App development is on the rise. And for good reason, we are an app-addicted world. Millions of apps are available for our phones. How do we choose the ones we love? How do the top apps get downloads and fervent fans?
Only a small percentage of apps turn a profit. Most lose money. There are ways to make your app more profitable, however. Studying the most successful mobile applications give us insight into the foundations of the best apps.
Get a UX consultant to look it over
UX consultants are design professionals who also excel at testing various technological components as well. They are essentially technical designers whose principal goal is to create a seamless experience with low latency and high response times.
The idea is to produce the ideal user interaction with the application most times it is used. UX consultants are available under a variety of different contracts and experience levels which guarantees that the perfect UX designer is out there for your app.
Integrate IAP
Disregarding the recent bad press, sensibly implemented IAPs can easily turn the fortunes of a company for the better. IAPs can be used for everything from customizations to features and everything in between.
Simple as removal purchases can also be effective, however, an ideal transactional experience for the customer is when they feel that they have somehow tangibly gained from the interaction either physically or digitally.
Apps that integrate well-valued IAPs are guaranteed to turn a better profit the moment they are instituted. It all comes down to who initializes the exchange of gifts and an app that is free with integrated IAPs is guaranteed to find some patronage.
Make purchasing easy
Another critical improvement that can help in making your app more profitable is making purchasing simple through the app. Purchasing through your app can be made simpler with a variety of plugins or a simple in-app store that clearly details what the amounts are and what they receive.
There should not be any vagueness when it comes to the transaction of money for services or goods. Making the purchasing process easier will give your app an advance in turning a better profit.
Replace text with visuals
This is true for your app and your sites, anything that can be interpreted through an image should be interpreted as such immediately.
Users respond much better to images rather than plain text as anything that catches the eye will hold their attention better than any information could.
Apps are inherently interactive visual experiences that attempt to convey value through the artifice of a small screen. So app developers must do whatever they can to portray a real sense of value through utilizing the screen by filling it with images that represent the product and the brand.
Make installation free
Giving a gift to your customer is marketing 101. When you go into a nice store, you are offered champagne, sparkling water, and iced coffee as you browse their wares. For digital products, you get a free install or trial.
If you want people to take a chance on your app, you need to eliminate the risk and calculate the overall estimated costs associated with both developing as well as maintaining it. Save your customer a few cents and you’ll be gifted mightily in return.
To make your app appealing:
- Eliminate financial risk
- Offer free installation
- Offer some features in a free version
- Make in-app purchases easy to spot
- Send push notifications to keep the user engaged
Market to your target user
The most direct way to increase your profitability is to target your most actionable users who are already exchanging with you and marketing directly to them.
More often than not, this proves to be an ironclad strategy as there often more users like your target users than you might expect. Businesses who align their messages to the most valued customers are sure to be a hit.
Conclusion
Making your app more successful is about understanding the customer on a deeper level and identifying the identity of your app. The first and primary focus for any business should be the clientele. The experience of the customers will be the largest determiner of success and will drive the image of the app.
As an application grows, its limitations become more obvious and the ways it could improve become endless. Do not be afraid to relaunch your app with better design as to not push away the flow of new customers and their changing tastes. Making a more profitable app is simply about caring for your customers and changing the design to fit that tastes of the future.
