In 2014, I was at the forefront of the mobile-first revolution leading a partnership between two tech giants as global head of product for a mobile-first portfolio. The partnership sought to not just wow the consumer with exceptionally designed apps, but also to transform the enterprise via bespoke mobile solutions for front-line employees.
This required the creative use of device features, such as an accelerometer, camera, touch ID and GPS. It also called for exceptional design to solve user pain points, along with integration with enterprise systems such as CRM and operational data stores. Not surprisingly, many companies continued to invest in mobile-responsive websites rather than mobile apps in order to maximize capital investment and get more bang for their buck. As a result, they missed out on opportunities to truly delight users with the possibilities created from the confluence of device features, exceptional design and enterprise data.
Things have changed in the past few years. Now, the majority of people in the U.S. (81% in 2019) have a smartphone, and apps are a familiar part of mobile users' way of life.
For instance, the pandemic has helped to digitize restaurants — traditionally one of the most "analog" businesses — with QR codes for menus. Some progressive restaurant owners have adopted mobile ordering and payment as a way to limit Covid-19 exposure for their employees and customers.
Data from Statista suggests that mobile's share of website traffic declined slightly in 2020, perhaps due to the fact that so many people were staying at home during the pandemic. However, it is bound to tick up again when people start to get out more. Brands need to be ready with their customer and associate apps in order to gain market share and retain front-line employees.
Here are seven key principles to follow to launch a successful app:
Keep it simple: Your app shouldn't be a Swiss Army knife. Focus on identifying and solving a significant pain point. Sometimes the user may be unaware of an issue. For instance, if nurses take patient notes on Post-Its, they'll be easy to lose or mix up between patients. An app would give them a whole new way of doing things, as it’s literally at their fingertips and creates an accessible and secure digital record. The app could enable other features but would undoubtedly be meant for accessing patient logs and tasks — and for taking notes. Apple follows this very principle when it designs iOS apps. For instance, its Clock app is centered around time but also provides alarms, a stopwatch and timers.
Fuel the app with the highest-octane data: Obviously, an app would be virtually useless without customer, product or transactional data. But if possible, you should avoid making the screens data-heavy so as not to overload the user with information and to keep the app light and fast. There are always exceptions. Banks, for instance, may not be able to get away with really simple, data-light apps. But even banking apps can cater to the mobile user's main needs and keep complex and data-heavy features for transactional web portals.
Design for elegance: The app needs to be perceived as exceptional, not just a tool to get the job done. So, design the app for the device, leveraging all its features — especially for identity and security — and "micro-delight" the user with the tiniest visual elements and animations. Most importantly, ensure users can achieve their goals through the fewest possible taps, types, swipes and scrolls.
Supercharge the app through analytics: Integrate analytics to make recommendations, provide positive reinforcement, save users time and ultimately change their behavior. For example, you may want to encourage saving more for retirement, making healthy choices, or exercising a minute longer. This can build loyalty and positively impact company performance.
Use chat to answer every user's query: Not all the information that customers seek can be available via a simple and uncluttered app. Yet customers want answers, and chat is a good avenue to provide them. Work with your operations counterparts to leverage call centers and integrate a scalable chatbot platform.
Build in tracking: Have your team pour over analytics to understand app usage (e.g., taps on buttons, time on screen, mid-process exits, etc.) and run A/B tests to optimize for action. But for this, you will likely need to integrate third-party platforms for tagging, usage analytics, touch-based heat mapping and A/B testing.
Create a strategy to drive downloads: Get the basics right: That includes leveraging social media promotions, optimizing app store content and eliciting user reviews. But also drive large-scale awareness and downloads by introducing the new app in relevant marketing ads, encouraging downloads via SMS and email offers, adding the app download QR code to your website homepage and creating an app landing page to espouse its virtues.
Apps are now so common that companies no longer have to find a trade-off between creating them or investing in more mobile-responsive websites. When it comes to successful marketing and e-commerce strategy, I believe both are necessary. So go forth and unleash an exceptional app with confidence. Your customers will come, and your business will benefit.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com in February 2021.