Creating a mobile app: Step no 2 – WHAT DOES THE USER WANT?

We saw in blog no1 of this series how research was the first step to determine the direction in which you will proceed with regards to getting the right app for your business. Step n°2 is to anticipate what your users will want.

You might have come to the decision that having a mobile app for your business is of strategic importance to your sales and for the general reinforcement of your brand’s name. So now to the business of choosing the right kind of app that doesn’t end up being a disservice to you, in this 7-blog series we have listed some of the cardinal questions you need to be asking yourself in order to make well-informed choices. When deciding on the features, you need to keep facility and functionality at the forefront, and design as a close runner-up. Your app can’t scream hundreds of things at once and confuse users. The layout, menus and navigation between sections have to be clear and straightforward.

For instance, people should find it easy going back and forth between pages. The user experience is about getting them engrossed in the products and finding out more about your other wares, rather than them trying to find out how your app works and how to move between pages without getting disoriented. The latter will only ensure customers drop off and move to your competitors.

Striking a balance between sophistication and simplicity is key. While your design may be intricate and intriguing, if your text based content is too complex, or too much to take in at once, you are unwittingly albeit inevitably welcoming gratuitous criticism that really could have been avoided. Conversely, having a stultifying app driven my colorless monotony will not bring it the desired results either.

Your menus must have clear cut, unambiguous options that convey just the right amount of information. CTAs must serve to carry them along a route that you want them to follow rather than confusing them. You may think your offers are absolutely wonderful, but the minute you put out too many of those you clutter you space; and unlike computers, mobile phones don’t have the luxury of space.

The bottom line is, if you find a feature alluring but it serves no purpose, drop it immediately and look for something else. The options to customising are limitless and you’re bound to find the right fit. You need to remember that customers will be dazzled by looks the first time they open the app, but for regular users the utility and purpose – and not the pretty designs – is what they will be interacting with and that has to be solidly reliable.