Nowadays, mobile apps might be the most important elements of the social network’s future. We can say with confidence that the future of mobile apps is now!
The user experience and interface of a mobile app play a considerable role in separating it from its competitors. The design of your app impacts its usability and performance across every platform (whether Google or Apple App Store). That’s why it’s extremely important to create an app that elevates the user experience.
Here are some essential tips to help you develop a successful mobile app and improve the end user experience.
Create your own strategy! Be smart!
Do not rush! One of the main reasons mobile apps fail is poor planning and lack of strategy.
Usually, people tend to dive head-first into their mobile app creation without no strategy or clue about the process. In this case, very important factors in the success of the app could be dismissed.
Research is the key!
Define your app’s goals, think about the problems that might appear and the expectations of end users.
Analyze your competitors!
Nowadays, there are numerous apps serving the same purposes. That’s why analyzing your competition represents the best way to kick off your project. When researching other apps, check out the following metrics: number of installs, company history, star rating or reviews.
Know your target audience
For a successful app, you need to define a specific target demographic that you will cater to. Useful metrics: age, gender, location, hobbies.
Monetize your app
This is something you can do to make your app even better for your business.
Here are some viable ways to help you monetize your app: in-app purchases, sponsorships, ad revenue, crowdfunding, traditional paid ads. Just find out what your target audience usually pays for online and use it as a starting point!
User interface and user experience
Although both UI and UX overlap in many aspects, they have different functions.
While UX is about enhancing customers’ satisfaction level by offering optimal app usability and a smooth experience, UI defines how your app looks and behaves visually (animations and such).
They both play a huge part in the overall perceived quality of your app.
Focus on the aesthetics of your app!
Choose the right colors and throw in some animations (but don’t go overboard with animations) and other little things that might make your app stand out from the rest. For example, lately, the trend is to use a single color with black and white fonts. You can also customize the color scheme to be set by the user.
Also, you should consider navigation and placement. Navigation should be consistent and obvious, by using proper signifiers and elements.
Affordances and signifiers are also crucial while designing an intuitive and user-friendly mobile app. The concept of affordances will help you fully understand the relationship between the human mind and technology. While affordance is a function, signifiers hint at affordance. A simple example: a red, underlined text indicates that clicking on it will take you elsewhere. Use signifiers correctly to simplify the user experience!
Test your app before launch!
Take the time to “proofread” your app – this one is a major step!
It will help you find minor or major problems that might get your app rejected, saving you tons of time in the long run. Can help you avoid getting bad reviews, poor ratings or uninstalls!
Defining MPV
In a previous article, we discussed in detail about MVP [Simple steps to a successful Minimum Viable Product].
Briefly said, in this case, MVP represents a testable product that will help you collect data and user feedback at an early stage. Based on the feedback you can improve exponentially your app.
Most used programming languages for mobile app development:
PHP
Originally developed for websites, nowadays with PHP you will be able to create all types of mobile apps.
Also, PHP can be considered for many other uses as well such as creating GUI, create Facebook apps, content management systems, creating PDFs, code project management tools, etc.
Javascript
Creating mobile apps with Javascript is possible, but on one condition: it has to be used with CSS, HTML and Ajax.
There are several frameworks that can be used to create a professional JavaScript app such as PhoneGap/Cordova, Angular JS and Ionic, as we mentioned in our previous article.
Python
This one offers dynamic typing and dynamic binding option so it’s highly attractive in the field of app development.
Python helps developers in reading and translating code much easier than any others languages and it also reduces the cost of program maintenance and development.
Java
Java is the most used app development language.
Developers complete most projects in Java followed by Ruby.
Java is the most suitable mobile app development language because it runs on all the platforms including the all-famous Android.
C#
Known as C sharp, you can create pretty much anything in C# ranging from server applications to web services to games to mobile apps and more. If you’re planning to develop a game app, C# is one of the best languages to go for since it is supported by Unity3D.
In order to build a successful mobile app, you need some experts by your side. If you are looking for developers to design a compelling app for your target users than feel free to contact us!