The Mobile Experience
So last week whilst I was on holiday in Lesvos Greece, my daughter talked me into buying her a new phone – an Apple iPhone 14 no less! To be fair, her iPhone XR had become slow and with a cracked screen it was starting to become unusable.
When choosing a new phone my daughter was adamant it had to be an Apple iPhone – “they have more street cred, are faster and run apps better” was the supporting soundbite. Needless to say, the first born (and only child) got her way.
This intrigued me, and so I started to investigate what Users actually look for and their key needs when using the device and, more specifically, the all-important applications.
Mobile technology and our daily lives
In our fast-paced world, mobile phones have become indispensable, serving as our ultimate multi-tool for communication, entertainment, and productivity. The apps we rely on daily connect us with loved ones, bring joy, and facilitate our daily tasks.
By way of contrast, a bad app experience can lead to customer churn, impacting businesses significantly.
But what exactly is a “bad experience”?
A “bad experience” in the app world can mean different things for Users and Developers alike. For Users, it’s frustration, slow response times, or frequent crashes that lead them to uninstall the app. For Developers, a bad experience translates to suboptimal coding, inadequate testing, and delayed issue resolution. Understanding these perspectives is crucial for designing and optimising apps that align with Users’ needs while supporting Developers’ efforts.
Key findings on the app experience
In my search I came across an excellent report from an organisation called Embrace who work with customers across a spectrum of industries, from mobile gaming to e-commerce to IoT. Their report revealed some interesting insight into what might determine a “good” or “bad” experience.
Common performance issues
Despite the continuously growing demands for speed and performance (with one in five app users expecting key app functionalities to be completed within five seconds), an alarming number of people, nearly half of all Users, encounter daily issues with their apps. The frustration caused by these recurring problems has led app Users to be highly inclined to remove the app from their phone altogether.
What makes it so “bad”?
The priorities of Users and Developers regarding aspects of a poor experience do not always coincide. When it comes to critical issues like crashes, both groups (Users and Developers) unanimously agree that they are the most frustrating and require immediate attention. However, in the case of slow startup, Users find it less aggravating compared to unresponsive buttons or forms. Surprisingly, Developers prioritise addressing slow startup over unresponsive buttons or frozen screens, which are given relatively lower priority.
iOS vs Android Users have different experiences
According to the research report, Android apps face a higher number of performance issues compared to iOS apps. Furthermore, app Users’ experiences differ between iOS and Android platforms. Android Users tend to complain more about slow startup times, while iOS Users commonly report slower loading of images and video media. Each operating system presents its unique performance challenges, warranting a nuanced approach to address the specific issues faced by Users on each platform.
Gaming apps perform worse
When categorising apps across industries, gaming apps emerge as the most affected by performance issues, experiencing a range of problems such as crashes, ANRs (Application Not Responding) for Android, User terminations for iOS, and high memory consumption. Additionally, IoT, navigation, education, and social media apps are also prone to encountering a higher number of performance issues compared to the average.
Monitoring performance
Both presently and in the foreseeable future, monitoring performance remains one of the foremost challenges for app Developers. It is crucial to address this challenge promptly, as allowing poor performance to persist poses a significant threat to brand reputation. Investing in the improvement of your app’s performance has far-reaching and long-lasting implications, underscoring the importance of prioritising this aspect of mobile development.
The impact of AI
In envisioning the future of mobile technology, Developers perceive AI/ML as the predominant factor that will revolutionise the industry. As they contemplate forthcoming challenges, they anticipate that building for complex IT infrastructure and ensuring app security will pose considerably greater hurdles compared to the present. These insights highlight the transformative potential of AI/ML and underscore the need to address emerging complexities in IT infrastructure and security measures for future mobile app development.
Summary
The most significant issue is the failure of mobile experiences to meet User expectations. A substantial majority of Users continue to encounter problems such as crashes, slow loading screens, and unstable interfaces. Concurrently, Users demand better-than-ever performance, and mobile Developers recognise the importance of addressing this demand.
Monitoring performance emerges as a prominent challenge for app development, both presently and in the foreseeable future, as Developers strive to create exceptional mobile experiences. However, this complex scenario is further compounded by the differences between Android and iOS platforms, varying performance standards across diverse industries, and the constant influx of breakthrough technologies that drive constant change in the mobile space.
Three Key Takeaways
- The research has uncovered a discrepancy in priorities between issues that Users consider intolerable and those that Developers find most concerning. A significant example of this is startup time, where the industry standard of 2 seconds or less for app startup appears to influence the extent to which Developers prioritise it. Conversely, app Users are more frustrated by unresponsive interfaces rather than a slow startup. This disconnect highlights the need for a nuanced approach to address User concerns effectively and ensure a seamless mobile experience.
- Engineers acknowledge the significant brand impact that arises from optimising or neglecting mobile experiences. When discussing end Users’ frustrating app experiences, one of their primary concerns is the potential loss of brand trust and reputation. Rebuilding brand trust after such an incident is exceptionally challenging, far more so than addressing temporary customer churn or negative reviews. The lasting repercussions of a negative User experience underscore the critical importance of prioritising and continuously improving mobile app performance and usability to maintain a positive brand image.
- The report’s findings indicate that app Developers invest a substantial amount of time in monitoring app performance. However, employing the appropriate mobile-focused tooling can alleviate this burden, allowing Developers to concentrate on other significant challenges they face, such as staying abreast of frequent changes introduced by operating system providers. Moreover, such tools empower Developers and their organisations to create more captivating experiences for end Users, embrace cutting-edge technologies with confidence, and iterate swiftly to maintain competitiveness in the market. By streamlining performance monitoring and providing valuable insights, these tools become instrumental in driving innovation and success in the mobile app development landscape.
Thanks
Richard
