5 UX tips to design better mobile apps

According to a study by Google, the average app user has 36 apps installed on his or her smartphone and only 1 in 4 of these apps are used on a daily basis while 1 in 4 apps are never used.

Whether you like it or not, the design of an app plays a big part in keeping the users engaged. Factors like it’s hard to use or it’s just unpleasant to look at don’t necessarily matter, the users actually decide if the app is worth their time. And despite what many people may believe, it all comes down to usability. The more usable your app is the higher user engagement and reduced chances of app uninstalls. Increased user retention and better user experience is the goal every app developer and app owner is running towards.

However, the question is how do you come up with an app design that is engaging for your users?

Here are some UX tips from experts that will help you improve the first impression of your app!

Personalize your app UX for your users

Even though every user is unique, it is a smart decision to design your app user experience with a target market in mind. The one-size-fits-all approach for UX isn’t effective anymore, so make sure to utilize the power of data and provide a customized experience for your users. The right app development team can help businesses attract the right audience and maximize the impact by using location, usage behavior and setting options the right way.

Imagine, it starts raining heavily and you’re stranded on a street, you open a cab-hailing app that came recommended from a friend. If a user is stuck in such a situation, all he/ she wants to do is to book a cab, in minimum time and steps.

SEE ALSO: 10 things to consider while developing mobile apps with React Native

One aspect of personalization is to understand the goal of your users and design your app UX to deliver on it. Think like a user and figure out what is that one thing you’re hoping to get done as soon as the app opens. At times an impactful app needs no gimmicks but just the simplicity of meeting the expectations of users can work wonders.

Cater to all screen sizes

Even though mobile apps have been around for many years, one of the crucial things that some developers forget about is how the user experience of mobile is different from desktops. Some desktop functions and design practices simply don’t work on mobile.

Hence, when developing your mobile app, make sure you optimize the app for different screen sizes. From the text and photos to CTA buttons, all app elements need to be designed for users of smaller screens. Moreover, as using mobile is known for being halted by services and network issues, make sure the app you design and develop allow users to pick up where they left off when they reopen the app.

Capitalize on seamless micro-interactions

A range of big-name social media platforms, like Facebook and Instagram, just to name a few, have without doubt capitalized on micro-interactions, but that doesn’t mean that other mobile apps can’t do the same. To really create a good impression and boost your mobile app UX design, concentrate on making micro-interactions seamless.

This will definitely ensure more engagement and interactive experience like users receiving notifications, communicating feedback or sharing on social accounts. Just keep in mind the interface elements on the mobile app should be optimized for small screens to ensure a seamless experience.

Simplify and minimize

When you’re not sure, simplify and minimize. Minimalistic designs have been the topic of conversation for some time now, they help users focus on the core message without getting distracted or overwhelmed. The rule of thumb is very important when you’re working on your mobile app, for navigation, content, and graphics.

Making your menu bar more intuitive and easy to use for users, is a good place to start. No mobile app user would agree to read an instructional handbook to just use your app. So, be creative and experiment with the visual iconography to efficiently save space.

SEE ALSO: Open source your automation testing for the mobile web with OpenTest

Let’s go back to the example of the cab-hailing app, you as a user would appreciate the clear and concise language and CTAs that helps you get your cab at the earliest. Using bigger CTA buttons and placing them at a decent distance will enable easier app navigation.

Be more flexible towards changes and updates

If your wish is to create a perfect app, let me tell you that there is no such thing as a perfect app. There are always opportunities out there for you to improve your app features and enhance the app user experience.

Hence, our last UX tip for designing better mobile apps is to be more open and adjust your ideas to better adapt to the current technology and user expectations. Being open to changes and updates can really help you improve your user retention app.

The post 5 UX tips to design better mobile apps appeared first on JAXenter.