In today’s mobile world, users have very little tolerance for apps that have problems or don’t attract their attention. 80 to 90 percent of all downloaded apps are used once and eventually deleted. Making a good first impression can be the difference between success and failure in mobile. What are the common challenges in designing new apps?
Mobile design is deceptively difficult.
Designing great apps can be complicated and expensive. The app development lifecycle involves not just design and development but also testing, deployment, management, and analytics. All of this must be delivered at incredible speed to meet business demands. Not only that, but apps have a short lifespan; despite the effort that goes into them, they have a life expectancy of as little as 30 days. To avoid the digital landfill, you have to provide exceptional mobile experiences consistently and constantly. Consumers (and increasingly your employees) won’t wait, and they won’t tolerate unintuitive apps.
There’s not enough talent.
User experience and design skills are now being seen as key drivers of business success, but Information Week indicates that there is a growing skills shortage in digital experience. Fifty-eight percent of Forrester survey respondents cite a lack of workers with the appropriate skill sets, and user experience (UX) designers are considered the most difficult tech-centric role to hire. Sounds like it’s time to start head-hunting.
App backlogs are real.
Of the US and UK companies surveyed in one independent research study, 85 percent indicate that they have a backlog of up to 20 apps. Many businesses are unable to keep up with application delivery demands, and the skills shortage only exacerbates the problem. Guess who’s not going to wait? Your customers.
The enterprise app space has grown.
Business and IT leaders today are capturing and analyzing data to improve customer and employee engagement. Enterprise mobile app development was expected to double in 2015, and great design is no less important in the enterprise space. Enterprise apps need to be as good, or better than, consumer mobile apps.
Mobile is a part of life. Make it a part of your business.
People interact with the world through mobile devices – whether they are shopping, checking the weather, reading restaurant reviews, or looking over their bank accounts. Mobile is now with consumers and employees all the time, and mobile experiences are beginning to surpass desktop web experiences. As mobile has grown, design leaders have shifted to a “mobile first” strategy, deepening the dependence on both consumer and employee experience.
Flagship can help you drive business growth by offering users a more complete interactive experience, through mobile. Schedule a consultation to learn more.
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