How to Improve Usability and User-Friendliness for Software, Web and Mobile Applications?

How to Improve Usability and User-Friendliness for Software, Web and Mobile Applications? When you build web or software or mobile app, everything from on boarding to checkout required to work correctly. Usability is a major unit of mobile app development or web development and plays a significant role in creating user experiences that are systematic, pleasant to use, and delightful. According to an online survey, android apps are the most used with over 48 billion app installation till date. Also, with over 80% of the market being overtaken by android apps challengers which are high in the market and android development firms scuffle to be at the top. What is Android application usability? Mobile app usability encourages learnability. An eminent mobile app should be impulsive. It should take very minor time for a user to gain a certain degree of affinity with the interface. Many people complicate UX design with usability and vice versa. However, the mobile app functionality is an outlook of UX that participates in the overall relationship between user and product. UX defines all aspects of a user’s attitude of a mobile app, including usability. Android app usability is apprehensive with the efficiency, effectiveness and simplicity of attaining goals within the app. Tips to Improve Web, Software and App Usability Following are the best four user experience tips to improve android apps usability   1. Anticipate Value right away Prominent user onboarding not only lowers evacuation rates but can also help uplift long-term success metrics like user retention and user lifetime value. If you wish new users to come back to your app, you need to make sure that they uncover the value early on, initially during the onboarding process. If you don’t assure users to stay within the first week, you are likely going to lose them forever. Millions of apps drench the market, all of them approaching for user attention, so it is critical to make sure you provide immediate value. One of the expert Joseph William from FireStick Hacks says “Best Interface is No Interface”. “To deliver impressive GUIs, remember—users are humans, with needs such as comfort and a limit on their mental capacities. You should follow these guidelines: se proper alignment. Typically choose edge (over center) alignment. Draw attention to key features using: Color, brightness and contrast. Avoid including colors or buttons excessively. Text via font sizes, bold type/weighting, italics, capitals and distance between letters. Users should pick up meanings just by scanning. 1.Make buttons and other common elements perform predictably (including responses such as pinch-to-zoom) so users can unconsciously use them everywhere. Form should follow function. 2.Maintain high discoverability. Clearly label icons and include well-indicated affordances: e.g., shadows for buttons. 3.Keep interfaces simple (with only elements that help serve users’ purposes) and create an “invisible” feel. 4.Respect the user’s eye and attention regarding layout. Focus on hierarchy and readability: 5.Minimize the number of actions for performing tasks but focus on one chief function per page. Guide users by indicating preferred actions. Ease complex tasks by using progressive disclosure. 6.Put controls near objects that users want to control. For example, a button to submit a form should be near the form. Because the best interface is no interface, you should offer users the most direct, accessible, comfortable control (and best experience) where they’ll forget they’re using your design.” Read More: Mobile Application Development Ideas By Software Company 2. Simple navigation in App design One of the prior issues that users face when using mobile apps particularly is poor navigation. The navigation should be intelligible for the user so they won’t end up off track on any random page. Many apps include distinctive features but tussle to fit them together in a way that makes sense for the user. Now, if you generate any barrier in the way of users to hit their targets, they may exasperate or lost the straight path that helps them reach faster. First expert opinion on this from Damien Martin, Marketing Executive of Shufti Pro Pro says “One way to enhance the UI/UX is to keep it simple, and here I mean simplicity in content, design, flow, and even the privacy notice you get signed from them. The simple and minimalistic design and content help attract user's attention to the right points on your screens. The minimalistic design makes easier for you to make any changes when needed without redoing the whole thing. Another important aspect is to keep your clicks to the minimum so that you don't annoy your end-users. Keeping it simple is the trick in UI/UX.” Second expert opinion on this from Michael Miller, CEO of VPN Online Multimedia Inc. says, “Simple and easy to understand. When designing software, you must always take into consideration the user. People will love using your software if it's simple and easy to understand. Group together the controls that are typically used. Make sure that it's easy to know how to use these controls. Easy to understand also means the user would be able to know what to do once he sees the software. Predictability is one factor you should always include in your designs. These are a couple of things you can add to enhance software usability.” Wait, we have third one opinion from Laura Fuentes, Operator of Infinity Dish says, “Keep your designs simple and consistent. Beautiful and vibrant colors are great but users need to be able to easily find options so it is best to have visible buttons and icons. Keep your design consistent throughout so that users can become familiar with your design and easily find what they are looking for each time.” Planning to hire Desktop Application Development Company? Your Search ends here. See here 3. Incisive and clear content This is an extremely prior part of the buying process. It’s common knowledge to rationalize content when designing for mobile. You should be modifying your content for mobile, rather than copying it precisely from the web. Including too much information in your mobile app will doubtlessly result in poor UX with frustrated users spading to find specific content. Make it as easy as possible for the user to digest your content with as little tweaking and swooping as possible by representing the information clearly and concisely. For this, we have broad expert views starting from Nik Slezkinsky, Head of UX/UI Design at Devexperts says, “In the Mobile field, move CTA and Cancel actions to the bottom side of the phone screen. At least provide some comfortable ergonomic gestures to avoid irritating and even painful necessity to reach “buttons” placed in top-left and top-right display corners. For modal or overlaying windows, I suggest applying the Down Swipe windows to enhance opportunities to Cancel/Close the ones as an example of a more comfortable gesture.” Another expert view on this from Bruce Hogan, CEO of Software Pundit recommends, “*Removing unnecessary form fields*. One of the best ways to improve the user experience is to remove form fields. In the checkout flow, this could mean removing an unnecessary username field, email field, or any other field that is not 100% necessary to complete the transaction. This will also result in a boost in overall conversion rate. *Using auto-fill*. Another website improvement that almost always improves conversion is the use of auto-fill to complete forms on behalf of website visitors. This could mean auto-filling address information after a customer enters a zip code, or entering information you have saved about the customer into a field. *Testing guest checkout*. Guest checkout is a big UX/UI win for most websites, and can lead to a big conversion improvement. Guest checkout allows customers to complete their transactions without signing up for an account with the website. This streamlines the checkout flow for those who do not want to create an account.” Third one from Hiral Atha, CEO of Moveoapps says, “Reduce visual fatigue. In simple terms, do everything you can to reduce eye strain. With most of your users reeling under a pandemic and working/studying from home, screen times have shot up much higher than the doctors recommend. Making your UI/UX easier on the eyes could be THE best thing you do for your users right now. Try using dark themes, or opt for backgrounds that are off-white, at least 5-20% grey, along with highlights to draw attention to specific areas. Make links self-explanatory wherever possible. Use audio as much as possible and transcripts wherever required. Contrast is your best friend, use it well. Test with the TPG Colour Contrast Analyser to confirm website contrast passes.” 4. Condense scrolling Scrolling down is sometimes inevitable and required in some instances, but side-scrolling is something that should be eschewed. Content prioritization also grants notably to the usability of an app. Users should get most if not all of the information they require to plan within the limits of their screen. If a user needs to scroll sideways, it typically conceals valuable content. Dmytro Okunyev Founder of Chanty says, “Do a Small Test, It will Help You a Lot. Validate your assumptions and never do anything because “your gut feeling says so”. Your gut feeling could very well be wrong and just because something worked on one type of customer with one type of app, it doesn’t mean that it will hold true for another audience. When you want to try out a new feature or a layout, first do a small beta test and validate your idea before implementing it across your entire user base. Sometimes, even the best plans in theory can flop horribly when they’re put in actual use.” Chanh Nguyen, UX/UI Designer and Developer at Objectiveinc.com says, “One UI/UX tip to enhance software usability and user-friendliness for software, cloud, web or mobile application Test and iterate designs frequently to get rid of any assumptions. Doing so will help save time and get the answer you need to create the best user experience.”

Kapil Panchal

A passionate Technical writer and an SEO freak working as a Content Development Manager at iFour Technolab, USA. With extensive experience in IT, Services, and Product sectors, I relish writing about technology and love sharing exceptional insights on various platforms. I believe in constant learning and am passionate about being better every day.