Since the arrival of smartphones and mobile devices such as tablets, phone applications have become one of the most important tools for businesses to use. There are currently over 2 million apps on the Google Play and App Stores, and a recent study by Statista found that users are spending between 43 minutes to 181 minutes per day on a wide range of applications. This volume of apps is the exact reason why businesses must get it right when it comes to designing their applications, because the competition is so high that users are more than happy to look for better options if they are not happy. So what is it that makes a great app? Let’s take a look.
Mobile Friendliness
Even if a website is mobile optimized they can still present many challenges to the user in terms of navigation and general use. Take a banking app for example, it can be tricky to see all of that information about balances and statements when you are on the mobile site, because the information and menus are just too small. A banking app therefore can solve this issue by presenting it in an easy-to-use portal, with higher quality and larger fonts. A casino app like Novibet has the same issues, a mobile optimized site which features so much information that the options are small and tough to find. In this case the app is able to pack that info into pop-up menus rather than forcing the user to zoom in and out. The key of a business app is to solve the issues around the use of their website from mobile.
Simplicity
In a world with so much information and advanced technology it is very easy to forget that many customers just want simplicity. Look at the most popular app games for example, Angry Birds, Candy Crush Saga, Temple Run, these are games which offer the simplicity of a 1970s computer game. The same goes for any type of app which you are creating for your business and the end result should always be a simple, uncluttered and easy to use application.
Performance
If an app crashes, glitches or slows down as your customer is using it then you are going to be on the end of some negative reviews and your number of downloads will be affected. As mentioned before, there is just too much competition in this sphere and users don’t have the time to waste on a poorly made app. Once the design and usability have been completed to a high standard, the performance of the app is the next priority.
Smart Ads
Many app developers will earn revenue on their applications by placing in-app ads, a good way to monetize your free app. However you must ensure that these ads are not over the top and likely to frustrate the user. Some apps attempt to bombard their user with annoying ads and then offer them a paid-for ad-free version, this hasn’t shown very high levels of success amongst those who have done it, so be sure that you don’t get greedy when it comes to in-app advertising. For best results, use this ad space to market your own company and its deals and promotions.
Focus on beauty, speed, simplicity and a clean app which helps the user solve the challenges made find when using your business via mobile.
