The World of Mobile Apps
Mobile apps are such a big part of the culture we currently live in, but what exactly are they? According to an article by Priya Viswanathan on Lifewire, mobile apps are “software programs developed for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. They turn mobile devices into miniature powerhouses of function and fun.” The last point is what says it all. Mobile devices have a wide range of purposes. There are games that entertain us, there are schedule apps that help us throughout everyday. There are media apps that help us stay connected to our families and the world around us.
Pretty much any modern day need/want can be assisted with some app out there, and the best apps do these things simply and efficiently. Chris Ciligot from Clearbridge Mobile named error-free functionality, efficient onboarding, and limited user input as 3 of his 10 best practices for enhancing user’s mobile app experience.
In Webs of Influence The Psychology of Online Persuasion, author Nathalie Nahai talks about the very important concept of usability. The idea is to make the app as user friendly as possible so that people will get the full intended use out of the app. “In terms of where to place your content, different devices will have different folds (where the screen ends), and its location can make a big impact on usability,” Nahai states. “As a rule of thumb, you should distil and display the most vital information above the fold, so that your customers can capture it in one go without having to scroll, whatever the device.”
What’s amazing is that despite the amount of apps available to us mobile users, we don’t actually use that many. According to a study done by the database Statista, people spend 77% of phone time on their top three apps.
This is just another testament to exactly how important it is for companies to optimize and develop their apps as efficiently as possible. The less apps people need/use, the more it will take for one app to become successful.
Another important idea to consider in mobile apps, that Nahai also talks about, is the idea of privacy and trust. Many social network companies have been put in question recently due to the constantly growing idea of privacy invasion. If people do not feel comfortable and safe using an app for whatever reason, then they simply will not.
Orion Moses
Ciligot, Chris. “10 Best Practices to Enhance Your Mobile App User Experience.” Clearbridge Mobile, 25 Nov. 2019, clearbridgemobile.com/best-practices-to-enhance-your-mobile-app-user-experience/.
Nahai, Nathalie. Webs of Influence: the Psychology of Online Persuasion. Pearson Education Limited, 2017.
Viswanathan, Priya. “What's a Mobile App?” Lifewire, Lifewire, 13 Dec. 2019, www.lifewire.com/what-is-a-mobile-application-2373354.