2020 has brought mobile app usage to an all-time high
Mobile usage has been steadily growing since the introduction of smartphones. The first smartphone was created by IBM in 1992, and Apple released its first iPhone in 2007. 10 years ago when the smartphones began to gain more and more popularity, people used their phones 12 hours per week. Now, they use them 24 hours per week, and this year there is a significant increase. The number of hours people are spending on mobile apps every month has grown more than 25% over a year – this growth can be explained by the pandemic. And it is not surprising that people are using their mobile phones more than ever before.
Do you need to do something about this?
This rise should be thought-provoking for you. Is your app good enough? Does your app engage users? What is the rating of your app? Should you make some changes?
It’s a good idea to make an analysis, and this analysis starts with a thorough understanding of your users. An app without any users is functionally useless. The surest way to recruit, engage and retain users is through a user experience. Users’ wants and needs change through time, that’s why it is crucial to be aware of their behaviour and way of thinking.
“OK, it seems like there IS a lot I can do to help my users better”
So, let’s review ways to connect with your clients and how to engage them effectively.
Listen to your users
To make sure that the performance of your app rises, you have to maintain the relationship with your audience. And the essential part of any relationship is communication. Do you know for sure that your users are happy with your product? If you’re unsure of how your users feel about your app, there are a few things you can do to find out.
User reviews
Comments and opinions about your app can provide detailed feedback on ways to make your product better for your users. However, If the reviews aren’t detailed, you can check your social media – you search your app’s name and see what conversations are happening.
App analytics
Which features of your app your users use the most? Do they use all features? How much time do users spend on your app? In what time of day they are least and most active? There’s no denying the numbers. Looking at the analytics can reveal hidden opportunities or features that can be let go. That’s why it’s crucial to occasionally check them.
Be creative
It’s a good idea to do a survey, ask your audience on social media, or ask for feedback within the app. Furthermore, that is a great way to show your users, and potential users, that you care about them and value their insight.
When you’ve gathered your data, you can start thinking about the changes you want to implement.
Keep in mind when you’ve made these adjustments, it’s good to perform user testing to ensure that these changes are the right solution.
Improve your design
A mobile app design is the first thing people see when they download your app. If the design is stunning and easy to use, there’s a heart chance that people will be more engaged.
User Interface
The UI design of a mobile application includes the look and feel of the app; this means how your application interacts with its users. So, the user interface is the graphical layout of an application. It consists of the buttons users click on, the text they read, the images, sliders, text entry fields, and all the rest of the items the user interacts with.
User Experience
User’s experience of the app is determined by how they interact with it. Is the experience smooth and intuitive or confusing? Does navigating the app feel logical? User experience is determined by how easy or difficult it is to interact with the user interface elements that the UI designers have created.
Try to stay on top of the trends
The mobile industry is one of the most dynamic industries – every week there seems to be a new announcement, new product or software update.
For some organisations who haven’t launch an app before, releasing one means entering unfamiliar territory. Keeping up with both – the app world and your industry is essential to staying competitive.
App industry
Your app won’t be competitive, or even useful if it’s out of date. Falling behind on system updates can compromise your app’s functionality.
It’s beneficial to pay attention to announcements from Apple and Google. Both hold events to help designers, developers and app owners stay innovative and competitive on their platforms. At these events, the companies announce what each update means for users and app owners.
Your Industry
Apart from the app industry news, you should be aware of your industry. Make sure you know how your competition is doing. You should check how your app stands up against others in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Browse other apps and see their rankings and customer feedback. In what areas you can be better than your competition? Try to ask yourself: “Why would someone pick my app over the closest competitor’s?” Your answer will help to identify your app’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, and you will know what to do next.
Be agile in a changing world
We have all seen the world change this year, and people’s needs and expectations have shifted. The main takeaway from 2020, it’s that things can change, and they change in an instant. The shift in the state of the world affected people’s habits and mobile use. Making sure your app can adapt to changes like this will be essential in creating an agile, scalable and sustainable product.
Considering the speed at which the world and technology are evolving, if your app is stagnant, it’s falling behind and will fail. The above steps are helpful, but they aren’t a quick fix. What’s crucial here is setting a plan to check on key criteria to make sure the app is still performing and to identify areas which need improvement.
Continue performing user tests. Continue learning about the latest app advancements and competitors in your field. Continue listening to what’s happening in the world around you.
And most importantly…
…always remember that:
Whoever brings the most value wins!
Eden Tech Labs is a software development agency that focuses on building lasting user experiences and great relationships between people and technology. Let us know if you have any questions about your app idea or project and we’ll do our best to help you.
