What’s The Secret to App Success? Hint: it’s beyond installs

App design

What is the secret to app success? The answer is simple: great retention. High retention rates in mobile apps are essentially a measure of engagement. From an app strategy perspective, the secret to app success is building apps that users keep coming back to time and time again. 

When you think about it, high retention is the ultimate measure of app success, isn’t it?”

When it comes to apps, there’s no doubt that the most important thing you can do is get the word out about your app launch. However, when we talk about app marketing, we tend to focus on installs and not retention.

Launching an app is no easy feat. Apps for Good is a non-profit that aims to foster and support the “next generation” of socially and environmentally responsible entrepreneurs. 

But what are the steps to taking a new concept and making it take off?

Top 7 Secrets To A Successful App

Successful mobile app development takes extensive preparation from concept to completion. It is therefore crucial to develop a mobile application strategy that identifies key features, the target audience, and marketing and distribution plans to help attract potential users before the development process begins. 

As you make technical decisions, you must keep these aspects in mind since they will greatly influence the final look and feel of your application.

Mobile devices have now outsold laptops by more than threefold, thanks to their ability to provide simple solutions. In order to deliver a smooth and efficient user experience, a successful app always focuses on executing one task as effectively as possible. 

Any business owner should consider their mobile presence to enhance customer service. Here are our top five secrets to building a successful mobile app, for small business owners and those with a budding idea:

1. Identify your target market 

In an era of tough competition, it is critical to target a specific market for your app. You can tailor your app to meet the needs of your potential customers better if you know more about them. Demographic research is necessary for this. 

Be sure to know where, when, and how old users are, because the tone of your app will be affected by these factors. Additionally, Take a look at what your users are doing on a daily basis. 

Do they belong to a profession, a university, or are they single? Why should this group of people use your app? What are they hoping to achieve through it?

2. Identify and address one key issue

The greatest secret to app success is to ask yourself if your app will solve a problem. A great way to be successful is to focus your efforts on building your app’s core functionalities first; any additional features can be added later as an update. So that your app can be easily understood and operated by users when it is released into the stores. 

Make sure that the desire to get a better grasp on a particular task is at the core of your project. In this way, the user journey can be thought through from beginning to end. Apps with the most success have a clear purpose that guides users toward a desired outcome. 

3. Exceptional and intuitive design

Successful apps have a clear, straightforward design. Generally, customers are interested in clean, visually appealing layouts that can be easily understood. Your UX/UI designer will always benefit from having a concept in mind. Consider what will appeal most to your target audience when creating the look and feel of your app. 

Consider using uniform colors and fonts if you are a business. Startups, on the other hand, will find this a creative stage. A perfect example of this is an app directed toward professionals. 

If dark colors and formal language fit your app’s audience, then what should it include? Perhaps light colours with casual language would be best for your app if it is for students? 

Regardless of the design approach, it is crucial to remember that it is not for you, but instead for your  customers.

4. How to Market Your App

As a result of the enormous number of applications on the market, yours is unlikely to be found. Thus, it is important to develop a distribution and marketing strategy. Be careful not to spend your entire budget on development. 

An essential part of your budget must be devoted to marketing your application. In the beginning, you should focus on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram that are popular with your target audience. 

Before moving forward with more systematic campaigns, attracting a first batch of users is essential to testing metrics and understanding the real value of each user. 

5. Data collection and analytics

Collecting valuable data is another key factor to developing an app that succeeds. For example, measure the usage of your app by using a tracking tool. By keeping track of the most popular features, you can adapt your app to users’ needs and improve it accordingly. Your loyal customers are what will create buzz about your app among their friends, as well as on social media. Being attentive to your customers is the key to making your app more successful.

6. Connected & Easy To Share 

Users expect real-time access to information in an increasingly connected world. Due to their power to connect people and to share data, applications can be extremely powerful. To be successful, you must share your app on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Adding a viral mechanism to the core functionality of your app will enable users to invite their friends to download it as well. 

7. A smooth user experience

User journey is critical to the success of your app since users don’t have the time to navigate a complex one. Users will become easily frustrated if the user journey is complicated, otherwise they will give up too early. Users have a smoother experience if they are presented with clear, easy-to-understand buttons with functionality and consistent designs, colors, and layouts.

So what’s the secret to app success? TL;DR

When people talk about great apps, they often refer to the number of installs they have. It sounds like a logical thing to look at because it’s an easy number to find. However, people should be looking beyond just installs and instead at the engagement these apps have, as it is far more crucial for greater retention.

Sunvera has consistently built successful apps in little time and for companies with limited budgets. Call us today to get a free consultation.