In today’s world, where mobile devices are extensions of their owners, mobile app design comes first. And so much depends on it. High customer acquisition, retention, and engagement can all be achieved if you create a successful app. To do that, you need to design your mobile application with users and their needs in mind. So let’s find out more about the secret ingredient behind every successful app design — the user experience (UX).
UX in mobile app design
Roughly speaking, the user experience (UX) is what users interact with and perceive a product. Keep in mind that UX is a wide term that covers many different aspects: the first impression of a product, accessibility, ease of use, the emotions a product evokes, and so on. In terms of mobile app design, the UX defines the user’s perception of an app.
With mobile UX design, your ultimate goal is to create a user-centric application — an app that knows the user’s needs and satisfies them. A great mobile UX is simple, intuitive, and delivers maximum value to users. A product is more than the product. It is a cohesive, integrated set of experiences. Think through all of the stages of a product or service — from initial intentions through final reflections, from first usage to help, service, and maintenance. Make them all work together seamlessly.
Don’t forget that the UX isn’t the same as the mobile UI (the user interface). The UX deals with overall user satisfaction with the product. The UI design of a mobile app takes care of visual interface elements through which a user interacts with the system and focuses on ease of use.
Source: Launchpad Apps
Why is the mobile user experience important?
Here’s why you need to take care of your app’s UX design.
Know your audience better
Obviously, you can’t create a user-centric app without first knowing your users. That’s why researching the target audience takes place at the early stages of every UX design process. To create a smooth user experience, you have to know your audience’s pain points and behavior patterns as well as how users typically interact with your app. Gathering thorough information about your target audience will also help you better understand your customers. This means you can expand your business and accurately tailor your communication and marketing strategy.
Make your app relevant to customers
Did you know that 25% of mobile apps downloaded around the world are opened only once? That’s right — the first impression matters. Your app may never get a second chance of winning an audience. So you have to create an application that’s relevant to users from the very first sight.
Luckily, UX design can help you with that. It ensures your app meets users’ expectations, engages your audience, and turns every user into a loyal customer.
With quality design, you’ll be able to:
- boost customer acquisition
- achieve high retention rates
- build customer trust and loyalty
- increase brand recognition.
Save time and money
A huge part of designing a UX is user testing. You have to validate ideas with actual users and measure the product’s usability later. Conducting UX testing at the early stages of development will help you save both time and money, as prototyping and feature validation help you cut unnecessary development expenses. In fact, investing in UX design early can help you reduce the time for product development cycles by 33% to 50%.
Source: Interaction Design
5 tips for a better mobile UX
Want to create a great UX? Here’s how.
Follow the guidelines
Make sure your app complies with operating-specific guidelines, as your mobile application will have to pass a review process before getting into the app stores. Also, tailoring your app for a particular operating system means it will integrate seamlessly with the platform, ensuring a quality UX.
Take iOS, for instance. Three design themes differentiate it from other operating systems: clarity, deference, and depth. Moreover, Apple has a list of design principles you should keep in mind while creating your app’s identity. Apple has also gathered a list of mobile UI design dos and don’ts in case you get lost when building interfaces.
Remember that less is more
There’s no need to overwhelm users with numerous app elements. In fact, too complex of an app may scare your audience. Your mobile application should represent a straightforward solution to users’ problems. So minimize the distractions and cut the redundant features.
Optimize the user flow
When you know how users interact with your app, you’ve got all the cards you need to optimize the user flow. By analyzing users’ paths, you can identify problematic areas and remove them. This way, you’ll make interactions with the app smooth and help users quickly meet their goals.
Design for interruption
Creating the UX for a mobile application means designing an experience with interruptions in mind. We often use smartphones on the go, which means that our app sessions may end spontaneously. So you have to make sure that an app takes users back to the exact point where they left off and gently reminds them what they were about to do.
On top of that, you want to minimize the chance of interrupting users. To do so, take care of battery consumption and make sure your app works smoothly in offline mode.
Personalize the experience
According to a , 74% of marketers say that personalization has a strong impact on advancing customer relationships. If you want to build customer trust and loyalty, try personalizing your app. For instance, you could offer personalized content based on users’ preferences, just like Netflix and Spotify do. Or you could reach out to users through perfectly timed push notifications.
Source: TechCrunch
All in all, you can’t ignore UI/UX design if you want to create a successful app. To win your audience’s hearts, mobile app design should always be about users and their experiences with your product. Quality UX design will help you know your customers better as well as save time and money. It will boost user acquisition, build brand awareness, and increase customer loyalty. If you’ve decided to create an amazing UI/UX for your app, follow the tips mentioned above. Or you could get help from mobile app design companies like Intellias.
Contact Intellias to get assistance with your UX design. Our design experts can help you build an outstanding mobile app that will take your business to the next level.
