Companies, individuals, and IT departments across the world are looking to make it big in mobile. Mobile app development is very hot right now. Just look at Alibaba, one the hottest companies currently looking toward mobile for further growth. With over 621 BILLION MINUTES spent on mobile apps and growing it is no wonder everyone is trying to make a go at this very profitable market. However there are a few issues that hold most individuals and companies back, causing them to make major mistakes in mobile. We asked businesses what they see as the top mistakes in mobile and with that in mind here is the top 10 Mobile Mistakes:
10) Bad UI and Reviews: If you are getting bad reviews many times it has to do with the user interface where the operation of the app simply does not deliver on what it needs to. An interface should be simple and easy enough to understand that anyone should be able to pick it up. If your app has less than 50 reviews or less than a 4.0 average it might be time to look at the UI.
9) Lack of Foresight: When you are looking at creating a mobile app you need to think about the long game. Operating systems change, as do the wants and needs of your users. Make sure you build a dynamic, adaptive, responsive mobile application that can survive these yearly product cycles and cut down on maintenance costs.
8) Doing it on the Cheap: The old adage “You get what you pay for” is very true for mobile applications. The vast majority of application do not receive more than 50 downloads, with a lot of reasons for this. If you are using a template based app builder keep in mind a few things. One, you’re not going to be doing anything unique with your app and who wants to download an app that is exactly the same as a million other apps? Two, it is highly likely that the system has a LOT of bugs in it that cannot be fixed. In the end creating a cheap app instead of the right app will prove more costly as you lose business, damage your brand, and waste money.
7) Poor Downloads: Poor downloads are usually a byproduct of an application that is hard to find, full of bugs, is not unique, and has been poorly implemented. To solve this work with an expert, like AB Mobile Apps, to figure out what your goals are and how you can add value through a better user experience on your mobile app. As a result AB Mobile Apps has some the highest ranking apps for their category with large amounts of downloads.
6) Trying to do too much: When building an application it is important to understand things change. Break the project up into phases and implement it in phases. When you build a custom mobile app and have planned phases it is easy and inexpensive to do most upgrades, as custom mobile apps usually do not have to be rebuilt like other apps built on platforms usually do.
5) No Focus Group: Do a focus group, an app at the end of the day is still a product be an internal project or a consumer product. As a result not doing a focus group can be very expensive and lead to many expensive problems that could have been avoided. This is why AB Mobile Apps uses focus groups to make sure our apps deliver in the way they are supposed to and the project goal is accomplished.
4) Debugging: Function needs to be first and foremost. If an app is unusable because you need phone X and have to do Y then people are not going to use the app. Many firms to not do debugging or it very limited. A recent article showed how most IT departments (lacking the ability to buy almost every mobile device) and development firms will launch an app and basically use their users as test subjects. This is a terrible way of doing things. Bugs will always arise however it is important to do through debugging on the physical devices and not emulators. Physical devices reveal a more real world scenario. For example, on a app we built when it was going through the debugging process we found that on just the Verizon version of the Note 3 after a user received a notification with an update from the backend that the Note 3 prevented the app from recognizing when a user entered B,O, or the number 9. This is just one example, however it highlights the importance of having the physical devices instead of just emulators.
3) Lead Time: More and more departments are taking too long to get a product to market. With 97% of businesses looking at mobile there is high demand for mobile skills. Companies are making billions in mobile by releasing good products quickly and iterating. 9 to 13 months to get an app to market is unacceptable. This can be avoided by working an experienced firm that can more easily and accurately plan out what is needed and then deliver.
2) Complicated: Remember “KISS”, keeping an application simple on the frontend not matter how complicated it is on the backend is a very big factor in an app’s success. Google does amazing things on it the backend and it is a very complicated process. However using google couldn't be easier, just type in the box what you are looking for and it will give you answer. Similarly enterprise and consumer applications often times to complex which leads to their inevitable downfall.
1) Wrong People for the Job: We hear this one the most often. With people having spent $10,000’s of thousands of dollars sometimes only to have a broken product and then they come to us to help them fix it. The biggest mistake people make is consulting with firms or individuals who do not have extensive successful mobile application experience, and as a result they usually get some pretty bad advice. Creating a successful good mobile app hinges on working with people that have done it before and know what is needed to get the job done under budget, on time, and desired. AB Mobile Apps has always excelled at this because we walk our clients through the process and implement a solution that is truly right for each client. Mobile apps are very complicated and most firms want you to tell them what you want and how to build it and on what platforms. This is a flawed view as an experienced development firm will know how it should be built, what needs to done, and what features are needed to accomplish the project goal, under budget, and on time.
I hope this list helps someone or a business avoid some common mistakes and make a really great app. If anyone has any questions feel free to PM on LinkedIn, or visit the websiteabmobileapps.com
