20+ Must-have App Features to Enhance UX and Success Rate

20+ Must-have Features in User-Friendly Mobile App for better Success-rate

Top Mobile App Features

You look around, and you will see people completely engrossed with their smartphones. A girl is checking her short videos, a businessman is reading an e-paper on his mobile, a restaurant owner is checking out food orders, while a traveler is trying to navigate to the next location. Are these people really engrossed in their smartphones? Think again, it’s the apps that are keeping them hooked to their screens.

A well-designed app will make your phone “smarter”. In fact, with the rise of IoT, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and AI technology, there are some massive mobile app development trends that will make a bigger impact in the future. These trending technologies are put together to provide an enthralling experience to the user.

You might be tempted to think that having a website or even a mobile website is more than enough for your business, but research suggests otherwise.

  • Recent research by Jmango concludes that users in the digital domain spend 90% of their time on apps and only 10% on using the rest of the internet. A key Insight for e-commerce websites is that users spend around 200 minutes per month shopping on the app while only 11 minutes shopping on the website.
  • Based on research on conversion rate, mobile apps had 1.5 times more conversions than a desktop website and 3 times better than that of a mobile website. Mobile apps are even overtaking the most preferred consumption medium of users, T.V.
  • A study conducted by eMarketer suggests that US adults will spend 3 hours 43 minutes on their mobile devices every day out of which 2 hours and 57 minutes will be spent on mobile apps. Thereby, a major chunk of the smartphone usage time consists of using apps.

Average-time-spent-on-TVThus, with the rising demand for mobile applications, it is essential for business houses to hire one of the top mobile app development company to get the desired results.

Therefore, in this blog, we will discuss all the top-rated mobile app features that will make the app a leader in its own genre.

Developing the perfect app with must-have app features for every business

The mobile application can win the audience only when it engages the users and convince them to spend their valuable time using the app regularly. Here are the must-have app features that make your app competent in the market irrespective of the industry.

Multi-device synchronization

Due to the popularity of IoT, multi-device synchronization has become a critical feature to have in the mobile application. There are instances where the user feels that this particular link is more difficult to access on a mobile app than a website. The multi-device synchronization will give the impetus to the mobile application and make it more scalable. Real-time synchronization across multiple devices would be a unique app feature for the mobile application. It will also allow the user to work on the current file and access it from wherever they are.

Mobile app’s offline capabilities

If the mobile application is able to work offline as well, it will give the cushion to the users to access it from remote areas where internet connection is low. This feature in the application will enhance the overall scalability of the application and will also expand the user base of the app. Even though the new-age mobile application users do not intend to leave their important work on the mobile device, the app should allow some work to be done offline.

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AI chatbot

Refining customer services to perfection, availability 24/7, and faster resolution are the keys to tapping the sales potential. That’s where AI chatbot integration enables the human customer support team to focus on valuable activities and the repetitive questions are answered by the chatbots as they are trained for them. Taking a step forward, the chatbots are smarter enough that connect the dots and then make customized suggestions faster than human minds, which improves engagement and retention rates. The improved user interactions help in collecting feedback that helps in improving the app accordingly. Busineses can harness the limitless potential of chatbot when created and implemented rightly by knowing the nitty-gritty of how to build chatbot.

Face detection

Face detection feature based on AI technology is not limited to biometric identification and verification. Instead, its use is extended to contactless payments and authentication, device access control and security, check age, monitoring attendance, and more.
It meets the needs of the users who even don’t want to lift their fingers to perform the desired action. In addition to meeting the modern needs of the users, it takes security up a notch from device to app features.

Augmented Reality

Augmented reality technology is known for rendering 3D content over real-world objects in real-time using a mobile in-app camera. The incredible experience delivered by AR technology in different ways improves the engagement level. For instance, the virtual try-on feature has scored high popularity in commercial apps such as Ikea to view how the furniture looks in their house. Android has launched ARCore and iOS launched ARKit SDK to build AR-based applications easily. It facilitates developers with all the tools that they need to engineer unique experiences.

Voice And Image Search

The in-app search feature that makes searching the products/services directly plain-sailing is now enhanced with voice and image search. AI and ML-based technologies allow users to search for a product directly through image upload or as they speak. Image recognition technology helps in enabling the image search features in the application and AI chatbots make the voice search feature work by answering the questions from the database. Explore how voice search implementation improve mobile app experiences.

ChatGPT

One of the top features of a mobile app to enhance UX (user experience) and hence the overall mobile app success is ChatGPT. You can opt for ChatGPT app development utilizing a powerful NLP (natural language processing) engine to generate conversations with users that are very close to a realistic and practical approach. ChatGPThas capacity to understand the user’s intent and context along with preferences to provide personalized and relevant responses.

ChatGPT is also quite useful for handling complex tasks like booking appointments without any clashes and ordering products along with tracking. In short, having ChatGPT will provide your customer a 24/7 support. Most advanced ChatGPTmakesusers feel like they are talking to a real human, not a robot. For instance, AI-enabled ChatGPTcan be programmed to use humor, empathy, or even emotion so that it can create a personal rapport with the user. All in all ChatGPT with such capabilities can get you feedbackto ensure accuracy and satisfaction.

QR Code Scanner

Another feature, according to UX masters, that can improve your connection with users is integrating the feature of the QR code scanner. QR code scanner tools are used to scan any QR code and fetch the information encoded in the code. QR code scannersare best for various uses like accessing a website, downloading any apps, making payments, or even verifying users’ identities.

What makes QR code scannersthe most useful features in the app’s success is that they can save a lot of users’ time and hassle because they do not need to type long URLs or enter passwords and fill out forms. In mobile applications, QR code scannersare known to enhance security because they can prevent phishing or cyber-attacks. For instance, a QR code scanner usesencryption for authentications and verifications. This ensures the integrity and validity of the information or else they will immediately send alertnotifications and even detailed reports to inform the admins of any essential risks or concerns.

Fraud Detection

With lots of malware attacks and cyber frauds, another feature that can boost user experience leading to mobile app success is fraud detection. Fraud detection is a highly advanced system to detect and prevent fraudulent activities on mobile applications. Mobile apps are susceptible to being affected by unauthorized transactions, fake accounts, and/or identity theft.

Fraud detection in mobile apps uses advanced algorithms like ML (machine learning), AI (artificial intelligence), or blockchain technologies to carefully detect the user’s behavior along with their locations, devices, or biometrics. If the system finds any suspicious activity, it flags the anomalous patterns.

Fraud detection also protects users’ data and money plustheir reputation. Thus, it helps increase the trust and loyalty of users to the mobile app. An example is fraud detection using thresholds and rules or models to trace out and categorize the types of fraud and severity levels. The software technology can thenperform certain actions and responses as solutions preventing or mitigating fraud impacts and preventing data loss or security consequences.

Automated Responses

To enhance user experience and assure mobile app success, you can also count on automated responses. Automated responses are pre-written messages sent to users automatically as a response to their queries, triggers, or conditions. Automated responses are useful for various purposes: you can welcome new users; confirm the orders they place; send reminders; or, provide feedback.

Users will be delighted by automated responses because they can save time and effort. Users don’t need to wait for a human reply or repeat the same queries. These responses also markedly improve communication toensure consistency and accuracy along with timeliness. Mobile apps can have automated responses using templates and variables; additionally, they can also use placeholders to tailor the response according to the user’s name or order details. Artificial Intelligence can enhance these responses depending on the scheduling and timingor frequency to customize the messages consideringthe user’s availability and preferenceor expectation.

Emotion Recognition

A mobile app’s success also depends on improved user experience through emotion recognition. Emotion recognition technology can analyze the user’s facial expressions and voice tonesor even text sentiments to infer their emotions.This recognition technology is used to personalize content,recommend choicest products, and adjust settingsor offer support.

Emotion recognitionassures that users feel understood, satisfied, and valued; thus, you see a marked increase in user engagementand retentiononyour mobile apps.For instance,emotion recognitionutilizes classifiers anddetectors/recognizersto categorizeor labelthe emotions of the users: happy,sad,angry,or surprised. Such software tools can use generators and modifiers or adaptersto craft and rendercontentthat matchesusers’ emotions.

Enable signup

Signups are the part and parcel of every application that’s generally mandated at the first step. It requires users to enter their personal information such as email address, phone number, physical address, and others that overwhelm the users.

Modern appreneurs provide some space to the users by allowing them to browse the app for some time without compelling them to signup in the first go. This step helps in removing the first obstacle that deters the users from browsing and trying its functionalities. Secondly, social signups or signups through phone numbers shorten the registration process which otherwise irritates the users.

Dashboard

In the digital universe, users don’t like to move back and forth to view their spending, loyalty points, and more. That’s where a single dashboard helps them to discover the recent orders, the amount spent on the same, loyalty points earned, and the offers/coupons in their bucket concisely, which makes the users happy.

Location management

Reaching out to the users tailored to geographical location uplift engagement and the chances of conversion. Location management enables businesses to send personalized notifications customized to their location preferences. For instance, sending discount coupons during the holiday season in the USA is found to improve the visits and conversion rates.
Taking a step ahead, combining it with brick-and-mortar stores, the users will get relevant notifications from the online store when enabling their geolocation services. Map integration allows users to view where exactly the orders are and identify the warehouse or office.

Search Feature

A hierarchical app navigation structure allows users to seamlessly get through the product/services they want. However, it’s a little longer process. So, users prefer to directly search through the in-app search feature. The growing need for convenience creates a demand for advanced in-app search that makes searching a breeze. The advanced search feature includes- auto-suggestions as users start typing, auto-correction, displaying cached keywords previously used for search, and others that make the content highly accessible.

Payment Gateway Integration

Adding multiple payment modes to the mobile application is imperative to not let the users abandon the cart just because they don’t find their preferred payment option. The commercial mobile applications enable most of the mobile payment options such as cash, credit/debit card, Android Pay, Apple Pay, and third-party payment gateways like- PayPal, Stripe, and others.

Ensuring security is highly important as the users prefer to add the financial details to not repetitively enter the data. Two-factor authentication helps in keeping sensitive payment information safe which involves sending OTP on mobile phones and then verification.

Enable reviews and feedback

Research done by Glispa indicates the value of reviews and feedback. According to this research, 93% of respondents said that they were somewhat likely to give feedback if the company explicitly asked for one and a more interesting fact is that 97% of respondents said that they were more likely to become the company’s loyal customers if they knew that their feedback was implemented.

Users love it when companies listen.

If your app jumps from a 1-star to a 5-star rating on the app store then the conversion rate jumps by a whopping 770 %.

App Review conversion rate

Add a review submission feature that enables users to write reviews and give ratings. You can update the app accordingly. Even bad reviews will add value to future updates.

Include analytics

“If you can’t measure it you can’t improve it”

~ Peter Drucker (Management Guru)

For any business, getting relevant data about the user experience and expectations is important. Just getting your app published on the Apple’s App Store or Google’s Play Store won’t do, you will need to constantly measure app performance in order to find areas of improvement and with analytics, it is possible.

Using analytics a more personalized experience can be crafted for your users. It is pretty difficult to analyze the ROI and track the progress of your app without analytics. You can come up with better offers and update the app in a better manner using analytics.

Social integration

“Man is a social animal” – Aristotle

Well, it seems the wise Greek philosopher was right, 4.48 billion social media accounts verify his statement.

Users love to share their favorite things on social media whether it is a discount offer or an article or a quality product. Integrating a social media sharing feature will undoubtedly leave an everlasting impact.

You can even ask your users to login via their Facebook or Google accounts in this manner you will get valuable access to their contacts. It will also help you to connect directly with users active on social media platforms.

Push Notifications

Push notifications play an important role in keeping the user engaged even when the phone is locked. Let’s have a look at some of the stats to understand how exactly it makes things easier;

  • Sending push notifications enhances the application retention rates by 3 to 10 times.
  • If a single push notification is sent to the new user in the first week of the app downloads, it boots retention rate by 71% over two months.
  • The push notifications that have CTA buttons in them delivered 40 to 60% better results.

push notification stastistics

Attracting the customers back to the apps repetitively and regularly is essential and with push notifications, it is possible. It is, in fact, one of the simplest ways to lure customers to visit your app quite often. Update users with new updates, new arrivals, offers and deals frequently to gain their attention.

While compiling with analytics, push notifications can get more responses and actions from the users.

Responsive app design

The mobile app design should be robust and must be according to the screen size and resolution of the device. Responsive design feature of the mobile app resolves this issue and will help the application to acclimatize from a small smartphone to large-sized tablets.

Moreover, it is essential for the hired team of designers and developers to incorporate the responsive design feature right at the time of app development. It will help in enhancing the overall user experience of the customers and show the app in the best light irrespective of the screen size of the device they are using.

 

What Makes a Good Mobile App?

The mobile applications are built for the users with a user-centric approach to make them a favorite of the target user base. Many key performance indicators (KPIs) help in deciding whether the app developed is good or not. Also, considering these points helps in making the app perform to perfection. Let’s dive in!

USP and User Interface

During the designing stage, you need to identify the unique selling proposition that you have. What are you offering that others don’t? It is something that will decide the user experience. Write it down; if you fail to provide a profoundly enriching experience to the users, you are not going anywhere.

Don’t go for mobile app development just because everyone is developing one. Identify the need, plan carefully and validate your idea before you set out to develop a mobile app that fulfills your requirements. If these aspects are not looked into you will end up with an app that does not add any value to the users, and such applications don’t serve the purpose.

Does your app offer utility in any form to the users? Offer something valuable that a user will not get from your competitors. It might be entertainment, a specific solution to a problem or a streamlined experience. Focus on best mobile app design practices that are tried and tested to provide lasting results.

Intuitive Navigation

“According to a study conducted by eMarketer, 14% of smartphone users have confirmed that they delete apps because they find it difficult to use.”

Always remember during the application development process that the app you are developing must solve some basic purpose in your user’s life, hence the initial app should be intuitive for the users.

They should not feel cognitive load while using your app, while the basic features of the app should be easily accessible. Loading an app with too many features in your first version is not only costly but detrimental to your app’s performance as lots of features generally make the app less responsive and data-heavy which detracts users from using it.

Simple things like encouraging scrolling instead of clicks and using universally accepted conventions (like spur gear icon for settings) should be kept in mind while designing the mobile application. And, any feature which disrupts the intuitiveness of the app should be avoided.

Personalization

In a recent eMarketer survey, it was found that the number one expectation of smartphone app users from their apps was personalization. You can deliver personalized experiences to your users using demographic, contextual, and behavioral targeting.

In demographic targeting you target the users according to their age, race, and gender; For example: suppose your app sends news articles to people then you can target your news articles in such a way that a 30-year-old man would get articles about baseball and a 55-year-old woman about health ailments.

In contextual targeting, we target users based on the basis of the context like what device is the user using at which time of the day and at which location. A coffee shop can make an app that targets users who are near to it (using the device’s location) by offering them special discounts.

In behavioral targeting the app uses the user’s previous behavior to display related content, Amazon uses this effectively you will find ads related to products you have previously searched on its app.

With the advent of technologies like IoT, AI, and ML the personalization experience in apps is expected to be more intense and gratifying and it helps to build improved customer experience.

Data Privacy

According to research done by LegalJobs.io more than 2/3rd of the internet users (79%) feel that they have completely lost their control over their private data. In addition to this, 67% of internet users are more concerned about their online privacy than ever before.

Data privacy is of great concern as we are coming across cases wherein the user’s personal data (including credit card information) was stolen and sold on the dark web.

Research done by LegalJobs.io

The European Union has introduced the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which will strengthen the personal data security of its citizens. And with increased dependence on data, it becomes essential for the companies as well as citizens to understand GDPR in detail.

This shows how serious citizens are regarding the misuse of their personal data. Your app should take the privacy and security of the users’ otherwise it will be doomed for obscurity.

You need to ensure that your app does not ask for permissions and access to places that will create doubt regarding your intentions in the user’s mind.

Even the data you have asked for should be securely stored and the user should be made aware of the level of security you are providing, this will boost their confidence in your app and in your company as well.

Simplicity by all means

The UI of the app should be simple and easy to understand for the intended targeted audience. The two most critical aspects are:

  • The pain-point of the user should be addressed upfront.
  • Design your app such that the user has to spend minimum cognitive effort.

While adding features during the app development, ensure that those features don’t affect the simplicity of the app. Do not cram your mobile app with features that don’t play any significant role in the app’s performance. More unwanted elements will make the app navigation more difficult and complicated. Use a simple design with useful features that are needed.

Make a list of purposes you want to serve when a user opens the app and add features that are needed to accomplish these goals should be added first, you can always add additional features in the subsequent updates of your app, if the app is too heavy with lots of features, the user might get perplexed and uninstall the app.

Keep the app size small

Do you know the second most compelling reason why people uninstall an app?

It is the Size of the app. Therefore, it is important to make sure that the size of the app remains small while adding features in mobile applications.

chart on reasons why people uninstall apps

On average a smartphone user will have 35 apps installed on their phone. So keep in mind that not all phones come with huge storage space. Therefore, mobile apps that are large might not fit all android or iOS devices. Hence, it is essential that you keep the app size as small as possible.

Use tools that can break the app size such as APK Analyzer. Generally, while developing an app, developers are too engrossed with the features that they don’t work on the application size. Don’t do it! Ensure that the app has an optimum size.

Include features according to their type or Genre

Certain features are app-specific and should be added into mobile applications, for example: if you have an eCommerce app where users browse and buy products, you need to have a search feature with advanced filtering and sorting options.

The search experience is crucial for eCommerce apps. Buyers will feel instant dissatisfaction if the search feature is not pleasing enough. With an advanced search feature, you can offer a convenient, proficient and smarter experience.

Mobile Apps – The Hope or Hype for eCommerce Companies

How To Select the right App Features that your users need?

After looking at the 11 must-have app features, it’s not essential that your app needs all of them as the users’ needs, pain points, and preferences are different in every application. Based on your detailed market research conducted at the primary stages, you can identify some of the must-have features for your app. To help you further here are two principles that help to decide which features you should have in your mobile application.

MECE Principle

It stands for the mutually exclusive collectively exhausted principle that is applied to the mobile app development and design stage to ensure the core features of the app should not get compromised that fulfill the essential needs of the users. It aims for removing all those features that are repetitive and distracting.

MAYA Principle

It stands for most advanced yet acceptable that promotes the product innovation based on two things- the advanced features must make the app stay ahead of the game with higher usability and acceptance from the users. The rule emphasizes that if the app feature is advanced, the innovation excites the users without overwhelming them.

The expert’s perspective on App Features

While developing a mobile app for your business, it is necessary to take the same level of care that you have taken to establish your business right up to this point. Your app will help build a brand image and can be the face of your business in the digital world. Your customers or app users will judge your company on the basis of the quality of your app, hence, care and effort should be invested in developing your app with a proper insightful strategy. Look to get a team of remote developers for hire on board to consult and help you navigate through app development project.

FAQ

How do I choose the best features for my mobile app?

You need to perform user research, market research, and competition research to identify the gaps that your app can fill with the set of features. Ensure the features serve the purpose and won’t hurt performance and security.

What are the Common Features of Mobile Apps?

Some of the common Must-have app features include:

  • Security
  • AI chatbot
  • Dashboard
  • Enable signup
  • Easy navigation
  • Push notification
  • Effortless payment
  • In-app search
  • Social media integration

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