Last post we bestowed upon you some of the ancient wisdom of the dev team. Here are three more tenets from our holy scripture of app building. Read it all in a posh British accent. Everyone knows that’s the most authentic way of conveying ancientness.
REWARD YOUR USERS
Lots of people are obsessed with the number of times their apps have been downloaded. While it can give you a rough idea of how you’re doing, a download doesn’t necessarily equate to an active user. In fact, a lot of downloaded apps are abandoned after a single visit. To keep your users around, you need to reward them.
If you provide your first-time users with an obvious reward from the get-go, the chances of seeing them return will skyrocket. Rewards could mean special offers for your store, a level system where every new level offers additional bonuses, competitions with nice prices or a good … no wait, that’s illegal. You’ll think of something.
Don’t underestimate the power of making the user feel special. When you acknowledge the user and their needs, they will return the favor many times over.
PAY ATTENTION TO DESIGN
Putting plenty of thought and time into design is important for a number of reasons. Apart from making the app look pretty, it will also improve functionality and set the tone for your brand.
Other than pure stylishness, a consistent and clear design helps the user navigate the app. Graphical elements should highlight your content rather than obscure it. This rule of thumb is has become increasingly important with the huge growth in mobile traffic we’ve seen the last couple of years. Nowadays borderline everything is designed with the small screen in mind, and obviously your work should go all-in in that department. So make sure your icons, buttons, menus, texts and pictures are both good looking, consistent with the visual theme and easy to distinguish on the phone.
Be careful about what colors you choose. Depending on the color you will invoke different reactions. Setting up a quiz with the correct answer in red and the wrong one in green wouldn’t be original in a good sense. It would just be plain retarded. Color can also be used to create visual hierarchy, where the color that stands out the most will catch the user’s attention. Lastly, if you’re making an app for your business, it’s obviously essential that you use the colors associated with your brand through logo and the like.
Interaction is another aspect to take into account when designing your app. Obviously a pocket size touch-screen calls for somewhat different interaction than a desktop computer does. Precise tapping is hard on a mobile screen, so make sure your buttons are big enough.
UPDATE YOUR APP OFTEN
So you’ve published your app? ‘Grats, it’s a good start! Now comes the maintenance part. Don’t neglect it! Updating is actually one of the strongest marketing tools around. Considering the amount of apps people have installed on their phones nowadays, reminding them that your app exists can make all the difference. You can achieve this by updating your app to have it appear in the update list in the app store.
Releasing relevant and user-requested updates also shows that you’re devoted to making your app as good as possible. This builds a loyal following, people that help spreading it. Some of these folks might even suggest your app to their friends using competing apps. It’s a commitment that you just won’t get through conventional marketing alone.
Generally, try to update your app at least once a month, and make sure that your updates are in line with user feedback. If you continuously pamper your customers with a smoother UX and new features, they’ll be sure to hang around.
