Key Factors for a Successful Mobile App

The growth of mobile app development is confirmed by the following facts:

• Since 2021, there have been over 4.8 million mobile apps available in online app stores
• The average user owns over 80 apps on their mobile device but only uses 9 on a daily basis
• Only 29% of all apps remain on a user’s phone after 90 days.

Given all of this, we must ask ourselves – what criteria must a mobile app meet in order to be considered successful by users?

Of course, in the world of mobile app development, here is no one-size-fits-all solution that will make every app successful without exception. However, there are certain key features that can make a mobile app more functional and user-friendly. For example, it is essential that the app provides an excellent user experience through its design and functionality, helps achieve business goals, and offers users additional value compared to a standard website. Additionally, a high-quality and efficient app can further assist your business in: 

• Collecting and managing customer insights
• Streamlining business processes
• Automating administrative tasks
• Improving marketing content
• Increasing sales and revenue
• Reducing product costs, and more.

As you can see, the benefits of a good mobile app are numerous. We highlight the 5 most important features that every quality mobile app, whether Android or iOS, should possess in order to stand out in a sea of similar apps:

Well-Designed UI

In today’s fast-paced online world, there is often no second chance for a first impression. The first feature you should keep in mind when developing a mobile app is an intuitive and attractive user interface that not only attracts but also retains users’ attention.

How is a well-designed UI achieved?

First and foremost, the UI should be optimized for touch-sensitive mobile phone screens, which means removing all unnecessary features that aren’t crucial for the app’s functionality. The design must be consistent across all platforms and mobile phone sizes and should not be overcrowded. An additional recommendation is to “humanize” the app’s design, meaning users should feel like they are interacting with a person, not software. Humanizing the design can be achieved through personalization, expressive illustrations and visuals, functional animations, microinteractions, and similar features.

Fast Load Time

Studies conducted by Google show that 70% of mobile phone users will react negatively to a slow mobile app.

If there is a delay of just 3 seconds, 40% of users will abandon the app and install a faster one.

Some common reasons that can affect app speed include: overloaded servers, excessive data, outdated software versions, bulky code, unoptimized encrypted connections, and more.

A good and fast mobile app should take no more than 5 seconds to load. A fast and responsive mobile app leads to a better user experience, higher user retention, and increased conversion rates. To achieve this, it is important that the team developing your app pays special attention to:

1. Using a good content delivery network (CDN)
2. Compressing and resizing data (images, videos, graphic and audio content)
3. Regularly updating the app
4. Minimizing memory consumption
5. Fixing performance bugs
6. Optimizing the mobile app for different devices

User satisfaction with a mobile app directly depends on the data loading speed.

Data Security

One of the key features of a good mobile app is its security, specifically reliable data protection. A breach of security means that sensitive information, such as user names, home addresses, birthdates, and banking details, may be exposed to attackers, putting both users and business secrets at risk. A data protection violation can lead to numerous negative consequences, ranging from financial liability to losing clients and damaging the company’s reputation, among others. We recommend following these best security practices:

1. Designing secure code that is easily updated and maintained
2. Encrypting all data
3. Using only authorized APIs
4. Implementing token validation with different session expiration times
5. Requiring multi-factor authentication
6. Regularly testing the mobile app for potential threats and third-party intrusions

It’s important to understand that reliable data protection does not end once the mobile app is developed and launched.

New threats constantly emerge, and data security is an ongoing process that continues throughout the app’s life cycle. Therefore, regular security testing is essential to analyze potential weak points in the mobile app’s data protection. By addressing potential security threats promptly and preventing them from escalating into larger issues, you send a positive signal to users that you care about their personal data, thereby increasing their trust and loyalty to your brand.

Excellent Customer Support

If you want to create a mobile app that will not only be installed but also actively used, it is crucial that it offers a satisfactory level of customer support. One way to ensure this is by incorporating a communication tool within the app itself, such as a live chat feature. This feature makes it easier for users to provide feedback and ask questions, allowing for quick and efficient problem resolution.

If you don’t have a dedicated customer support line, using AI chatbots can be a good alternative, as they will provide a personalized user experience. Additionally, FAQ sections can be extremely helpful in assisting users to quickly find answers to common questions.

Customer support is vital throughout the entire user journey, but it’s especially important after the app has been installed or purchased. Responding to questions and solving problems promptly shows that you genuinely care about your users’ satisfaction with the mobile app, leading to increased user engagement, frequent recommendations, and positive reviews.

Built-in Integrations

One of the key features of a high-quality mobile app is the ability to collect all your data and connect it to other business platforms you use. This is why successful mobile apps have built-in integrations—a crucial component of connectivity that helps synchronize user information.

By centralizing and aligning data, the risk of data duplication errors is reduced, business decision-making processes are accelerated, and transparency in operations is improved.

Other features, such as in-app messaging or customer support integration, can also help teams work more efficiently, communicate, and resolve ongoing issues.

To conclude, what do users want from a mobile app?

Users want a mobile app that provides them with unique value—whether it’s solving a problem, increasing productivity, or displaying data in a simple and organized way. Such an app needs to be user-friendly, responsive, secure, and backed by reliable customer support.

Considering all of this, we can conclude that creating such an app on your own is definitely not a simple, quick, or easy task. However, developing a successful mobile app doesn’t have to be a burden if you find an experienced and the right partner. That’s where Cubes comes in, with years of experience and top professionals in the fields of programming, coding, UI design, and branding, ready to support and assist you on this journey.

So, a good mobile app should offer unique value and provide a pleasant experience for users, while also generating revenue and fostering user retention for businesses.

With all this in mind, we can conclude that creating a quality mobile app is certainly not a simple, quick, or easy task. That’s why we’ve made an effort with this article to help you by revealing some useful tactics, expert advice, and the right steps on your path to creating a successful mobile app.

Good Luck!