Avoiding Mobile App Failure: Lessons Learned

Quick Summary: Mobile apps and smartphone usage are on a steady rise, still penetrating the markets with no signs of slowing down anytime soon. On average, a person spends at least two hours on apps.

There are approximately 3.5 million apps in both the Apple and Android App stores. All those apps compete against one another to generate a lot of profit and maximize usability amongst mobile users.

Apps Fail. And it happens often.

In fact, the success ratio of apps is 1:9. This means only 1 out of 10 apps manage to get the top slot.

And the Rest, well they don’t even earn the initial invested amount.

If you think we are talking about some mediocre apps which flopped, then you are wrong!

Quite surprisingly, even the coolest and most epic app ideas fail to take off.

Is this the case with you?

You cannot understand if your app failed, even when it had a killer idea + excellent UX + good engineering.

The question is: Why do some apps fail?

Well, there is no definite answer.  The reasons are many. And they vary greatly.

However, we have tried to make things easier for you.

Working for more than 150 mobile app development projects, we have realized that it all narrows down to 3 common reasons:

So, why do most of them slip through the cracks and never get discovered? Let us find out why some apps fail and how to avoid such mistakes to keep the failure at bay.

Mobile App Usage Statistics

The usage of mobile apps is constantly surging since 2016. The revenue generated by mobile apps is expected to reach 613 billion US dollars.

• More than 6.3 billion people use a smartphone.
• An individual spends 88% of mobile usage time on mobile applications.
• 21% of millennials open a mobile app around 50 times a day, while 2% of the users open a mobile app 100 times each day.
• 71% of app uninstalls are due to errors in the app or crashes.
• In 2020, the number of app downloads from both App Store and Google Play Store was 36.5 billion.
• Mobile apps form 54% of the internet traffic.

Number of mobile app downloads worldwide from 2016 to 2021 (in billions)

Why Do Mobile Apps Fail?

Well, there is no definite answer. The reasons are many. And they vary greatly.

However, we have tried to make things easier for you.

Working for more than 150 mobile app development projects, we have realized that it all narrows down to 3 common reasons:

#1 When you don’t understand your users

Okay, the rule of thumb: Build an app for users and not for the app store! But, often the reverse happens. Most of the time, an app is built keeping in mind the app stores and not the users.

And this is where you step into the potential minefield!

How?

Okay, let us explain to you with an example:

Peter launched his app! He was sure to hit the jackpot, well because according to him: his idea was Awesome and Unique. He believed that even the users will love it.   But, his app nosedived within a few weeks on the app store.  Reason? – Because he didn’t build the app for the Users.  He didn’t focus on providing any kind of solution or satisfying any real needs of the users.

Okay, Peter is just a fictional character. But, the story is not some work of fiction. This is the case with most appreneurs.

Remember: (Often) Even the brightest and most interesting ideas go Kaput if it does not resonate with the users.

Time for a Pro Tip!

Identify your target users. Learn what they want and tweak your idea accordingly. In short, Create the App for Users.

Focus on problem-solving. Make sure your app idea provides a quick and feasible solution to a real-life problem faced by the users. This will help you build a specific app. And more specific the app, the higher possibility of it hitting the right chords with the users.   Result – More downloads and low churn rate.

This is your first step to success!

Now, the question is: How to identify the target users?

Simple – Do thorough market research!

Market research will throw light on:

• who are your (target) users
• their geographical location
• what exactly they want.

With this data, you can determine whether your app will fit into their requirements.

In fact, market research gives you a clear picture of the prevailing market trends.  You will learn whether the users are ready to accept your app.  In short, you can validate your idea against current market trends.

The Bottom-line: Keep the originality of the idea intact. Focus on UX. But, don’t forget to keep users in mind. And most importantly, address their real needs.

#2 When you don’t have a proper marketing strategy

You just launched a killer app on the app store.

Great!

But, we have a question.

Do your (targeted) users know about it?

They need to know, or else how will you SELL your App?

Remember – Bad marketing is a potential app killer!  No app sells on its own. People need to know about it.  And that’s why you need to form an extensive and effective app marketing strategy.

Well, it is not that appreneurs do not invest any time in marketing their app.

Still, they fail!

Why?

Because app marketing is a completely different ball game. Here, traditional marketing methods and approaches simply do not work.  You cannot just advertise on TV or on billboards. It won’t help!

So, what will help you make a solid marketing strategy?

For a well-informed marketing decision, you need to analyze various metrics like the local culture, demography, average income of the users, and other psychographic factors.

Now, the question is: How to market your app?

It’s Simple! You can use:

• Use Social Media and tell people about your app. Plan teaser campaigns, create a page, and let the world know that you are about to release an app soon! It will give quite a mileage to your app and increase your social media outreach.
• Often good apps are not well-optimized. Result? – Your under-optimized app gets buried under a pile of apps. In short, optimize your apps for the app store with ASO. It makes your app more visible and discoverable even in the crowded app store.

App marketing is not just limited to new user acquisition. It is about a lot of other activities to engage the existing users and keep a check on the app churn rates.

Clever use of push notifications serves the purpose of user engagement and ensuring the users stick to your app.

The Bottom-line: Put 100% effort into app development, but for the app, marketing put 200% effort. Unless the users are not aware of your app, you will never be able to create any fortune.

#3 When you don’t have a proper monetization plan

Launch the app and revenues automatically start pouring in.

If you believe this thought, you are making a fool of yourself! Unless it is not a paid app, there is no way your app can generate direct revenues.

In fact, according to Gartner, only 0.01% of apps will be financially successful by 2018.

That’s the reason why you need to build an effective app monetization strategy.

To monetize your app first, you need to understand an app with a ‘price tag’ comes with high expectations attached to it.

Users will only spend money, even if it is as low as $0.99 when they get some high-value, reliable, and secure features from your app. A low-quality paid app is sure to take a nose-dive.  Also, people will not pay for your app if they find an app with almost similar features for free.

So, if you want to go live on the store with a paid app, your monetization strategy needs to be built around providing high-value features and the best UX.

#4 Lack Of Originality

One of the major reasons for mobile app failures is that they lack originality. Users often ditch the apps that fail to provide them with some unique features.

The success of the popular mobile apps is their unique value proposition. The uniqueness of their features and services makes them stand out from the rest. Thus, gaining the immense love of the users.

How can you decide your Unique Value Proposition?

People are always excited or curious to get something unusual or different that surprises them. So, if you offer exactly what others provide, you stand a 1% chance to succeed.

To discover, what you can serve differently, you can do some research and analysis:

• Clear Business Goals
  

  Keep a clear idea of your business goals. It will be easier to choose the features for your app. You can focus on adding one or two unique features to help you quickly achieve your targets.

• Study Your Competitors
  

  Find what features and services your competitors offer. Analyze what their strongest points are and where they lack. Once you know what services they fail to offer, you can work on those and create your services around them. Your Unique value proposition should be strong and appealing enough to attract users to install your app.

• Unsure About Mobile App Platform
  

  You have decided to build a mobile application.

  But are you sure about the platform on which you want to develop your app? Whether it is Android, iOS, or both.

Another question is whether you want to build a native mobile app or a hybrid app. The answer depends on many factors.

1. Your Target Audience

If you want to target a more sophisticated audience, go for iOS app development. While if you look to reach a larger audience, Android will be the apt pick for you.

2. Budget

On a limited budget, hybrid app development is what you should go for. Native app development requires a huge budget and more time. Though, hybrid apps have become a necessity these days. For instance, social media apps like Instagram, Twitter, etc.

#5 Usability Issues

Users need an app that serves their needs easily. If your app is too complicated, users will find it difficult to search for the features.

So here, the purpose of building your mobile app goes wrong. You created the mobile app to ease the lives of your users. Instead, the app itself is creating issues. Thus, ensure your app offers a simple and user-friendly experience with great usability features.

Further, give importance to your customers and let them know their value. Let them share their reviews and feedback on the services of the mobile app. Let them share their views, expectations, and complaints regarding your app services.

Thank them for their valuable feedback and improve your app features and functionalities based on their feedback.

Do not ignore their feedback and complaints; try fixing the issues immediately. In doing so, you can retain your customers on your app for longer.

#6 Ignored App Performance Optimization

It’s tough to stay longer in the highly competitive market of mobile apps. Every minute, a new app joins billions of pre-existing apps on the app stores. So, you can imagine the scenario and the probability of your app grabbing your target audience’s attention.

If you want your customers to stop scrolling and stop downloading your app, you must serve them with the most stunning and attractive UI/UX designs and optimized app performance. Your app should offer:

• Quick Data loading
• Friendly User-Experience
• Quick Rendering

#7 Feature Imbalance

No Less! No More! Provide a perfect balance of features to your users. The lack of essential features will disappoint your users and force them to switch to apps by your competitors.

Loading your with too many features will confuse your users in choosing the one optimal for their use. They will be frustrated and overwhelmed by the complexity of the app.

So, the key is to keep it Simple and Balanced.

What about free apps, do free apps earn $?

Yes, a Zero tag does not necessarily mean that the app will earn nothing. Most free apps generate their revenues via:

• Premium
• In-app Ads
• Subscription

And you know, these models require thorough research. You just cannot make a wild guess or follow your guts and pick up a monetization method.

Download some similar apps, analyze the features, and think about which features you will readily shed out some dollars. This exercise will help you get into the user’s psyche and understand where to set a paywall.

Also, when you are planning to include in-app ads to generate revenues remember to analyze and track the correlation between ads revenue and user engagement metrics. This will help you iterate ad placement. In short, you will just save some users from running away due to ads.

These are some of the reasons we observed that have resulted in a failed app business. However, it may vary with each case.

The Bottom-line

Just keep your eyes open. Think out-of-the-box, but provide users with a feasible solution. And yes, don’t forget – never compromise on the UX. Center your application on the needs and demands of your customers. Put your customers first, and the rest will follow.

Technology is something that will define the quality of your mobile application. So, you need a proper blend of the modern and reliable technology stack to create a robust application.

Are you struggling with an existing app that is not giving you the desired results? Valuetree, the top mobile app development company can help you find the reasons and the solutions as well to fix the issue. Book a free consultation today by sending us an email on sales@valuetree.io.