What Makes a Successful Mobile App?
You’ve come up with a brilliant mobile app idea and you want to develop it and make it popular. It is relatively easy to get an app idea off the ground and into the hands of users. In fact, a good developer will include you in every stage of the app’s creation and planning, and you’ll appreciate the end result. It’s important that you bear in mind though, that even some of the best-designed apps go unacknowledged and ignored.
These incredible apps are buried among a million other applications and lost in the app stores that are milling out apps by the thousands. So what do you have to do to ensure the success of your app? Are there things you can do to prevent your app from being lost in the deepest recesses of a virtual app store? Yes! Check out some of the following solutions below.
Simplify Your Login
The minute your user downloads your app and launches it on a mobile device, the first thing they encounter is a sign in or login option and/or a menu page. You need to make app access a simple as possible. Today’s mobile users are impatient and their attention span is limited. Apps need to offer near-immediate gratification, otherwise, it is likely you will lose the attention of the user as they move onto some other app that will offer instant satisfaction. Social media integration is definitely recommended here as with a few taps of some icons and the user of your app is in and ready to access your content or play the game you have created.
Typically, new app users do not care about having to go through all the fuss of creating a user identification and password, and then verifying everything by email before being able to enter the application. If you are going to have a log-in option with a user id and password, at minimum give your user the option to sign up using social media integrated features as well.
Market Your App
The only way you are going to attract downloads is if you put every effort into app promotion. Through marketing, you can introduce the app to your target audience; track downloads, and monitor the success of your marketing campaigns. Marketing also allows you to tell users what your app offers, how they can use it, and how it will benefit the user.
Do not make the mistake of thinking that marketing starts only after the app is completed. In fact, you need to market the mobile app pre-launch. You can use some people to beta test the app and allow them to generate a buzz about the application via word of mouth and social media.
Create a webpage and make it the official page of the app where users can download the app and access any new updates in the future. Use the page to share your story (consumers love a back-story) and tell them what inspired the app. Write about the development process. The more you can connect with your users the better.
Social Media Sharing
Social Media is just a part of online marketing now. You can create an official page for the app and invite friends to like the page. You can use the page to make announcements about the app, discuss changes to it, and to advertise it to others. Users can like your page and share it with others. It is a super fast way to spread the word about your app and what it offers.
When you use social media outlets, you can offer users incentives and you can even reward them for sharing your information and posts. Reward them for inviting the people they know to your page, and you will get more organic “likes” then you can imagine. Add a function within the app where users can share the app with friends on social media too; it is a simple way to get people to share with others.
Simplify the Entire App
The interface of your app needs to be flawless. You want to keep things neat, nicely designed, clean, and smooth. Always remember you have impatient users who will drop your app like a bad habit if it is not visually appealing and easy to use. At any given moment, if your application makes the user feel like they are inconvenienced, aggravated, or even cheated, they will remove your app. Even worse, they may give you bad feedback and spread bad messages about your app via word of mouth. What this means is the simplicity of your application is at the heart of your app’s success and your reputation.
Make the features the user will use the most the easiest to access. Present the functions in a prominent area of the app. Make everything about the app obvious and intuitive. If you have an app you are creating that is based on a website and the user is already accustomed to the online experience associated with the website, they will expect the app to deliver a similar experience. Make sure your app and website line up in terms of functionality as much as it is possible to do so.
Landscape or Portrait
Ahhh…the blessed “dual-orientation” on many mobile devices: Users either love it or hate it, there really is no in-between. When you are developing an app, you have to consider dual-orientation as well. How does the app look in landscape mode? How does it look in portrait mode? Where is everything Located? Is everything easy to access in both modes? Are all the gestures the user has to make to operate the app smooth and easy? Make sure your dual-orientation factors are user-friendly.
Final Iteration
Final Iteration? The truth is, there isn’t one. When you have an app you’ll want to update it regularly. You may have to debug it, create new versions, add new features, and regularly update it so it remains compatible with mobile devices. Keeping your app current and giving the user new elements will improve the likelihood of your app’s long-term success.
Useful article: Tips on How to Choose a Successful Name for Your App
