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Design and build your mobile app with wide reach and effective engagement in mind

Why do some mobile apps boost sales and popularity for some companies, but hardly make the difference for others? While some businesses and entrepreneurs have been singing praises for their mobile app, others see theirs as a mere waste of money? The point is your mobile app may only be a waste of money without certain features. You need to get close to those whose apps are working to understand these features.

Think of it this way: No matter how sophisticated a car is, it is of no use with a faulty pedal. There are some key features that make any piece of technology effective. Without those key features, other features are useless. Can you remember the Pareto 80/20 rule? It says only 20 per cent of your efforts and activities yields 80 per cent of the desired results. This can be applied to apps development, too. You should be able to impart upon your app developers that 20 per cent of the features of your mobile app will yield 80 per cent of the results you desire.

Also read: Modern mobile app development: Cutting-edge trends you should not miss

Some of the important 20 per cent features have been outlined here one after the other. Your mobile app developers should ensure your mobile app has all of them, as they collectively make your mobile app a success.

Quick loading time

This is very important. Your app should not take up to 10 seconds to load, or else users will stop using it. For a mobile retail app, the ideal loading time should be about 4 to 6 seconds. However, 6 to 10 seconds is still fair, but any loading time beyond 10 seconds is not acceptable.

Low requirements

An effective app should have very low requirements. No customer will change his/her mobile device or upgrade it just because of your app. The user will rather move on to other retail stores with low-requirement mobile apps. Do you have any idea of how many customers you will lose because the specifications of their devices do not support your app? So, it makes a whole lot of business sense to make your app work on low specifications.

Also read: For content-driven startups, speed (or the lack of it) can kill

Simplicity

No one will take a lecture just to use an app. So, your app should be intuitive and very easy to use. It should be so easy that even a 10-year-old can navigate his way through without any assistance. This is why you should not jam pack your app with so many unnecessary features. The more the features, the more clumsy your app will be. Rather, focus on the few necessary features. This is how to keep it simple.

Integration with social media is a must

You need to integrate your app with popular social networks like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Twitter. This is necessary for two reasons. It will enable your customers to sign in with their social media account, which is usually faster than having create new accounts or enter passwords.

It also makes it easy for them to share your posts with their friends. Once the integration is done, a share button will appear on top or beside any of your posts with, which they can use to share. The more your customers share your posts, the better the likelihood of enhancing your credibility and reach.

The features listed above are just some of the necessary features, but there are a few more. However, implementing these optimisations will help make your app more effective.

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