2 Approaches That Will Help You Develop A User-Driven App

If you are at the point where you feel that your business needs an app, make sure that you understand who uses your business and who would use an app that your business produces. Understanding the perspective and needs of the potential users of your app can help drive your app development and will result in an app that is successful and used frequently among your target audience.

#1 Keep Things Simple

Although the number of smartphone users continues to climb, most smartphone users have a basic skill level when it comes to navigating and using applications on their phone. You shouldn't create an app that requires your users to have advanced smartphone and computer skills. If you set up your app like that, you are going to alienate a large portion of your potential audience.

Ideally, your app should be set up so that even someone who is just picking up a smartphone for the first time would be able to navigate and understand how to use your app. It should be really intuitive and easy to use; there shouldn't be areas where a user will get stuck. Apps that are difficult to use or understand will quickly get dropped by users in favor of something more straightforward and understandable. Apps are supposed to make life easier; not cause users to jump through hoops to make them work. Making sure that your app is simple and user friendly will ensure that your app appeals to a broad audience.

#2 Adjust For Different Operating Systems

Don't roll out your application for both the iOS and Android system without making any adjustments to the app. The way that users use their phones is different with both iOS and Android systems. If you are more familiar with one of these systems, hire someone to assist you who is more familiar with the other system. Working with someone who is proficient in the system that you are not will help you identify and figure out what small tweaks need to be made to your app to ensure that it is user friendly for all users. It is better to delay a release to a particular operating system than it is to blanket-release an app for a system that it wasn't designed for; you can't take back a bad first impression.

Try to make sure that your application will work on a variety of different platforms, from smartphones and tablets to desktops so that your users can seamlessly use your app from all of their different devices.