Design An App With a Unique Purpose

2016-11-28

Categories: Mobile Apps

A comprehensive mobile strategy is paramount for client retention and business growth in 2017. Most people now carry around internet access right in their pockets! People are increasingly using those devices to do anything they would have done on a desktop and much more. In fact, adults who own a smart phone, keep it within arms reach 90% of the time.

By designing a great mobile app, you can stay on the touch screen of those mobile devices at all times too. The engagement levels of mobile apps is huge, and so is the potential for companies to grow their fan base, and brand loyalty.

Let’s take a look at a few ways you can achieve this:

Build around existing hardware:

wall-stud

There are many existing functionalities built into most smart phones which you could integrate into your app. Make your app usable and helpful. Consumers want something that can save time, quickly find information or something they’ve lost, save money, or entertain them when they are bored or waiting in line.

Nick Watt suggests a good app “plays to the strengths of mobile”. In his eyes, this consists of five things: Communications, Spontaneous, Geo-sensitive, Short periods of use and Focused activity.

For example, you could build an app that utilizes the flash light on your mobile, use the magnetic north and GPS features, use the phone to help find pipes behind walls and metal studs, and implement the real time / stop watch features.  Yes, it’s possible for the smart phone to do all of that!

Reward Customer Loyalty

starbucks app

Customer loyalty apps can really set your company apart, and help you go the extra mile with customer retention and satisfaction.

The Starbucks app is a great example of a successful customer loyalty app. The dashboard is customized, offering a more personalized experience. Users can also scan to pay, while collecting reward points. There is a gift section in the app that allows users to send gift cards and coupons to friends. Happy customers can spread the word using their mobile app – this is a win-win situation for all!

Interesting Apps to Help You Brainstorm

map my ride app
There are many fascinating and fun apps that have already been developed that may spark an idea you have for your business.

Cycling: My husband rides his bike to work, so one of his favorite apps is MAPMYRIDE. This app allows you to plan, track, analyze and share your ride with other cyclists. It’s a great motivator to ride harder and share your times and routes with others.

Voice Translator: There are voice translation apps that allow you to speak into your phone and immediately translate your phrase into any language you choose. This could be helpful on vacation when you need to ask for directions or order a meal and hit a language barrier.

Conversation Starter: There are conversation starter apps that give you clever ideas on how to start a conversation. You can choose stranger, friend, lover or acquaintance and then choose the type of conversation you’d like to have.

Plant and Flower: One app I think would be nifty is the Name That Flower app. With this app, you take a photo of a flower that you do not know the name of, and it will match it with a flower in the database. It then will provide you with the name, origin and edibility of that plant. Just keep your phone charged when you’re out in the wilderness and wondering if a certain plant is edible! Speaking of which, there is a battery optimizer app that will help you do just that!

Battery Optimizer: The battery optimizer app will help you keep your battery working longer by letting you know which program on your smart phone is draining the most battery, and giving recommendations on how to make the battery last longer.

The list of interesting apps with millions of users goes on. With so many apps already on the market it may feel overwhelming to come up with a great app for your customers. Just like having a great website, the investment into an app that solves even a small problem for clients can be worth the effort. The engagement level of apps is huge, and when companies tap into this to build their brand, the payback is worth it.

Login to our Facebook page and share your favorite app with us!

Mobile Apps Can Help Build Your Brand

2016-09-06

Categories: Mobile Apps

With the ever-increasing shift to mobile, most businesses simply cannot afford to not offer a mobile app. It is too important of a marketing tool to ignore. Having a web presence alone is missing out on a large a part of the market. In fact, mobile apps are now often expected by clients. This is because mobile apps offer a unique experience to users different from any other marketing channel, and a streamlined, simplified experience is what consumers are looking for. Studies have found that people rate brands higher after interacting with the brands mobile app, and are nearly 50% more likely to buy from that brand.

What many business owners don’t realize is what a large impact a mobile app can have. A good mobile experience builds loyal customers and increases sales.

A 2016 study by sitecore.net found:

“When mobile expectations are not met, an overwhelming 93 percent of those surveyed take immediate action, with 33 percent never purchasing from the brand again. Alternatively, when a good mobile experience is achieved, 76 percent report that it has an influence on their loyalty to a brand.”

It’s important that consumers have a positive user experience with your mobile app and that it is helping, and not hindering your brands reputation.

Here are several ways to ensure your app is meeting customer expectations, and helping build your brand in a positive way:

1. Manage reviews

If a user has a negative experience with your mobile app, they are likely to leave a review or comment in app stores. This may have a large negative impact on future downloads and conversion rates. It’s been found that at least 77% of people read a review before downloading a free or paid app.

Do not let negative reviews go unmanaged by your business. Google your business and read reviews left by customers regularly. If there is a complaint, reply with an apology and a solution.

2. Ask for reviews from happy customers

While it can sometimes be difficult to control all negative reviews, you can increase your rating by always asking satisfied customers to leave a review. One glance at your star rating can dramatically impact number of downloads.

3. Listen to customer feedback

If customers are leaving negative reviews, it might be time to take into consideration any repetitive complaints. Better yet, survey all your customers to find out what they like / don’t like and what they expect. Be sure to implement as much feedback as possible into the latest version of your app to meet and exceed customer expectations.

According to sitecore.net “Six in ten consumers do not feel that their mobile experience expectations are completely met. Three top areas of concern include user experience where only 24 percent are completely satisfied, only 23 percent feel that there is continuity between the mobile and web experiences, and just 21 percent think they are getting adequate customer service.

The research reveals that brands need to be able to build trust more quickly with consumers, where they are reassured about security, convenience and speed, and by helping consumers understand the importance of secure logins, strong passwords, and features like auto-logout, etc. ”

4. Think ahead

Always keep your mobile app a part of your branding discussions and marketing plan. Your brand is influenced by the experience of your mobile users.

Continuity across all of your marketing channels, both online and offline is one of the most important aspects of successful branding. Managing your brands reputation is not always easy, but with the right tools and marketing plan, it is more than possible to create a well-loved brand.

Mobile App Design Trends

2015-09-22

Categories: Mobile Apps

Thinking of developing an app? Here’s a few great design tips that will give your app the latest edge of 2015 and beyond.

Call To Action (CTA)

As trends shift to mobile, an increasing amount of thought is going into utilizing small screen size for maximum visual appeal and conversions. As with websites, the call to action buttons have an impact on generating leads and converting visitors into buyers or customers. The 2015 trend for mobile is blurry background images and contrasting CTA’s so they stand out as much as possible. As you will see in the Vimeo app example below, the design is clean and simple, and the call to action buttons contrast against the dark background.

Screen shot of vimeo app
CTA’s standout against the dark background in the Vimeo app.

Hidden Menus

You may have noticed that hidden menus are a hugely popular design feature. Menu’s and responsive drawers that become visible when swiped and retract when not needed are featured on most new apps. As users become accustomed to smartphone functionality and comfortable with swiping and what to expect, apps are becoming more sophisticated. The purpose is to de-clutter the screen so your smartphone can turn into one of the thousands of handy devices such as a GPS, keyboard or the video camera that you‘d like it to be with clean and clear functionality.

responsive drawer image from the whole foods app.
Example of a responsive drawer from an app

Animated Elements

Interactive and attention grabbing, animation is a cool visual component. It can be used to save screen space, to motivate the user, to create an awesome interactive experience, to entertain and to enhance functionality. Animation is gaining popularity as app developers compete for customer attention… and user experience is at the top of the list.

Screen shot of the KFC app, in which animation is used.
KFC uses animation in app – a popular trend

Story Telling

Facts tell, stories sell, and there is no exception when it comes to mobile app design. As mobile apps become more interactive, story telling is taking on new and engaging forms. Captivating video, bold imagery and personalized experiences are all elements you can expect in the latest app development.

Story telling is age old, and there's no exeption when it comes to app design. This is a screen shot of the redbull story from their app.
Facts tell, stories sell.

There is no question mobile design will become increasingly interactive as the user experience tops the agenda of developers. Need an app? Our professional app developers are at your service!