App Stores have become a great distribution channel and a launching pad for some of the largest businesses in the world. Making these Mobile App Development Mistakes can cost you a bit.
Users have downloaded apps from the Apple App Store a whopping 100 Billion times in 2015. Yes, you read that right.
If you have a great idea and want to build mobile apps supporting that idea, then you’ll find a lot of Mobile App Development Companies that will support your development. This article focuses on some classic Mobile App Development Mistakes made by development companies as well as business owners when developing apps.
1. Compromising the App’s Look and Feel and the User’s Experience
Users are very likely to immediately uninstall a badly designed app even if it offered value to them. With unlimited alternatives in the app store, a high quality design and an even better User Experience are the two most important things when building an app.
A high quality user experience revolves on the following premises:
- Get to the value proposition…fast!! The entire process of a person installing your app to immediately being aware of the value proposition should be instant. In our company, we often talk about the virtues of Instagram and how easy it is to install, register and quickly post a kick-ass first photo. Talk about instant gratification!
- Easy registration process, preferably using existing Social Media Accounts like Facebook, Twitter etc. Bonus points for Touch Id integration (on the iPhone)
- Snappy User Interface, fast loading screens – this also entails engineering excellence, but a lot can also be achieved with tweaks to provide the user with the perception of fast loading.
- Performing majority (if not all) actions of the app in under 2 taps/clicks. Anything more than that, is essentially a sign of a bad user experience. Remember, the idea is to keep things simple.
- Blocking the user’s experience with Ads and random unpredictable popups isn’t a good idea either. It is OK to show ads, but ads are more valued when they are not intrusive to the user’s experience.
2. Not picking the right Category/Name for the App Store listing
Not picking the right category or app name will surely make it harder for your app to be found. It is very important to find the right category for your app.
Many companies try to add the app in the most common categories like ‘Social Media’, for example. Doing so will get your app the attention it deserves, but will surely not work in the long run. This approach worked in the early days of the App Store. Consumers now are very seasoned at finding what they want in the App Store. So it is best to pick the right category for the app. Not sure how to find the right category for your app? Some thoughts and suggestions here.
Likewise, confusing names for the apps are also considered a bad practice.
It is important to fully understand your customer, and the type of keywords used by this customer to get to similar apps. Users search apps with keywords, and it is important for developers to research on potential keywords and then potentially embed certain keywords in the App title itself.
A quick review of the Top apps in the app store should give you an idea on the importance of the names behind the apps. For further reading on this concept called the App Store Optimization (ASO), go here.
3. Not having a Marketing Plan for your app
Let’s face it. Majority of the development companies forget this very crucial element when building an app. First time entrepreneurs/startups are caught unaware of the importance of App Marketing.
Many assume that just pushing the app to the App Store is enough. Sadly, many have already exhausted their resources building the app and have little or no money left to market the app. We have seen numerous apps fail because of their inability to market the app efficiently after it was launched.
Another classic mistake made by many App Development Companies is that they try to fit the same marketing model for all types of customers. A startup that has just built an MVP (minimum viable product) requires a completely different app marketing strategy than a product that may have an established user base or a proven market demand. Identifying your target audience, marketing goals and value proposition are the first step in marketing your app.
4. Not adding a video or relevant images
A picture is worth a thousand words. A video (in today’s times) is worth a thousand pictures. Not adding a video describing your app and its features is the biggest mistake you could make. Not adding relevant pictures showcasing your app is yet another major mistake. Don’t just add app snapshots, add testimonials, brag about any good PR, talk about partnerships etc. Demonstrate a very high social value of your app. This convinces users to download your app.
A quick look at some of the most successful apps will tell you what you are missing out in your videos and images.
A picture is worth a thousand words. A video (in today’s times) is worth a thousand pictures.
5. Don’t just build an app. Build a Business and an Ecosystem.
Let’s face it. The days of selling random 2 screen apps are over. No matter how novel your concept is, if you’re building a junk app, you’re probably never going to make it up to the app store. Likewise, a lot of people made a lot of money in the initial days of the app store’s introduction by selling junk apps. Those days are over. No matter how simple your idea is, be prepared to have a solid business model around it. Also make sure you’re not in a walled garden. Make sure you have a solid ecosystem around your apps.
Hopefully these are the mistakes that you won’t be making. If you need further guidance, reach out to us and we’ll be more than happy to help you formulate a strategy. We have yet another list of top Mobile App Development mistakes in the works. Check this space for more.