In this mobile age, much of our lives are spent on and shaped by apps. With over five billion smartphone and tablet users in the world, an average user has 60 apps on their device. However, the majority of their time online is spent on only 18 apps. This huge disparity raises a lot of questions about app usage and user preference.
As of last year, there are almost five million apps available for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Hence, if you’re planning to build a new app, there’s a lot to consider in order to have a fighting chance amidst that growing number. Before you go back to the drawing board, read on to know what makes a great app.
1. App Store Optimization
The first major decision you have to make is choosing which platform to publish your app on. Different platforms have different elements. Their users also have different demographics, preferences, and behaviors. When it comes to app design and marketing strategy, your platform of choice will also inform the rest of your decisions.
For instance, social signals have no bearing for apps on iOS devices, but more importance is given to keywords. Knowing this, you should focus more on targeting relevant search terms because that’s going to be the one affecting your rankings. Doing proper research will allow you to market your app correctly.
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2. Less is More
Mobile apps are created to make our lives easier. An app is only considered good if it actually satisfies a need or adds value to our daily lives. However, this doesn’t mean that you should come up with a jack-of-all-trades. Instead, focus on one problem that you want to solve.
Users want easy and quick solutions for their daily struggles, so your app should be simple but effective. You can add advanced features or modify existing functions in future versions, but you should always start with the basics.
3. Feel-Good Experience
The success of your app largely depends on how users feel about it. Ideally, the user experience should be as friendly as possible that even older or technologically-challenged people can use your app. This means having a clear, easy, and smooth navigation system.
There are many platforms through which you can learn the ins and outs of user experience. If your app is too complicated, users will be discouraged from using it, no matter how functional it may be.
4. Functionality Over Design
Having a visually appealing user interface is good as long as it doesn’t hinder your app’s performance. Adding too many buttons, arrows, colors, and other visual elements may slow down the app and even cause it to crash.
You must always prioritize the app’s core functions to make sure it operates smoothly and doesn’t have any latency. This can be possible through beta testing before launching it.
5. Free For Basic
As much as possible, make your app free to download. This is a smart marketing strategy to attract potential users. The more users try out your app, the greater visibility your app will gain on the store. Once you’ve reeled in users, excellent user experience and user interface are what will make them stay. That’s when you can start making a profit.
You can incorporate ads or in-app purchases in later versions. If users are satisfied enough with the app’s performance, they’ll be more than willing to pay for such things.
Get Featured
A successful app is one that makes a user feel that they have more power in their hands. Functionality, usability, and price are users’ top priorities when deciding which apps will stay on their devices for good. Pay close attention to these features so you’ll have higher chances of landing a spot on the app stores’ ‘top apps’ or ‘best new apps’ list.