AppToDate – update your app and get rid of bad reviews

The problem lies elsewhere, with a bit older apps. Imagine you have an application whose user base is shrinking, the review section is full of complaining clients that report the bugs, and the user interface that was supposed to look modern in the past, now looks like from another era. And you’re wondering – how to fix it? How to get more users and keep them for longer? If this is your scenario, then you’ve come to the right place. In this article, I’ll explain why those things are happening and what you can do about it. 

It’s now or never

Over the past year, there were 218 billion new app downloads, which was a rise of 7% compared to 2020. According to AppAnnie, the outcome of a single year is the one that should be done in 2-3 years. The result? The mobile market is growing rapidly, and everyone who wants to have their share in the market has to keep up with it. 

With such demand for apps, new ones will be coming up. With a market full of great applications, entrepreneurs have to provide the customers with an experience like never before.

Hence, to stand out of the crowd, your app should have a well-developed logic of the software operation, friendly UX and intuitive UI based on research. And of course, the product should guarantee data security and be scalable (if that’s the assumption of its business model). Seems exhausting? I’m not going to lie – it’s hard to grasp it all alone.

Dealing with negative app reviews

What if the numbers are dropping? There are fewer and fewer downloads while the user base is shrinking – what then? You try to fix it ASAP by googling “How to get more app users”, “Why mobile apps fail?”, “Common app performance problems”, you get a list of practices and tips, read tons of articles, try to optimize it, change the marketing strategy, and NOTHING works. Let’s see why. 

The reasons for bad reviews & the solutions 

What are the most common issues with mobile apps, and how to manage them?

Of course, you don’t have to tackle these things alone. You can, but you don’t have to. In fact, having an experienced team by your side is one step forward to winning over your place in the market.

The assumptions around users were wrong or not prepared at all

No initial research or tests. That’s one of the primary mistakes of many startups – they don’t focus on detailed competition analysis or even don’t do it at all. Because of this, their assumptions around users are wrong, which results in getting out of sync with user needs and, ultimately, bad UX/UI.

SOLUTION

• Get closer to users 
  Sometimes the assumptions are just the assumptions – you have to validate them to make them real. How? By talking to the users – get to know them, find out their problems, their needs and see how your product could make their lives better.
  
• Testing is your new best friend
  Once you do it, you can develop an MVP and test it with the target audience. Then, use the feedback, implement it into your app and don’t be afraid to shift. App development is all about iteration.
  
• Focus on UX & UI
  Tests and users are here to push you in the right direction when it comes to user experience. The research done by Kinsley showed the true value of good UX design, which leads to the ultimate goal – business growth. During the 5-year study, the team gathered financial data and observed design practices of 300 publicly listed companies. It revealed the unique relation between the design actions of a given firm and its financial performance. 
  
  Let’s not forget about UI design. An intuitive and responsive app with user interfaces that align with the company’s brand may strengthen the attachment of the target audience. Seamless experience when using the app is what customers are looking for. And will come back for it over and over again. 

Wrong choice of technology 

Here I’m talking about the technology that can speed up or slow down app development, which, in turn, can make the app hard to maintain. Also, a lack of regression tests can cause the deployment cycle to slow down over time, which will soon make the app outdated.

As you can see, choosing the right technology for your project is crucial to an app’s success. But how to ensure it?

SOLUTION

• Pick a skillful team
  Sounds obvious, but a qualified tech team can help you get back on track. They may suggest some technologies that will work best with your project, and you’ll have a team of experts for the support! What else? They’ll make sure that the app will be able to withstand a large number of users and work 24/7 without interruptions.
  
  If you don’t know where to start in your research, here’s something that can help you – 3 steps to choosing a software development company. 
  
• Carefully choose the technology
  The choice isn’t so easy. But with the right technology, you can embrace the app’s worth and bring the most value to the market. In addition, by choosing the right technology, the team can speed up the deployment and reduce the costs of a new feature. However, every technology has its limitations.
  
  Take a look at this:

A wrong approach to marketing strategy

You tried to optimize the website, you’ve changed the marketing strategy and still no response? That may happen too. Having a wrong approach to your product’s marketing tactic can do a lot of harm.

SOLUTION

Research, research, research – without it, you’re lost. That’s why you should do it first – to see which channels will be effective and how you can best target your end-users. Once you have that, you can pick the strategy that is right for your product.

Side Note: Without the right team, it’s hard to prepare. A partner that offers a full-service will help you with that.

Ignoring users & market trends

• The users’ feedback 
  This one is pretty common too. You launched a product, and it was fine. Now, your end-users are complaining about the app getting slow or crashing at the worst time possible. Also, some errors are hard to explain? Yup, it may be time for app redesign.
  
  This issue is crucial if your business’s core is an app that needs to work in “real-time” or contains sensitive data. If you don’t act fast enough, it may turn into a dangerous situation for your business.

• Emerging market trends
  The other issue is when your app is outdated. The competitors are keeping up with the latest trends, and your app is still in 2015 (both in technology and design)? Why? Because it was working? Well, sorry to say that, but it’s time to change your approach. You don’t want to fall behind, do you?

SOLUTION

• To the users’ feedback 
  Here, I can give an example of FireCloud365 – a company that provides a SaaS solution to manage fire safety checks with a mobile app. At first, FireCloud365 hired us to do a code review. Then, after we fixed the existing security issues, we complemented the app with a QR scanning feature. Thanks to that, the whole process could be done faster and was far more secured. Finally, based on the good results of our cooperation, the client decided to redesign the application with our help – UX, UI and software rewriting from scratch.
  
  After that, the application is as good as new – with a shortened time required for maintenance and service. Also, app redesign has opened new capabilities – FireCloud could also support the planning and executing other regularly needed services. All thanks to the improved code, convenient interface and close cooperation. So yes, yet again, app redesign has changed the game.

• To the emerging market trends
  Pay attention to the market and what’s new in it. It’s vital if you want to stay in the game. Also, once in a while, take a look at your competition – see what users say about their products, whether they report any problems, how many downloads they have, or if they add new functionalities. It may give you a few good ideas as well.
  
  Of course, I’m not saying that you have to follow every trend and implement every new technology that comes into your hands. Absolutely not. But check them out. Maybe this particular technology will help you automate the process and make the app more efficient? Or perhaps this design trend will look good with your brand when redesigning your product? Check out and see. There’s no harm in it. 

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there are many reasons why your app isn’t working as planned. And surely it’s hard to do it all by yourself. So if you already have a team, make sure that they have the skills to make the change, and if not, you can contact us. 

Book a free consultation – let us analyze what can be improved in your application, what can be added and how to encourage users to perform certain actions.