With the mobile app industry hitting a whopping 206 Billion in value (as per Grand View Research), it is no wonder more entrepreneurs are jumping into the mobile app market with their innovative ideas and life-changing solutions. But for those taking their first plunge, it is crucial to understand that creating an app isn’t just about technology and innovation; it’s about building a thriving business while keeping user experience at the center of the stage.

So, Come on, let’s explore the common mistakes in designing user experiences (UX) that often trip up new and first-time founders. Join us to discover the aspects of app creation and learn how to turn obstacles into opportunities for the success of your next mobile application.

10 Biggest Mobile App UX Mistakes Designers, Developers & First-Time Founders Make

Below We have mentioned the biggest and most common mistakes that can ruin your mobile app:

Mistake#1: Bombarding Your Mobile App With Rebundant Features

Building an app is just like cooking. Throwing in excessive ingredients can make it a confusing stew. So, you should start with primary features that serve value to your users rather than confusing them. You can save the extra features for later updates and keep evolving your app as per your user’s needs.

We know that the idea of developing an app that has many features sounds amazing, but if we see it from a business perspective, it may confuse your users as they won’t get a clear idea about what your brand is really about.

Mistake#2: Compromising Usability For Innovation

Imagine going to your favorite cafe, and suddenly the coffee machine is where the cashier used to be! Just like we expect the cart in the upper right corner of an eCommerce site, some things are universal for a reason and should be kept like that.

Messing with the classics may seem cool for innovation, but relocating essentials like the cart? That’s like hiding the sugar in a coffee shop – very confusing for users/customers and a sure way to lose customers! Stick to innovation in the cozy corners, not where your users expect their go-to comfort features and avoid one of the most common app design mistakes i.e. choosing innovation over usability. 

Mistake#3: Using Jargon That Your Users Don’t Understand

You need to understand that your users need to relate and comprehend the words and language you are using in your mobile app. For instance- A “Call to Action” that uses brand-specific jargon won’t help you in persuading your users to take action. It will only confuse them and lead to poor user experience. 

Let’s understand this with an example: If an app used a call to action like “Indulge in our gourmet fare with our exclusive farm-to-table selections,” it might confuse users who are not familiar with terms like “farm-to-table” or “gourmet fare.” Instead, a more precise and simple call to action like “Order now for delicious meals delivered straight to your door!” will give clarity to the user. This call to action is clear, simple, and focused on the main benefit of the app – convenient food delivery.

So, Using simple phrases and words is the best way to help your customers understand and navigate through your application. Do not use acronyms, brand-specific phrases,  cultural axioms, or technical terms, instead use general words that can be easily understood and comprehended by your users.

Mistake#4: Copying Your Competitors Without Adding any Unique Touch of Your Brand

Successful mobile apps and businesses attract entrepreneurs to build something with a similar idea. We all know multiple applications with the same niche and objective. However, it doesn’t mean that you should completely imitate your competitor’s product without adding any new feature or offering.

Any brand becomes successful only when it offers a unique value proposition to its users. To build a brand that stands out from your competitors, you must think about how you can make it different and unique from existing brands of the same niche.

One of the best User experience tips –“While inspiration can be drawn from competitors, true success lies in infusing your brand with a touch of uniqueness that captivates and resonates with your audience, setting you apart from the herd.”

Mistake#5: Prioritizing Your Opinion over The User-Centric Design 

Founders often have strong opinions about their brainchild. The same goes with the design and development teams. However, a good UX designer will always keep the user-first approach while designing the interface and Mobile app UX.

You must consider user-specific needs throughout the mobile app development cycle instead of evolving the app only based on the preferences of the Developers.

Always remember- “Putting users first is the golden rule of interface design. Merge it with the right solution, and you’ve struck digital gold.”

Mistake#6: Sacrificing Speed For Features

In the quest to make mobile apps feature-packed, the founders often end up compromising the speed of their app performance. It is a big “No” as users never like waiting while using your mobile app. Bloated apps with unnecessary features can lead to slow loading times and sluggish performance and frustrate users driving them away. It is one of the most common UX errors in mobile applications. Prioritizing speed and optimizing your mobile app performance should be as high on the list as adding new features to make it unique. Remember, a fast and responsive app will keep users on board for the long voyage ahead.

Words of wisdom – “A slow mobile app turns user experience into an endurance test, where patience wears thin and frustration grows.”

Mistake#7: Not Conducting User Research 

Most of the common UX errors in mobile apps occur due to a lack of user research. Understanding user behavior and needs is very important and it should be the first stage of building your mobile app. You must conduct extensive user research and ask yourself the following question before jumping on directly to the designing and development stage: 

• What are the problems that your mobile app will address and solve?
• What are the features and benefits that will offer the best value to your users?
• What is the unique value proposition of your app that makes it stand out from the competitors?
• What sort of interface will suit your brand?

Use the User-Centric Design (UCD) approach that focuses on the user’s needs throughout the design process instead of afterward. Conducting a thorough analysis of your users before designing your mobile app UX will help you understand who your users are, what they need, and what they expect while using your mobile application.

Remember- “User understanding leads to user satisfaction. Conducting thorough research isn’t just a step, it’s the compass guiding your app’s success through the seas of competition”

Mistake#8: Neglecting The First-Time Experience

“First Impression can sometimes be the last impression” which means that if your user’s first experience with your mobile app is not smooth and satisfying, he/she might never come back to your app. Therefore, you should ensure that your app’s onboarding experience should be seamless and pleasant. According to SMSCountry’s statistics: apps with a good onboarding experience have a 50% higher retention rate.

Therefore many mobile apps give clear and concise instructions to guide users through the app functionalities and features which help them easily navigate and understand how the application works. Incorporating interactive tutorials, and personalization based on user’s preferences and behavior are some other ways to ensure a pleasant first-time experience for your new users.

Mistake#9: Not Getting Initial Feedback From Real-Users

Many founders often make a mistake in launching their mobile app directly in the market without following a proper feedback process from initial users. Sometimes even the most meticulously designed and developed mobile apps may have unforeseen flaws. Therefore, It is important to address these flaws before exposing your mobile application to the real-world environment of diverse users and devices.

User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is critical as it allows you to validate the testing done at the end of the mobile app development cycle. It is usually completed after QA, unit testing, system testing, and integration testing. To ensure user acceptance, you should ask real users to take various actions on your app- if they get lost or are unable to identify the flow or steps to take the desired action, you need to make modifications as per the user’s expectations.

Mistake#10: Not Evolving Your Mobile App With Changing User Requirements

Even after the launch of your mobile application, you should continuously measure, monitor, and optimize your app’s performance to ensure your mobile app design and UX remain up-to-the-mark to your user’s needs. By continuously evolving your app, you can deliver an optimal experience to your customers that keeps users coming back for more.

Not following the continuous improvement approach has many consequences such as decreased user satisfaction, loss of competitive edge, negative reviews and ratings, decline in user retention and engagement, missed opportunities, and so on. It can lead to the downfall of even the most successful applications.

In the dynamic landscape of mobile apps, there are other options than staying stagnant. By prioritizing continuous improvement and innovation, app developers can ensure their apps remain relevant, competitive, and successful.

Other Major Mistakes That Often Lead to The Failure Of Mobile Apps 

These are some other common mistakes made by beginners while developing the mobile app UX:

• Cluttered Interface with excessive text and images.
• Small Buttons that may be difficult to see on a smaller screen.
• Using the incorrect Color palette or theme.
• Ignoring dark mode requirements. 
• Poor or low-resolution images.
• Complicated navigation that makes it difficult for users to find what they are looking for.

First-time Founders’ Guide: Mobile App UX Design Best Practices & Tips

Below we have mentioned some Mobile App User Experience Tips that will help you to ensure that you launch a high-quality mobile app in the market and become a successful business:

• Make User-Centric Design: Always ensure that the requirements and expectations of your users are fulfilled while designing the mobile app UX. For this, you should conduct comprehensive user research to understand their behaviors, struggles, and challenges.
• Accessibility Matters: Never neglect accessibility features in your app design. Make your app compatible with screen readers, provide alternative text for images, and design with color blindness and other disabilities in consideration.
• Make Navigation Easier: Keep your app’s navigation intuitive and simple so your users can easily find what they’re looking for without having to figure it out themselves as it can be frustrating and time-consuming. Avoid excessively loaded menus and emphasize the key features for easy accessibility
• Consistent Design Language: Keep colors, fonts, and icons used in your application consistent, to create an impressive and familiar user experience.
• Performance Optimization: Speed and efficiency are crucial for the success of your application. The best practices to optimize your app performance are to minimize loading times as much as you can, reduce the app size as heavy apps are mostly avoided by users due to memory storage constraints, and optimize images and code for seamless performance.
• Thorough Testing: Conduct usability tests with real users to identify and address any usability issues or bugs and address them promptly. Also, test the app usability rigorously on all types of devices, operating systems, and user scenarios
• Feedback Mechanisms: Include a feedback submission option in your app to collect user feedback and improve usability throughout the app’s lifecycle. This will help your application to evolve and adapt to the changing user needs.
• Streamlined Onboarding: Make the onboarding process as seamless and quicker as possible to prevent user drop-off rates. Guide users through the app’s features with clear instructions and tooltips. This would make your application more understandable and users will get familiar with the functionality of your app quickly.
• Clear Call-to-Action: Use clear and actionable language for buttons and prompts that lead your users toward their desired actions. Ensure buttons can be easily pressed and distinguishable from other elements giving a clear picture to your users.
• Error Handling: Design informative and clear error messages that enable your users to understand issues and resolve them when they occur. Provide clear instructions on how to correct errors and prevent them.

Summarizing

In summary, mastering mobile app UX as a first-time founder requires avoiding common mistakes and prioritizing user-centric design (UCD). By embracing continuous improvement and addressing the issues based on your user feedback, founders and their teams can create apps that not only look good but also deliver exceptional experiences, serve value to users ensure long-term success in the competitive app market, and become the next big thing of the industry.
At Codalien, we understand the importance of user-centric design and are here to help you navigate the complexities of mobile app UX. Got more questions? Reach out to us—we’re here to elevate your app’s user experience and drive success.