If you want to create and market a successful mobile app, you must avoid the most common mistakes that app developers make, and really focus on nailing the fundamentals. That can be easier said than done, so this post is here to provide you with a little guidance.
Read on to discover seven crucial elements for creating and marketing successful mobile apps that you can use to better your chances of outdoing your competition.
1. Keep registration short and simple
The fewer chances you give people to change their mind, the more likely they are to actually start using the app. Youll want to make sure that it’s as easy as possible for users to set the app up.
According to Adweek, 77% of all eCommerce apps downloaded are registered, but only 2.1% are ever used to make a purchase. The takeaway is clear: something in the registration process turns people off. Simplify yours if you want your app to be a winner.
2. Improve your design
Once a customer does begin using your app, they should find its features easy and intuitive. You can accomplish this by creating a simple interface with attractive colors and other design features that draw the eye and make it easy for users to see important information.
Minimalist UI with complementary colors has been shown to improve user experience and increase retention rates. Having trouble picking complementary colors? Just look at a color wheel and choose colors that are on opposing sides.
3. Stay focused on specific features
You don’t want to run the risk of making your app too general. Consider taking an approach focused on linear user flow, which guides the user through a clear journey using specific prompts instead of overwhelming them with different (and potentially confusing) options.
4. Sweat the small stuff
It’s not enough to ensure that the main features of your app are user-friendly. You also need to think about the smaller functions and ensure they won’t interfere with a user’s experience. Every time you update (more on this shortly), be sure to test the minor and less noticeable parts of your app to make sure nothing has changed.
5. Gather customer feedback
Your team probably knows your app better than anyone else, but there’s such a thing as getting too close to your work. If you become emotionally attached to what you’re doing, you might lose track of the bigger picture and overlook things that would be obvious to an outsider. That’s why outside testing is a must before releasing your app to the world.
6. Keep it up to date
Once your app is out there, your work is over… right? Wrong. Competitive apps need to be updated on the reg (in fact, it’s not uncommon for successful apps to release automatic updates on a monthly—or even weekly—basis).
Updating your app frequently will keep it more secure, and prevent it from being made obsolete by competing apps. Keep in mind that 81% of respondents in a recent poll from TechBeacon said they would change their mobile app vendor if they felt that security was a concern; frequent updates can be very reassuring to your users.
7. Make sure your monetization strategy doesn’t get in the way of user experience
It’s important for your app to be profitable, but not at the expense of user experience. Ads that have nothing to do with the content you’re offering can annoy users to the point where they’ll lose interest.
Fix this by using ads that enhance your content—rewarded ads are one excellent example.
Creating, marketing, and profiting from mobile ads is not an easy task, but you can use this foundational knowledge to give yourself a big leg up on the competition. Refer to this guide often as you experiment with different strategies, and let us know what works best!