Developing an app is one thing. The problem is that App Stores are flooded with miscellaneous apps and cutting through the noise can be very hard. That is why we offer you only the most relevant and important content to help you with an app promotion.
With almost every aspect of our lives turning to the small screen to set up inventive presence, success in the field is taking on numerous new implications, understandings, and interpretations.
But, how is it possible that mobile app developers are making record profits while, at the same time, the number of free apps on the market continues to grow? The answer’s simple. Most app developers don’t make very much money.
But when we are talking about startup beginners, they are considering themselves as extremely ambitious personalities on their first steps in this field. My tip is to layout your startup on the business model canvas first.
This is what business people naturally do, and a unique idea will take more time to be developed into something tangible, something that will have definite value for future users.
So, what does success look like in the mobile space? Sadly, there’s no distinct answer. Above all else, it depends on who’s inquiring. In case, you’re a startup, displaying a new application or a worldwide brand hoping to build up an overwhelming mobile presence. Your goals will be distinctive, and as a direct result, so will your meaning of success.
Though years, prior speculators looked for after applications with a substantial client volume and neglected those with a moderately little after, today’s existence is an alternate story. Industry insiders know the force of an in number client base, paying little respect to its volume – a dynamic group with intriguing practices and examples demonstrates that the item is promising. Engagement is critical, not the amount.
It’s all about realizing what your product requires. It is a picture of the product, and how the startup will function. You can figure out your ways of mobile application monetization, the value of the product, the target audience, and the value of the product, to exude it during marketing campaigns.
Or there is another view, if your product is a transportation application, it doesn’t help when clients download your application but don’t book rides. A quality client for you would mean one that connects into their credit card information and orders a cab. That’s what success looks like for you.
The main truth is that for apps, tons of installations may not be as successful as the numbers lead people to persuade. A strong base of users who are dynamic, contribute to the community, and make in-app purchases, ought to be your main purpose, and harnessing more of those users is your new understanding of mobile prosperity.
But then again, if you’re a traditional, non-digital brand, your definition of success and achieving goals may differ. It shouldn’t be a challenge for you to make a name in the marketing field when you have already a consumer base.
For brands, succeeding in the mobile sphere means applying an improved experience:
by using everything that mobile devices have to offer.
by providing customers an alternative platform to cooperate with the brand in a way that will hold them coming back for more and more.
In a recent discussion with a partner, she mentioned that she uses an app for an American food chain that doesn’t have an affiliate in her country. She explained, that this source recommends not only food products, but also offers free music and other entertaining content.
It is a perfect example of a label that succeeded in creating a strong mobile experience that provides consumers demand for value-added tax.
Whether you’re a mobile startup or a well-established brand, accurately defining your goals is a significant step on your way to mobile success. Start testing them with upcoming customers. You have a team. But have no strategy? That is a serious question.
Just having a team without a clear understanding of its strengths and weaknesses doesn’t mean much. Don’t rush into creating a mobile strategy without first taking the time to understand clearly where you should go.
The main difference between successful and mediocre mobile app marketing is the correct goal setting. If your aim is getting downloads, you will hardly enjoy significant success. On the other hand, if you are looking for returning users, you are on the right path.
Experts say that notifications boost retention by several times. In this article, we are going to provide a few tips on how to make your push notifications amazing.
Push Notifications Best Practices
1. Permissions
If you ask your users for permission to send them to push notifications, you are trying to manipulate them. However, most apps fail here. Most users do not want to allow any apps to get access to their personal data. For example, Android’s permission system has some permission requests and clients feel uncomfortable about confirming personal data sharing.
How it works: to make privacy concerns less problematic, marketers should address the value of notifications they send making their push notification mobile strategy more user friendly. Ask your users what updates they are interested in to send them only relevant information and ensure their compelling experience.
Some marketers decide to send a request later. For example, if you have a messaging application, ask your users whether they want to receive notifications when their friends respond.
2. Clear Marketing Strategy
A marketing effort without a clear strategy is going around in circles. Mobile is the most performance-based platform, so you don’t have to speculate, but everything starts with creating a good plan. Mobile app marketers know that, but more often they fail to create a thoughtful push notification strategy for your app and, therefore, miss an opportunity to boost retention.
How it works:
think about various push triggers
user-behavior types you are looking for
the goal you aim to achieve with push notification marketing and more
The smarter triggers you create, the more chances you get to receive user’s responsibility.
For example, if your app helps users register for contests and events, make a notification that reminds a user when the registration period is nearly over to let him/her have a chance to be on time.
3. Types of Push Notifications
Text notifications are things of the past because you can get to a brand new level today. Modern technology allows you to use more eye-catching messages including images to view in one single tap. It is a great possibility to turn a call-to-action into an action using interactive notifications that attract attention to what are willing to say, and the retention level will grow. Isn’t it great to create interactive and funny apps to ensure entertainment for users?
How it works: you can produce a stronger social aspect and increase user engagement by informing users that their friends use the application. A push notification that informs users of their friends’ moves and offers a further action such as “like” or “share.” It gives your push notification more value and creates a better engagement.
4. Timing
Time is everything. The right timing of your push ensures your app to have delighted users and less annoyed ones. Choose the most comfortable time for your notifications. That is, you have to avoid sending notifications at times when your users are probably busy or asleep.
Avoid disturbing your users, but also chooses the best time to connect them. To do that, you have to know who your audience is and what you are going to send them.
How it works: some experts say that the best time to send notifications is the afternoon. Thus, as has been mentioned above, the effectiveness of your push timing depends on your goal, the industry you are in, and your target audience.
5. A/B Testing
In the mobile app world, you have to test out and develop some options to every parameter described in this article. Obviously, to learn which method is the most effective, you should experiment and measure results. It is a never-ending process to become a regular part of your notification strategy.
How it works: it is crucial to test different approaches to push notifications and try different content, tones, and timing to understand what interests your audience the most. Realizing what makes your users respond to your offers may help you to develop the most effective communication strategy.
6. Content. How to write best push notifications texts
A simple fact is that the content of your notification should be engaging and very specific.
Follow this advice:
Make sure to keep your text short and informative
Include a clear call to action in your push messages
Try to spark the interest of your users with a catchy joke or phrase.
Use an element of entertainment, it holds the attention and remains in the memory.
In addition, one of the most important things to include in the message is personalization. Send personal messages that catch attention.
How it works: take a personal approach by using names and including details about the last activity user performed in the application. If you sell merchandise, and your audience is interested in specific items, note when they are going on sale.
For instance, the text of your notification can say the following: “Hi, Susan! The bag you have added to your wish list is on sale! Buy it now at a discount!” It is important to be soft. Be personal, but avoid treating them with scant courtesy.
7. Push Notification Segmentation
If you are going to provide personalized communication to your users, this is where you should start. Dividing your audience into groups, focus on certain characteristics and types of people you are appealing to groups can be focused on gender, age, interests, location, and any other personal data.
If you are going to take it to a higher level, you should address user behavior. Specific push notifications are used to learn the way users react, interact, and respond to them to find out how frequently and actively they use your application.
How it works: inert and engaged users should receive different messages. If you want to draw the attention of the inert users to your app again, you should send them notifications that include special deals to evoke their interest.
8. Frequency
Some marketers find push notifications very effective and, therefore, become too enthusiastic. Sometimes, it leads to sending an oversize amount of notifications in a short span of time. Unfortunately, this may irritate users and bring negative results.
A good strategy helps you to discover a perfect balance that will allow you to connect users without becoming an “overly attached girlfriend.”
How it works: you have to divide push notifications into 2 groups. The first group should contain messages that inform users about the action of other users (“Your friend Judy liked your photo”).
The second group should contain messages that information directly about the deals within the app (“Check out the new special offer!”). Users like to receive the messages of the first type, so you should be careful about how often you send the messages of the second type.
9. Prioritizing
If you have too many similar push notifications you want to send to the same user in a short period of time, and you try to avoid over-spamming your user, make sure to prioritize them and choose the most important ones. When creating a push strategy, a segmentation process could help you in this process and detect the issue in advance.
How it works: begin with separating specific notifications from the general ones and choose those messages that adhere to the users’ needs to the maximum extent. In case if you cannot decide which of them are of higher priority, try creating several seasonal versions of the general strategy.
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Obviously, the main aim of sending notifications is to get maximum users’ attention and engagement. For that reason, it makes sense to take your time and produce some creative and entertaining content. Come up with something unique and you will be more likely to amaze your audience. Don’t make your message very long, but try to make it memorable.
How it works: the ideas are endless. Make your content funny or rhyme to generate retention and communication.
This list is a checklist for beginners in the world of push notifications. To make sure that you are on the right way, we recommend you review this article from time to time. Keep on adjusting, testing, and measuring your results!
In conclusion
Push notification marketing is still growing and can bring significant benefits to your business. Try our best practices to gain the desired results!
Finding customers that will come back, again and again, is a process that is different for every application. For email and social methods, this is no different. The number of users, the frequency with which the app is used and many other factors need to be considered by mobile marketers.
Comparing and considering the benefit of each is something that will help mobile marketers direct their efforts. Determining which is better for businesses will certainly make a difference when it comes to finances and app success.
Social Benefits
The main difference between social methods and email methods is that an organic social approach fetches a huge volume of users while email gets high-value users. In a world that is becoming more and more connected, this is not surprising.
Due to the users acquired, mobile-first publishers should choose organic social marketing methods as their first choice for user acquisition. This method outranks many others that may seem to be extremely effective, but simply do not compare. The outranked methods include video ads, emails, and even installs that come with appealing incentives.
Those that will benefit most from this social organic install source will more often than not be small publishers. As a smaller or startup company, chances are the budget will be limited. Social methods are a more appealing option for small businesses that are still building their user bases. This is a good place to start acquisition on a budget.
This social method will attract medium-value users. This means that the cost of using this method returns less, but the cost of the acquisition is less as well. Mobile developers that put the focus on this method will generally end up with more attractive spreadsheets of results as they will be making some money and spending less than they would with email.
There is no better way to go about marketing for the purpose of acquiring users for a particular organization. Each business is changing, and the market is changing as well. This means that the best method probably isn’t just one thing but a combination of many different tactics at once. It has been shown that the most successful in business use many different methods that include optimization in the app store as well as PR.
Email Benefits
Email marketing methods of acquiring users is a tactic that has been around for a long time. This is not just because the email has been around longer but because this method works. In order for this method to be effective, the company has to have a large base of users that trust the company and what they offer. Though this is not something that can be built overnight, the relationship is something that can be very beneficial in acquiring mobile users via email.
It has been shown that companies that put their time and effort into feeling out their existing customers via email to convert to mobile have a huge success rate. The fact that the company enjoys such a high conversion rate and lifetime value is what makes this a favorite tactic among traditional marketers.
There are companies that have executed mobile user acquisition by email well and those that have not quite mastered the tactic. As always companies and marketers need to do a thorough analysis of the method and the potential for success for their venture. This will help marketing teams to optimize their campaigns and use them more effectively for the specific acquisition method and in general.
The size of the company and the budget do not matter when the company uses the mobile user acquisition method that suits them. This will help to maximize success and mobile marketing reach.
The omnichannel experience is a term that most business owners will hear about but very few can implement them successfully. Many make the mistake of thinking that providing three or four channels for customers to contact the company is providing a full-fledged omnichannel experience.
To really achieve an omnichannel customer experience a business needs to view their multiple service channels as a single force that works flawlessly together. A successful multi-channel service ensures that each one is completely integrated and consistently supports each other channel a customer may use.
The majority of companies have different departments running each form of contact: email, phone, web forms and text messages. This may, at first, seem the most efficient form of management, but customers see a company as being a single force and therefore already assume an omnichannel customer experience.
The fact that very few companies pay close attention to the integration of their connection channels means that there is a gulf between what the customer expects and what the company supplies. In order to avoid this common mistake here are five steps to follow for an efficient omnichannel contact experience.
1) Create A Variety Of Support Channels
The easiest place to start is to review if the company is offering all of the support channels that customers actually want. Carefully considering the customer and their preferred method of seeking information in their daily lives will help to make the contact avenues more efficient.
The most obvious place to see these mistakes is with phone-calls. The majority of companies will offer phone support as their main assistance channel. The average American will make between 1-5 phone calls a day, and that same individual will send and receive over 10 times as many text messages. With these statistics, it is strange to consider that very few companies offer text message-based contact channels.
Implementing certain channels of contact can be costly but to combat this each company should identify the three or four most desired avenues and only offer these to their clients. This will boost a customer’s willingness to contact the company and their overall experience. The chosen channels will vary based on the customers but should always be promoted on existing channels.
2) Centralize The Storage Of Customer Data
Centralizing data will change everything. One of the most annoying issues for a customer is having to explain the same problem to several service reps. Once a company has their chosen channels in place, then the first step to making these into an omnichannel customer experience is to combine all data in one central location.
This means that every member of the customer service team will have the same information and can pick up each conversation exactly where it finished last. This step is one of the easiest to implement and has extremely quick beneficial effects.
3) Integrate Channels
Having the channels in place that customers really want is a great start but until these channels are integrated, they can still cause problems. Customers not only want to contact a company in their preferred manner, but they also want a smooth and seamless experience. Switching between channels is rarely an easy thing to do with most companies.
Using an omnichannel communication platform will track exactly at what stage each customer’s interaction is with the company. The benefits of integrating the channels are huge. Firstly the service can be personalized, and each customer will feel the company is closely following their communication.
A second benefit is that each channel that suits the situation can be used. For example, text messages can be used for quick updates on information, which could be quickly switched to a live chat version if the information is not completely understood.
Aim to make everything quick, simple, and designed to benefit the customer as much as possible.
4) Automate
Live agents and the related waiting times can be one of the most frustrating aspects of a company to a customer. Automating at least a portion of the contact routes means that the business can offer a cheaper, more informed and more efficient customer experience.
Many companies avoid automation from fear of losing touch with their customers, but the reality is that the world is moving towards being completely free of human-to-human interaction for many processes, just consider purchasing train tickets, bank transactions, and airline check-ins. Considering where a company can automate without becoming annoyingly difficult to contact is the key to a successful omnichannel experience.
5) Form An Action Plan
Following these four steps shows just how simple the theory behind an omnichannel experience is but should highlight that implementing it in reality is not quite as straightforward. Therefore, it is important to create an action plan to make sure the business is on its way to integrating all of the channels and make the customer experience the best possible. The key to success is to follow these steps:
Research: Spend sufficient time finding the channels that are most used by customers or those that they would prefer to have as options. The assumption is the enemy in this step; often the business owner would approach a company in a far different way than the average customer. Conduct questionnaires to gather this information.
Centralize: As soon as possible move all data into a single location. Find a cloud-hosting platform that suits the number of customer records the company has. Research which platform suits the company in regards of size, usage levels, and the price.
Communication Platform: Find a company that offers a multiple communication platform that allows flawless switching between each channel. The best company to go for is one that offers complete integration and some level of automation.
The most important part of creating an omnichannel experience is to consider customer care. Each company will have a slightly different model that focuses more on a variety of channels, understanding the customer will make sure the business does everything to make communication as perfect as possible. Following the five given steps will put any company well on its way to achieving this.
In our world of smartphones and mobile devices, there is an incredible competition between applications to become the most used and the most popular. What makes an app popular is more complicated than you may think. The content of the app needs to be on point as well as the design.
Users need actually to be interested in using the app in order to consider even it. You no longer need to wonder why certain apps have found success and why others have bombed.
We have shown some of the key factors and ingredients when it comes to developing a great app that people will also want to use. These can be used to guide developers and even to help users decide which apps they should keep on their devices and which ones should be removed forever.
Once Users Try It, Will They Be Able To Live Without It?
Users of the app need to have their lives drastically changed and improved when they use it. Otherwise, it will not be downloaded or will be deleted immediately to make room for more useful applications.
Applications that save users time and money are the most popular because users find that they would be lost without the assistance the app is providing. When a user is able to see the value in an application and is thankful that they are able to incorporate it, then the app will be successful.
Not only does this app need to deliver on this in terms of use, but if they want to be successful, then they need to market their app to show potential users the benefits. Users will only discover that they cannot live without the app if they download it in the first place.
Does This App Have A Purpose?
One of the first things developers need to assess is if the app has a purpose. Are users going to seek out this kind of app? The application that users want is one with a clear purpose. They want to be presented with a problem and know exactly which app will best help them to solve it. For example, if a user is lost then a map application is exactly what they will choose to help them navigate.
These apps, such as Google Maps, have a clear purpose. Mobile device users would actually prefer to use an app than spend time trying to navigate through websites to find the information they need. An app that helps users and has all of the information they could need is one that they would regularly use.
How Easy Is The App To Use?
No user mobile device users want to struggle to understand apps or what they are for. That is why making it easy-to-use is incredibly important. The information and the usability of the application can be complicated in nature, but they need to be easy for the user to handle in order to be successful.
It needs to be very clear from the beginning because even if it takes reading a few instructions, users are going to look elsewhere for the services you were aiming to provide. If your application is based in retail, then the entire process should be clear to anyone. For example: finding the products, their reviews, making purchases, and searching through the inventory should all be straightforward.
Is This An App That Will Play A Daily Role?
If an app is something that users turn to on a daily basis, then it becomes part of their routine and quickly becomes something that they need for their day to be a success. If an app can be used daily, then it essentially becomes irreplaceable for a certain length of time.
Creating an app that is crucial to the day of a user should be the aim of all developers. This is something that the developer should consider for the long-term. The app should be something that the customer will use daily for many years, not something that they will use daily for just a short period of time. This short-term daily use can be seen in many diet apps, but if the app relates to overall health rather than just weight loss, it more likely to be a success for longer.
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Users are drawn to the way apps look, almost more than they are drawn to the uses. If an application looks professional and visually appealing, then it is more likely to appeal to buyers initially and more likely to be kept on devices. Developers should consider every aspect of the design from the graphics to the color themes, fonts, titles, backgrounds, pictures, etc. Of course, the cost to develop an app would be higher.
Crafting The Perfect App
In such a competitive market, developers need to focus on the customer and completely tailor their services. Also, developers should follow mobile application development trends. This includes everything from relevance, usability, and design. When developers have covered all of these factors fully, then their app will be much more successful than it would have been without investigating uses and users further.
The United States is known worldwide for being a country that spends huge amounts of money on healthcare. This is not just a stereotype of the country but something that is based in fact with the highest GDP on healthcare in the world.
With so much more being spent, surely there would be better outcomes for patients? Sadly this is not exactly the case. The reason for the high costs and seemingly normal outcomes as related to the rest of the medical world are the direct results of high insurance costs, high staff salaries, poor access to all of the right procedures and supplies as well as poor lifestyle choices. Though these are not the only factors, but ones that play a major role.
How Do We Remedy This Problem?
Hospitals and healthcare centers are independently trying to improve their care and keep their own costs down, hoping to pass the savings onto their patients. Some facilities have been quite successful while others have remained the same or have even failed.
These varied results have made it difficult to know what aspects of each facility were helping keep costs down until modern technology was introduced. Using technology, patients and healthcare professionals are able to interact in a more effective way that benefits everyone involved.
The Benefits Of Modern Devices In Hospitals
Devices like the iPhone and iPad, in particular, have had a huge impact on how doctors and patients interact, how information is stored, how forms are filled out, how labs are accessed and so much more.
These devices hold all of the information that it would have previously taken hours to write and then sort through later. This has increased productivity all around, from the medical professionals to the administrators.
Size
Not only are these mobile devices able to hold all of the information needed, but they are also easy to slip into a pocket or lab coat. Rather than having hundreds of bulky folders, the provider will have just one device to worry about.
Access
The electronic information held within the device on a medical server can more easily be accessed and compared against normal ranges of health. This helps to eliminate human error and will also help health professionals to assess patients quickly.
When the provider has access to the information immediately, it means that in case of emergency they are able to quickly review medical history and treat the patient accordingly. This is a great example of technology changing healthcare in a totally beneficial way.
Wait Time
The lab results that would have taken hours to receive are now sent directly to the device of the provider in the patient’s file and can be immediately analyzed. Patients and providers getting results quicker is always a good thing.
Data Entry
These devices not only hold the information, but they are also extremely effective when it comes to information input. Rather than complicated forms, these devices have forms that will auto-fill pre-known information and provide drop-down menus. The information is then immediately stored for the provider to access. This electronic data storage also means that no files will be lost in the daily activity of a hospital.
Time-Saving
The main thing that mobile technology in healthcare has helped to cut down on is the time wasted by patients, administration employees, and providers. There is no time wasted filling out forms, waiting for results or reviewing a patient’s file. In cutting down on the time wasted in these aspects, providers are better able to focus on their patients, dedicating more time to each. This also cuts down on the need for such extensive administration staff, therefore cutting costs there.
Mobile Healthcare Apps For Doctors
Healthcare providers are using applications to access patient information. This makes doing routine checks, such as rounds, much faster. Apps like Epocrates and UpToDate keep the information well within reach of the health professionals on their mobile devices. EMR systems like Epic also make having patient information easy with a mobile application.
Doctors are not only able to access the patient’s current information and history more easily, but they are able to have access to entire medical journals and resources that will assist them in making a diagnosis. This combination has led and will lead in the future to there being fewer mistakes in terms of care.
Using mobile devices can also give doctors access to one another to share information, ask questions, and workshop particularly difficult cases. This also allows them to request patient information as well as scheduled appointments.
The Changes And What Is To Come
That’s basically how technology has changed healthcare so far and this is only the beginning. While the market for creating healthcare applications and programs has been lacking due to unclear regulations for information sharing through applications, more developers are discovering what medical professionals need to make their services more effective and how to work with the privacy laws and regulations to make that happen.
These apps can help with anything from information storage to diagnosis assistance. Mobile application development cost is nothing compared to benefits. Using these apps to gather information and teach doctors more about the patients will only result in better care, less time wasted, and less money spent.
Customers always wonder how much does it cost to create an app. Some vendors say $50 000. The others say $500 000.
Indeed, many companies claim: “We are the best application developers. Work with us.” That’s why choosing an outsourcing app development company may be challenging for you.
In fact, an expensive service is not a guarantee that your app will be great. High prices do not always mean good quality. At the same time, lower costs don’t always mean poor results.
Let’s discuss the key factors that determine the cost of mobile application development.
Design approach
There are companies that suggest a mobile application project requires months of research, including research trends in application development, journey creation, concept testing, visual design including interactions design and mock-ups, UX design, and mobile app prototypingcreation to test the mobile UX with real users.
Others work on assumption that the instructions received from a customer are enough, that the details could be clarified as they go along, and apply minimum effort in creating the designs. The cost can vary from low to high depending on the approach developers take.
Effort and time
Effort and the amount of days it will take to create a solution is one of the biggest reasons that determine the price. As a rule, more experienced teams go into details and make an exact estimation for every case.
They have vast experience in developing the same solutions or apps and can provide an accurate estimate including potential risks and errors. The effort can vary from one company to another based on the method used to evaluate the effort and time.
The type of application
It is true that the price can vary accordingly to the type of app you need. A standard application with basic functions will cost you less than a custom developed solution with difficult processes and advanced tools. We have already discussed the number of hours needed for the implementation.
It is obvious that custom solutions need to be scrutinized, and the developer will spend more time working on them. Just like any other product or service. One needs time to make research unless he is a real expert.
Location
It is obvious that an agency from New York, London or San Francisco will be a great choice. On the contrary, a team based in China, India, or Mexico, therefore, will perform your task for a lower charge. The prices can vary from $200 per hour to $15 per hour.
The location issue is also connected with choosing between local companies and outsourcing. Of course, it makes sense to find local app developers. At least, this is how you can avoid communication problems because face-to-face communication is a chance to understand what you are going to pay for.
On the other hand, you can always find application development outsourcing. As it was mentioned, the communication with the foreign team may be more challenging. There are experienced teams and proficient developers across the ocean costing less and able to perform even better than a local agency. All you have to do is to find outsourcing that you can trust.
Change management
Once the company overcomes the first challenge of landing customers, it faces the other challenge of making a profit on them. The most common method of agencies is to do everything to underprice the project and minimize the scope. Later they will offer a change request to make a customer pay more for the extra functions they originally suggested were included.
The other way is to base the estimate on the suggestion that there will be a necessity to change something (redesign functionality, add something, etc.) based on the final user feedback. Sometimes change requests can double a price.
Be attentive if you might need to include some changes as the creation of an app goes. Make sure that a planned budget you have includes extra expenses coverage. In some cases, the initial rates can grow higher than you expected but if the agency is reliable it will prove its value.
Size of the company
This is not a key aspect. However, as a rule, bigger companies with 200+ of team members have higher rates while small ones with 10-20 people set lower prices. However, agencies of a certain size sometimes have some scale advantages that give them a lower quote.
The code quality and the ability to hand it over
Over the past years, we have reviewed the code quality for more than 100 developers. Some of them are really good, but most are poorly structured and developed. Sometimes it is about the quality of the developers, but this could happen simply because of stress or other factors that don’t depend on them.
Sometimes the reason is that there is no proficient technical lead of the development process or because they are trying to make it more difficult to take a hand over the code. Other companies solve this problem with the help of internal developers who review the code or even performing an outsource code review to avoid any issues connected with the code quality and make sure that it is well-structured.
Proficiency of the developers
It is quite obvious that the difference in the effectiveness and productivity between a professional and a poor developer is significant. A professional developer can simply cope with a task in a couple of days while a poor one needs weeks to resolve everything. For that reason, the number of people you get for your budget is not a guarantee. A small team of 5 people can produce much more than a large team of 20 people in the same amount of time.
So, which agency you should choose as your application developer? Focus on the one that fits your needs in all terms including quality, prices, location, timelines, guidance, and experience.
Do you have some troubles with sales in the iOS and Android App stores? Other sellers just get their success right away from the very start, but you still sold a minimum after a year of business? Well, you came to the right place to solve the problem. We have some interesting and helpful tips for you to help. These are the 5 main reasons why you have poor app sales.
1. No app marketing
The common and very often mistaken for fresh app producers is the conviction that their app is fantastic, and people will find it immediately after sharing it online. However, in a real-life everything is much more complicated. You should realize that there are billions of new apps and other stuff rolling in every new day.
Thus, the customer will never find, like, and pick up your app among thousands of others. Without a marketing strategy, you are just a drop in the ocean. So, you should find some effective way to present your product to the world and get the needed attention. For example, you can cooperate with other companies to start promoting your product and let people know and talk about it. Then, you can start a big sale to bring heat to the sales.
Not using proper mobile analytics tools is also a big mistake.
2. Not enough social media promotion for your app
Nowadays social media is a huge part of our everyday life. Everyone knows that Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, and dozens of other social networks can hit big when it comes to your business promotion. They can be also a perfect way to build your communion with customers all over the world. You can find here some new clients, devoted fans, and regular clients too.
So, try to build some serious community with your social network page to turn these people into your regular customers and fans. Do not forget that these guys will bring their friends to your app shop too. Using Twitter, for example, you will learn how to communicate with modern customers and make your business grow like mushrooms after the rain.
So, if you know something about the world of the app business, you as an IOS developer, probably, dream about featuring your app by Apple. While you are looking for some special magic formula to make it happen, we should tell you that there is no formula. You should realize that Apple will get interested in your product only if there are a lot of positive reviews and feedback on your app.
No magic, business only. You can find a lot of various websites that can write great reviews on your product. Even if their review is not very positive, you will get the attention you desire and it is the most important thing.
4. No design attention
You might invent a really great and useful app that can be very popular around the world. However, what’s about its design and usability? If your app is difficult to navigate with the pale interface, it is likely to be a flop. People don’t want to use programs that are not clear and simple enough. Everything should be done fast and easily.
Moreover, the look of the app should be really beautiful, stylish, and useful. If your design skills are too poor to make your app perfect, you should hire an expert. A professional designer or even a team of designers is the solution to your problem. Do not try to save your money with that, just make everything possible for your app to start selling as quickly as it is possible.
5. Your app is simply a bad app
There is no guarantee that your app is perfect and useful. You could spend weeks or months to develop it. However, it can turn out to be a failure. Yes, there are thousands of apps released every day. Most of them are just nothing special. And a typical customer will always see that something is wrong.
So, to avoid such situations, you should ask yourself a few important questions. Ask yourself about the problem your app is designed to solve. Are there any other apps that can do the same job? Is your app better than others? For example, you can invent a cool calculator. It is great. However, there are thousands of such apps on the market. Thus, your app needs to be unique to be a success. You should make something really revolutionary new in this field to get the deal.
If, in your opinion, mobile applications are exclusively for worldwide corporations and big-name brands such as Bank of America or Walmart, you’re totally mistaken. Nowadays, more and more midsize, and even small, companies are following mobile application development trends. Market conditions make the businesses think that an efficient mobile strategy requires more than just a user-friendly website.
Today you can mark that the biggest part of small companies you cooperate with in your day-to-day routine and have their personal mobile application. Be it a beauty salon downtown or a cozy corner coffee shop. These businesses hold leading positions in a particular field when it comes to getting their marketing strategy to the next level.
If you’re still confused about why building your own mobile platforms for business became so popular, here’re TOP 9 benefits of joining this club sooner rather than later.
1. Be visible to the clients constantly
Recent statistics say that the average American spends more than 2 hours using his/ her mobile device every day. In fact, only a handful of all mobile apps constitutes the main part of total usage. On the other hand, to find the application the user is looking for, he/she still needs to unlock, scroll, and glance over the device.
As humans mind record unconsciously every text, image, or catchy app icon, such simple scrolling down and up can be an advantage for your business. It works – even if this process happens unnoticed.
2. It provides you with a more direct connection
It’s simple. The application always displays on the device desktop. Moreover, in contrast with the website, the app can be opened with one easy tap. To find your page in the net, the user needs to open the browser and find the appropriate URL to bookmark it.
The app makes it much easier for clients to leave feedback or call you. Furthermore, all negative comments left on the site are visible to everyone. What about negative feedbacks submitted with the help of an app, they give you a chance to deal with client dissatisfaction before his/her opinion goes public.
3. Connect with on-the-go clients
The smartphone is one of the most personal technology tools we can have. Sometimes we keep it close to ourselves twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Statistics show that approximately 80% of the time spent on the phone is spent using applications.
4. Create a useful marketing channel
An application wears many hats: it can give general information about your company, show prices, provide users with booking forms, personal accounts, search features, news feeds, messengers, etc. And, what is the biggest benefit of creating an app, all this info is right at clients’ fingertips. With the help of push notifications, you have an opportunity to advance even closer to direct cooperation by reminding customers about your special sales, new products, and services.
5. Show customers that you appreciate them
When it comes to on-hand data and digitalization, in place of old-fashioned point-collection cards, provide your clients with the possibility to collect loyalty program bonuses via the mobile app. The result won’t take long, and you’ll get more downloads and more regular clients.
6. Increase your brand recognition
A device application for your company can contribute to your brand recognition. A created app is like a billboard sign: you can do with it everything that you want. You have all the needed tools to make it functional, user-friendly, stylish, and informative. But what your primary goal should be is to build an application that has all the necessary features your client will love. At the same time, it has to be well-designed and branded.
The more often users get involved with your application, the sooner they will decide to order your service. It’s called “effective frequency” in the advertising field: hearing and seeing your business brand about 20 times is what will get you really notable.
7. Improve your connection with clients
All the same, whether you’re selling a spa service or flowers, your customers need a resource to reach you without effort. Having a help desk or messenger in the application can change the way you communicate with the clients. For example, if you create a mobile app for your restaurant, the users have a chance to book the table with 5 clicks on your platform. No doubt, instead of phone connection the majority will choose communication via text. Building your business model around this principle – your key to success.
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It’s hard to believe, but today device applications at the small business level are still infrequent. Because of this, you can stay one jump ahead of your competitors. Be one of the first in your area to offer an application to your clients. Be sure, they’ll be amazed by your wise and farsighted approach.
9. Cultivate loyalty of customers
One more significant reason to create your own mobile application is customer loyalty. With all this information noise around like billboards, roadside banners, magazines ads, flashing signs, coupons, flyers, website banners, email marketing, and Facebook advertising we, as businessmen, slowly lose our influence on clients because there is a huge amount of commercial on every corner. On the other hand, it’s an auspicious time to make a true connection with customers. It leads them to become loyal users of your service.
And last, but not least, I don’t mean that a device application will save your company. However, it can be an excellent tool that helps you stay close to the users and be a “fingertip” away all along. I hope, with all these weighty reasons, you’ll look at your phone as a perspective for successful business management and effective client experience.
It usually requires a lot of hard work to create an app, but nobody can say if it will be successful or not. Even with ample money and time invested, app developers cannot guarantee a successful mobile app. The reason is that app developers just can’t know exactly what their potential clients want to have in their mobile app.
Don’t try to create something you think people will like to use, you need to create an app you know people will like and use for sure. Actually, your idea doesn’t have to be perfect from the very beginning, but you have to be open to any further improvements and fixes in your app, if necessary.
But how to know what to improve and what has to be fixed or what do your customers want now? The only answer here is getting feedback.
Feedback is crucial. It will help you build an outstanding mobile app.
Why Feedback is Important?
It might be challenging to know what your customers will need from a mobile app. But no matter what your customers need now, the only way to know it for sure is to listen to their personal opinion.
And that’s true: only an active user can tell you what doesn’t work and what could be better in the app. Companies that ignore their customers’ feedbacks usually lose. Feedbacks left by your customers help drive your product roadmap to apply changes that are the most important for your customers. Everything related to mobile moves fasts and limiting the number of guesses you benefit from into a better product’s development.
Asking and replying to feedback is another great way to build a strong relationship between you and your app’s users and develop a community. When users see that their feedback is taken seriously, they are more interested in providing it and feeling more connected to your app.
Finally, always try to provide value. Show your customers that you’re listening to them. They should realize that you are attuned to their requirements and needs and will do your best for them.
How to Get Feedback for your Mobile App
There are various tools and ways you can use them for feedback inside your app. The first one is to include an easily accessible function inside the app that users can find and use anytime.
Another awesome way to ask your customers to leave feedback for you is to let them know that you want to hear it. Those guys who are really interested in your app will definitely read the release notes of each version. Include a message in your release notes that encourages the users to reach out and talk to you.
Your customers should know where they can leave feedback for you. You may consider the pointing method inside your app if you have it available. If not, point them to all the places where you are ready and listen.
Both of the above tips are great but they are more likely to work for a small group of your customer base, which is actively searching for release notes or just like to get in touch. Whether your option is to reach a bigger part of your users’ base, you should become really proactive and encourage your clients for leaving feedback.
But before discussing the best tools for reaching out to your clients, you should remember that there are places and times that are always better than others when it comes to asking for feedback for your application. Understanding the right time and place for promotion will help you to avoid the bad experience of using the app for any niche (community app, for instance).
You should realize that it’s not a good idea to prompt a new user to leave feedback after he’s just launched the app or he is in the middle of using it (i.e. checking out, playing level, writing a message). Otherwise, finding moments of possible confusion or moments of success can be the best times to encourage your customers to share their thoughts with you.
Once you’ve found the confusing moments, you can promptly fix them and if your customers are already happy with the product, you can enjoy more positive reviews in the app store as well. A win-win situation, isn’t it? Asking general feedback is good, but sometimes you might need your clients to answer specific questions, which can build more structured feedback for you. Explore surveys, as this is the best tool for getting structured feedback.
Surveys are very popular because they help you to analyze the market as well as drive customers’ insight. Have ever noticed that many auto shops and restaurants have such surveys as “Did you find everything you were looking for?” or “How did we do today?”
These questions may seem very simple for a consumer, but for businesses, they are extremely important for understanding what to do to improve.
Speaking about mobile apps, the possible questions are:
What’s your opinion about the new feature we’ve just released? (include a few possible answers).
What new feature would you like us to include in the next update? (include a few possible answers).
How likely are you to recommend this product to a friend? (include a few possible answers).
The above suggestions can become a super way to receive reviews for your app, but that’s just the beginning. Think about going further by replying to the feedback and adding it to your product roadmap.
Responding to Feedback
Remember that all customers who leave a review drive your business forward and you should value any feedback, even if it’s full of criticism. It’s crucial to let your users know that they’ve been heard and their time and suggestion have been appreciated. Aim for turning your customers into loving fans.
When there are any changes or updates made in your app, give a credit. A credit may be thanking your clients in the update notes. You can even go further by reaching out to those who shared their opinion and thank them privately. Always leave your conversation open and encourage your users to share feedback at any time.
