Apps And Their User Experience

There is a mobile application for almost everything these days. From apps that help users to organize their to-do-lists and monitor their heart rate, to applications that help people spy on their better halves, app stores across all platforms have a variety of choices for smartphone users. As smartphone use continues to grow, the need for online businesses to develop applications for their users keeps growing. Smartphones and other smart devices are outselling desktop computers and laptops by more than three times, and for a good reason. Most people experience their first online experience through the use of smartphones.

In today's e-commerce world, the need for a mobile app is a sure bet. But running a successful online business is more than just creating the app. User experience must be put under serious consideration. Think about what falls under the realm of your application's user experience — overall design, user interface, functionality, performance, usability, et cetera — and focus on optimizing these factors for the best experience.

Consider everything that could potentially have an impact on the user end interaction with your application. There are many ways to improve an application's user experience in today's ultra-competitive e-commerce world. Here are some of the ways different apps give their users a premium experience thus separating themselves from the bunch.

The Use of Qualitative Data

Optimizing your app should be an ongoing process, and the value of these improvements will manifest over time. Your focus should always be on how your users will interact with different functions of your application and keep that in mind throughout the design process. Analyze the effectiveness of your efforts with the use of qualitative analytics platforms to gather qualitative data and get a full understanding of your user experience. This will give you an idea of how users are reacting to your optimization efforts, which you can use to further enhance their experience.

Add Transparency and Controls to Sharing Options

As people are growing to accept sharing personal information via mobile applications, concerns about the information is used, shared, or stored have been raised. Avoid setting all information sharing options to automatically 'allow' as new users could feel like it's a violation of their rights. Focus on establishing transparency and trust by explaining exactly what your users are sharing and with whom they are sharing it with. Make the practice of reminding your users about their sharing settings a habit. You can do this through in-app messaging. There is no way better way to make a user feel comfortable using your app than knowing that their personal information is safe.

Improve Your Microinteractions

Microinteractions are actions that revolve around a single user case in a website or an app. Logging in, picking a password, setting an alarm, syncing devices, or changing a setting are all examples of micro-interactions. These simple actions have the ability to make an application feel more personal and human. Users feel more connected to the brand which helps a business increase its retention rates. Do not overlook the importance of micro-interactions while designing your application. For instance, an app like RumbleON — a site that allows motorcycle enthusiasts buy and sell motorcycles online at pocket-friendly prices — allows users to easily adjust their settings and perform other micro-interactions to provide a customized customer experience.

Clarify Your In-App Permissions

Users are wary of giving out their personal information such as social media accounts, location, and other data online and on mobile applications. Ensure that you clearly explain all permission requests and ask only when it's absolutely necessary. While we can all agree that permissions are essential for the performance of an application's functions, they can also scare new users away if they appear irrelevant or invasive.