

Step 3: Build Onboarding Funnels

The first session is crucial. If a user drops off before finishing onboarding, you’ve lost them.

With devtodev, you can:

Build funnels showing step-by-step user progression
Analyze where users quit (e.g., at tutorial or sign-up)
Optimize onboarding based on real data

Step 4: Set Up Custom Events

Now go beyond the basics. Track what makes your product unique.

Examples:

Games: Store opens, quest starts, level completed
E-commerce: Add to cart, search used, item purchased
Dating: Profile liked, message sent

These events help answer key questions like:

What drives purchases?
What signals high-value users?
Where do users drop off?

Step 5: Segment & Funnel for Deeper Insight

With data in place, create custom funnels and user segments:

Payment Funnels — See how many users reach checkout but don’t convert
Churn Analysis — Find out who’s at risk of leaving
Monetization — Track IAPs, subscriptions, and ad revenue in one place

Want to go deeper? Use cohort analysis and push notifications to re-engage segments.

Step 6: Use Dashboards to Monitor Performance

Keep your finger on the pulse with dashboards:

Track DAU, revenue, retention at a glance
Set alerts for sudden metric changes
Share dashboards with your team

💡 Pro tip: Compare different app versions or A/B test results directly on dashboards.

Step 7: Scale with Advanced Tools

As your product grows, so can your analytics:
• A/B Testing — Optimize pricing, onboarding, and feature rollout
• LTV Prediction — Forecast user value early with devtodev’s ML-powered tools

Why Use devtodev?

Because it grows with you. Here’s what sets it apart:

Fast SDK setup
Ready-to-use and custom reports
Advanced monetization tools (IAP, IAA, subs)
SQL access for data pros
Built-in A/B testing
Predictive analytics
Push notification campaigns

Final Thoughts

The earlier you implement analytics, the better you can steer your product. Whether you’re launching a game or building a mobile app, analytics helps you optimize every step of the journey.

Want to start smart? Read a full article here.