Ever since they first hit the big scene back in 2010 it was clear that smartphones will completely change our lives. These days, when the number of active smartphone users sits at around 6.6 billion (87% of the human population), we can say these predictions were more than exceeded. This massive adoption rate instantly makes smartphones one of the most effective marketing channels and streamlined touch points between brands and their consumers.
It is worth mentioning, though, that users spend most of their mobile time (nearly five hours or 30% of waking hours) using mobile apps, so the companies that want to fully engage with users need to start thinking about developing this asset. Let us take a look at a couple of must-have features that should provide your organization with the best possible product.
User-friendly interface
This is app development 101. No matter what kind of content you put in front of your users, they won’t feel inclined to ever open the app if you don’t make it user-friendly, responsive, and simple to navigate. While you are doing that, try to make the presentation as clean and clutter-free as possible and keep in mind the user intent – try to think about what info the users are looking for and find a way to give them access to this data in the simplest and most streamlined manner possible. The remaining efforts should be focused on creating simple route maps, avoiding any kind of redirection, and following other good design practices.
Effortless onboarding
Keeping in mind that a growing number of apps are using the features like gesture-based controls and hidden UI, getting to know all the features and small quirks can prove to be very tricky for new users. All these things can damage the user experience and drag down the overall adoption rate in the long term. That is why you should make sure to greet your clients with a fun but comprehensive and informative process that should familiarize them with everything the app has to offer. Using some popular framework like Flutter will give you all resources to create the easy-to-access how-tos and tutorials you need to meet these goals.
Battery preservation
Ever since their inception, battery drain has been one of the greatest banes of the smartphone world. So, it’s obvious your clients won’t be willing to use your app if it’s poorly optimized and takes a toll on the battery life. This problem only becomes worse if we consider that the app needs to work on dozens of different-scale devices. Keeping in mind this is a very delicate issue that revolves around the proper usage of device and OS resources, we recommend that you look for the services of the Android app development professionals who are aware of these nuances and know how to prevent battery leaks.
High level of security
Over the last couple of years, the state of cybersecurity has reached very concerning levels. This issue will only become exponentially worse as time goes by, and some estimates say that by the year 2025 the money lost due to cybercrime will reach a record-breaking 10.5 trillion. If they are to entrust you to handle their sensitive data and online transactions, the consumers will expect that you take care of this issue with due diligence. You can solve most of these problems by using two-factor authentication, securing data-in-transit, encrypting the source code, and minimizing the storage of sensitive backend data.
Easy search and query options
Last but not least, we would like to remind you that apps are used to serve as a bridge between brands and their consumers. With that in mind, your goal should be to make that bridge as short and cozy as possible and streamline all available search and query options. Start by making sure the search bar can be easily accessed from any screen in the app. Also, be sure to include voice search since this trend is picking up quite a lot of steam lately. Furthermore, the users should get access to chatbots where they can get answers to some basic info and quick call options if they want to go more in-depth.
Final comments
So, there you have it – the top five features you should include in your business app to make sure your clients have the optimal, user-friendly experience. Smartphones and app ecosystems are playing an increasingly important role in today’s society. The companies that want to establish a strong market presence can’t hope to reach success if they don’t use this powerful asset. The features we proposed won’t instantly make a killer app you need but they will give you a very strong foundation to build upon.
Written by Derek Lotts
