Mobile has carved an all new frontier for businesses and companies to grow and connect with their new as well as existing customers. Even small businesses choose to penetrate the relevant market by developing a smartphone app rather than opting for the responsive, mobile-friendly version of the website. However, not all apps you discover in Android or iOS app stores offer the same value to users and businesses alike.
Since mobile apps are also responsible for your business reputation and brand personality, you must consider designing the exemplary features for your mobile app that best suit your business model.
If you are looking for fresh outlook for integrating trending app features, the following list based on latest industry standards will surely help you make the right decision.
1) Feedback and ratings
This can be seen as an integral feature that every mobile app aspiring grow large should have. Having a way for users to provide honest feedback and ratings is key to growing your app from nothing to something. Either you offer a button or a link or message box with request to post review. Users can find it easy to report bugs, share improvement suggestions and critical remarks on their overall experience.
2) Customization
Users appreciate it, if the app they use has great options to adjust its various settings such as font colour, size, background and privacy setting. This is especially more important if it is a social app or game app. your app is likely to take off exceedingly well if you give your users opportunities to tweak and take the charge of customization.
3) Geolocation
Geo-location can be an epic feature for your mobile app in 2018. It helps send relevant notifications to the users based on their specific location. Mobile apps focusing on fitness, traffic and tracking can leverage this feature, enabling users to discover their current status, track their workout, running routes and more. Outdoor fanatics have a lot to gain from Geo-location feature.
4) Push notifications
If used without intending to nag users, sending push notifications or alert messages can keep users engaged and coming back to your app with more interest. This is the most essential support feature in your app that helps make your communication effective. You can build this feature to keep users updated on new features, upcoming attractions, promotions and offers and a lot more. It increases your chance to further enhance engagement level and creates monetization opportunities.
5) Google Indoor maps
Walking an extra mile for users will give you extra returns, of course. Think of Google Indoor-maps, for example. While exploring a premise with many attractions or stores, this feature can help users as they navigate within indoor locations. The feature is of much use especially when the users are visiting malls, museums, restaurants, libraries, etc.
6) Social media integration
Logging in to your app can be interesting and easy with existing social media credentials of users. Getting registered via Facebook or Google or other popular media can make user experience even better, faster and more convenient. Social integration not only simplifies the sign up process but it is also a beneficial feature for brands who want to connect with consumers on a common app ecosystem.
7) Payment gateway integration
If built to outlast customer expectations, Payment gateway has power to represent your mobile app. it makes payment acceptance a wholesome experience. Though it does not fit into the category of charismatic features, the payment gateway does have bragging rights for it gives your business an uncanny advantage of boosting sales by delighting customers.
8) Forums and Support Groups
Be it iOS or Android, mobile apps integrated with community forums and support group do add some value. Users can easily stay connected with other fellow members.
You can think of affording the luxury of chat-based connections to inspire conversational sharing among users. If it is a health and fitness app, users can resort to the support group to consult with experts in the business right in your app.
9) Augmented reality
If there is any technological innovation that has brought unforeseen standards in the world of retail shopping, it is this: Augmented Reality. It offers dynamic features that step out of the reality to encourage “try before buy” model. Consumers using AR apps can avail the advantage of try on items of interest before making the decision. Thus, AR can be considered as one of the amazing app features in 2018, making your experience unreal, exciting and quite interactive.
10) Elements of Relevance
What differentiates common browser-based websites from mobile apps is that app content is focused around the concentrated information. The condensed structure of essential content in mobile apps minimizes the customer journey so that users can grab relevant information quite easily. Adopt the practice of building apps that are not just another extension of web portals, but are strategically built apps offering valuable information in the most straightforward fashion.
11) QR code scanning
The number of layers between customers and quick transaction are depleting with the help of QR and Barcode scanning facility in mobile apps. This feature allows customers to experience immense convenience while making a at ecommerce retailers. The process helps save time and provides hassle-free user experience.
12) Voice-enabled services
As the decade progresses, the mobile apps add more capabilities and power to users’ life. For instance, voice-enabled UI provides highly interactive experience to users. The success of virtual voice assistant Amazon’s Alexa has inspired the rise of voice assistant apps. Enhanced with friendly voice agents, such apps are creating hot trends in app market. This is why the number of users seeking feature is soaring up. The trend of touch-free voice search is intrusive and irresistible as it enhances user experience and offers tremendous convenience.
13) The power of IoT
IoT technology redefines what ‘smart’ exactly stands for. For instance, cable service providers have already started providing voice recognition into TV remotes so that users can quickly discover their favourite shows and channels in a matter of a few seconds. Philips has also developed smart light bulb technology that integrates with mobile app to control the bulb intensity through voice commands. We expect to experience a significant rise in the adoption rate of such creative app features into mobile apps.
14) Advanced analytics
The idea of implementing advanced analytics with comprehensive dashboard is every app maker’s thought while creating back-end architecture. Advanced app analytics is central to understanding user’s behavioural pattern and specific decisions deeply. It helps you track user activity as they interact and navigate through different pages of your app. ultimately, the numbers and figures about users will further boost marketing strategy and help design perfect user experience.
15) Don’t forget to keep it straight and simple
It is easy to think that throwing in a handful of alluring features will entice more users, and that app users will find it cool and attractive. But overkill of such approach may turn your business upside down. Users are now growing smarter and expect great things in simple ways.
Hence, it is wise to focus on a small set of features that you believe are going to resonate with end users. Remember that users seek and trust in mobile apps that let them complete the action in shortest time and with smooth navigation. With this idea forming the major part of user experience, try to create a straight, intuitive and interesting UI.
Conclusion
Your Android and iOS mobile apps will elicit user satisfaction only if there are features that make their in-app journey worthwhile. While all of the features described above capture users’ attention, what puts powerful impact is the simplicity mingled with innovative design. In 2018, these features are must-have for mobile apps built with the considerations of latest standard and trends. They also act as the best value proposition for your customers and help engage increasing number of users