Digital transformation has been significantly changing the routine of companies and consumers worldwide for a long time. However, the digitization movement has gained evidence and relevance in the last years, reflecting society’s changing habits and standards.
In this new scenario, a topic has gained strength and importance in the business environment: the user experience in apps. As we will see below, the applications have become an integral part of people’s lives, being a modern, agile, highly strategic channel of integration that can- and should- be explored by companies.
However, making an app available to the user is only the first step of this mobile transformation journey. You need to offer a tool that delivers a user experience consistent with the recipient’s profile and the company’s proposal. That’s the big challenge!
Therefore, we prepared this article based on a recent success case of an app for a large Brazilian business magazine to show how it is possible to apply a culture focused on user experience to an app in a strategic way. Follow us!
Why the user experience in apps is so important
Today, the use of apps is a reality integrated into people’s lives. According to the 2019 ‘Mobile Applications Trends Report,’ apps account for 80% of users’ time on their smartphones.
In addition, Brazil ranks third in the world ranking of app downloads, only behind India and the USA. In 2019, 143 billion app downloads were carried out worldwide, representing financial transactions of US$ 120 billion. The estimate is that people will spend US$156 billion in 2023.
There is no doubt that the experience provided for an app user is a highly relevant topic today. Those who bet on a strategy of an intuitive and responsive mobile app are investing in customer satisfaction and a long-lasting and prosperous relationship, which contributes to the best positioning of the company in the market.
From the ideation of the app to its effective availability, the journey can be long, requiring the evaluation of a series of data, characteristics, and variables from the market and the potential users.
Depending on the segment in which it operates, and the actions executed in the app, the process can be complex. However, one attribute that must be present, regardless of segment, is user experience. Here’s a case of how to apply a culture focused on your business app user experience!
How has BRQ already successfully applied this strategy in a large Brazilian business magazine app?
In the case of a large Brazilian magazine specializing in economics, business, politics, and technology, the challenge was to make a new portal and a mobile app that would bring all its readers, including the ones faithful to the paper magazine, into the digital world.
With interactive articles, not only to read but also to watch, listen to, share, and like, the main goal was to integrate the online and offline to facilitate the interaction between the reader, the product, and the advertiser, transforming the magazine into a more attractive multiplatform digital model.
Customizing interactions
Regarding the use of apps and digital media, people are looking for a customizable experience. As a rule, they use apps or platforms that suit their needs.
It is possible to understand better the importance of customization by exploring the case of BRQ’s experience on a project for an important business magazine, considering the need to offer different types of content to its users based on preference data. By combining an extensive project of information collecting, analytics, and behavioral analysis, it was possible to achieve a sophisticated degree of experience and customization appropriate to the characteristics of the portal users.
For example, in this case, let’s say the user prefers topics related to economy, investments, and technology. Then the app would filter similar content and show it to them – like what Google does with its ads.
Another strategy is to use the information to make up a rich database that helps you understand user behavior, interpret their habits, receive inputs, and personalize the experience.
Diversifying contents
Content diversification is another factor that significantly impacts the app user experience. Today, with people often connected and willing to spend time in front of their mobile devices, it is critical that solutions are designed to maintain attractiveness and relevance, even after hours of use.
One of the strategies is to diversify the contents offered, instigating and leading the user to execute other actions, consume new information and stay connected by exploring the possibilities offered.
In addition, one can think of alternatives to diversify the format the information is presented on different platforms. That’s precisely what BRQ explored in the app, and it brought differentials so that the experience gained on the website and in the app took advantage of the specific solutions of each device.
Ensuring accessibility
According to Google, creating accessible apps ensures equal access for about one billion people with disabilities worldwide. Still, it also benefits people without disabilities, enabling the customization of user experiences in apps: providing accessibility means paying attention to detail and how your users interact with your app.
In other words, it is important to guarantee that the tool has the potential to communicate well with different types of users; taking into accountother attributes which are essential to the audience of our case, we highlight the familiarity with digital resources and technology.
Mobile applications need to be simple, intuitive, and democratic. Overall, they should help both the average users and those more familiar with the digital world.
Besides, it is essential to look at the application’s responsiveness, considering that it will run on various devices such as smartphones and tablets. So, it would help if you thought about this accessibility from how people will use the app so that it is compatible with most devices and delivers a responsive and efficient experience in all of them.
Adding value to the solution
User experience in apps is closely linked to their perception of the tool and the value that the solution can add. In this sense, it is essential to invest in improvements to the utility, that is, the potential the app must solve the pains and needs of the user.
In practice, it is not about having an application with multiple features, but those ideal ones, considering the audience’s values and seeks when downloading an app. Hence it is essential to know the recipient of the solution in-depth and innovate from this indicator.
Once again, we highlight BRQ’s case with a large Brazilian business magazine. Given the need to add value to the solution, this project considered strengthening the issue of user autonomy within the application. It focused on self-service, giving the user the freedom to subscribe to the magazine or renew it, or buy a new product, all independently.
Nowadays, people want to do things independently without calling a call center. In the context of digital transformation, customers seek agility and practicality.
Counting on the partnership with BRQ
Developing an application requires a tremendous strategic base, in addition to technical knowledge and expertise. Several variables need to be evaluated before, during, and after the process, aiming to offer a tool that is adherent to the goals of the client company and the needs of the end-users.
BRQ’s design-based work allows you to, for example, do research with the end-user, and promote products in the market with the goal of testing hypotheses of customer’s behavior or validating customer’s behavior. With this, it is safer to understand the market and get to know the user well, their behaviors, and interests.
Another benefit of the partnership with BRQ is the methodology based on data and research, which allows identifying problems fast and dedicating all the efforts and resources to what makes sense to the application’s user. What if your company invested a long time and money building a solution that the end-user may not adopt?
BRQ is by your company’s side during all the phases of the digital transformation process, evaluating and orienting on topics, from the physical and technological infrastructure of the company to strategic points such as the improvement of the market and consumer understanding and the paths that can be better explored.
Finally, it is essential to point out that a business focused on improving the user experience in an application can help in the business growth, and even crisis management, through analysis and data, which is the base for strategic decision-making.
