Originally published August 14th, 2017, updated March 19th, 2019.

Mobile apps have become a go-to for industries. Ever since apps were recognized for their abilities to boost businesses, everyone wants to go for it. If you are a well-established business with a huge budget for an app then you can easily hire an app agency and get started with your app. However, if you are a startup on a budget, you might want to tread carefully here.

Mobile app development requires more than just funds. Of course, the cost factor is there but the quality of the app also determines its success. What makes a successful app? For any app to be successful, it should have amazing features.

If we look at the latest apps, they are all using the latest technology in them. Technologies like AI, VR, AR, Machine Learning, etc. are being used to improve the overall app experience.

When any user has the first encounter with an app, they notice the UI of the app, features of the app and the performance of the app. This is followed by the regularity of updates and bug fixes.

We have already talked about all other factors in our previous blogs so today we will discuss what are the key features of a successful mobile app – features that should satisfy the users and their needs.

What makes a mobile app successful?

Other than the features of the app, there are some other factors that also contribute to the success of an app.

Mobile app development is like a journey that has many phases and many stages. Before the features are put in an app, some factors are considered to ensure the success of the app. Here are some points that most successful mobile apps have in common.

User-centric

When your app gets launched, who the users are going to be? Think about them and understand their characteristics. This will help you in building an app that suits a particular demographic. When the app is user-centric, it gets more active users, more engagement and more audience. User feedback is a great way to gather information about what your users need. Most successful apps use this feedback to improve their apps, making it more likable by the users.

A polished feel

An app with poor designs shows the level of effort put into making it. A great app will put efforts in the slightest feature which is what makes them great. Users are looking for visually appealing apps that solve their problems and if it’s not worth their time then they will leave it immediately.

Has a strong USP

The Unique Selling Point of a successful app is always strong. What makes the app unique is what makes it successful. See, for example, UrbanClap started providing home services like beauty salon services, repairs, etc. on their app. This was very different from any other business model. The user has options to select from various services that UrbanClap provides.

Focus on one core feature

Your app should be known for one of its strongest features. Users prefer not to use apps that are complicated so don’t focus on promoting multiple features all at the same time. What makes a mobile app successful is its ability to do one task and do it very well. The best way to focus on one feature is to find the core that drove you to build the app in the first place. That very same reason will be the driving feature of your app.

Solves a problem

A mobile application is also called a digital solution and it is because it solves a problem. With so many apps in the market, you have to see which problem is your app solving. Even the slightest of change between two apps make a difference. Suppose, an app provides parking solutions at malls but does not have a car locator feature. If you add the feature in your app, that would make the app more likable and usable.

What are the successful mobile app features?

Talking about successful mobile app features, there is a misconception that the more features an app has, the more it will be likable. But more features means more app development cost and more complications in the app.

Too many features are not what makes a successful app but its the smart combination of features that do the magic. Here are some of the best features that you can use in your app.

1. Use of latest technology

Apps using the latest technologies like data science, machine learning, AI, etc. have made their name as a successful mobile app. The truth is people are looking for more and more convenience in their mobile apps and these technologies provide that. Not only does the technology help in providing maximum user satisfaction but also helps industries in handling the business quite well. With data science technology, great models can be created that predict demand and sales for a business.

2. Augmented reality in apps

Augmented reality is one of the biggest talks of the town in the digital world. AR has seen tremendous success after being used in apps and gaming apps. Pokemon Go was the most successful example of AR being used to enhance the app gaming experience. Now many retail stores are using the AR technology to give users the benefit of trying on products virtually before buying them.

3. Cross-platform

Apps supporting multiple platforms are always appreciated. Building native apps may be costly for a startup but that’s when cross-platform comes into the picture. Cross-platform not only saves cost but also saves effort that goes into building the same app twice. Cross-platform development frameworks include angular native framework. This framework allows developers to build apps that give native feels while saving high cost.

4. Secure the app

Time and again we have said that the security of the app is crucial. Secure apps have loyal users and gather audience faster. There are many practices to make a hack-proof app and most app development companies are using them to provide a secure solution to users. E-commerce apps and any other app that includes in-app payments would need a secure payment gateway.

5. Business solutions

When an app is capable of solving problems on an industry level then that’s what makes a successful app. To be honest, solving industry level problems is what an app is built for. When a startup app is launched, it functions on a small scale and as it grows it starts solving bigger problems. So the idea of the app should be somewhat related to finding solutions for business problems. Even big enterprises go for app development because they have some issues they want to deal with.

6. Connectivity standards

The app is being built in a modern world which means it should have the connectivity features that support the modern world as well. When the app is using any sort of connection feature, be it Bluetooth or anything else, it should be able to support the technology it is being connected to.

7. Offline functionality

Having offline functionality is very trendy in the app development world. People are demanding the offline mode for apps since the connectivity issues prevail at times. Of course, there are apps that cannot do without a network connection but they still can support offline feature with the help of background downloading. There had been complaints about some e-commerce apps that didn’t show anything without a network connection. This will annoy the users since they at least should be able to browse through already loaded pages.

8. Customer support services

Recently we have seen users complain about the customer support system a lot. First of all, every app should have one customer support section since not every user is tech savvy. And this customer support should be well functioning too. Not only the design and performance but also the customer support is what makes a successful app.

9. Personalization

Users love an app they can personalize according to their need. More than 70% of app users expect the app to personalize their experience. The search results, notifications, text, themes, etc. are all ways to personalize an app according to the users’ needs. With the help of a user profile, better personalization is done as the profile stores more information about user behavior.

10. Marketing and analytics

An app is not just a digital solution but also a great marketing tool. With the help of analytics measuring tools, app owners can gather significant information about users activity on the app. This information includes what users want, what they are looking for and how they interact with different sections of the app. With this analytics, proper marketing strategies can be created for every user. Marketing and analytics are seeing a major hit in the market because of its ability to increase sales rapidly.

This was our take on what makes mobile apps successful and now you know how you achieve it. Have an app idea? Contact our team of app developers to discuss it.

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