So you’ve finally decided to have a mobile app created for your business. You are on the right track since it has been seen that an increasing number of people will be doing transactions using their mobile devices more than they will over other methods. The creation of an app for your business will help it greatly since it will give your customers the kind of ease as well as security that they require from the companies they transact with.
Deciding to have a mobile app is only the first step though. Along the way, you will find yourself facing decisions that can make or break your app, and by extension, can affect your business and your revenues. In order for your app to work as well as it should, there are some design dos and don’ts that you should try to take note of. Here are some of them.
DO make sure that your design is built specifically for your users – this will involve research and finding out how your customers are most likely to utilize the app you will create. This can be done with the help of surveys, beta testing, and even interviews, which can help you gather the insights that are required to create an app that is tailor-made for your clientele.
DON’T create an app that is a mere mirror of your website – creating an app that looks exactly like your website defeats the purpose of having an app in the first place. This is because of the fact that an app is supposed to be a simplified and easier to use version of whatever transactions a person is supposed to do on your site. Simply reducing the size of your website and calling it an app is a big no-no.
DO make your app easy to use and to learn to use – regardless of what your app is supposed to do, usability and ease of use should always be foremost in your mind. Not everyone who does use their mobile devices to transact over the internet can be called tech savvy or quick learners, which is why it is crucial that your app’s design not only be easy to figure out and use, but also easy to learn how to navigate and how to operate without the need for lengthy explanations and tutorials.
DON’T create an app that requires a lengthy registration process at first use – there are many apps that can easily turn people off, and these are usually those that ask them to fill out lengthy registration forms on their mobile devices before they can actually use the app. The same goes for apps that ask for numerous permissions that a user has to scroll through, check, then allow afterwards before anything can be done with the app.
DO include task notifications and fast response time to the list of must haves for your app – not knowing when your task is done or not can easily turn a user off of an app. The same goes for slow response time. Make sure that both of these are integrated into your design ideas for your mobile app in order to give your users the kind of app that lets them know when a process is done, and does so in a timely manner as well.
