Six Powerful Ways to Improve Your Mobile App

Do you want to learn how to improve your mobile application? If so, you’re in the right place. 

Mobile apps are in demand now more than ever before, which makes sense when you consider that there are over 5.48 billion smartphone users around the globe. People use their phones to rack up loyalty points with their favorite coffee shops, place orders on Amazon, research new brands, and so much more. 

From a sales and marketing perspective, having a mobile app makes sense. Once users download your app, you can build rapport and turn them into loyal, happy customers. It’s also worth mentioning that, on average, mobile apps see 3x more conversions than mobile websites. 

The thing is, not all apps are created equal. If you want to build a successful mobile app, you have to continuously evolve your product to match the market and your customers’ needs. Today, I want to show you six powerful ways you improve your mobile app and build the best product possible for your customers.

Let’s begin! 

Fine-Tune Performance

I believe a core reason app sales outpace website sales is usability. Mobile websites are not always responsive, which can lead to poor user experience. On the other hand, applications are typically designed for smartphone users, which means they work well across a wide range of devices. 

People will not tolerate websites or apps that suffer from performance issues. If your app takes too long to load or doesn’t display images properly, you will lose out on potential sales. 

Here are a few ways you can fine-tune the general performance of your app: 

- Look for bloated code and trim it down to use fewer resources

- Compress images and videos, or better yet, host videos off-site and embed them with a plugin. 

- Experiment with different data storage solutions until you find one that brings load times to less than two seconds. 

- Use a caching tool to speed up your app for repeat visitors.

Implement an Onboarding Program

Adding a user onboarding program is one of the best things you can do to immediately give new users a positive first impression. The goal of onboarding is to get people comfortable with your product and the application. 

Every business is different, so it makes sense that every onboarding experience is unique. Generally speaking, the way you set up your onboarding system will vary based on what’s inside your app.

For example, if you’re selling image editing software, your onboarding program should show users where to find tutorials for the different brushes and effects.

You’ll also want to show users key parts of the application that offer value to them. So, if you have a loyalty program, your app should show first-time visitors how to earn and redeem points.

I recommend reviewing your long-term marketing goals and buyer personas before you create your program. Develop a program that addresses your audiences’ goals and pain points while guiding them toward the next step in your marketing funnel.

Reward People for Using Your App

We’ve mentioned loyalty programs a few times; now, let’s get into the specifics. People are more likely to engage with a business when they get rewarded through cash back or points they can spend on future purchases. 

Adding a loyalty point tracker to your app makes sense because it gives people another reason to engage with your brand. Once they open to check their points or read your latest post, you can reward them further by showing personalized offers. 

Personalized promotions are, without a doubt, one of the best ways to get more people to use your app.

Research shows that personalized calls-to-action (CTAs) result in 42% more conversions. Now, compare that figure to the fact that 74% of shoppers say they’ve felt frustrated when a brand showed them irrelevant content or promotions. The simple explanation for this is that people are more willing to engage with relevant, valuable offers. 

Give Users Control Over Their Experience

Personalization includes more than the offers they see in your app. If you want users to have a truly one-of-a-kind experience, you must give them control over how the app looks, feels, and functions. 

We are all set in our ways. Some people prefer using dark mode. Others want to enable notifications about specific products. Most of us don’t want companies to store our data. Everyone has slightly different needs, including your target audience. 

Make it easy for users to access and change their settings. You should include showing new users this in your onboarding process. If you let users make your app their own, there’s a good chance they will come multiple times in the future.

It’s worth mentioning that accessibility features are non-negotiable. You need features like narration and colorblind mode so everyone can have an equal opportunity to learn about your brand. 

Collect Feedback

One of the best ways to improve your mobile application is to collect feedback from existing users and the people most likely to use your app in the future. You’ll want to learn what people want and expect if you want to build a consistent user base. 

There are plenty of smart ways you can get people to share their thoughts. Here are a few ways you can reach out: 

- Add an in-app survey

- Send customer satisfaction forms to email subscribers

- Poll people on social media

- Allow users to beta test updates and share feedback

Use these opportunities to ask users what they like about your app, what they dislike, and what they would add in the future. It will take some time to comb through the data, but if you’re patient and persistent, you’ll begin to notice patterns in behavior, goals, and pain points. 

Put Data to Use

Now that you’ve compiled feedback from your audience, take a look at in-app analytics and figure out how to use all of this data. In most cases, this will involve tracing user pain points or goals to a new solution in the form of a feature or product. 

I recommend taking your time and delivering high-quality updates less often so users will know each time they need to install an update, promising changes are in store. 

Many businesses find success with two small updates and one major update each quarter. You’ll need to review your marketing goals and subscriber data if you hope to create a roadmap that’s both manageable and offers value to users. 

Final Thoughts

It takes time and effort to build a successful mobile app. Far too many developers and leaders get it into their heads that they don’t need to change their application because it’s already perfect. 

Here’s the thing, there’s always room for improvement. You must be willing to look critically at your work and learn how to evolve it over time. The strategies outlined today will help you build a foundation that you can use to improve your current or upcoming mobile app.