5 Tips To Create A User-Friendly Mobile App
By Caroline Eastman
Mobile apps are everywhere nowadays, and more people than ever before are using them. However that also means that if you’re creating your own app you’re entering an ultra-competitive space – and your app needs to be able to set itself apart.
The best way to do that is by making sure your mobile app is as user-friendly as possible. While that may sound easy, if you want to pull it off there are five tips you need to follow:
• Make it fast
People expect their mobile apps to load quickly and run seamlessly. Many will be put off if your app loads slowly, or lags as they scroll and perform various actions.
To ensure that your app runs fast, you need to optimize its code and regularly carry out performance testing and code audits throughout the development process. In some cases compressing images, reusing data templates, or pre-loading data may help too.
• Keep it clean
Making sure the layout of your UI is clean will make it look more presentable, easier-to-use, and in some cases may help improve loading speeds. Be sure to space out elements, and arrange them with a purposeful visual hierarchy to make it easier for users to find what they need.
The key is to find a balance between fitting everything necessary in the space available, yet not too much that it appears cluttered.
• Choose the right icons
Icons play an often overlooked role in the user-friendliness of mobile apps. They represent a way to conserve screen real estate, while conveying information and allowing users to navigate and interact with the app.
It is important that you choose the right icons so that people know what they mean at a glance. Wherever possible try to lean on pre-established conventions (such as the hamburger ‘menu’ icon) instead of attempting to reinvent the wheel.
• Add support features
No matter how intuitive your design, some users may encounter problems. To help them out you must include support features such as a searchable FAQ, or access to online chat or phone support.
The faster you’re able to provide a solution to the problems your users face, the more friendly your app will appear to them. If possible try to give them a way to conveniently send feedback as well – so that you can use it to improve your app and make it even more user-friendly.
• Use responsive design
Mobile devices nowadays come in many different screen sizes, so you’ll want to make sure your app’s layout and elements is displayed properly regardless of what device is being used. That is what makes responsive design so important, as it will make sure the user experience is seamless across all devices.
Be sure to remember that responsive design doesn’t only apply to the user interface layout, but also to the text, images, and all other elements.
Following these tips should put you on track to create an excellent and extremely user-friendly app. If you’re not developing it in-house and are hiring a software development company – be sure to discuss what measures they’ll take to improve the user-friendliness of your app.
Keep in mind that even after you’ve developed and launched your app, the effort to make it user-friendly shouldn’t stop. Instead you should constantly be on the lookout for ways that you can improve how easy it is to use, and make it more intuitive for your users.
The more willing you are to continuously improve your app and make it more user-friendly, the more likely it is to succeed at attracting more users in the long term.