5 Keys to Developing Great Mobile Apps
Did you know that mobile adoption is growing at least 8 times faster than traditional web adoption in the 1990s? So, being able to visit a page through a dedicated mobile application is very important in marketing terms too. Unfortunately, there is a myth that all apps are effective and highly engaging. Nothing could be further from the truth. To make sure that yours is headed in the right direction, let’s look at five tried-and-tested principles that should always be taken into consideration during its design.
People Are Busy
This should already be a foregone conclusion. Translated into the world of the mobile app, this essentially means that the user will not have a great deal of time (or the willpower) to remember a password or a certain sequence of steps. Some of the best apps in the world can be accessed anywhere at any time with the simple click of a button. Should the app be difficult to get into, it will likely remain in a dusty corner of one’s homepage and as a result, the site and its offers will not be accessed as frequently. Simplicity is key.
Brevity is the Soul of Wit
Mobile accounts for approximately half of web traffic worldwide and continues to increase. This trend shows no signs of slowing down; hence any mobile application has a very real selling power today. What should this mean to you in marketing terms?
This: Your content should be delivered efficiently, aka. in a QUICK way.
It’s not a secret that a slow loading website will receive few visitors due to the fact that we live in a “now or never” society. The same principle holds true for the humble mobile application.
The message, product or service that you are trying to send needs to be accessed quickly – as soon as possible when the user opens your application and the user should be quickly taken to the most relevant page.
People can (and will) make mistakes when it comes to complex tasks. Make it easy for them. Keep It Simple: Design your app around simplicity and easy integration.
All About the Brand
Keep the brand in mind when designing the app. It should mirror the company logo, incorporate the same colors and exhibit the same “feel” as the website in question. Think of this principle much in the same way as any traditional marketing campaign. The most successful brands are the ones whose logos can be recognized in an instant.
Imagine Coca-Cola, Apple and Facebook and how quickly consumers recognize their logos. Your app needs to mirror this very same notion.
To put it another way, let’s imagine that you enter into a supermarket. Which product are you most likely to purchase; the one with a great logo that is easily discerned or the generic box in the corner? The answer here is clear, isn’t it?
Clarity
Your app should quickly and clearly guide the potential customer to the “meat” of your presentation, website interaction and sales. People are indecisive especially when they are on the run or taking a quick lunch break before heading back to the office.
Thus, the app should have a clear navigation, making it super easy for the visitor to land in the right place.
Not all users will arrive at the same result/page simply because this is what you as a marketer wish them to do.
Here is an example: Should the application be directed to the homepage of a flower business, the page should clearly state the benefits of its service and there should be a clear link directly to the purchase page.
All “fluff” should be removed.
Remember that.
An app is just as much about pragmatism as it is about flashy branding.
Allow the User to Interact
This has actually been one of the guiding principles of website design since the “ancient days” of the 1990s.
To put it simply, visitors learn best by doing things. Enable the application to allow them to explore, navigate and investigate what the site and the product both have to offer. A sequence of steps set in virtual stone can be a turn-off and ultimately, a potential customer could very well be sacrificed. The longer an application is able to hold the attention of an individual, the more likely he or she will be to take the next step and become a customer.
All seasoned Internet marketers are aware of the importance of the mobile application. Still, it is amazing that there are countless platforms (both large and small) that still have yet to embrace the suggestions mentioned in this article. These tips are all based upon solid research and as this market continues to expand, you can only expect that the role of m-commerce will increase exponentially.
Why not stay ahead of the curve as opposed to being left in its wake?
