Business websites have long since lost their glimmer. Ever since consumers chose mobile devices as their preferred method of accessing information and content, mobile apps have become the next big thing. Websites are still valuable today, but they’re slowly losing out on mobile apps.
That’s why if you want your business to succeed in the digital age, you should consider creating a mobile app. But you can’t just make one haphazardly; you have to put some time and effort into designing the app to create the best experience for your users. Here are eight practices you can look into:
Best Practice #1: Minimize Unnecessary Clutter
A good mobile app is clutter-free. Just because you place a lot of buttons, icons, or images on your app, it doesn’t automatically mean that your app is worth using. So, don’t make the mistake of filling your app with clutter when you should only be placing the necessary buttons on your user’s phone screen.
If you want to make your user’s experience as memorable as possible, you must make sure that everything your users see on their screens is what they need to use your app. This can include limiting the interface elements to just two or three buttons while the others are kept in a drop-down option rather than having everything on display at the same time.
Best Practice #2: Personalize the User Experience
Something as simple as personalization can do wonders for the success of your mobile app. This means that you’ll be using the data you collected from your users to make their experience using your app as personal as possible. For instance, you can include their names on the screen or pop-up messages. Another way is to recommend relevant content that is in line with their interests.
Best Practice #3: Keep Navigation Simple
Users don’t enjoy using a mobile app that’s too complicated. If they can’t understand how to use something for the first time, they might not be compelled to continue learning it, especially if there are other mobile apps similar to what you’re offering. So, make sure that your navigation tools are discoverable and accessible to your users. It could also help if you use familiar icons in the process.
Best Practice #4: Aim for Consistency in the Design
An inconsistently designed mobile app can be confusing to users because they’ll never know what to expect. That’s why you should always aim for consistency, particularly for your visuals, functions, and other products. This way, your users will be able to use your apps much easier.
Best Practice #5: Optimize Your Content for Mobile
Content for mobile and content for desktop are two very different things. Some might argue that all that changes is its format, but actually, it’s so much more than that. This is because the content on mobile has to be accessible and easy to digest, especially since most people on mobile are moving quickly.
So, this means that if your content is illegible, too tightly squeezed together, or is difficult to access, the average user will move on. That’s why you have to make sure that all your content is optimized for mobile use. It can also be wise to include a video player for mobile devices in your app design to give your users a frictionless experience when it comes to your video content.
Best Practice #6: Design for Finger Taps
Buttons on the screen that are too small can be extremely annoying because they can lead to incorrect inputs and mistaken taps. And most users don’t have the patience to rotate their phone screens to make the buttons bigger. So, make sure that you’re designing your mobile app with finger taps in mind, not cursors.
Best Practice #7: Use Push Notifications Wisely
Push notifications can be handy for businesses and app developers, but they’re not always welcome to users. This is because frequent push notifications can be disruptive and annoying. That’s why it’s important to only notify your users about valuable information that is relevant to them. Besides, there are other ways to reach them, such as email blasts, in-app notifications, or paid ads on social media.
Best Practice #8: Allow Biometric Authentication
Nowadays, most mobile phones have built-in features that allow them to use biometric authentication, like a touch ID or a fingerprint scan and facial identification. If you want to make the log-in and other confirmations on your app easier, consider allowing these biometric authentication options for your users.
It won’t be enough to create a mobile app filled with all the necessary information about your service and call it a day. With the surplus of mobile apps in the market today, you’ll have to be smart about your design and the service offered if you want to stand out. So, take the time to learn the best practices in mobile app design and use them to your advantage.
