Golden rules to remember to make your app UX/UI design stand out
The UAE are well known for
a) being one of the most progressive and fast-developing tech hubs
and
b) being a great place for shopping lovers by offering a tremendous variety of brands and shopping centers.
With these things in mind, it might be a good idea for the companies to build their own mobile app that would enable users to perform purchases via the app without the need to spend awful amount of time in the malls.
Because the number of mobile users is growing drastically and especially in the Dubai region, there is now a tendency to shift your business to mobile applications in order to expand the audience reach and offer more efficient services.
The main advantages of having a mobile app for the business are:
·Efficient marketing tool – with mobile app you can place individual offers, sales and notifications about latest news
·Always be connected to your user – since smartphone is always within one’s reach, you can be sure the customer will be aware of what’s going on with your business
·Easy and fast way for the users to interact with the brand
However, building a mobile application is not enough – users have to complete a purchase, not just download the app and forget about it. How can you ensure the growth of sales? The UI/UX design matters quite a lot.
I will explain the golden rules of UX/UI on example of e-commerce app to make it more clear, but this rules are implementable on any domain of software development.
Keep it simple
The screen of the smartphone is much smaller than the PC screen and thus you don’t want to overload it with unnecessary information, buttons and images.
In addition, there is one vital thing to keep in mind: you have to place the action buttons (proceed, purchase, learn more, etc.) within the “thumb-friendly zone” aka the area on the screen that can be easily reached with a finger.
Another tip that can help you in designing your app is: put yourself in the shoes of a first-time user. Do you understand everything that your app has and how hard is it for you to complete all the actions?
Also, don’t be afraid of common design practices like action bars, notifications, popups and etc. All of them are common for Ecommerce apps and will therefore look familiar for the users (thus encouraging them to explore more of your app).
Encourage users to take action
One of the biggest mistakes in app design is lack of action buttons. The design may be nice and clear, but there will be no “buy now” button and the user may just close the app without even looking at the products or services.
Therefore, make the purchase process as easy as possible and consider all the steps involved.
Also, an important thing is to always clearly state the price. This is what matters most to the users and thus you want them to know and understand the price immediately without performing dozen of taps on the screen.
As well, the whole process of purchase should be simple and not complicated. If payment takes too much time, the user will simply leave the app so make sure it does not take too much time to complete the purchase.
Some may say: what about product description, customer reviews, etc.? All this information is vital but it should not stand on the first place.
Your main screen may show the most popular products, discounts and so on. However, make sure that the users will have no problems with finding any additional information because as soon as something gets their attention, they would want to learn as much as possible about the thing/service.
A good idea would be a “Favorite” button so that users can compare the goods they chose and be able to make their decision either right away or a bit later on.
Use social media to your benefit
Social media is something incredibly valuable for almost any business because it offers a lot of opportunities to interact with your users.
First of all, it’s a great way to create a fast sign-up for new users because long registration processes tend to draw users away from your app (nobody has time and patience for that, to be honest).
And secondly, by integrating social media platforms in your app, you will allow users to share their purchases, comment and share opinions and thoughts on your products and also see what other people think of them.
Speed up!
We’ve already spoken about the importance of quick and efficient work of the app. Thus, keep this in mind:
·Do not overload the app with unnecessary features. In case of hesitation, try building an MVP and see how it works out
·Make sure your users immediately learn everything about you the moment they open your app. It should be clear what you offer, who you are and why it should be interesting for them.
·Use visual feedback heavily. Meaning: use animation, color changes, symbols (tick, for example) and so on. This trick will make users believe that processing takes seconds (while it may actually be a little longer).
·Do not overload the app with unnecessary features. In case of hesitation, try building an
In case some processes take long time, try and make them entertaining.
Remember how you can play a game with the dinosaur when Chrome does not have Internet connection? That’s a perfect example of turning something negative into something completely opposite. And while you may not have a small in-built game, at least you can add a nice image or animation to the screen so the user would not leave.
In conclusion I’d like to say that your app has to be functional, attractive and clear. Ask yourself whether you’d use your app on constant base and if yes, congratulations, you did a really good job!
The quality standards are high these days and in UAE region especially, you want to keep up with your customers’ expectations. So I’d recommend to consult a software development professional company about building a mobile app that would wow your users and help you boost sales.