App Abandonment: User Experience, Unicorns, and Mobile Barcode Scanning Rainbows
Since the birth of the app ecosystem, many of us have a hard time thinking back to when there wasn’t “an app for that”. Of course, makes sense that a measurement of popularity and app success was the number of downloads. However, we have discovered that this couldn’t be further from the truth. As the app industry matures we have learned that 1 out of 4 users abandon an app after just one use. Statistically, retaining mobile app users seems to be the unicorn everyone is chasing and the unifying problem most brands share.
Importance of a User-Focused App Experience
While most brands have made huge strides at improving the user experience with more engaging graphics and personalized messaging the problem still looms. Localytics reports that 24% of users bail from an app after just one use, and only 37% of users use an app over 10 times. That is 63% of users finding a new solution after giving your app 10 tries [Yikes]. Every brand knows that customer loyalty has a huge impact on the bottom line. Even a small 5% increase can have the potential to increase profits by 25-95%. The reverse is also true. A small decrease can send a shockwave of bad decisions your way. With over 2.2 million apps available in the app store, and 2.8 million for Android, there is no shortage of competition vying for loyal attention.
Mobility Compounds App Complexity
The future of mobility is already here. WeChat has shown everyone what 889 million loyal mobile app users look like. We are on the cusp of something great, where functionality and usability are key. Gone are the days of unique or novelty app unitaskers. Let this sink in…building an app for iOS means ensuring it works on around 6-8 different devices, building one for Android means you have 12,000 different devices. With 12,000 different devices, there is a huge number of different screen sizes, processors, and Android software versions to deal with [Gulp]. No one said functionality or usability would be easy. Closing the door on app abandonment is clearly a balance of understanding what the user wants and making that happen. Every time.
Think of the apps you have on your own phone, there is probably only a handful you use on a regular basis the rest get replaced. Why? When you look at the popularity of the app WeChat in China it is easy to see the draw. Starting out as a ubiquitous messaging app it has grown into a lifestyle choice embedded into daily activities and interactions because of its functionality and usability. WeChat wasn’t an original idea. But it had the right functions, features, SDK bundles, and options that set the app above the hordes of competition, and gave it fuel to grow. Function and usability pave the path for a better performing, more profitable app. Common sense right? Not always. While others are focused on meeting the need, successful apps exceed it.
WeChat Dominates World Markets and Enterprise Barcode Scanning Is a Primary Feature
According to Vincent Digonnet, executive of digital at Razorfish, China is at least 10 years ahead of the West in e-commerce. Unlike the apps developed in the United States and Europe, Chinese apps are all-inclusive. WeChat is currently the most popular app in China with more than 889 million monthly active users. When you look at the retention and loyalty rate this app has, you can clearly see the importance of developing apps that are forward thinking in their form and function.
WeChat is a social media app, a communications app, a review app, an online shopping app, a virtual workspace and more. Reports show 92% of users prefer their mobile payment over cash or credit cards. It makes greater use of barcode scanning than any app currently available–and there is that pot of gold at the end of the barcode scanning rainbow. Adding enterprise-grade barcode scanning software opens the door of opportunity for any app to include more and be more to its users.
App users claim that the WeChat ‘all-in-one-super-app’ has radically changed the way they live. One person was quoted saying, “When lining up for coffee, I can’t see a single customer holding a wallet. Instead they hold mobile phones over a barcode reader and the lattes are theirs.”
Barcode Scanning Software 101
Barcode scanning is the simplest app-driven feature in the mobile application industry. However, don’t be misled. Not all barcode scanning software is created equal. There are some SDKs that trigger your camera to capture a barcode in the best of conditions and it will generally work half of the time (weren’t we just saying something about function and usability?). Then you have real-life. Broken cell phone screens, curved and damaged barcodes, reflective or low light. Most barcode scanning software won’t be able to read any of these. There is a great deal of magic happening inside the barcode scanning software algorithm that can read barcodes like this. This is where finding the right partner, the right software solution for your app will make all the difference in retention and loyalty.
Mobile apps are gaining steam by adding barcode scanning features. This is not barcode scanning of the past, this is enterprise-grade mobile data capture. Today, by scanning a barcode users have access to an astronomical amount of information in a wide variety of formats. From easily sharing information, loyalty programs, company marketing, to specific consumer product info and secure mobile payment–managing elements of barcode scanning is fastly becoming an app business requisite. Today’s mobile data capture features are essential to almost every product or service app. Any company that puts even a small premium on the empowerment of customers would be foolish not to include a barcode scanning feature during app development.
TachyonIQ Is the Best Barcode Scanning Software on the Market
Enterprise-grade barcode scanning becomes a highly valuable set of digital eyes, and not all eyes have 20/20 vision. The right partner will make all the difference. With over 20 years of development, the TachyonIQ barcode scanning software has consistently outperformed and out scanned any other on the market. We scan more symbologies (40+), 6x faster on any platform or mobile device. When we talk about function and usability, this SDK is like having 20/10 vision and zero-miss barcode scanning superpowers. The TachyonIQ algorithm compensates for damage, curvature, reflective, any size, laser engraved, low light, and more. It can scan one or thousands barcodes at the very same time.
User experience cements loyalty. Having the foresight to add the right barcode scanning software creates opportunity.
Interested in finding more information on licensing our barcode scanning software for your app development? We would love to talk.
