Mobile apps are a major part of how people interact with and consume digital media with the number of people using smartphones growing all the time. The app ecosystem is even playing more of a role in search now.

There’s never been a better time to have a mobile app and get consumers to put it on their devices. That’s easier said than done, of course, and even if you do manage to get people to download it, there’s a very good chance they won’t keep it.

Yahoo has a new study out looking at what makes people replace the apps on their phones.

“As the app ecosystem continues to grow exponentially, app replacement has become a huge issue for developers looking to increase retention rates,” a spokesperson for the company tells WebProNews.

According to the company, apps are replaced by nearly half of all smartphone dominant users every week.

“To help developers and app marketers understand how they can avoid the replacement cycle and how to prevent it, Yahoo took a deep dive into this phenomena to analyze the behavior of smartphone users in the U.S. between the ages of 13-64,” the spokesperson says. “The report, released today, yields some interesting insights in regards to app longevity, drivers of app downloads, and the future of the app ecosystem.”

It found that “app clear outs” tend to be performed at least once or twice monthly as boredom often triggers deletion. In other words, your app needs to remain relevant.

Here’s a look at general prompts for downloading a new app:

“Utilize advertising to reinvigorate app usage, as half of users would re-start using an app due to an ad,” the spokesperson says. “Optimize your presence to deliver on relevancy for the consumer, who is open to discovery via searching app stores. Encourage reviews and ratings, and set the right pricing.”

“With the rapid adoption of larger phablet devices, the use of content apps has increased significantly. Make sure your apps are optimized to make the most out of a larger screen.”

You can find the full report here.

Images via Thinkstock, Yahoo