As mobile usage grows, traditional websites are being driven to extinction by apps. But how are brands really adapting? By most accounts, they are not doing so well. Most are struggling to create meaningful mobile engagement instead opting to simply reduce the size of their existing website to fit a mobile framework.
And marketers are equally failing to engage mobile users. Most notably by ignoring the need to create a relevant experience that is streamlined and user-friendly for consumers.
According to recent report:
The best mobile experiences provide their users with immediate value from the moment they download and open the application, Deanna LaApufer, analyst at Forrester Research.
We’ve identified which areas brands and marketers need to focus on to develop apps guided by a mobile-first strategy for the future.
Strategy – One of the biggest reasons apps fail is due to a lack of strategy. Most brands and marketers forget this important step in planning an app, which requires designing a strategy that takes into account your business objectives and goals, usability, design and the person you want to reach and engage with. By starting from this point in the future, brands will see better results.
People-First – Designing an app for the person using it is no longer an isolated trend, but a reality for most brands. The future of mobility relies on not what your app can do, but who it can do it for. That’s where designing and developing a mobile solution with your user in mind first will be essential to making it in the future.
Experience-Based – Nowadays everyone has an app. The app revolution is over but most brands are still pushing out inferior mobile solutions. In the future, the apps that are experience-based will be the ones that succeed. Take Uber, for example, and the influence it has sustained in a short amount of time. Users now and in the future will expect all apps to provide value and be more than a mini version of your website.
Usability – This factor can no longer be ignored. A clunky or confusing mobile interface will ultimately lead to the demise of your app for one simple reason: users will abandon it if they don’t understand it. The key to app success in the future lies in the simplicity of its design. It was recently revealed that almost 50% of users will stop using your app if it is poorly designed.
What might appear as a bleak picture of the current state of mobile is actually an opportunity for all brands and marketers to improve their apps. We’ve provided several suggestions how you can leverage these to develop a top-quality app strategy for the future or contact us and we can guide you.
