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Once your mobile app is developed, you can enjoy a brief period of time enjoying your accomplishment. However, soon enough, you will need to get started on making periodic updates and changes to it. Reviewing customer feedback is going to be absolutely essential in that process. According to Statista, only about 32% of users use an app more than 11 times. To make sure your app continues to be used, you need to plan for regular fixes and updates over the life of the app.
Once your mobile app is developed, you can enjoy a brief period of time enjoying your accomplishment. However, soon enough, you will need to get started on making periodic updates and changes to it. Reviewing customer feedback is going to be absolutely essential in that process. According to Statista, only about 32% of users use an app more than 11 times. To make sure your app continues to be used, you need to plan for regular fixes and updates over the life of the app.
Your app can help you be more competitive, but it is up to you to ensure that the app is both reliable and user-friendly so that you continue to grow the number of people who use it. The more positive experiences people have, the more likely customers will tell others who will use it, too.
There are five key areas that can help you to stand out from your competition.
Developing the app is just the beginning. Over time, you have to start modifying the app. You will want to set up a regular release schedule even before you release your app though. The regular release schedule is about improving the app and adding new functionality.
You will need to launch the updates on both operating systems (Apple and Android). These two platforms receive their own regular updates, so you will need to make sure that your app continues to function as intended with each update – even if you don’t make any other updates of your own.
No matter how robust your QA, there are going to be bugs and defects that are missed. The most critical defects will be in security, so those defects will need to be fixed as quickly as possible, usually with something called a hotfix. Other less critical fixes and minor changes can be done at regular intervals, usually based on your update schedule.
Just as you use analytics to optimize your website's content and appearance, you need to use analytics to ensure that your app continues to function as intended. You also want to know that it continues to provide the right, easy-to-use functionality.
Each development cycle should include a regular review of the analytics to help determine what you should release next. Sometimes this will mean enhancing your app with new functionality. Other times, you will be able to pare down your app and streamline the user's experience.
To streamline your own process, you can include analytics when you conduct the alpha and beta testing phases. This will ensure that the changes you are making not only work the way they are intended to work, but add value. If you aren’t sure how to best implement a new function or a change, the testing, coupled with analytics, can let you know how it is likely to be received based on the feedback of the different testing groups. At the end of testing, you can choose which method your testers preferred.
As mentioned before, your best source of knowing how to change your app will be based on actual feedback. Of course, the loudest people will always be the detractors – and you can’t please everyone. However, if you see people making the same requests or concurring about what kind of changes they think will be best, then you know that you need to include those changes in a future release.
Keep in mind that the apps are for your users. If you find that many of the users want a particular function or for a particular feature to change, it is best to listen and try to meet those requests. You can create lists from posted reviews to your app to determine which changes to make and with which scheduled release. Sometimes new functionality will require several releases before the app is ready for launch.
Don’t forget about surveys, too. By actively seeking and engaging your users in the user experience, they will be more enthusiastic about the changes. You can ask about future changes to see what they would like to see done differently or what new features they would like added. This can help to build enthusiasm about the app.
The last thing you have to regularly consider are regulations that may require changes to your app. Some of this will depend on your industry, and your app will need to meet any new laws and regulations. Other times, regulations will be placed on apps, in which case you will need to update your app based on those new regulations. A couple of examples of the latter is PSD2: Strong Customer Authentication Explained regulation in Europe and the Policy for Device Software Functions and Mobile Medical Applications in the US.
Apps can add value to your product and services, but they do need regular updates for you to stay competitive. Even the simplest apps will need occasional changes because platforms are constantly updated. Getting your app published is a big investment, but it doesn’t end with the initial release. Regular maintenance and updates are essential to keeping your app relevant and working.