Award-winning Offshore Software Development & IT Consulting Company Since 2003
Today, because customer behaviors, markets, and competitors have all changed, and continue to change rapidly, business theories do not reflect reality for very long. This is the reason that digitization and constant evolution is the key to success. It is the main reason for businesses to become smarter, fluid, and faster. With the growing importance of Mobile App Development Services in both enterprise and consumer worlds, application development, and testing services have become a cornerstone of all digital transformation initiatives.
Today’s apps are never away from an update.
Once the app has been launched, the natural step is towards effective app support and maintenance service to support the app. The most popular and downloaded apps on the app stores often see updates as frequently as weekly while other release cycles may happen once or twice a month.
But how do you decide when your app needs an update?
Contrary to popular belief, app updates are the best way to optimize the presence of your app in the app store. As the number of apps installed on devices of users increases today, regular updates can help an app get more mindshare relative to other apps on a device. Releasing regular updates keeps increases apps chances showing in the updates list of the App Store or Google Play Store.
Major app updates are not just about adding new features. The aim is to create a holistic brand experience and enhance user experience. It is important to partner with a Mobile Application Development Company to get a competitive edge. Regular app updates can act as the most effective marketing tool for developers and marketers.
Your app doesn’t need to meet each criterion for a mobile app update. Even just one reason may justify spending the time and effort involved. Let’s take a look.
New App Design
When your design is behind time, does not meet the latest trends in mobile app development, or solve problems related to features or app navigation, you might need a major app update to release a new design. Another scenario where new app design is needed is when your app does not meet Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines or Google’s Material Design. It is all about meeting expectations of user needs and connecting with users, as well as ensuring industry best practices. If your app’s design requires a complete overhaul due to user experience or visual design, you’ll likely need to release a major app update.
Revamping App Features
While introducing or adding a significant app feature may drive you towards a major update, you may also combine it with other considerations that follow. Adding a new feature alone might show a new version update, which is the second number in the sequence.
The frequency of your app updates will be driven by the types of features you try to tackle. The more features or the larger the feature, the longer it will take for updates on the devices of your users. If you’re a freelance developer or don’t have dedicated people working on your app at once, it’s often best to stick with the maximum two-week feature building cycle.
Consistent App User Feedback
User reviews and feedback form the basis of qualitative data of your app in the form of app store reviews, support requests, in-app feedback, and other such items. This feedback is critical to the success of your app and can help identify the time your app needs a major update. There are several ways to monitor user feedback to identify serious problems related to the app’s navigation, overall user experience, or opportunities related to adding new features to meet user needs.
Similarly, if you miss out on adding the same feature despite repeated user demands, you are probably missing out on adding a key value proposition to your app. However, before adding new features it is important to review key metrics of analytics to ensure it aligns with the app roadmap.
Improving User Engagement
App engagement is the most crucial factor in driving the growth of your app. If your app is low on engagement level it is about time to update the app. Whether users are abandoning your app, avoiding certain sections regularly, it is about time to review your app and update features.
Frequent updates indicate that your app is still being regularly updated for technical updates. The most loyal users go a step above the rest to rate your app as an option to users asking about effective alternatives to apps they are using now. This level of commitment and loyalty towards the firm could never be earned through promotion.
Finally, app updates let a developer speak with their userbase via release notes. While not each and every user will read the release note the tech-savvy users will review new features and stay engaged.
Meeting Market Realities
One of the most exciting things about the app world is that it is constantly changing and evolving. You’ve learned now that updating your app isn’t just a technical requirement, rather a business reality to stay relevant in the market. One of the best places to look for market information is by reading the feedback sections in the app store for both your app and similar apps to find out what works, what doesn’t, and new features that the public wants.
Apple and Google also like to see app updates. If you fix and solve a relevant bug and enhance features that users are requesting, app updates can help create a loyal user base.
Finally
Ever since the inception of the app store, the extent of growth and change has in mobile app development is remarkable. While milestones and OS updates are valuable pointers indicating the perfect time to release an update, no tool is more powerful than the market itself.
