Android has continued to rise for the last few years, and in the last year or so, it has shown phenomenal growth in terms of new Android apps and user volume.
The Android platform drives the huge and continuous increase in Smartphone adoption, thanks to the plethora of devices it works with.
Naturally, today the platform enjoys optimum focus for most development companies.
With the broadest reach of smartphone-flaunting audiences, enterprises also use an “Android first” approach to target their audience.
But because it is extremely competitive, Android application development companies now must focus on delivering great apps for performance, visual engagement, and ease of use.
No Android App development company can afford to remain slack with respect to searching for uniqueness and value for its developers.
When it comes to useful advice for developers, Android developers have come across plenty of it.
But at the beginning of 2018, you need to focus on a few things that you were not concerned with earlier.
Android App Development Tips To Follow in 2018
- Aesthetic Engagement
Every era is ruled by certain aesthetic tastes, and Android apps are no different in this respect. There are various aspects to it.
The present generation of Smartphone users is very specific about what they want. They are very hectic and restless in getting things done in a whiz.
Naturally, the design elements, however attractive, should always cater to these performance demands and ease of use.
Let us find out the key tenets of good aesthetics for your Android app now.
- It must be visually appealing in the very first instance.
- It should have absolute clarity and zero tolerance for clutter.
- Stay clear of visual overloading with too many elements offered and too many actions offered on a single screen.
- Keep the color scheme and typography cool and pleasant for the eyes.
- Always ensure optimum readability of the text.
- Do not use a large body of text. Instead, offer a mix of text and other visual elements to engage users better.
- Make all clickable elements and CTA buttons bigger and easier to click.
- Put a Limit on Your Objectives
Another important thing about the Android app concept is to make it precise and targeted for a single objective.
Remember, these days’ users are already hectic and restless with a very low attention span, and so your app needs to serve them one thing at a time.
Just as single-page websites are becoming popular, apps tend to be smaller with a single objective focus.
When users can easily associate your app with a single objective, you can promote the app better, ensuring faster and smoother performance. Here are some principles to follow in this respect.
- Do not try to populate your app with a lot of unnecessary features. Give it features that are absolutely necessary.
- Making the app short with a few pages is objectively driven to help the user with a single purpose.
- Build your app like a quick and easy-to-use tool. Let the fast and smooth user experience be your strength to drive users.
- Updating Often To Make It Better
Android is a fast-changing platform with new features coming in every few months.
Naturally, to keep pace with these platform-specific value additions, you need to come up with frequent updates.
But frequent updates of your app will also offer you a fresh scope to find and address glitches every once in a while.
If you need to retain your users for longer and make a loyal user base, you have to renew the user experience with timely updates.
The new updates also help your app to position itself with a fresh breath of life for the new users as well. Here are a few ground rules for updating an app.
- Always update an app to fix the design and performance glitches. The updated app must offer a better user experience instead of complicating things further.
- An update can only help your app get better with a thorough evaluation of your app.
- Update the app to meet the latest demands of the new OS version.
- While updating, always maintain the continuity of the earlier app.
- Give the Most Importance To Testing
The most important aspect of ensuring success with your Android app is testing appropriately after development.
Besides finding out and fixing bugs and coding errors, app testing also helps you evaluate certain things and the ‘end of the funnel’ changes for a better app user experience.
- It is always advisable to test an app on actual devices instead of using emulators.
- Hiring professionals for app testing is also a good idea if you want to leave no room for glitches and shortcomings.
- Concurrent testing done in the Agile Development process is actually better for saving time while ensuring optimum results through app testing.
- Is your App Available For a Wearable?
If the answer is no, your Android app is still not perfectly future-ready.
Wearable devices are ready to rule the app market in the years to come.
Naturally, a vast majority of successful apps have already unleashed their wearable versions.
So, start considering a separate and stripped-off wearable app for Android Watch or other wearable devices. Here are some ground rules.
- Wearable apps are designed as small, minimalist, and often stripped-down versions of their mobile app counterparts.
- Always consider the small-screen aesthetics for wearable apps, as they run on much smaller screens.
- You must engineer them on small wearable screens for quick, at-a-glance access and interaction.
- Wearable apps need to be designed as separate apps rather than just downsized from their mobile counterparts.
Obviously, there are a few dozen tips are there that are equally valid and could not be discussed here.
However, these key principles should guide Android app development in 2018 and beyond.
Recommended Reading:
