How To Impress Mobile Users on First Sight

Here is my first story on medium, i will try to write my experiences as much as i can. I hope i will improve myself on every story.

When we see ‘iOS Developer’ title on someone’s medium bio, we start thinking that the guy is writing about development, bugs, fixes, xcode, apple and codes and codes and codes. Isn’t it way too boring? Okey, i am not saying that we do not need that. Sometimes all of us struggling deep in our codes and looking for help on it. I am sure that somehow you will find your answer for your code in web. But my posts are not going to help you about coding. On this post i will be turning on the light about impressing the user on first sight!

When you are developing a project on your own, especially if you are an indie developer just like me; mostly you are out of your mind 👀! Do not let your hair go away this easy 🧑🏻‍🦲. While thinking about how to design all the process, you are dealing with the lots of problems such as UI design, backend development, iOS development, how to make this project worth some money… As i mentioned, if you are an indie developer, you are doing all of this hardcore jobs by yourself. But probably you are missing the most important part. UX!

Go ahead and search it on google: ‘What is UX?’. Let me leave it to here:
-User Experience Design (UXD or UED) is a design process whose sole objective is to design a system that offers a great experience to its users.- Looks easy right? Believe me, it is not. There is a title for it ‘UX DESIGNER’.

If you ask me which one you find easier UI or UX, UI is easier for me. While you are coding you are able to see what is wrong or the problem is visible at first sight. But for UX of your app, you have to do more than just looking. You have to feel the buttons, navigations, animations. First things first. Make a list. Sort by importance of the items. For example: What does this app do? Which feature has to be more accessible by the user? When user has to navigate to landing pages? All of these process is a MUST for UX. Now let’s dig deeper in UX.

Think about an app you like. You have been using that app for a while and now it’s time to spend some money. You navigate to landing page and paid for some coins. Landing page closed and you did not even realize what happened. Landing page went somewhere and now there is another page in front of you. App did not show you where is your coins you just paid for. That is what we call a bad UX. And UX designers can not provide you these little details. UX designer will tell you that ‘if user taps on the button, page closes’. But none of them (at least the ones i worked with), tells you with which animation that transition looks better. At that point, you are your own UX tester. You are the only person who knows the navigating style, maybe the presentation style of that page is over full screen or maybe automatic or you did not even presented it! You used a push segue… Only you know how to make it look better.

Another little example will be about losing user in pop ups. This is the most common issue if the app is developed for cross-platforms. You downloaded an app and its your first open. App opened, some little texts that nobody reads. Next, next, next, continue.. Take me to homepage. Homepage opens and BAM! First pop up shows up! ‘Hey would you like to allow notifications?’ NO! New pop up comes out from somewhere, ‘Hey! Would you like to rate us on App store?’ NO! Another one says ‘here is our IAP subscriptions?’ Ahhh cmonn. Let me first see what is going inside the app, Let me see why i would allow to notifications or why i will give you 1 star rate. Let the user use your app for a while. After that ask those permissions one by one. And let me tell a you a secret: asking for the notification permission every time user opens the app is not letting user do it. If user does not allow the permission on first two visits, %82 of them will not do it ever! Until they stay with your app and become a user who increases retention.

Hey Ersel, you did not tell us about impressing users on first sight. This paragraph is for you. When i finish coding of my app, i always start using it like my grandma is using it. I read every single text slowly and think about what will happen when i tap on the button. Of course it depends on the category of the app but a professional intro page is always a plus. Everybody knows about intro or onboarding pages. These will be shown only once to user and they are responsible to briefly inform about the app. On intro, shorter texts better impression. Nobody wants to read long strings. User is excited about your app. They want to see the homepage as soon as possible. But short strings and a cool animation will make user think: ‘oh wait, something is going on, let me stop for a second and read it’. Nowadays everybody is in hurry, nobody wants to read something boring. Support your texts with animation or at least images. That will make user happy.

User finally reaches to homepage and sees a blank page with a loader in the middle of the screen. Nope. Do not do it. If you need some datas that has to be ready to show on homepage, let user wait on splash screen with a loading animation(custom loading designs preferred but at least an indicator). But when it comes to homepage, just do it and show it to user. Or if your structure does not allow it, at least hide all components on homepage until you receive datas.

Be careful about your presentation types. It is a big minus if new page comes to screen suddenly. User taps on a button and BAM, new one appears in front of you. Taps on close and bum! disappears. Do not forget to add some salt, pepper and of course transition animations!

The quality of your app’s images!!! Couple days ago, i downloaded an app and saw it with really low image quality. I felt so bad for the developer like don’t you have eyes? Didn’t you see how bad your app feels just because of the images?

As a result, you have to be your own UX Designer and UX Tester. When you are done with developing, test your app from zero to hero. After your tests, be honest with yourself and say it out loud: ‘this app is easy to use’. Did you believe yourself? Congratz :).