November 2020

A Practical Guide on When You Need to Redesign Your App

Have you ever noticed why big apps like Facebook and Instagram keep redesigning their applications? 
It is to cope up with continuous changes the market faces every day and if your application isn’t  adapting to this dynamic world then there are high chances that you will be losing a lot of potential  customers. Redesigning your app will boost your conversion rates and will make people stay on your  app to consume more content. This article will tell you when and how you should redesign your  applications. 
When you should redesign your app? 
If you are facing any of the following situations, you can consider redesigning your app. 
​
1.When your app conversion rate is poor 
If you are experiencing a low conversion where your sales are low and your app users are not active  then you should opt for redesigning your app. Every application aims to produce a high sales  conversion rate otherwise all the benefits offered to the users will go in vain. Stat says UX design can  increase your conversation rates by 400%. Through redesigning you can make your app more  engaging and focus on improving the user experience of the app. 
One of the examples can include Dominos, the company was seeing a high bounce rate  and  wanted  a solution to fix this problem. The firm redesigned its UX by using the correct size and layout options. 
The major concern was to improve the user’s navigation ability and by redesigning it, the application  saw an increase of 23% in their conversion rate. 

​2. When you want to improve your audience reach 
You can opt for redesigning your app if you wish to target a new audience and want 
to maintain your current audience by providing them a quality user experience. 
The process of redesigning should be based on what type of user you want to target 
and what are their pain points that you will try to solve. 
One of the examples is Flicker, who was first named Game Never-ending, which was 
a role-playing game focusing on social interaction and one of its features was to offer 
photo sharing.  
This feature became popular and then the app was fully redesigned to attract the same 
kind of audience.   
​
3. When you are rebranding your company 
If you are planning to incorporate new ideas into your application, you need to 
display them to your audience as well so that people can decide if they want to be 
resonated with you or not. This might also give you a new audience to reach and 
improve your conversion rate. 
For example, the tool DoubleClick was acquired by Google and was named Google 
Ad Manager. So, Google maintained the same style and format for Google Ad 
Manager as it was for other Google applications. 

4. When your competitor’s app is performing well then your app 
Accessing your competitors can be a major parameter to know if your application is 
performing well or not and if you aren’t matching or overpowering them then this can 
become an area of concern for your app. 
There can be times when you are not doing well than your competitors so you need to 
assess what are the features that they have and you don’t and how you can surpass 
them.  
 
Redesigning your application is one of the ways to improve the performance of your 
app. You should focus on simplifying the user experience and be up to date with all 
the new trends so that your old user doesn’t leave your app and the new user gets 
attracted to it. 
1. When your user complaints are high 
Accepting criticism is the most effective way to improve and listening to negative 
opinions from people who are using your app should be a matter of concern.  
If your app has a low rating (below 3 stars), or people are bashing your application 
for features they didn’t like or the problem they are facing, so you need to see and 
examine the issues in detail. If a majority of people are facing the same problems then 
you need to solve them by redesigning your app. 
Take the example of Forbes, an American publishing company that was not able to 
increase its number of downloads due to problems in the UX and its competitors had 
over a million downloads.  
To fix this Forbes decided to redesign the application, which resulted in an increase in 
the number of downloads from 100k to 500k. 

2. When your application content consumption time is low 
The content consumption time means the average amount of time a person is using is 
spending your application and if it is low that means people are not using your app. 
And, if they aren’t using your application that directly points to a low conversion rate 
so you need to redesign your app and add all the extra features so that you are not 
missing anything. 
Always use the latest UX so you can connect and engage with your customer without 
any issues. 

3. When you are not able to convey your idea to your audience 
 This happens when you are offering too much to your audience that they get confused 
and skip using your app. Providing extra features are good but not at the cost of 
losing your customer. 
A major example can be Uber, according to them when extra features were added to 
Uber people got confused and ordered the wrong product and this became a major 
issue for both the user and the app. 
 So, they decided to redesign its product and simplified the features which can now be 
easily understood by the user. 
Now, analyze if your application is facing all the above problems and if they do, you can opt 
for redesigning the application to improve the UX of the app. 

How to redesign your app? 
Step-1: Analyze your app performance 
Analyzing analytics is the only way through which you can go deep down to reach the root 
cause of your problem. 
You can check these three parameters in your application- 

  • Conversion rate- Check the conversion rate of your app, see how many people are 

purchasing your product. 

  • Content consumption rate- Look what is the minimum amount of time a person stays 

on your app. 

  • Drop-off rate- The last would be to analyze how many people downloaded the app but 

uninstalled it after some time. 
These pointers will help you set a primarily quality check of your application. 

Step-2: Examine customer feedback 
Play store reviews tell a lot about your app and have the capacity to change other people’s 
minds as well to stop downloading your application. 
So, your aim should be to solve the genuine problems of users and understand why they are 
facing those problems. 

Step-3: Evaluate your competitors 
At the end of the day, you want to surpass your competitors and provide quality services to 
your users. 
Evaluate your competitors by setting features or user feedback comparison, by doing this you 
will know the area your app needs to improve. 

Step-4: Write down your changes 
Now, that you have analyzed everything from your app UX to your competitor’s reach, you 
are ready with the list of changes you want in your application. 
Your next step would be to discuss all the changes with your team, and after you get the 
green flag start working to improve them. 

Step-5: Redesign and Evaluate 
 Implement all the changes you were looking for in your application and make your UX in 
sync with your audience’s needs. 
After implementing the changes evaluate your current UX with your competitors and analyze 
your user’s feedback. You can also A/B test multiple UX to see which one is performing 
better. 
Following these steps will help you stand out from your competitors and create a fresh image 
in the mind of the user. 

Companies that have successfully redesigned its application 
1.Instagram 
It is one of the most popular social media apps and was launched in 2010 with an app logo
and interface which is very different from how it looks today. Instagram 
redesigns its app very often to provide a premium user experience to its audience. 

2.Facebook 
It was launched in 2004 and became a massive trend in the youth by offering 
high-quality UX. The application has redesigned its self-multiple times according to 
the consumer’s taste and feedback. 
 
3.Spotify 
It is an online music listening app and Spotify has redesigned the application various 
times. The latest change of Spotify was on making the navigation simpler. 

4.Amazon’s Alexa 
It is one of the famous home devices that use speech recognition to perform a task. 
You can connect your electronics like fans and lights with Alexa. The application has 
made a major change by allowing the user to group the electronics according to your 
room. 
These are some big apps that redesign themselves very often to survive with the various 
trends and user tastes. 

Conclusion 
After reading this you must have gotten a clear picture of whether to redesign your 
application or not. Redesigning will help you in performing much better in the market. It has 
helped companies of all sizes; you can consider this for your business also. 
​Contact App-Scoop for further details. https://www.app-scoop.com/contact-us.html​

By App-Scoop, ago

Mistakes Enterprises Make While Outsourcing Mobile App Development

The annual Mobile App download is estimated to reach $258 Billion by 2022 and the use of mobile apps is 57% of all our daily internet usage.
This data is huge to process and every organization is aiming to build its mobile app. But, the development process is not as easy as it sounds. It requires extensive research and planning which can be a difficult task if your core activities don’t include mobile app development.
There are many big companies that have outsourced these kinds of projects to third parties. But, organizations make lots of mistakes while outsourcing. 
In this article, we are going to talk about some of those mistakes.
10 Mistakes to avoid while outsourcing Mobile App Development
#Mistake 1: Poor research
Getting on a video call or seeing wonderful and exciting PPTs made by the outsourced company is not called research.
​Everyone will show you their best side but you must go deep into finding a few things:

  • Out how a particular company performs, 
  • What is their success rate, 
  • What are the different stages that the company has assigned to fulfill your demand 
  • What is the process of its quality check 

and many more questions that can arise while selecting the outsourced company.
Proper research will help you in the long run, and you will not let you regret your decision. So, before you outsource, research about these things and then go with the one that seems satisfactory.

#Mistake 2:Choosing a company with high difference in time zones 
This might not feel that much of importance but it actually plays a very important role if you are outsourcing. 
A hiring company with a high difference in time zone might disturb the working environment and delay the deadline for your work. You will have to wait for their response every time, and this can be really hectic to manage. 
Hence, you can look for companies that run in double shifts so that neither of the parties has to compromise their valuable time. Or, you can hire one from the same country as yours or from a country with not much time difference. 
Trust me, it will help you and your employees work efficiently and maintain their mental health as well.
 
#Mistake 3:Not giving emphasis to proper communication 
If you have hired a developer who doesn’t speak or understand your language then, this will cause a lot of confusion. And instead of making the process stress free, it will make it more stressful.
This is why you should always look for companies and developers that speak and understand your language. This way, you would be able to communicate every detail of the project to the other party. 
Proper communication about the project and telling them about your vision helps the outsourcing party to work strategically and they will be able to efficiently complete your tasks before the deadline.

#Mistake 4:Trust issues with the developers 
If it’s your first time in the field of outsourcing, then it’s normal to have trust issues with the developer initially.
However, this must not persist in the long run. You need to show confidence in them, if you have fully researched and have found the company or individuals suitable to complete your task, then let them show their result. 
Besides, avoid over follow-ups with the developers. It can make the environment stressful between both parties, which you would not want to happen.

#Mistake 5:Inefficient planning 
Lack of proper planning can cause intensive dangers in the long run. Your planning should start when you decide that you want to outsource tasks.
You should be ready with your chart of “next steps” that you will do while looking for an outsourcing partner. And, even after the selection, it is necessary to make them part of your vision and what you want. 
Both parties can have cumulative planning on how they will make your vision come into reality. To make it happen, it’s better to talk to them about your expectations, the issues you are facing at present, and listen to their point of view before coming to a conclusion on how to proceed.

#Mistake 6:Constraining budget 
Excellency comes with a price and if you want to develop a mobile app then you need a developer who is experienced in its field and can understand what you are trying to say and what is the final result you are expecting.
Now, if you want to find someone who does their work that efficiently then your budget should match your expectations. Avoid choosing money over skills because an expert will bring a lot of money than you have even invested in them.
So, don’t look for ‘cheaper alternatives’; instead, go for affordable or reasonable pricing that you invest in outsourcing if you want to see the results. 

#Mistake 7:Not reviewing codes 
This is the most important point to take care of while outsourcing work for your mobile app development. Trusting the developer is OK, but you should weekly ask for codes to run so that you are all satisfied with the quality of work you are getting.
You should check the codes that have been sent and if they are working in all kinds of applications whether it’s Android or iOS. Manual codes can be reviewed for technical faults of the syntax, structure, or any other important information that’s missing. 
It will be the primary screening of the project. And static codes can run by different sources to check whether the codes are running. In case you are unable to run those codes, you can contact your app developer. It will maintain open communication between both parties and things become clearer.
​
#Mistake 8:Lack of proper feedback
Tracking progress is very crucial to provide quality work and achieving deadlines. Proper feedback is not just telling they are good or bad at their assigned task, but it’s defining the exact reasons behind your agreement or disagreement.
Mention what’s missing, and what needs to change. Pointing out things will help the outsourcing party be clear of what your expectations are and where the developers need to improve.

#Mistake 9: Not able to convey the exact requirements
Many organizations fail to convey their exact requirements to the companies they are outsourcing to. As a result, the results they expect never gets fulfilled, and they end up wasting their time and resources.
To avoid this, make a list of what you want from the app and the purpose it will solve for the people. Include the tiniest detail from the colour palettes to enabling high tech codes for your application. 
Proper communication from both sides will be very helpful in getting the result you thought of in your mind.

#Mistake 10: Not including after launch support in the contract
All the mistakes mentioned above deal with the problems before the launch of the product, but complexities can arise even after successful running of the product in the market.
Every business needs to include after delivery services when you are outsourcing such an important element in the business. It is possible that your app could get attacked by bugs, or the code isn’t working the way you wanted it to work.
Hence, always include after launch support in your contract to avoid any confusion in your project.
We hope that you now have a clear view of what mistakes you can avoid while outsourcing mobile app development, and how you can avoid them.
If you are still in double minds, look at some of the successful examples. 

Big companies that have been profited by effective outsourcing

  • Google: It is the biggest company that has been mentioned on this list. Google has been outsourcing IT services for years and has recently started with AdWords.
  • Basecamp: It is a web project management tool that helps businesses handle projects efficiently. To meet their growing demands, they outsourced the development part of the app to remote developers.
  • Opera: It was launched in 1995 as a web browser, but as the company grew many start-ups were neck-to-neck with Opera. Some parts of the app have to be outsourced to ease out some of their work.
  • WhatsApp: It is one of the most popular apps which is used worldwide and has started outsourcing their core development tasks to Russia.
  • Skype: The popularity of this app increased after they outsourced their back-end to three developers named Ahti Heinla, Priit Kasesalu, and Jaan Tallinn.

​Conclusion
The market of mobile apps is estimated to reach $586 Billion by the end of 2020, and no organization should refrain from such a diverse and fulfilling market. 
Your incapability to expand your internal team cannot be your reason to stop from connecting to your prospective customers through your mobile app, if you utilize the power of outsourcing well.
It will help you get the results you are looking for as you can work with experienced people on your applications who know your exact requirements along with all the do’s and don’ts.

By App-Scoop, ago

Delivering on the Digital Demands of Your Customers

Consumer behaviour has changed upside-down during the pandemic. Due to complete lockdown, the buyers have started looking for alternatives to fulfill their demand.
And, the easiest way was going online and switching to an e-commerce store. Stats show that 62% more people have started to shop online as compared before lockdown.
The coronavirus has expected to accelerate consumer preference towards e-commerce stores by 5 years. Changes caused during the pandemic is quick to catch up for all online stores. 
The following article will tell you about ways on how to handle heavy demand during these circumstances.
Effects of Pandemic on Different Businesses:  

​    1. Amazon
Big brands like Amazon were also startled by high demand and found it very difficult to maintain efficient delivery deadlines.
In March, Amazon has to send messages to its customers warning of high demand resulting in longer delivery days.
To solve this Amazon has to make an investment resulting in a decrease of 26% in its Net profit and a rise of 46% in the shipping cost.
It clearly shows that Amazon was not ready to face such huge demands. 
 
    2. Food Industry
The food industry is one of the most benefited industries during the lockdown.
Steve Caine is a retail expert and also a partner in Brain and the company, he made a statement telling that they expected an increase of only 5-10% in the online grocery market but the actual increase went up to 10-15% causing an imbalance between the sales and the demands.
Caine confirmed that the online grocery industry is unable to keep up with the demand of the consumers.
And, the consumers are getting inflated prices with long delivery days.

     3. Ocado
Ocado is a sought-after online grocery store that has registered the highest growth in its demand since the launch of Ocado in 2002.
The online store was getting so many digital orders that it became impossible for the company to handle, so they decided to bring down the mobile app services for some time so that they can update their software and meet the current demand of their customers.
It shows the inefficiency of Ocado to maintain its mobile app and handle such bulk demands.
Nobody wants these scenarios to repeat in their business, so you need to take proper care of your digital platform to reduce any chances of disbalance.

 5 ways to Deliver efficiently on the Digital Demands of your Customers
​    1. Team extensions 
A team extension is a process through which you hire people on a per-project basis only for a specific period of time. During this time the hired member will solely work for you and try to solve the issues that you are facing in the business.
75% of employers feel that collaboration and teamwork are very important for a business.
During situations like these where scenarios are unpredictable, it is foolish to increase your resource requirement through internal hiring. You will never know when the situation will be out of your favour.
So the best thing you can do is to extend your team by collaborating with external members. This is not the same as outsourcing because the outsourced party works on multiple projects at a given point in time which can cause delays in your deadlines.
And, your online store is already out of time so you can go with an extended team that will work only for you for only a specified time being. You can get the most experienced and efficient people on the table without actually hiring them.
This will help your business to work in a more structured manner and reduce all the problems that are acting as bugs in your business.

    2.  Automate Repetitive Tasks
Every day we repeat some tasks that can easily be done by a machine. It will reduce the wastage of time and provide you with quality time to do those tasks that require human effort.
The market is rapidly changing and you need to update your business according to your needs and your industry’s requirements. If you are struggling to handle the high digital order then you need to convert some manual tasks into automation.
The McKinney report says that 45% of the paid activities can be converted to automated tasks which can save up to $2 trillion of total wages.
The money you save from automation can be used to hire people that are needed for the organization’s growth and will help you handle your business wisely.
Automation not only reduces human effort but also minimizes the chances of human errors, which will help you in the long run.

    3.  Give emphasis on high-quality customer support 
In situations like this when you are overwhelmed by customers, your business requires very strong customer support.
If we are unable to order products from an online store the first person we try to reach is its customer support. At that point in time, we require manual answers to our questions and someone who can understand our problem and also provide a proper solution.
The e-commerce store should have very strong customer support so that your customer remains with you and doesn’t switch to your competitors.
According to stats, 51% of people will never visit the website if they didn’t like the customer support. And, that is a huge percentage of buyers that you can never afford to lose in your business. E-commerce businesses should provide well-trained customer support to handle queries in a very generous way even on rough days.

    4.  Use of the most updated software
As discussed above in the example, Ocado had to pull their mobile app down due to the usage of outdated software, which resulted in their inability to handle digital orders. 
Outdated software can bring your business down or will crash out when the data reaches a certain limit and this can hamper your buyer’s confidential data.
Your customers’ data is a very important part of your business and if any mishap happens because of your digital incompetency then this will hamper your brand’s image forever.
Most of the cyber attacks happen when your software is vulnerable and can be easily hacked which can lead to a major loss and will bring your company down.
This is why using updated software will allow your business to withstand even the toughest time.

    5.  Come up with a structured plan
Planning is the most important thing to deal with in such situations. In circumstances like this where your decision not only needs to be fast but also accurate, going without a plan will be very risky for your business.
For starters, you need to focus on items that are going out of your hands so that they will be the first one to recover and give a balance to your business.
The next should be to perform a SWOT analysis of the area you are lacking. 
SWOT means research on the Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threat of the chosen area.

  • In the Strength column, you will write down all the things that are under control in this area or maybe pointers defining the strengths of that area in your e-commerce store. 

Now, this will give your planning a strong backbone and will act as a base on which all the activities will be structured.

  • In the Weakness column, you should include all the struggles you are facing in this area or what are the sub-areas you want to improve. Through this, you will know what are the things your final plan will aim to improve.
  • In the Opportunities column, you have to include the various opportunities you are finding for your business which you have not yet explored. Analyzing this will help you in finding new customers after working on your strength and weakness.
  • The Threats column will be taken by all the competitors that you have in that area and you need to give your audience the reason why you are above them.

The following analysis will give your business the perfect balance and help you in dealing with all the uncertainties.

Conclusion
The Pandemic has forced people to find new ways of handling their business efficiently. If you are one of those who are struggling to keep up with the demand then these pointers might help you cross the road.
We hope this helps!
Contact App-Scoop for further details.

By App-Scoop, ago