App features you should avoid to release a successful application

When you’re about to release a new application you always wish to make your mobile app development process perfect and achieve success. However, there exist some irrelevant or annoying features that including in the app can quickly destroy your plan and discourage the target users. Which of them should you avoid releasing a successful application? What mistakes to avoid when developing an app both for iOS and Android? As software development specialists we have extensive experience using good and bad practices in app development. In this article, I’m also going to share the things you’ll need to take into account to provide your app’s success.

1. Misleading & unfriendly user interface

Obligatory registration process

The application interface should be possibly clear, and remarkable and should attract the attention of users. Sometimes when we want to stand out with the appearance of our mobile app, we forget about it and as a result, the interface becomes unreadable, overloaded, or annoying for the audience.

Have you ever abandoned your shopping cart due to the mandatory registration process? The lack of a one-time purchase option sometimes drives people crazy. They don’t want to create another unnecessary account, they want to buy something in a possibly quickest and easiest way. Leaving customers unable to enter the application or complete the purchasing process as a guest you discourage them from taking further actions and getting back again. 

Information overload

It’s really helpful in the role of UX/UI designer to understand how the human brain works and how people absorb and process information. Knowing some basic knowledge of psychological mechanisms is essential in this job. According to Miller’s Law, we as people can keep from 5 to 9 (usually it’s about 7) items in our cognitive working memory.

Containing too much information (including copy, graphics, animations, and other elements) leads people’s brains to confusion, overload, and distraction. The best way to conform to those limitations is to minimize the occurrence of such consequences and to make the interface as user-friendly as possible. How to achieve it? Make sure to put just the right amount of information on the screen of a mobile app or a website. It should be enough to make it important but shouldn’t be causing overload. Simplify.

Incomprehensible copy

The case is quite similar to the previous point – too much information. Sometimes, as experts specializing in a particular area, we tend to use terms that we use on a daily basis in our industry, which at the same time may be too complicated for the users. From their perspective, it means double complex information that must first be unpacked before it can be processed and used. The second aspect of incomprehensible copy is forming misleading commands. Again – keep it simple.

2. Unnecessary notifications

Nothing annoys the user more than notifications sent from the mobile app sent every hour. Of course, they are useful, especially for app engagement, but you shouldn’t overdo them as they can easily distract the recipient and eventually throw them off balance and make them feel overwhelmed. More is not always better. Distinguish then the most significant ones among others and try to keep the rule. Frequent, annoying app notifications are one of the top reasons for app uninstalls – over 71% of users decide to delete the app due to this reason.

3. Too frequent updates or no updates at all

Constant notifications about new updates of an app are something that users really don’t like. Every app gets modified with time but overdoing it can significantly decrease the number of mobile users. If your application requires such updates every week and the player has to wait up to several minutes for the application to download so he can use the phone again, you are going in the wrong direction. Likewise, the other way around – if you don’t fix the problems despite many reports of them, and you don’t update your app at all, users will feel that you’re not listening to their needs and requirements, and eventually, they won’t come back. Both approaches aren’t right and will make customers want to uninstall your app. Try to keep the balance and focus on quality over quantity when considering updates.

4. Intrusive ads

Generally, ads are not something bad because they help you monetize your mobile app. Most people get that. The problem occurs when the ads become intrusive – it drives people crazy and makes them uninstall the app. Especially when it comes to gaming apps – if the ads give nothing of value in return, users may hate them. You don’t have to resign from app monetization using ads but remember to do it wisely and strategically.

5. Confusing UX

Some mobile app developers, taking the example of applications such as Tinder or Snapchat, introduce left or right swipe elements assuming that the user will know what to do with them. Well, not really – not all of your audience will also be Tinder users. Some of them will see it for the first time. You can remedy this by introducing responsive UX elements, so you can make it clear what to do with your app. Thanks to such practices, the user experience becomes more smooth and more intuitive.

6. Insistent permissions

Another common mistake while developing an app is pushing the app users towards confirming thousands of different permissions. People are now becoming more and more mindful of what they install on their phones or computers and what type of data the application extracts from them. By having excessive permissions and sharing data that are unrelated to the application’s functions, you increase the vigilance of your recipients and effectively discourage them from using the app. Provide adequate data security in your app and avoid forcing people to accept many different permits and regulations.

7. Automatic launches

Some applications annoy their users with the automatic switching on when the phone or computer starts up. These kinds of functions in apps are very distracting, time-consuming, and battery-consuming, which can significantly reduce your chances of success. Due to such features, applications are usually eligible for removal by the user.

8. Poor user onboarding experience

The first impression is made only once – often it is a decisive moment in whether the user will stay longer or delete the application permanently. When the onboarding process is very long and slow, the copy is confusing and the next steps are not obvious, the user is left with an unpleasant experience. They will likely quit the app and never come back to it. A proper onboarding process should be qualitative, fast, and should provide clear message. It should also specify the purpose of the app, showing what value it will provide to the user.

How to avoid introducing unfavorable features?

I know that developing a successful app is not easy and requires a lot of work and time but there are some tips to help you avoid these common mistakes.

Make an app feature list and prioritize them

First of all, a good practice is to make a list of features and functions that your app must have in order to provide value to the people who will be downloading it from the app store. For each feature, make a list of essential questions, like:

• Will it solve the problem of the end users? 
• What value will it offer them? 
• What is necessary to develop this feature?

It would be best if you not only answer these questions yourself but also ask your recipients directly – what functions do they need, which they would like to use, which they consider necessary and which are completely unnecessary? 

Then organize them by priority – the more value it brings to your users, the more it will matter. The ones at the top of the list will be the ones you need to create an MVP and satisfy your target audience. And remember – keep it simple!

Apply Design Strategies

To reduce the risk of your app being uninstalled by users, there are some common mobile app design strategy tips to keep in mind and follow:

1. Make your app accessible to all screen sizes 
2. Provide simple and understandable instructions, copy and images
3. Use clear CTA (Call-To-Action)
4. Avoid features making users confused

Listen to the users’ feedback

To constantly improve your application and make it very customer-friendly, you need to listen to the user feedback. Thanks to this, you have a chance to get to know your recipients, their problems, and needs better, and thus provide them with even more value over time thanks to changes and more and more adapted features.

Don’t overload the users – keep it simple

In these times, customers are becoming more and more demanding, they get discouraged easily and quickly, and the competition is growing every year. Therefore, remember not to push your users away with unnecessary errors, because despite fixing them later, people may not want to come back. Plan your strategy well at the very beginning, don’t overload your audience with too much amount of information, and measure and analyze user behavior. Remember also about a proper marketing strategy so that people can hear about your new app. Stick to the rules described in this article and you will definitely increase your chances of releasing a successful application! Contact us and get your Mobile App RFP!