
You should know who will use your app before you start making it. You wouldn't start a business without knowing your market and the same goes for apps.
First think about who your current customers are and how they do business with you. You want to make an app that helps them not makes things harder. Surveys and analytics tools can be very useful here. They help make profiles based on what people like and do. If you own a coffee shop for instance do your customers like being able to order ahead of time so they can pick it up quickly? Or maybe they want an app that gives them rewards for being loyal? Pew Research can help you find out how people are using their phones more and more.
Think about what problems your customers are having right now. Can an app speed things up make them easier or make them more fun? If you make sure that your app's features meet your customers' needs you're already ahead of the game when it comes to getting them to connect with you on a deeper level.
Make sure your audience can easily get what they want now that you know what it is. Talking to an old friend should be as easy as using your app's layout and design.
UI design is the art of making things look good and work well at the same time. You might be surprised at how a simple clean design keeps people coming back. Users don't need a manual to get around if the UI is well designed. Nielsen Norman Group says that users should be able to finish tasks in as few steps as possible.
Think about design patterns you already know. Icons should be clear buttons should be easy to tap and text should be easy to read on small screens. Testing often is a good idea you could say it's like user behavior analytics on steroids. Have a group of beta testers use your app and tell you what they think. This stage of development can save your business a lot of time and money by finding problems before they affect a lot of people.
When was the last time someone got excited about a solution that worked for everyone? When you personalize apps they can really shine. You can make the user experience more personal by using data and analytics to learn what each person likes.
Imagine how great it would be to have an app that remembers what you've bought in the past suggests similar items or sends you special deals on things you've looked at recently. That's not just an app that's personal care. Ninety percent of the top marketers who use Think with Google say that personalization has a big effect on how much money a business makes.
Push notifications and in app messaging are very helpful in this case. They can gently nudge users based on what they do or magical milestones. What is the key? Significance. Customers can see spam from a long way away. If you use notifications to give real value you'll turn people who only use your service once in a while into loyal customers.
Who doesn't like a good deal? You can use loyalty programs to keep track of points and also to meet new people. If you use them right in your app they can turn people who have never used it before into regular customers.
You can use your app to keep track of purchases and give loyal customers special benefits like discounts exclusive access or other perks. Take a look at brands like Starbucks which lets users earn points by making purchases through the app and then easily redeem them. According to a study in the Harvard Business Review customers who feel emotionally connected to a brand are more than twice as valuable as customers who are very happy with it.
Come up with something new like an in app currency badges or a rewards system with levels. But remember that it's very important to be open. Users need to know how the loyalty program helps them in order to see its value.
Your app's journey doesn't end when it's released it just starts. You should keep an eye on how well your app works and how people use it just like you would with any other business plan.
Look at important numbers like the number of new users the number of users who stay and the number of users who leave. Take feedback into account and make changes to your app. You should fix bugs crashes or features that are hard to understand right away. Like businesses apps need to keep up with the times and what users want.
Tools like Google Analytics for Mobile Apps can help you find useful information. If you keep people up to date they will trust you and stay loyal to you.
Willis business owners your app can be more than just a digital version of your business. It can also help you get people to talk about you stay loyal and interact with you. Making things easier for your customers will lead to more meaningful interactions and in the end business growth. Take advantage of the opportunity keep working on your approach and see how mobile apps change the way you run your business.