WordPress Tips

Have you ever taken an inventory of the design elements and techniques used to build your mobile app? Are they still useful or relevant? If you haven’t done this for a while, it’s time to review your mobile app design, especially since the technology changes so rapidly.

When you relocate to a new home, you typically declutter your current home before packing and moving. It’s important to declutter your mobile app as well. You want a fresh, modern look that will function well. Prepare to ditch functionality or components that no longer serve a purpose, or even detract from the user experience.

Here are three elements we believe you should avoid in your mobile app.

FOMO (fear of missing out) ELEMENTS

Marketers love FOMO, because it’s typically quite effective at increasing sales and conversions. However, too much FOMO can damage the user experience and create distrust towards your brand.

You could avoid FOMO altogether, but that’s overkill.

Your mobile app users may even forget your app exists unless you pull them back in. But, you need balance rather than a multitude of FOMO elements. Keep the home screen from being overwhelming. If you use a ticking clock to indicate a limited time offer, keep it to one ticking clock. Use pop-up reminders sparingly, if at all.

Even if you use push notifications rather than pop-ups, the user still typically reacts negatively if they see more than one. You don’t want your own mobile app to compete for the user’s attention. Multiple offers on the home page may drive them away.

It might seem like providing app users more reasons to engage is a good idea, especially if you’re struggling to attract and retain users. But if that’s really an issue, then you need to review and improve on your core product first.

Moving into 2020, it’s best to eliminate excessive FOMO elements and embrace more simplified and stronger core products.

UNNECESSARY ICON LABELS

Some icon labels are necessary. However, the electronic marketplace is experiencing a surge in icons, and many are completely unnecessary and detract from the message. Many mobile apps now have a matching icon to every page or tab name. Maybe this trend started with the emoji craze. Still, it can clutter up an otherwise clean, streamlined page. Look at your own mobile app with critical eyes. If your page didn’t have the icons, the font size could be larger and easier to focus on. Your users consume the message much more quickly. Many icons are simply wasted space.

Icons do serve a purpose. But, for labeling a secondary navigation menu, be cautious about over labeling with icons, especially if you find it challenging to match an icon to the label. That’s a good sign not to use the icon in the first place.

DARK PATTERNS IN ADS

You have to monetize a mobile app if you’re want to recoup your original investment. Still, you want to be careful about the way the ads are designed. Of course, you don’t control the third-party ad networks. But, you can do some homework first to maintain an awesome in-app experience.

In fact, many app designers have no role in designing the ads that appear. Your users don’t know that. They don’t know how those ad placements got into your app. So, when one of your users has a bad experience with an ad, what do you think is going to happen? They’re not going to think it’s due to a third-party network. No, they will blame your product or service.

Again, we know that you have no say in the design or execution of ads that come from ad networks. That said, we recommend reviewing the ads from your source on a regular basis. If mobile ads continue to be distracting or questionable, it might be worth sourcing your own ad content from partners and sponsors you trust instead of random companies that use deceptive advertising tactics.