Apps have successfully taken over the lives of many. On average, an American spends at least 2.5 hours on some app on another. Considering that now the internet has a whopping penetration of almost 50 percent globally, this doesn’t come as a surprise.
Two platforms that are most famous for delivering an array of apps to their users are iOS and Android. Android alone accounted for 50 billion app downloads in 2015. It is safe to assume that this figure probably increased in the years to come.
Now, having an app for your business isn’t an added benefit. Instead, it is a necessity to survive the cutthroat competition prevalent across the various industries of today. When you develop an app, you need to decide which platform to offer it to. If you choose to build an android app, there are certain features you must have.
Here are some of the essential ones.
1. User-friendliness and simplicity
There are two things all Android users expect from their apps. And that is simplicity and user-friendliness. This is why you might have observed that all the favorite Android apps feature no-frills. They are quite straightforward and can easily be operated by people who have little to no experience of handling smartphones and applications.
Simplicity is a feature you should include because it ensures that users form a favorable impression of your app from the get-go. Remember, users, are quick to judge and abandon an app based on its perceived complexity. By making a simple interface and attracting their attention from the get-go, you are likely to increase the chances of customer retention on your app.
The success of your application should be measured by how effortlessly your users are able to reach their desired pages. Therefore, make sure to include shortcuts of all the essential functions. Similarly, focus on gesture control. This will allow you to incorporate new functionalities into your app as you go along. This will help your company in continuously improving its service, thereby ensuring customer satisfaction. For instance: Professional app developers like AppVerticals include such features into the apps they create. In case you use novice developers, you need to be well-versed on what you want so that you can relay the same to the app development company.
2. Personalization
Some organizations tend to have a misconception that having an app on a digital platform means delivering standardized services to all. Automation might have transformed the world as we know it, but it hasn’t changed consumer behavior. The customer of today wishes for a personalized experience just like shoppers of the past. For the longest time, this feature was missing in online stores and similar solutions. After all, how can you give a human touch to something which is obviously not human?
But, now, app developers and analytic experts have found a way to make apps deliver personalized services as well. In fact, some of the top apps have thrived in the online world because they offer personal attention to each of their customers. Personalization features may include discounts based on buying preferences, personal offers, giving autonomy to customers to customize their experience, and remembering their name and preferences. Whether it be an enterprise level app or a retail app, personalization can benefit your business regardless.
There are various benefits associated with personalization. This includes enhanced profits due to delivering the right offers to the right consumers, increased engagement and satisfaction among customers and an increased chance of brand loyalty.
3. Social Sharing
You don’t necessarily have to include videos in your application to have a social sharing feature. Instead, regardless of what function your app performs, you need to have a social sharing option in it.
Why?
This is because, as cliched as the adage is, the world is truly a global village. People from all over the world are connected to one another through digital media. Now, corporations or friends are just limited to proximity. But, they can be spread all over the world. This increases the need for timely and effective communication and collaboration. Social sharing allows both workers and social animals to stay connected and share their experiences, achievements or concerns with others.
4. Accounting for the varying screen sizes when designing the app
There are a plethora of Android apps available in the market. Not all of them are the same. In fact, some Android phones have larger screens than others. There is a range of screen sizes available, and your app design needs to be ideal for them all.
Take into account that certain smartphones will have screens that parallel the size of a mini tablet while others would have mini screens due to their small size. When designing your app, make sure that it functions properly in all screen sizes. It should appear awkwardly placed in any of them. Instead, make it adaptable according to the size of the display screen to ensure enhanced user experience.
5. Touch-based and less keyboarding
When developing an app for browsers, you can rely on the use of mouse and keyboard for performing various functions. For instance, you can ask your users to fill as much information as you need them too since it is easy for them to type it all out.
Remember that this is not the case with Android phones. Here, a touch-based experience is much preferred than a keyboard. Make sure that your app features minimal use of Android keypad and instead only requires users to use the touch feature to get the job done.
Conclusion
Your Android app will not be a success unless it has these five important features. Make sure you relay these demands to your app developer and create the best app for your customers. The more user-friendly it is, the better it is for your bottom line and long-term growth.
Reap the benefits of creating an Android app for your business by doing it right.
Author Bio
Audrey Throne is a mother of a 3-year old and a professional blogger by choice. Throne is passionate about lifestyle, business, automotive, technology and management and blogs frequently on these topics.
Find her on Twitter: @audrey_throne.