The mobile app consumer market continues to strengthen. According to recent statistics, in October 2011, 2.6 billion applications were downloaded from the two most important stores, Apple and Android, and for December of this year, the forecast amounts to 3 billion downloads per month. The revolution continues across all major mobile milestones, including the number of apps currently available. Apple accounts for over 500,000 with Android quickly closing the gap at 350,000.

For companies that are already involved in the digital medium and those that are undecided, this insatiable appetite brings many opportunities. With analysts and experts anticipating continued demand for smartphones and tablets, the digital medium represents a new frontier for monetizing and nurturing customer relationships. At the same time, the frantic race to enter the mobile app market brings challenges. While the rate of downloads is staggering, the number of apps removed from smartphones and tablets is even more staggering. Yes, retention after the first month of use can be lousy for many apps, but for those that survive, customer engagement skyrockets.

So what is the difference between retained and discarded apps? Simply put, quality matters.

The first half of the quality equation is content. Digital content must be meaningful and useful to meet the high expectations of smart app users or they will move on. If the app’s information is poorly conveyed or fails to deliver on its promise to provide easier and more engaging information than can be found elsewhere, the app has little chance of surviving.

The other half of the equation is the technology used to create, implement and support the development of mobile applications. In this dynamic vertical, technology must be truly tried and tested. Unlike building websites, mobile app technology must simultaneously speak multiple languages ​​and operate on four different operating platforms. Compare that to development on the World Wide Web where there is a universal language on one platform. Another key component is that technology must have the ability to evolve as new features and functionality are constantly being developed. Additionally, there is a future proofing requirement as every 90 days there is a significant hardware and/or operating system change in the smartphone and tablet market. Here’s another way to look at it. The result of using the wrong technology is that despite the quality and engaging content that is packed into the mobile app, if it breaks once or fails, it will be discarded.

The mobile app vertical is still in its infancy, so finding the right formula to become an important part of the end-user experience is part of the journey. Fortunately, there are some who already master the formula, and due to increasing competition, quality apps will eventually become the norm.