When creating a business mobile app development strategy, your team needs to do some research before embarking on a project. After all, there’s a lot that goes into creating a successful application that offers business solutions for the market you’re targeting. In order to ensure a smooth development process, it’s critical to avoid some common mistakes that could sabotage your company’s app.
App Development Errors: Not Considering the User’s Needs
You may think you have a good idea of what your users need, but you won’t know for sure until you do some research. Study what the market requires of an app in your particular field, including the problems you’re looking to address and how your app will solve them. Consider what your competitors are doing, but don’t simply create a copycat app to cash in on a trend.
Mobile app analytics are especially useful in this situation as they can give you valuable insight into your target audience and whether your app will land well with them. These analytics can help you determine whether or not you’re on the right track with your business mobile app development.
If you’re developing an enterprise app for use within your company, you’ll want to consider the daily work environment and how your app can streamline important work processes for employees. The first step is to get an idea of what these work processes are and how you can improve them.
To ensure your app stands out from the crowd and engages tech savvy users, consider incorporating cutting-edge technology into your app. Some of the most innovative apps today implement technology such as augmented reality, natural language processing and virtual reality, which add another layer of sophistication to your application.
App Development Mistake: Not Considering Hybrid vs. Native
Different people use different mobile platforms. For example, younger, more tech savvy users are generally more likely to use iOS. As such, if you are developing a native app, you will need to carefully consider whether to develop for iOS or Android, depending on your target audience.
Alternatively, you can cover all your bases by developing a hybrid app that works on multiple platforms. The great thing about hybrid apps is you only have to write the code once, but you end up with an app that can be distributed to multiple platforms. You won’t sacrifice speed to make it happen and you can expand the scope of your business and reach more users. A hybrid app can also save time and money versus developing two native apps at once, which will set you back in terms of resources. So, before beginning development, be sure to consider the issue of native vs. hybrid and, if you choose hybrid, which platform to target.
Common App Mistake: Poorly Executed Features
App users want strong features that are intuitive and logical. Are you implementing push notifications and reminders? Are these elements unobtrusive enough that user experience is not negatively affected? Is it easy to make payments on your app? You’ll want to consider questions such as these.
Every feature in your app should serve a purpose, as adding too many features will only clutter your interface and push users away. When creating an app, consider the core purpose of your app and precisely what features and functionalities will support that overarching goal.
Beta testing is an effective way to determine which features are working for your users and which are not panning out as you hoped. It can help you identify pain points and bugs in your app, allowing you to make adjustments before your app goes live.
Don’t Harm UI With a Clunky Interface
Going hand-in-hand with selecting the right features is guaranteeing that your user interface (UI) is easy to use and includes helpful tools that enhance the app’s core purpose. One good way of knowing if your user interface is up to par is by considering whether it has visual clues that aid the functionality of your app. Most apps are designed around images rather than plain text, so visual clues will only enhance your app while relying solely on text could reduce user satisfaction. Visual clues could include icons that represent the different links and buttons within your app or interactive elements within your app such as augmented reality to make your services and products jump off the page in a visceral manner.
As far as visual clues go, there’s still a lot that could go wrong as they could look poor or subpar based on user perceptions. When this happens, a developer with a keen eye for artistry is your friend in helping you create a user interface that steers clear of a generic appearance.
In addition, implement text along with your visuals. Doing so will reduce the chances of confusing your users with a clunky interface as text and images can complement each other in your app. An example would be introducing a clickable icon that takes you to a section in the app that is described by text, such as a cash symbol that links to the payment functionality.
Don’t Let Your App UI/UX Suffer From Insufficient Testing
The testing phase is an imperative part of the development process. After all, releasing an app with bugs and flaws will hurt your product, your reputation and your revenue stream. Testing will help you find any problems with the app, eliminate bugs and tighten the app’s overall design.
Test the app on as many popular devices as possible, as there are many smartphones on the market today. Use every tool at your at your disposal during testing, including performing open beta testing to get feedback from a large group.
There are many moving pieces when creating a mobile app, and one of your prime focuses is doing your homework and garnering a good idea of what your users want. Avoiding common mistakes is critical to ensuring your users are satisfied with a top product that will increase your bottom line and improve your company’s market share. But there’s one more essential element in the equation: choosing a top developer.
If you’re hoping to optimize your business mobile app development, you will need a developer with the talent and experience to help you achieve your goals. The 7T team has perfected the craft of creating an app that reaches your target users with a lean and mean user interface. We’re also well-versed in emerging technologies, including virtual reality, blockchain, artificial intelligence and natural language processing.
7T is headquartered in Dallas, but we also serve clients in Austin, Houston, and beyond. If you’re ready to discuss your project, we invite you to contact us today.