What Makes a Mobile App Successful?

The app market is exploding with smartphones outselling computers threefold. Because of this, businesses like yours have to consider something that wouldn’t have crossed their minds ten years ago: mobility. For many industries and markets, this is no longer an option – it’s a requirement. Most people know that creating a responsive design is one way to foster a quality mobile experience, but mobile app development can do more.

“An app can push information to your users, adjust to slow data speeds and create a cleaner, more inspiring visual experience,” writes Avid Larizadeh, a contributor to Forbes. Arguably even more important is an app’s ability to open your business up to more and different customers than it was reaching before. According to the same Forbesarticle, around 90 percent of app installs are generated by just 10 percent of the apps on the market. This extreme competition means that businesses like yours need a solid marketing a distribution plan for the app you develop.

So what makes an app successful? The answer involves a lot of factors, in a lot of combinations. Apply the following qualities of successful apps to your development process for a product that meets the needs of both you and your customers.

• A high-quality product: The most successful apps enable users to solve a problem. Some of the strongest products out there do just one thing, but they do it very well. Design is an important component, so make sure that your app visually appealing and intuitive to use. These components alone will make success easier to attain.
• Built-in virality: Great apps have a viral mechanism incorporated into core functionalities so that users can share it with their friends and social media networks. This essentially creates many customers out of one, and increased visibility through one direct point of contact. Users enjoy apps more when their friends use it too – it’s that simple.
• An Andriod platform: You may be surprised to hear that Android is now the dominant platform on the global market, with “over 80 percent market share in most markets.” It makes sense to have Android app first, but creating an iOS version should be part of your ongoing strategy.
• A big fish in a small pond: Some of the best apps out there started in a market other than America. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. According to Larizadeh, “the volume of installs you need to get to the Top 25 in the U.S. is about 30 times higher than in a country like Mexico.” Consider whether a smaller market makes more sense for your product.
• Paying attention: We can’t overstate the importance of measuring metrics within your app. Successful apps use tools to track what users click on and what features they use most. Doing so allows you to build a better product with each revision and respond to what your users want.
• It’s free: There is a huge difference in installs for apps that are free and apps that are paid. Even if your app is priced at just $.99, many users won’t consider it because there are so many apps that don’t cost anything. A solution is to monetize within your app to foster purchases once an app is downloaded and users know its value.
• A solid marketing plan: The best app in the world won’t succeed if it isn’t marketed thoroughly. Include app promotion in your budget; it’s essential if you want to attract your first users, test metrics and continue with more campaigns.

With so many variables going into app success, you need experienced experts on your side. At Marketech, our dedicated app development team can assemble a plan tailored to your business’s needs. We’ll be with you from start to finish, helping to develop, launch and support your application. Our adaptive development methodology, based on best practices and industry standards, means we deliver only the highest class of mobile apps.  Contact us today to learn more.