Mobile App Best Practices For UX

There’s a lot that goes into building and designing an app, and it’s impossible to say which element is the most important. We can all guess, but there are just too many for anyone to really be sure. One thing we know, however, is that if you want your users to remain engaged and for your usage to grow, you absolutely must provide a phenomenal user experience.

Millions of apps are out there and available. Yet on average, consumers only have 36 installed on their personal devices. A fraction of them is used on a daily basis. And we all know that apps that are not used eventually disappear.

So what’s the trick to get people to actually use your app once you’ve convinced them to download it? That’s an easy answer – it’s all about the user experience.

If you want people to engage with your app (and keep using it!) here are some mobile app best practices you should follow.

EFFICIENT ONBOARDING Particularly with mobile apps, the onboarding process is crucial. If the process becomes too cumbersome within the first few screens, or even the first few seconds, you will lose that user forever. The goal of your onboarding should be to demonstrate the key functionalities and benefits of using your app, in the most efficient way possible.

EFFECTIVE SEARCH STRATEGIES If you want to drive conversions within your app, you’ve got to make it as easy and intuitive as possible for people to find what they are looking for. There are different types of search strategies you can use, such as filters and keyword search.

GIVE PEOPLE THEIR PRIVACY Don’t ask for anything you don’t need. Many apps do this now, to their own detriment. Unless you need access the the user’s camera, you shouldn’t be asking for it. Consumers are more aware about their rights to privacy and online security than ever before, and asking for too much makes consumers uneasy. You want to show from the very beginning that you are trustworthy, and you can achieve this by offering transparent privacy policies and allowing users control how their personal information is used and shared.

OFFER SUPPORT If people need help using your app, make sure you’re there to deliver that help in the exact way they want to receive it. You should have searchable FAQ’s, email support, and even live chat to ensure you’re providing the best possible customer service.

OPTIMIZE FOR MOBILE In addition to the finger functionality we’re always talking about for mobile devices, ensure you’ve accounted for mobile user behaviors as well. This means designing for scanning and glanceability, to ensure people can get the gist of what they’re after almost immediately.

ZERO-ERROR POLICY Every app will have bugs at some point, but that’s what your new releases are for. Don’t allow for errors to exist in your app any longer than absolutely necessary. Don’t release your app without taking the time to test all functions to ensure everything is working properly. This is a big one, as 90% of people claim they will stop using an app due to poor performance.

When designing your app, there’s a lot to remember. But if you want users to remain engaged, you’ve got make their user experience a top priority!

Post originally appeared on gojilabs.com.