You want your app to be the best of the best. At Zudu, we’ve been designing and developing apps for years and have the awards to prove it. Whatever the size or scope of your project, most apps have some similarities. Below, we’ve put together those valuable traits and attributes so you can build an app worth talking about.
According to data from Geckoboard, mobile apps, on average, have a 30-day retention rate of 42% and a 90-day retention rate of 25% – so for every 100 people who download your app from the App Store, only 25 of them will be engaging with your software in three months. These metrics vary greatly from industry to industry, too – if you’re in gaming, for example, you can expect 90-day retention rates to be as low as 10%. To stand out and keep users on your side, think about these elements…
We all want an app as popular as Tinder or Facebook.
But the truth is, without billions of dollars to spend on marketing, you’re never going to have millions of users interacting with your software. That’s why it’s important to set realistic expectations and decide who you want to target when designing your app.
Break down your target market into groups, interests, jobs, occupations, locations, and more, and build the functionality and user interface around their needs.
It’s all well and good wanting to target “everyone”, but even the most generic consumer apps have a clear user persona in mind. Know who you want to use your app for and what problems you will solve. Here are some questions to get you started:
Another commonality of popular and successful apps is privacy. Consumers are more cautious about handing over their personal information than ever before, and as a brand, it’s up to you to show them why you can be trusted. According to a report from Tableau, 48% have stopped shopping with a company because of privacy concerns.
Try not to request too much information from customers during the onboarding process – not only will it make them feel like they’re giving away lots of information, but users don’t want to spend lots of time typing out forms. Keep it light, keep data out of harm’s way, and encourage good digital hygiene. Remind users to set strong passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and implement strong privacy protocols.
To build an app that makes a real difference and reaches the right people, you must put speed and stability at the fore. Imagine you launch your app on a Monday, and it goes viral on Tuesday – could your app cope, or would you be forced to take it down due to server overloads? Users value stability, and you only get one chance to make a first impression.
Spend time with your developers to beta test, stress test, and soft launch, and have the right support teams in place so that issues can be resolved and questions answered. Speed is also essential – invest in the right development tools, servers, and stacks so that your app is fast, responsive, and does the job. If your app is slow, convoluted or unreliable, users won’t stick around and might leave negative reviews.
Good apps have one thing in common: an attractive design. With so many apps on the market right now, yours must look fresh, bold, but familiar: use the language of the operating system you’re building for and don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Adapt your app for different screen sizes (including tablets) and put usability first. The text should be readable at any screen resolution; content should flow and look good in portrait or landscape mode, and the app should serve as an extension of your brand.
The world’s biggest apps aren’t just available in Scotland. They’re sold worldwide and localised for different markets. If you’re investing thousands of pounds in development, it makes sense to offer your app in different languages. Just 17% of the world’s population speaks English. If you want to take your business into new countries and territories, simply localising your app with a translator makes that possible. Remember that any support documents should also be offered in other languages. You may also need to train a native-speaking customer representative if your app takes off.
If you’re looking for support building a good app, Zudu has you covered. Give us a call on 01382 690080 to find out more and arrange a consultation with the team.
