Tag Archives: Android applications

4 Key Trends for Mobile App Design

As 2015 is underway and certain trends are clearly standing out in mobile application design. iPhone application designers and Android application designers are both capitalizing on these trends and using them to improve user experiences.

Businesses that fail to pay attention to trends risk releasing an application that looks dated before it is even approved for publications. This is a key reason that it is so important to work with a professional UI design firm when starting your mobile application.

Following are the trends that will influence the forward thinking designers and developers over the coming year:

Minimalism

Mobile and minimal were made for each other. Minimalism is perfect when user experience is at a premium and nowhere is user experience more important than on the small screens of mobile devices. Minimalism is an essential style for designers to master that can produce remarkable results when utilized with mobile application interfaces.

Hidden Menus

While screens on mobile devices are larger, they still offer a limited workspace. In response to that clever designers hide app functionality until needed. A common example of this is a navigation drawer that slide out when required. Another example are functions that are displayed when swiped, such as deleting posts on some social sites. As app users continue to grow more and more familiar with applications we will see this trend grow to maximize a user’s workspace.

Typography

Typography is crucial in the mobile environments and when properly done can greatly improve a user’s experience. It’s key to make the typography work together with the design elements in the application and remain legible to readers. Poor typography can be distracting or unreadable and turn users away.

Depth

With the introduction of Apple’s iOS 7 software interfaces went flat. The past couple of years focused on flat design. While that will continue and designs on screen will still look flat, clever designers are finding ways to give them depth in the flat environment. A common tool for giving depth is using transparency and layers.

Mobile to Reach Half of U.S. Digital Revenue by 2017

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In a recent report, Gartner, looking at patterns in mobile commerce, predicts that by 2017, U.S. consumers’ mobile application and mobile web usage will drive U.S. mobile commerce revenue to 50% of U.S. digital commerce revenue. Currently mobile commerce currently generates about 22% of digital commerce revenue, according to Gartner.

In other interesting findings, by year-end 2016, Gartner predicts that more than $2 billion in online shopping will be performed by mobile digital assistants, such as Google Now or Siri.

While some retailers will update to mobile payments quicker than others, this is actually a perfect time for retailers to make the jump due to new credit card standards and discuss mobile implications with their mobile application developer.

“New credit card standards will cause a shift in liability for fraudulent transactions in 2015, requiring retailers to update their point-of-sale systems for safer credit card transactions. This opens the door for point-of-updates to also accept mobile payment,” states Jennifer Polk, research director, Gartner.

Businesses that create a smooth purchasing path on mobile applications and web sites will appeal to consumers who are increasingly more comfortable and dependent on using mobile devices to not only research but purchase products and services.

Mobile Shopping Showing Powerful Growth

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Right now about two-thirds of online retail occurs via smartphones and tablets and the use of mobile devices and mobile apps for shopping is continuing to grow. Clearly, you don’t have to be a marketing genius to understand the importance of mobile to retail. And if you haven’t called an iPhone application developer or Android application developer yet, what are you waiting for?

According to comScore Inc., 66% of time spent with online retail in September 2014 occurred on mobile devices (This number is up from 52% in March 2013). And with 174 million U.S. consumers owning smartphones and 93 million owning tablets (comScore) the market is beyond substantial.

Andrew Lipsman, vice president of marketing and insights at comScore, attributes this growth to three things. First of all, he explains that customs are becoming increasingly more comfortable with the act of shopping via their mobile device. Beyond that, for his second factor, he credits companies with doing a better job with their mobile shopping applications, creating experiences that make it easier to shop on their mobile devices.

His third factor is mobile apps. Fact of the matter is that consumers prefer mobile apps to the mobile web (shown in research by comScore and several others). Consumers are spending more of their Internet time on mobile apps. Mobile applications can make full use of a mobile device’s features and functions, therefore they provide better user experiences than users find on mobile web sites.

According to Kimber Johnson, Marketing Director, Pacific App Design “Savvy companies making sensible use of mobile applications and driving more consumers to mobile shopping. We anticipate seeing even greater emphasis placed on mobile apps in the near future as the success stories continue to be heard.”

Mobile Taking Larger Slice of Shopping Pie

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In a new study from Marin Software data shows that mobile devices are now creating more conversions than ever before. According to the study, smartphones and tablets now account for about one-third of conversions on Google (30 percent) and Facebook (35 percent).

Additionally, the data shows mobile devices are pushing more interaction from shoppers in-store, from conducting product research to downloading coupons, mobile devices and mobile applications are an increasingly important part of shopping. Mobile application developers can show you how to integrate these items into your iPhone or Android applications.

Several other interesting bits of data were found in their report, including that mobile ad conversions increased 16 percent quarter to quarter. When it comes to usage on a popular search engine like Google, mobile devices accounted for 31 percent of paid search impressions (Q3 2014) and accounted for 38 percent of the search clicks. On the social side we see mobile devices and mobile applications taking just as important of a role, with one-third of Facebook’s ad conversions taking place via mobile and mobile accounting for 63 percent of their ad clicks.

“While smartphones and tablets are being used more and more by consumers to complete purchases,” states Kimber Johnson, Managing Director, Pacific App Design. “Their real power right now exists prior to the purchase. Smartphones are in an amazing position to be able to drive purchasing as they are so important to the research and discovery process of many shoppers. Savvy businesses are preparing their mobile applications and web sites to fulfill their customers needs and shopping activities.”

In new research from Nelson it showed the most common non-purchasing activity of those surveyed, among smartphone shoppers, was using a store locator (70 percent). Close behind was checking prices at 56 percent and researching items at 54 percent. About 40 percent read reviews, 20 percent used social media to comment on a purchase and 9 percent wrote a review of a purchase.

An interesting item of note from the Nelson research was that when it comes to tablets, each of the activities was performed at least half of the time at home (many of the the activities were performed over 80 percent of the time), clearly mobile mobile devices aren’t just for those ‘on-the-go’. Clearly tablets are not being being used for showrooming like smartphones are and mobile applications for them should reflect the usage patterns of consumers.

Get The Most From Your Mobile Audience

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The modern mobile user is sophisticated when it comes to advertising.

The modern mobile application and mobile web user does not respond well to marketing efforts that are forced upon them. In a recent study, AdVid details that 95 percent of the mobile users that they surveyed stated they are annoyed to receive messages from senders they haven’t given permission. It is best to ask for a users’ permission to deliver relevant marketing messages and then not abuse it.

An excellent way to get users to give you permission to market to them is to create incentives. iPhone application developers can help you create mobile programs that reward customers for being open to ads and other messaging on their devices are more likely to be participated in. Develop ways you can reward users who are willing to your receive your marketing efforts.

Understanding your users is easier than ever.

You have the technology to understand what your users are looking at and want, so improve your mobile marketing to fit their wants. Don’t waste time and money creating and delivering marketing that doesn’t speak to your users. Personalize the experience and you will get the best response. Marketing that doesn’t speak to your users will be opted out of or ignored.

Build integrated digital experiences that have consistent messaging.

Successful mobile app creation is aligned with your existing branding and can bring tremendous value to your customers. Effective mobile programs enhance your overall marketing campaign. But remember that key with mobile advertising programs is that you can use analytic data from app use to improve your marketing message and overall marketing response. In doing this you will also be developing marketing that speaks to your customer’s interests within your consistent brand messaging.