Updated on ‘Aug 23, 2019’

As the popularity of smartphones gave rise to variety of apps, especially on demand uber for almost everything, startups and entrepreneurs are trying to come up with the best solution for a given service. Several factors contribute to the success of an app, and the design of the app certainly demands special attention at the development stage. 

Designing an app can be quite difficult and confusing; design it well and unlock a room full of opportunities, design it poorly and you have unlocked a pool of losses not just for yourself but for the company as well. During my research for various apps we have developed, I have found some common UX mistakes. But why do these occur so often?

Well, that starts with an entrepreneur who skips to understand all the elements of an app development team. If you do not recognize the value of each member, you will not be able to value their collective contribution. Further affecting your ability to provide solutions to your app.

Let’s start with, who is responsible for the look and feel of your app?

User experience and user interface are the two different elements of an app. While UI is just a part of UX, UX is a whole new game pacing up in the last 15 years. ‘User Interface’ is all about what the user sees and ‘User Experience’ is a collective collection of what they see and how it works. And because of some UX mistakes, the app gets rejected. Hard to believe? Let’s look at some data:

1. 52 % of users complained a bad UX as the major reason for uninstalling
2. 83 % says seamless experience makes them more engaged with an app
3. 90 % of users have stopped using an app for poor performance, 86 % have at least uninstalled an app for slow performance

So, Why is it so important?

Well for starters, it is what fetches you new users. So, you might want to zero in on it if you want to make a profit. We all are well aware of the general analogy of apps and stores. Even if you are a startup trying to build an MVP, do not be lackadaisical while creating the UX. 

Let’s use that to understand the concept of UX. You have a store, you are located in one of the busiest areas, people enter your store you greet them, you try to be professional and help them in every way possible. Your ultimate goal is to retain customers.

Related read: Web Design Trends – What To Expect In 2019

Just like your store, your app is a vast space where you need to make certain that your customers’ time spent is worthwhile, but there are things within our reach which sometimes hinder our capability to cater to them like UX. There are some common UX mistakes that every app developer makes which clearly repel users from coming back to your platform.

What to avoid:

1. Bad Architecture And Ill-logic

When you arrange an event what do you do first? Make a proper plan or directly walk to the stores? I am guessing most of you plan it out first, isn’t that a sign of a great party planner?

Even in an app, you need to decide everything in advance. A wretched app architecture can confuse the hell out of the user. You need to lay out the hierarchy, the logic behind every placement. A good mobile application always has a good architecture while a great mobile application will always have good architecture and logically placed elements.

2. Needless Login Page

Refrain from spending money on developing login screen if it does not serve any purposes like maintaining account details.

Sure having a login page opens up a plethora of opportunities for you to connect with your audience, but it may also annoy your users, especially if there is no option to skip and the too many details are asked for.

Users don’t always want to give away their personal info without evaluating the app. 15.6% of users gave mandatory registration as one of the reasons for uninstalling an app. So give them some time to figure out if your content is useful to them or not!

3. Uncoordinated Or No Onboarding

Understand the purpose of onboarding. You have to guide your first-time users through the mechanism of your app. Making it complicated will only defeat the whole purpose of developing it in the first place. Your ultimate aim for onboarding is to educate the audience.

This stage will represent a brief overview of what is your app, ensure you make it simple yet enticing. This is not just important from the UX perspective, but for optimizing your app in the store as well.  

4. Unnecessary Features Stuffing

Myth no. 305: More features means more users. A highly common UZ mistake, this fact (myth) had it coming, stuffing your app with countless features won’t necessarily generate traffic and enhance the user experience. Instead what you are doing is creating confusion. They don’t know where to go and to solve their problem. So, take some time off to think about what problems you want the app to address –

1. Dull wardrobe?
2. Inconvenient commute journey?

And accordingly, integrate features that are required for that. You can do a competitor’s research for the same, and see what features their app have.

5. Complex Interface

Design your interface as simple as possible. Users do not have time to invest in a single app to understand its functioning. If they find your app too complicated to use, they will abandon it altogether. You need to draw their attention to your app’s solutions and no complications. To retain users, make the interactions with your app easier by using common and easily understood icons.

6. Lack Of Information On Users

Research. Research.

Related read: The reason for Duolingo’s grand success: Superior UX

I cannot stress enough on it, only deep research can empathize you with the end users. Even the most successful designers allot good time to research to certain they are relatable. You want users to use your app. So give them something they are familiar with or design it such that it looks relatable.

7. Unorganized Elements

Arrange all the elements in your app in a visual hierarchy. This is one concept not followed by many designers. Hence, the app suffers. Layout the hierarchy of your app structure, so you know which part needs more attention.

8. Indifference To Users’ Feedback

This is one of the most common UX mistakes. Boost your app’s design by users’ feedback. Regularly registering feedback from your audience will always benefit a UX designer. Ask for comments and reviews regularly, along with feedback, as it will increase the  popularity of your app on app stores.

What You Need To Do:

To start off – try to avoid all the common UX mistakes listed above.

But let’s be honest. Dealing with humans require more than just theories. You need to experiment in the real market.

So, instead of running straight into app design, make an MVP. This will be your reality check as it can tell you if your app is user optimized. Though your MVP will be a mini version of your app with very few and basic features, you’d still need thorough research and a qualified app development team for your MVP too.

App launch has its own hurdles and difficulties which we understand. Having worked on multiple apps, we have a fair share of idea on what works with the end user. We have assisted many business owners to grow their user base, yours could be the next! Contact us for further inquiries.

This post was originally published on May 30, 2019 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness