Three Big Reasons Why Mobile Apps Fail

Building native mobile apps isn’t cheap. Rather, they’re a big investment and not just money, but time and energy as well. Investing in building a mobile app doesn’t mean your app will be downloaded by the masses. Rather, it takes careful thinking, strategy, and craftsmanship to ensure users enjoy every part of the app experience.

So why do mobile apps fail? There are a variety of reasons, and they can be as unique as the app itself, but we’ll take a look at three big ones.


Poor User Experience

Believe it or not, you could have the hottest idea that is sure to attract thousands of users and generate millions of dollars - but if your app is littered with bugs and crashes, it will fail. Infact, over 71% of mobile app uninstalls are caused by mobile app crashes. This is why choosing the right mobile app development company is of the utmost importance.

 
 

User experience is a wide umbrella that covers every aspect of how your customer interacts with your app. To build an app of the highest quality, you have to obsess about user experience at every touchpoint. Common poor user experience issues include:

  • Speed - are your images loading too slow? How long will a user wait?

  • Reliability - is your app crashing frequently? Do certain components fail to load?

  • Design - how intuitive is your app? Does the user know where to go, or what to do next?

Apps need to provide user delight, especially if they are mobile apps that users plan on using often. They need to benefit the user in every interaction. It is imperative that user experience is thought through the entire user journey. Not just the look and feel of the app, but the business model and underlying value proposition should all be strategized with the user in mind. 


Insufficient Market Research

Before you think you have the next best app idea, ask yourself, how long have you spent validating that idea? It’s easy for us to think that apps can solve every problem, but the truth is not every problem needs an app. With nearly 4 million mobile apps in the market, apps are all too similar, solving the same problem, with the same monetization model. 

Market research questions you should answer before you build include:

  • TAM - what is my total addressable market?

  • Positioning - What is my position in this market? Innovator, early adopter, laggard?

  • Unique Value Proposition - what will make my app differ in value from the other apps in the market?

 
 

These are a few of the questions you should be addressing before you are ready to write any code. The next step? Start with a minimum viable product (MVP) to validate your hypothesis. A MVP is the most cost effective way to learn, and build on the foundation of your strategy. 

Choosing the Right Mobile Platform

Unless you’re a multinational or enterprise, choosing the right platform is a decision you need to make. It is often overlooked as to what platform to build on, iOS or Android? They differ in audiences significantly. 

iOS is heavily preferred in North America and the UK, where Asian and South American countries are Android dominant. With Android holding over 85% of global market share, it may seem like the obvious choice, however, Apple users spend twice as much money more on apps than Android users. When selecting your platform, it’s important to ask yourself:

  • Target Demographic - where is my market located? 

  • Monetization Strategy - how do I plan to make money? Ads or in-app purchases?

  • User Acquisition - how do I plan on acquiring and growing my user base? 

 
 

Ultimately, your platform strategy could lead to massive success or failure. For example, in-app microtransactions may be feasible for emerging markets, where monthly subscriptions may be more profitable in established countries. Your monetization strategy, user experience, and target demographic should help determine your platform.

Conclusion

While there are still a myriad of other factors to consider. Taking into consideration user experience, market research and platform, should help you stay on the right track. Another factor to consider? Your mobile app launch strategy. Do not underestimate the power of great marketing and a solid launch. How will you get your app noticed? In a global market with billions of smartphone users, simple word of mouth won’t do.

Shiv Kamal