The rising cost of acquiring mobile-app users is hitting devs like a hurricane

Every fall, the cost of acquiring mobile-app users rises like the wind. After a summer lull, this phenomenon happened again in September. The cost rose 34 percent from a year ago according to data collected by mobile-marketing firm Fiksu. The cost-per-loyal-user index, which measures the price of acquiring a user who opens an app at least three times, has hit an all-time high.

For small developers of games and apps, that wind is hitting like a hurricane. It drives up the costs of advertising and makes it even harder for the small folks to get noticed. Fiksu said that this year, the launch of the Apple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, as well as the unveiling of iOS 8, has driven demand for new mobile devices and enthusiasm for apps. You can expect a lot more marketing activity and higher costs per loyal users in the coming months.