Cut the Complexity — It’s Time to Redesign Your Mobile App

How mobile app redesign can increase profitability 

It’s not a secret that the updated, well-working application shows that a company is alive, you can trust it. Most smartphone users would simply identify an outdated app design pattern with bad service. This phenomenon is also known as the halo effect (or horn effect). 

The opposite of the halo effect is the horn effect, named for the horns of the devil. When there is an unfavorable user experience, consumers correlate that negative experience with everything associated with a brand. ”

Redesigning an app takes a lot of effort, time, and obviously, money. Not to mention how difficult it is to start correctly. In this article, I will go through the essentials of a mobile app redesign project. Moreover, here you will find recommendations for useful optimizations.

Mobile App Redesign: When Is It Needed?

Analytics Metrics Go-Down-On 

The numbers and indicators often speak for themselves. The insights from analytics applications can give a comprehensive overview of user behavior. Here are the main ones that are worth paying attention to: 

• Conversion Rate
  Mobile app conversion rate is the number of visitors who take the desired action on the product, view app listing and then install an app. 

Often, even integrating a layout that grabs user attention can increase the conversion rate.

• User Retention is the continued use of a product by your customers for some time. 
• Adoption tells what percentage of mobile users quit using an app after trying it for the first time. Low adoption can have numerous reasons, but the most common reason is poor UX.

User Feedback and Rating Go Negative

The second reason which enforces redesign apps is the users’ negative feedback. Not only on Apple App Store and Google Play Store but also Google review and social media. 

Lack of user engagement, followed by negative comments and low ratings (3 or less than usual rating) is a clear sign that an app needs to be updated with better features.

Outdated Technology Stack

Finding technical, code-related bugs in an app is a continuous process. If current design of a particular app makes it difficult to add new features and needs more effort to continue supporting, major redesign can help a lot.

Analyzing the app based on these aspects can help find the main issues, which will set the right priorities for a redesign without wasting the time. 

Redesigning the App: 6 Useful Recommendations

Determine the Main Requirements for the Redesign

When we know exactly what we want, the goal becomes clearer, right? Imagine how the application will look like after the redesign and focus on the main and most desirable points. It is important to understand which of them are urgent and priority, and which are irrelevant. A UI/UX redesign is preceded by brainstorming sessions with the team. 

• goal completion factors
• app activation rate
• app drop-off rate
• active users ratio
• user satisfaction

Here are some metrics you can aim for to evaluate the redesign at the end. Did I say at the end? Oh sorry, there is no final phase in modern design 😉 Plus, do not forget to consider the existence of numerous app design trends!

Analyze User Feedback

After getting familiar with all the feedback and comments, it’s time for defining users’ problems and pains within the particular app. 

It’s time to understand what solution will fix these difficulties and make them happy and how to do it in the most efficient way possible. Turn on empathy and create a customer journey map, organize interviews and surveys.

The most common issues that users often face:

• unintuitive app navigation
• confusing purchase process
• slow loading time
• absence of accessibility

Taking immediate steps to bring in solutions to users’ problems is important. It will make them feel important and also augment the product’s engagement.

Don’t be afraid to ask your users! 

Getting consistent feedback is a good point for improvement. Organizing user interviews, and other qualitative and quantitative user research activities will help!

Employ Analytical Systems

Embedded analytics will always be crucial for apps whether you redesign them or not. You’ve already learned which indicators determine the need for mobile application development. To track these metrics you should install a suite of analytics programs, such as Google Analytics, Mixpanel, or Firebase. The insights that these tools gather inform you about the performance of the app.

Involve Fashionable Trends

Did you know that good looking products and user interfaces are perceived as more valuable? Plus, have you been aware of the fact that they have many qualities? User Interface or UI is an important part of any app. Well, do not neglect the aesthetic visuals of the application.

Some mobile design trends which are spread among UI UX design services: 

• interface with dark mode
• unique & fully customized icons & logos
• nice typography
• microinteractions for easy navigation
• chatbots or Voice User Interface (VOI)
• storytelling through a user interface
• animated interface

Adapt the Logos and Colors of the Brand

Sometimes, rebranding is the main reason for a refreshing app design. If this is not your case, do not ignore the updates, as the world does not stand still. Most modern and eye-catching designs, in the brand style of your company, will be looking trendy and winning.

Simplify the Interface

These are a few changes which the design team can implement in no time and with little effort to make your app even more competitive: 

• simplify the navigation

Get rid of unnecessary functionality (long list of menu items, amount of text, minimize the side panels).

• white space

Let some white space in and make it easier for the user to focus on the content.

• active geolocation

This functionality helps avoid the user’s mistake, for example choosing the wrong city or buying a ticket in the incorrect place.

• check the accessibility

Easy-to-read text, interface contrast (for people suffering from colorblindness), large enough buttons to be clearly visible and easy to tap. 

Process for Winning with an App Redesign

The next steps after identifying that mobile app needs to be redesigned are focusing on business requirements and discussing the entire redesign process.

Keep in mind the below-mentioned best practices to earn a lot of profit.

Step 1: Understand Your Initial Goals

I like the phrase — “Start with why”. Start by asking why it is time to redesign the app? Why to solve these problems in the first place? Is it time to redesign because you launched a new feature? Is it time for a mobile app redesign process because the competition is providing a better app experience? 

It is recommended to find the crucial reasons why you want to redesign your entire mobile app. Understand why the company needs to create a more intuitive and user-friendly app. And what helps create the best mobile experience.

Step 2. Check Competitors and Market Trends 

Awareness of the latest updates in your industry and implementing solutions can help create a useful product.

This will presuppose some deep research, including analytics and monitoring of Google Trends. Moreover, reading the latest news regarding one or another field would also help. 

According to a GSMA report, payments with QR codes are becoming increasingly common in 2020.

Step 3. Communicate with Users to Gain Insight

One of the most underestimated steps in the application redesign process is communication. After identifying the general situation on the market, define active user’s problems and challenges within the particular app. In other words – user opinions matter.

Ask the opinion of those who frequently use the app. It’s a chance to learn what people do and don’t like about the current versions of a particular app or what changes the brand’s loyal customers would like to see. CTAs, font size, navigation, notification, checkout, etc.

Welcome genuine feedback and process it to get the app redesigned accordingly.

Step 4: Test Your Redesign and Then – Test Some More

Releasing a final product without a testing phase is risky since it may result in financial losses. This stage of product design decision (and redesign) is perfect for eliminating bugs and rejecting the solutions that don’t really work. 

Step 5: Monitor Usage & User Response Upon Launch

To find out if the redesign was successful, look back at the goal-setting out on the start. Did engagement boost? Are there more positive or negative reviews? Did usage increase? 

These are just a few factors that indicate the success of a mobile application.

To Conclude

From our experience, applying to mobile app design companies is undoubtedly the best solution if an app performance is not as expected. Renovating the app offers the possibility to include a new technology stack and boost users engagement. You can solve the existing challenges by following the market trend and thus remain ahead of the competition.

Take advice from our UX designer for a design audit of your existing mobile app.