The process of designing a product is very much like communicating with someone. We instinctively suit our message to its subject. For example, the way you would talk to your two months old baby is different from the way you would speak to a professor. User experience design (UX) focuses on improving the “communication” between a product and its users. UX covers every aspect of a customer’s interaction with a product. The goal is to enhance user satisfaction by improving the design, usability, and functionality of the product.
UX is very important in mobile app development. It can be the one thing that separates a successful app from a flop. If you want to create a mobile app that will appeal to users, you cannot escape UX. In mobile app development, UX includes user interface design (UI) as well as branding, layout, color, functionality, and other things. UX has been key to the success of some of the top mobile apps in the world including Whatsapp, Flipboard, Instagram, and many others.
These are a few reasons why UX is vital in mobile app development.
First Impressions Count
There are millions of mobile apps out there, the chances of your app standing out from all the others depend on your ability to capture the attention of users. How will users find the name of your app and your logo? Will it inspire them to download the app and try it? Is the landing page engaging? Is the app easy to navigate? These are some things you have to consider when looking at UX. First impressions matter very much, especially for startups. The internet has made mass communication easier than ever so a few bad reviews can go a long way to taint the image of an app.
Improve Usability
An app is only successful if it can satisfy the requirements of users. If you take the time to consider UX when creating your app, the chances are that it will be user-friendly. One of the marks of successful app design is that users can operate them almost intuitively. To achieve this, keep the design simple and engaging by using common symbols, fonts, and colors.
Customer Loyalty
In the words of G. Stanley Hall, humans are largely creatures of habit. We operate based on our experiences. If we find something to be good, we will want more of it. In the same way, if users find an app to be interactive and easy to use, they are likely to keep using it and even recommend it to others. UX is critical to driving customer loyalty.
Improve Conversion Rate and Revenue
The role of UX in improving an app’s conversion rate and revenue cannot be overstated. UX ensures that users get just the kind of experience they want from an app. If users are satisfied, then traffic to the app will increase. This translates to more revenue.
Brand Stability
UX is essential to engender trust among users and make them confident that they can rely on an app to perform its function. This will, in turn, ensure that the app remains in the system for years to come. In mobile app development, one of the things that guarantee brand stability apart from the overall functionality of an app is its uniqueness. If an app is different from all the others and functions correctly, it is more likely to gain acceptance, popularity and ultimately brand stability.
User satisfaction is the goal of every app developer. It is the key to success in the world of mobile app development. It is essential to conduct thorough research about the preferences of your target market to carry out an effective UX strategy. Getting user feedback is an inescapable part of UX. Like communication, app development is a two-way thing. A developer may create apps based on what he/she thinks users want and users may wish developers create particular apps or integrate some features into them. But until both channels are connected, there is no progress. UX is about building a bridge between the app developer and user so that the customer is satisfied and the developer achieves his/her business goals.
