Best guidelines to overcome Mobile App Usability Issues
In order to make the user experience (UX) of your mobile application really perfect, everything from the incorporation to the exit, must work correctly. Usability is a big part of the development of mobile applications and plays an important role in creating user experiences (UX) that are eye-catchy, pleasant to use and enjoyable. To ignore something as simple as browsing in a mobile application can negatively affect UX, which will be the difference between a recurring user and a deleted application. In short, if your mobile application is useful and valuable to the user, but it requires a lot of effort and time, people will not bother to learn how to use it.
What is the usability of the mobile application?
Many people confuse UX design with usability and vice versa. However, the usability of the mobile application is an aspect of UX that is integrated into the general relationship between the user and the product. UX defines all aspects of the user's perception of a mobile application, including usability. The usability of the mobile application refers to the effectiveness, efficiency and simplicity to achieve the objectives within the application.
The usability of the mobile application promotes learning ability. A successful mobile application must be intuitive. The user should take very little time to achieve a certain degree of familiarity with the interface. If a user finds a problem, a solution must be easily recoverable. Use incorporation to guide users through the mobile application to improve usability, as well as to recover from errors.
Usability requirements of the mobile application
Many factors contribute to the usability of a mobile application that will affect the overall efficiency and effectiveness in which a user completes their goal. A usable user interface must have three main results:
The usability of the mobile application makes it easy for the user to become familiar with the user interface. It should be easy for users to achieve their goal when using the application
Usable applications must be free of errors. If your application does not work to start, the rest of your UX elements will not matter
In a world dominated by smartphones, choosing the right way to interact with customers is increasingly crucial. While the UI (user interface) is a crucial part of the user experience, mobile app usability should always take the precedence. If a mobile application is good looking but difficult to use by the user, the general perception of its application will definitely be negative. Here are top 7 usability problems of mobile apps that are often overlooked in the development of the mobile applications:
1. Usability of the platform
A common frustration for users of mobile devices is not having an application that works for their specific smartphone model. Android and iOS, for example, are two drastically different platforms.
You can not simply clone an iOS application for Android and vice versa. Each operating system adheres to completely different programming, design and interface considerations. For example, the navigation for each platform differs drastically. iOS, for example, does not have a "backup" button on your device like Android. For optimal usability of the mobile application, your application should incorporate a clear and consistent way of returning to each screen.
With this in mind, you must create your application so that you have a native feel so that your users can interact intuitively. It is a good idea to budget this so that you can optimize your application for the most common Android and iOS smartphones.
2. Provide value immediately
If you want new users to return to your application, you must ensure that they discover the value from the beginning, preferably during the incorporation process. If you do not convince users to stay within the first week, it is likely that you will lose them forever. Millions of applications saturate the market, all compete for user attention, so it is essential to ensure that it offers immediate value.
The good incorporation of users not only reduces abandonment rates, but can also help improve long-term success metrics, such as user retention and the value of the user's life.
3. Simple navigation
One of the main problems that users have when using mobile applications, m-commerce particularity, is a poor navigation.
When a user downloads their application for the first time, they must clearly understand how to navigate to complete their goal, whether they are booking an appointment, buying a product or searching for information. This means that your navigation should have as few barriers as possible. Many applications include unique features, but have problems joining them in a way that makes sense to the user. The navigation must be understandable to the user so that it does not get lost in a random page.
4. Clear and concise content
It is a common knowledge to simplify the content when it is designed for mobile devices. However, you only need enough content that is essential for the user to complete a goal. This is particularly true for a purchase process. Consumers still need complete information to make their purchase, and withholding basic information will result in a lower conversion rate.
You must adapt your content for mobile devices, instead of copying it verbatim from the web. Including too much information in your mobile application will undoubtedly result in a poor UX with frustrated users looking to find specific content. Make it as easy as possible for the user to consume their content with the least pinch and zoom possible by presenting the information in a clear and concise manner.
5. Minimize the number of steps
The fewer steps, pages, buttons and fields to enter data, the better. Each time your user needs to complete an action, check if there is a simpler way that would make your experience more natural. Consider each action that your user requires as an additional barrier. The fewer steps you include, the closer the users will be to completing their goal.
Make sure they can store your billing and shipping information and then automatically add it to your orders, without having to re-add it each time. Also, give them a visible edit button during the payment process so they can quickly change their billing or shipping information.
For retail or retail applications, in particular, paying can be frustrating. You must enter your address, email address, confirm that you have selected the correct product, etc., all while using a small screen.
A practical approach is to simplify the creation of an account with a Facebook login. Designing your application with a convenient payment option for guests will also encourage users to make more purchases in less time.
Other notable features to consider during development are the use of an autocomplete and large purchase buttons. These design elements will equal a seamless purchase path and a general satisfaction with the UX.
6. Reduce the displacement
The prioritization of content also contributes significantly to the usability of a mobile application. Users should get most, if not all, of the information they need to decide within the limits of their mobile screen. Moving down is sometimes inevitable and necessary in some cases, but lateral displacement is something that should be avoided. If a user needs to move sideways, it usually hides valuable content.
7. Consider landscape orientation
When developing a mobile application, many people do not consider horizontal orientation as necessary. A good mobile application should be designed both vertically and horizontally to adapt to optimal usability and UX, especially for an application that contains video content.
User tests and comments
The most important thing you can do to test usability is to use mobile A / B test platforms. The A / B tests allow you to compare two or more variations of the design or design of a particular application.
For example, you can test the effectiveness of the buttons and how they differ in driving conversions. What design design converts more users? Instead of guessing what users prefer in their mobile application, try to validate these assumptions. To improve the usability of the mobile application, you can not ignore the tests.
The success of a mobile application depends only on one main thing: how users perceive it. Usability contributes directly to how a user feels about their application, whether negative or positive, since they consider the ease of use, the perception of value, the usefulness and the efficiency of the overall experience. Usability is what will help turn users into long-term loyal customers, which in turn will generate more revenue for your application.