Keep an eye on the retention of users in these three periods.

Retention is not one simple idea. Retention is defined differently depending on how long a user has already been using your service or product. The reason why users stop using your product is different for fresh users and for veterans. That’s why you should have three separate metrics for three different periods, and keep eye on them.

1. *Initial retention period.*
   This is the period when a user becomes convinced to keep using your product or service. It’s usually between one week and 90 days, depending on the type of service.

2. *Medium retention period.*
   This is when the interest in a product’s novelty often fades. For users to stay active during this period, they must form habits of using your product or service.

3. *Long-term retention.*
   To keep people using your product in the long term, you must keep updating the features and refreshing the customers’ perceptions of the product as a must-have.