Why Quality Apps Are Essential for Building a Strong Brand

In today's world, customers take for granted the information at their fingertips. Or rather, at the fingertips of an extended hand - a mobile phone.

Apps are an important sales channel for companies serving masses of customers, not only from the general public but also niche segments. But an app doesn't just have to help a business; as much as it drives sales, it can also kill them.

Users and customers are now a more demanding audience. Most have become accustomed to digital products. Competition is growing. A smooth user experience is essential. The basic expectation is that the app will work perfectly.

If customers don't have a good experience, it negatively affects the perception of the entire brand. But what if their experience is good? How much does that help the business?

Competitive Advantage

"All our competitors already have it." This is one of the most common answers clients give when asked why they want an app. Lukas Uhrin from O2 mentioned some interesting data on this topic in our AppCast:

• 75% of customers automatically expect larger companies to have an app.
• The customer group is changing; the younger generation even requires mobile apps.
• Customers evaluate the brand based on their experience using the entire app - a negative impression of one feature negatively impacts the overall experience of using the app and the emotions associated with it.
• The web is gradually taking a back seat; apps are the first thing customers look for.
• People prefer to enter their credit card details in the app rather than on the web - they have more confidence in the app.

Innovative companies realize that the app is the easiest and most direct communication channel with the customer, so they are incorporating these types of solutions into their strategic plans.

No Need for an Overload of Features

Again, less is more. At the beginning is the original purpose, which is important to define. When ideating, it's quite easy to fall into the "if we're doing it, let's blow it with..." mode.

But the main thing is still functionality, and if a company has to choose between a highly functional but minimalist version of an app and a complex but less functional solution, it should definitely keep its head down and prioritize quality. Why?

• According to Google surveys, a bad app is defined by a rating below 4.5 stars.
• However, the rating may not only reflect the experience with the app but also the overall rating of the product. For instance, if the app functions well but the product sucks, it is quite possible that the rating in the store will not be high. This is also the case if the product works independently of the app. For example as courier services. If the courier does not arrive, the user might give a bad rating to the app.
• Such a poor app rating can deter up to 50% of customers.
• A quality app increases customer engagement, brings in new customers, and most importantly, builds a relationship with them.

By oversizing various features, you run the risk of the app paradoxically not working. In the store, it will then take a beating from users.

This premise was also crucial for us when designing and developing the app for our client Woltair. A few months after launch, we have the following data:

• The app is used by almost half of Woltair PV customers on a monthly basis.
• 33% return weekly.
• The average user opens the app 31 times per month and spends a total of 42 minutes in the app.

WebView is Sometimes Enough, But With Discretion

Not all parts of an application need to be natively written. A properly functioning WebView can be an effective solution. In the application for our client Atrea, we used the native part only for login. For the rest of the content, a good WebView was sufficient. But beware - it must be 100% functional, and the user should not recognize the transition to WebView.

What is a good thing to look for in WebView?

• Performance - make sure the content loads quickly and efficiently.
• User experience - everything must run smoothly and consistently; this principle applies just as much as in the native app.
• App capabilities - Webview must not restrict access to native features.

WebView needs to be considered based on the goals of the application and the needs of the users. Slow loading or limited features are more likely to discourage the user, and automatically the brand loses credit in their eyes.

Satisfied Users Recommend the App

Every time a new feature set is decided, a few simple, though often not easily answerable, questions should be asked.

"What will the decision bring to the user?"

"What will it improve for the user?"

"How will the change affect the customer experience of using the application?"

"What impact will the new user experience have on the business?"

Satisfied app users recommend the app. They give good ratings. They use the app frequently. There is nothing stopping them from interacting with the brand. They no longer need to go to a branch. They don't need to sign physical paperwork. They don't need to call the hotline. They can arrange or buy everything they need with a few clicks.

The era in which these expectations are the norm is here. If a company wants customers to perceive their brand positively and have a good relationship with it, they need to meet these expectations.

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