We live in a digital world where everything works through taps and swipes on a smartphone screen.

More than seven million mobile apps are available on Android, iOS, and other platforms. Out of the 8 billion people, 6.92 billion use smartphones or mobile devices.

There are a lot of business apps out there, but only 0.5% of consumer mobile apps succeed. Yes, you read it right! Only 0.5% of apps make it, and the rest struggle to perform nicely and stand out in the market.

The mobile app user experience is one of the main factors that hinder a mobile app’s success. Most app owners have the misconception that users mostly care about exciting features. The reality, however, is quite different.

A market report shows that 52% of customers feel that poor mobile experiences cause them to lose faith in a company, and 70% abandon shopping carts because of poor user experiences.

In this article, we have shared some best practices for improving the user experience of mobile apps.

What is the Mobile App User Experience?

The mobile app user experience encompasses the complete journey of a user as they engage with the application. It encapsulates the emotional response and impression users form while interacting with the mobile app. Mobile app UX focuses on the overall experience of the entire application, including touchpoints, buttons, navigation, UI/UX design, performance, speed, and critical elements associated with app functionality.

Why is mobile app UX important? A closer look

In 2022, the global count of smartphone users stands at approximately 6.6 billion, and an average of around 76% of adults in developed nations (like the EU, US, Australia, South Korea, and Japan) report owning a smartphone. Due to this high market penetration, an increasing amount of internet traffic originates from smartphones. It means the scale of sales through smartphones is also on the rise. A significant portion of retail orders now originates from mobile devices.

It is an established reality that people increasingly rely on mobile devices for daily activities, from dating and retail to telemedicine and banking. Everyone expects a fast and smooth mobile experience. If this anticipated experience of intuitiveness and engagement falls short, users will not hesitate to abandon your brand. For example, if users encounter challenges in finding the content they need or the product they want due to poor navigation or page design, they won’t keep engaging with your mobile app.

It can adversely impact your revenue stream. For example, shoppers encountering negative mobile experiences are 62% less likely to buy from a brand. Meanwhile, 70% of consumers say page load time, a key component of good mobile app UX, impacts their buying decisions.

Another reason that a mobile app UX is crucial is that it can have an impact on SEO. To determine your website ranking, the Google Mobile First Index grades its mobile version primarily. A poor mobile app’s UX could impact your SEO, making it much harder to get found by your ideal audience.

An attractive UX will also encourage mobile users to interact with your content, allowing you to gather more user data and deliver engaging experiences in the future.

An effective mobile app design has become a cornerstone of any brand’s digital presence. A well-thought-out mobile app UX helps strengthen brand awareness, increase engagement, build customer trust, and ultimately help you to sell more!

Best Practices for Improving Mobile App User Experience

Here are some best practices to consider when aiming to enhance the UX of your mobile app:

• Create a User-Friendly App Design

Mobile application users have specific goals in mind, and if they encounter an obstacle or spend more time than expected, they may lose their way and become frustrated. Similarly, unwanted functionalities and features of your mobile app will distract them from their goal. Thus, to create a simple and highly usable mobile application, have a minimalistic design approach.

A mobile app design has several factors that contribute to a high-quality experience. For instance, a user-friendly mobile app design has: 

1. Intuitive Navigation
2. Data Privacy and Security
3. Personalization
4. Simple and Clean Interface
5. Consistent and Familiar Patterns
6. Responsive and Adaptive Design
7. Easy Readability and Accessibility
8. Effective Use of Colour and Visual Hierarchy
9. User Feedback and Iterative Improvement

All these are crucial characteristics of a user-friendly mobile app design as they satisfy user expectations.

• Use Native Component in Your Mobile Application:

The reason why you should choose native is that people are habitual and aware of the native app user journey and its flow. For example, when an application tells you how to navigate from one screen to another, it can be difficult for users to figure it out. Therefore, if users are familiar with native UI elements, it will be easy to follow the steps, as they will intuitively understand the application. Moreover, you can add transitions, animation, or automation since these elements make native mobile apps unique.

• Improve Consistency in Your App Design:

With uniformity in UI design, users feel at ease as they engage with a consistent application. The presence of your app logo and header design assures users of their correct journey. Likewise, a uniform navigation system fosters a consistent User Experience. Incorporating unconventional design into your app may disrupt its intuitive nature, causing user dissatisfaction. Therefore, adhering to design conventions for consistency will establish user trust.

• Improve The Search Feature in the App Design:

Visitors utilize your application to accomplish their objectives or discover and purchase your offerings. If the navigation within your app is inadequate and valuable links are challenging to locate, users may exit and turn to your competitor’s application. You can integrate an in-app search engine to streamline and expedite the search process. Incorporating a user-friendly navigation design, advanced search capabilities, and a well-structured information architecture will collectively enhance the usability of your application significantly.

• Animate Your Transitions:

Employing animated transitions is another effective way to establish a smooth transition while navigating between different pages.

Here are several essential guidelines for the skillful integration of animations:

• Do not incorporate animations without prior user interaction.
• Utilize it in a manner that assists users in executing an action.
• Include a limited number of animations within your app, but avoid going overboard.

• Test Your App and Improve It:

The best way to test mobile usability is to perform remote user testing. This method helps you to gather insights from users who have already engaged with your product. Subsequently, the app development team can proceed with quality assurance, addressing any encountered bugs.

Conclusion-

A great mobile app user experience is the key to your app’s success. Use the above practices and deliver the best-in-class user experience for your mobile app.