glossary
CVR (Conversion Rate)
CVR (Conversion Rate) measures how many users who clicked your ad actually converted. In mobile gaming UA, that usually means installs. The math is simple: (conversions / clicks) × 100.
Quick Definition
CVR (Conversion Rate) measures how many users who clicked your ad actually converted. In mobile gaming UA, that usually means installs. The math is simple: (conversions / clicks) × 100.
What is CVR?
Conversion Rate tells you if your ad promise matches what users find when they click.
High CVR means your ad set the right expectation. Users clicked, saw what they expected, and converted.
Low CVR means something broke between the click and the action. Maybe your store page didn’t match the ad. Maybe the offer wasn’t clear. Maybe the UX was terrible.
In mobile gaming, CVR typically tracks installs from clicks. You’re measuring how many people who clicked your playable ad or video ad actually downloaded the game.
CTR gets clicks. CVR gets installs. Both matter.
How to Calculate CVR
The formula:
CVR = (Conversions / Clicks) × 100
Example: Your playable ad gets 1,000 clicks and generates 50 installs.
CVR = (50 / 1,000) × 100 = 5%
5% of people who clicked actually installed. That’s your conversion rate.
Types of Conversions
Post-Click Conversions User clicks the ad, goes to the store, installs. This is standard CVR in mobile gaming UA.
Post-Impression Conversions User sees the ad but doesn’t click. Later, they search for your game and install. Harder to track, but attribution platforms try.
Post-Install Conversions After install, you track deeper actions. Tutorial completion. First purchase. Level 10 reached. These aren’t CVR. They’re LTV signals.
Most UA teams focus on click-to-install CVR. It’s the clearest signal of ad quality and store page effectiveness.
CVR vs CTR
CTR (Click-Through Rate) measures how many people clicked your ad.
CVR (Conversion Rate) measures how many of those clickers converted.
You need both. High CTR with low CVR is a red flag. It means your ad is interesting but misleading. You’re burning budget on clicks that don’t convert.
High CVR with low CTR means your ad isn’t compelling enough, but the people who do click are converting. Improve creative to get more clicks.
Strong campaigns convert both ways. Attention and action. The ad attracts and the store delivers.
How to Improve CVR
Match your ad to your store page If your playable shows fast-paced combat, your store screenshots should too. Misalignment kills CVR.
Simplify the path to install Every extra tap or decision point drops CVR. Make the install button obvious.
Test different store creatives Your ad creative might be great, but if the store page doesn’t reinforce it, CVR suffers. Test screenshots, videos, and descriptions.
Segment by traffic quality Not all clicks are equal. Premium placements often have higher CVR because the audience is more engaged. Cheap clicks from questionable ad networks tank CVR.
Speed matters Slow load times kill CVR. If your store page takes too long to load, users bounce.
A 1-2% CVR improvement at $100K/month spend? Thousands saved or gained.
Common Mistakes
Ignoring CVR and only optimizing CTR You can have a 10% CTR, but if CVR is 0.5%, you’re wasting money. Balance both.
Not testing store page variations Most teams obsess over ad creative and ignore the store. CVR happens at the store. Test it.
Blaming the ad network when CVR is low Sometimes it’s the network. Often it’s your store page, your targeting, or your ad-to-store mismatch.
Assuming industry averages apply to you E-commerce CVR averages 2-3%. B2B lead gen conversion rates typically land between 2-5%, with steep variance by industry. Mobile gaming varies widely by genre, platform, and traffic source. These figures also shift meaningfully by region and traffic source, so find your own baseline and improve from there.
Related Terms
- CTR (Click-Through Rate) – How many people clicked your ad
- CPI (Cost Per Install) – What you pay per install
- ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) – Revenue generated per dollar spent
- Creative Fatigue – When ad performance drops over time
- LTV (Lifetime Value) – Total revenue a user generates
External Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s a good CVR for mobile games?
Depends on genre, platform, and traffic source. Casual games on iOS tend to convert meaningfully higher than hardcore titles from quality traffic. Set your own baseline and optimize from there.
Why is my CVR dropping over time?
Could be creative fatigue, audience saturation, or seasonal shifts. If your CTR holds steady but CVR falls, the problem is likely your store page or targeting, not the ad.
Should I optimize for CVR or CTR first?
Neither directly. Optimize for CPI or ROAS. CVR and CTR are diagnostic metrics that show you where performance is breaking, not the end goal itself.
Does high CVR always mean good performance?
Not always. You could see 30% CVR on 10 clicks, which is 3 installs. If those clicks cost $50 each, your CPI is still terrible. CVR matters, but it’s not the whole story.
