Developing an app may be easier than it once was, but this doesn’t mean that things can’t go wrong. Unless you’ve struck gold and you’ve come across an entirely original idea, it’s likely that you’ll be competing against similar apps to get as many downloads and users as possible.
So, how can attract as many users as you can and keep them coming back? By delivering the best experience possible. There are a number of ways you can do this, but the best place to start is during the development phase. As you’re laying the foundation of your app, there are so many moving parts that it can be hard to keep a track of everything.
This is why we’ve prepared this list of the most common mistakes made during the app development stages.
As you develop your app, you need to keep your future users in mind with every decision you make. As apps get better, peoples expectations only get higher, so try to give yourself the best start possible by putting your users.
Think of the most popular apps, they deliver exactly what their users are in a simple and easy fashion. How can replicate this ease of use for your customers?
If you haven’t done so already, ask yourself the following questions:
Answering these questions, and making sure these answers underpin the functions of your app. To make sure you’ve delivered on this, survey users at regular stages throughout the development process. Your app will and die by your users, make sure you look after them.
Just because your app isn’t finished, doesn’t mean you can’t start promoting it. After all, if no one knows about your app, how can expect them to download it? Many great ideas have never seen the light of day due them as a result of poor marketing. In the same vein, many ideas that weren’t great to begin with experienced unwarranted success thanks to the marketing they received.
Spread the word about your app as much as possible, even when it’s in the development phase. This will create a sense of anticipation for its upcoming release.
Have you tried to use an app that’s overloaded with too many features? It makes the app difficult and frustrating to use. This can turn users away from your app, causing some to abandon it entirely.
To avoid this, focus only on the functions and features that solve the problem your users are using your app. Then, build from there only if they improve the user experience and/or give them further value.
It’s always better to do one or two things perfectly, rather than 100 things in an average manner.
Testing is crucial for every app, especially during the development phase. If you don’t perform enough testing, you will fail to identify any bugs in your app and issues future users may face. Furthermore, without these tests, you may continue blindly in the wrong direction in terms of your app.
Don’t be afraid of testing. Use the results to your advantage, whether positive or negative, so you can deliver the best experience possible for your users.
At no stage during your app’s life should you ignore feedback. During the development phase, feedback allows you to make the app better. Ignoring this will mean you could miss flaws or unnecessary features that will harm your apps future performance. This feedback could be internal, from testing, or even from users. All of it provides some value – whether it’s highlighting a fault, or confirming that you’ve made the correct choice in one aspect or another.
An MVP is a minimum viable product – consider it as the foundation of your app. Think about a house and all the things that are part of it that make it a home – the furniture, the paint, the decoration, the appliances. However, before all of this can be added, you first need a house. Walls, doors, windows, a ceiling. Without these, it’s merely a strange collection of belongings exposed to the elements.
Your MVP is like the house before it becomes a home. All the essential aspects are assembled correctly. Even without all the other added bits – it can serve as a home, even though it may be less comfortable.
View your app in a similar fashion. Before you get excited about animations and colours and branding, does it serve its core purpose and have everything it needs to do so? This will be your MVP.
When it comes to developing your app, it can be so easy to get caught up in the excitement and pressure of your delivery. However, keep an eye out for these common mistakes and you’re to have a successful launch and better performance going forward!
