UX is the major aspect that differentiates between a good website and a great website. The term "user experience" refers to how a program, system, or service makes the user feel. It is a broad term that may be used to describe a variety of things, such as how simple a product is to use, how easy it is to navigate, how relevant the content that is displayed is, etc.

Businesses must concentrate on user experience (UX) to succeed in the constantly evolving digital market. The design, functionality, content, and usability of the platform all contribute to the user's overall experience (UX) when interacting with a website or app. Businesses that place a high priority on user experience can give their customers a satisfying and memorable experience, which can enhance engagement, conversions, and customer loyalty. I'm not a user experience designer, but I can spot a poor design when I see one. like the time I attempted to order a pizza online, but the website kept crashing. Or the time I went to book a flight and all of the search results were in Arabic. So, in this blog, we'll explain how UX design benefits mobile applications.

In order to understand the role of UX in mobile apps we should first go through the functionality of UX designs, the tasks that are under this process that need to be accomplished, and what kind of testing is required to make a good UX design application.

The Key Elements of UX Design for Mobile Apps

The key elements according to my research on UX design are: 

  • The app should show consistency in its layout. So that it's easier for the users to use and they don't have to learn new things every time they use the application.
  • A simple and clean design is what makes your application attractive and makes the user stay, otherwise, it doesn't take a second for the user to move to another application that is easier to be used.
  • The app should be engaging for the users to come back again to use the application for their tasks. 
  • Navigation is the main thing that makes an app easier to use. Because who would like to think while running an application “Where is the settings option now?”.
  • An application should require minimum user input to make the user comfortable while using the app. It makes it easier to fully function the application on mobile phones, as due to the smaller screen some tasks like typing a lot on such a small screen where the keyboard covers half the screen is hard.  
  • When designing an application it should be kept in mind that targets should be big enough so that the user doesn’t suffer and end up leaving the application when he taps on a target and it doesn't perform its required task.
  • During the designing process, it should be considered what are the areas which are easily accessible on the screen while the user is holding his/her mobile so that targets are placed according to the needs of users

Enhancing the Usability and Accessibility of Apps

While designing an application, usability, and accessibility are the key aspects that determine the success of your application because what application will be considered usable if it's not even accessible by people 88% of users are less likely to return after a bad user experience.

User experience designers are in charge of assuring the usability and accessibility of a product. Accessibility is the factor that makes sure people even with certain disabilities can fully benefit from your application. This cannot be done by just setting some tools for their ease, this has to be done by changing even the minor details that could benefit the users like easily accessible fonts, using words that are understandable by all and not just a specific group of people, instructions should be clear and precise on how to run the application, the layout of the application should show a similar pattern throughout the application so the users don't have difficulty in finding the options or targets they need. 

There are some features you could add based on the type of people your application is mostly to be used by like a screen reader that allows the user to just listen to the text and then take the appropriate actions, Speech recognition has become a very common feature and even in my household older relatives use this feature to write text and I am telling you they are very happy with it. 

As we all know you can't become a better designer in one day so research is very important, You should research the users that are most likely attracted to the functionality of your application and then think like them when designing to enhance the usability and accessibility which is the job of a UX designer.

Impact on Mobile App Speed and Performance

A good UX design plays a vital role in improving an app’s loading and processing speed which results in a prominent increase in the overall performance of the application which attracts more users towards it. Indeed we only recommend a certain application when its speed is high, no one wants to run a slow application.

Due to our fast-paced world with the development of technologies every day, when a user opens an application he/she expects fast loading speed and if that is not provided it will result in frustration, and anger and the user can even abandon the application. As a result, this will cause customer dissatisfaction that will in turn cause the failure of an application.

According to a study by Google, 53% of users will abandon an app if it takes more than 3 seconds to load.

This is where UX design comes in. The UX designer uses techniques that can store frequently accessed data in memory for faster responses. For UX designers the user is the main priority and the user needs both a feature-rich application as well as a fast, responsive app. Hence, the designer balances both factors by loading the features with more importance first than the others.UX designers use CDN which is a collection of servers that allows users to access content from the server that is most convenient for them. This facilitates faster image and video loading.

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Benefits of UX in mobile applications:

  • Users are more likely to be happy with a product or service when they like using it. This may result in greater customer loyalty.
  • By helping consumers locate what they're searching for and finish their intended activities more easily, UX design may assist in increasing conversion rates.
  • By improving the efficiency and effectiveness of products and services, UX design can help cut costs. To do this, cut out any steps or features that are not necessary, and make sure the design is simple to comprehend and use. 
  • Lastly, a pleasant user experience can aid in strengthening a brand's reputation. 

Lessons to create a great UX design:

Up till now in this blog, we have learned many things about UX design and how it can help the application to become successful and liked by its users. Now what are the factors that can help you to improve your UX design:

  • Knowledge and ideas can’t develop a great design but user experience can play a vital role in this. You should focus on the users that are going to use your application, what effects the app will have on their lives, and how they will engage with it.
  • Think big is the term that should be kept in mind while designing so that the designers should learn to develop apps that can help users for a long time as well.
  • The products should be made in such a way that they exhibit ease and can accomplish tasks in return they become a part of people’s everyday lives.
  • The application’s purpose should be known so that the users know what they are expecting and it will be according to their needs.

When an application is made with a bad UX design it is the easiest way towards its downfall so design should be carefully made.

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Mobile App UX Statistics:

According to research:

  1. Costa Coffee increased app registration by 15% due to finding invalid password entries
  2. JobNimbus could increase app ratings from 2.5 to 4.8 after redesigning their app and using UXCam's data.
  3. Record reduced support tickets by 142% by using session replay to get information for UX issues.
  4. PlaceMakers doubled in-app sales after finding a UX problem with session replay.
  5. Housing.com increased feature adoption by 20% after redesigning its search functionality.
  6. WhatsApp delete message feature that is still present today is an example of bad UX design as it irritates the users if a message is deleted it should be gone.

Conclusion:

UX, in short, is essential for a successful mobile app. Making an app that users find simple, enjoyable, and helpful benefits from adhering to UX standards. This increases user retention and draws new users to your app. UX isn't just a part of the app, it's like the special path that connects the app to users, making them happy even after they stop using it. So, bear in mind, that when you care about UX, you're not simply developing an app. You're making experiences that stick with people and help your app do amazing.

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