According to a recent study, over one quarter of all applications downloaded to smartphones are used once and then never touched again. This speaks volumes to the advice that moms have been giving their children for generations: You only get one chance at a first impression.

According to VentureBeat, the number crunchers at Localytics have surmised that 26 percent of all mobile applications go untouched by their purchasers after initial use. The figure includes applications downloaded to all current iOS devices, Blackberry and Android handsets, as well as to hardware running the relatively new Windows Phone 7 operating system. As a result of the study, both VentureBeat and Localytics conclude that in order for developers to realize long-term success, it might be best for them to pay less attention to the number of units they ship and focus on how how long and how often their customers are using their software. After all, ensuring that your customers are happy with what you have to offer is the best way to ensure they keep coming back for more.

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