Top reasons why mobile apps fail to make a mark in the market

Mobile app development has come a long way, and with the coming of age apps getting developed every day in numbers that cannot even be counted, it has become very difficult to keep a tab on them. Although these apps have been of convenience to the users breaking connectivity barriers and taking the technology a notch higher, the success is going to be short-lived.

The performance of a mobile app is dependent on a number of factors, and the developers have to take a lot of things into consideration before making any new app. With a lot of apps already doing so well among users, it is very difficult for the new ones to thrive the competition and be like the ones that are already doing well.

We must also inform you that there are other reasons like poor research and the execution of the process, that are equally responsible for the downfall of any app.

So, what are the odds that your app will survive the competition and securely lead on the way to becoming one out of the 10,000 apps that will do well? Let’s take a look at the factors the contribute to the failure of mobile applications.

Factors leading to failure of apps

There might be several reasons behind the failure of an app, but there are three common rooted issues that one has to be very careful about. Any of these might just make the newly developed app to lose its path and fall a victim to failed apps. Take a look:

• The expense of developing an app: While the big companies and names can bear the initial expenses of developing an app, the new organizations might have to incur a lot of their money on getting one developed. Apart from building an app, maintenance is another factor that leads to a lot of investment. Talking about the initial cost, companies might have to spend at least USD 25,000 in getting one built. Even a basic app with limited features costs the same. Earning profits out of an app is very difficult and rare.
• Lots of fish in the sea: In the world of technology and growing awareness of new things one can do with their device, almost all companies and brands have launched their apps. There are plenty of mobile applications that one can choose from in the play store of the app store. There is a lot of competition in the market of applications which has led to good apps becoming suppressed by others.
• Free apps: Most apps you see on the play store or app store are free of cost and have their own business models. As users keep looking for applications that are free, very few would like to pay for making a purchase. This has made it difficult for the apps to generate revenue out of the installs and there are bleak chances of them stimulating profits.

Take a look at a 2017 graph by Statista which shows that only 50 percent of smartphone users download no new apps every month:

Here is another graphical representation showing how most mobile users spend more time on social networking and music apps. Take a look at the segregation:

Apart from the categories that lead to the failure of new apps, there are several other factors that can be classified in three broad groups: failure at the development level (happens before the development of any mobile application), failure at the execution level (happens while the app is being developed) and finally the failure that happens at the support level (which usually happens after the launch of the mobile app).

Now let’s look at each category in detail.

Software Development-Level Failures

This is the very initial phase of the application, which can be hampered because of several reasons. If your app fails at this level, this means that the app will not even make it to the app store. Let’s look at each cause of failure at this level in detail:

• Timeline: While developing an app, one has to abide by the strict timeline, as it might hamper the success of a mobile application. Developing an app might take the developers weeks or months, or maybe more. If the application one is working on includes complex features, then the development process can be slow and gradually take a lot of time. Another factor of time that matters in the development level is the release of the app. If you chose to launch the app along with some other big event, it is highly likely that the app will fail prematurely.
• Cost: It is difficult to estimate the cost of app development, in the beginning, therefore leading to the failure of the app. One never knows about the challenges that are associated with the costing of an app. If there is a limited budget that you’ve kept aside for the development of the app and run out of that amount mid-way, your app might never be able to make way till the testing and running phase.
• Bad technology: Choosing a development team can be quite tricky. All developers have a different experience and one must select an app development company based on their past experiences and past works. There are bleak chances of an app tasting success if the developers follow obsolete standards. This means you will have to start from scratch if the app does not meet the expectations.
• Quality Analysis: One can never be sure of the time that the developers will take in building an app. Therefore, when will you be able to test it for QA remains the big question. While there are developers who will keep ample time for testing the app, and if someone skips this step, they might face the consequences at a later stage.
• User friendly: An app should be user friendly and should be able to address all issues of the users. If it is not user friendly, it might not be able to see the sunlight of the day.
• Pivot failure: There might be times when a company realizes that their pivot needs to be changed because of reasons like new information available, new trends seeping in, or maybe new competition. This is a very risky stage as the app is in the middle of the development phase and changing it entirely can be a risky task. This can either make or break a mobile application.

Failures at the level of execution

Now that we are done talking about the factors that can lead to failure at the development level, we must tell you that not all projects or applications survive at the execution level. There are a lot of things that can lead to the failure of the app at this level as well. Take a look:

• Shortage of cash: Starting an app for any business demands a fair amount of money and one might have to invest further in the maintenance of the app every year as well. Since we all know that new trends keep coming in and the app needs updating every now and then, therefore, a company needs to spend money on keeping it up to date. Since a business revolves around its apps entirely these days, one just can’t do without the hosting and other miscellaneous expenses. Also, a company should keep aside a budget for this. If the expenditure on the app exceeds the budget, the app might start running in losses before even it starts earning returns.
• Demand and desire: Before launching your app you should figure out who your competitors are and what the users expect out of them. If you go according to the demand of the people and add all the features that are essential to them, you might just end up becoming one of the leading applications on the app store, however, your app might face the wrath of failure if you don’t see as many installs as you expected at a later stage. Therefore, it is always important for a company to figure out the common problems in their app and what the people expect out of it. Bringing about regular changes in the app according to the demand might help it survive in the long run.
• Issues among the team: An app development team starts off well and might not remain the same until the app is developed and launched. The break-down of the team might result in the failure of the app. One should always be prepared for the changes that are going to come in the team and expect the app to move in a different direction once it happens.
• Monetization strategy: An app should be clear about where it will generate money and the target audience. If a company is able to figure that out, they will endlessly generate money from what they created, and if not, then it will be difficult for them to survive in the industry. Following are the monetization strategies that the apps can imply:

1. Sale of in-game features
2. Earning money through advertisements
3. Putting items on sale
4. Paid subscription
5. Leading the users to their website

• Competition: There is plenty of fish in the game and survival might be very tough. Each day is a new day for a thousand apps that might have similar layouts and features like your app. There are higher chances of people developing even better apps than yours and people slowly switching to those. Therefore, a company should be able to beat the competition and offer the users something different. In case you fail to meet the latest trends and the demographics, you might just lose out to the competition and the app will go down the gutter.
• Alternative plan: Are you just relying on your app for generating revenue and have no secondary plan in hand? Well, if that is the case, ponder over it again and start thinking if alternatives of revenue generation in case your app fails. You should reconsider your revenue generation strategy and consider things like launching a website or any other thing that relates well to your business. Why we are saying this is because you might lose out on business because of your single app if there is a sudden shift in the market trends.

Failures at the level of Marketing and Support level

Is your app making money and you are content with it? Rethink your strategy and see if it’s going to help in the long run, because even the apps that are doing well and earning money to your business might lose out on several things in the future. Here are the factors that can lead to an app’s failure at the marketing and support level:

• Customer support: Users are the topmost priority of any application and one should take care of giving them the utmost satisfaction in terms of app usage and customer support. If you ignore the users, the app will face a downfall and ultimately fail. There should be an option for them for reporting bugs or talking to the customer support team in case they face any issues with the application.
• Description content: A company has to be very careful about the content description they put up with their application as it can make the app reach all new heights. To support and business model and to generate revenue, content plays an important role. One should make sure to have the most influencing description of an app or a business, which will lead to more installs and downloads. An app might just fail if the content is not up to mark.
• Branding: A clear branding is the success mantra for any business. Keep it clear and concise so that the users can get the idea in the blink of the eye. An app should be able to distinguish itself from the other by having a clear branding strategy. This is how you can win the ball game and beat the competition.
• Taking care of the initial audience: You might have a concept that is a sure shot hit, but will it sustain itself in the long run? For that, one must be careful about seeding the agenda with the initial audience of the app. An app should allow the initial audience to download free of cost which will help in spreading a good word of mouth about the application. If this isn’t taken care of, then you might just lose out on the game at the beginning itself.
• Marketing: It is very important to strategize a marketing plan for an app, else you might not fare well in the future. Most of the new app developers go lenient on the advertising strategies of the app, which results in the failure of the app. One should be able to promote the app on some of the other platforms including content marketing, SEO (search engine optimization), or pay per clicks. The marketing strategy should be in a clear place right from the beginning.
• Review and ratings: What do you look for before downloading any app? Since there are many apps offering the same content, you might take the time to choose which one works best for you. Similarly, the users also go to the review and ratings to check whether the app is rated well on the app store or not. If there are too many bad reviews or no review at all, people will not download your app. However, positive reviews cannot stop people from downloading your app and using it.

Ways to enhance the user experience of an app

Users are the key to success for any mobile application. More the users of an app more install and better are the success. We are your go-to team for mobile app development. From concept to the deployment, we are here to guide you every step of the way, contact Xpertyst for the android app development services. There are several things that one must consider when it comes to enhancing the user experience. Take a look:

• Usability: The app developers should be able to give an effective and appealing layout of an app including the design, content, and information. Users should be able to get what they desire for a better experience.
• Onboarding process: One should be able to onboard the app easily without too much effort. The app should be able to demonstrate to the users about how to use the app and navigate them quickly in the beginning.
• Functionality: The application should function smoothly and without any errors. Any fault in the app will result in the failure of the app.
• Easy searching: It should have a search bar, enabling the users to look up for something without any issue. One should get options for a keyword in the dropdown of any search bar.
• Limiting the user input: Always make sure that the users have to spend very little time on entering their information on an app, as the screen in small and they might get frustrated entering their information.
• Security assurance: if you are asking a user to enter his/her details at the registration step, you must win their trust by assuring them of protecting their details. Users have become very smart these days and demand their information protection.
• Assistance: Help should be available to the users at any time of the day. Once they get stuck in any place, they might turn to the customer support for assistance. If there is no proper assistance, they might delete the app and turn to another app.

Conclusion

Before starting any business, strategize a plan for the development of an app. Since it costs a bomb to the companies and involves high-end risks, it is always better to look at the market trends and try to figure out what the users want. From the beginning of building an app to taking care of it during the execution and marketing stage, the app should be worked upon and revived according to the latest trends. Many businesses have faced the wrath of failed apps leading to loss of money and business at some point of time or another, therefore, they should reconsider their strategies and should be able to bring about changes whenever needed. A business plan should be put in place before its execution.

Xpertyst is a Mobile app development company and is developing different types of mobile applications from last few years and have extensive knowledge of domain features, if you are looking for app development services, write us at [email protected]