3 Common Reasons Apps Fail

Apps are a fundamental part of modern life and most of us will rely on at least one or two apps to help get through the day – whether that’s a messaging app to connect with our teams, a project management app to keep track of workload or a banking app to pay bills. There are currently over 2.2 million apps available within Apple’s Appstore for iOS and slightly less for Android. Research suggests that the average iOS app user will use around 30 apps on average every month, with nine of those apps used daily. On average, we spend over two hours using apps every single day.

Of course, not all of the apps in the App Store are successful or growing. Some will be stagnant, and many are doomed to inevitably fail. Don’t allow your new business app to become one of those statistics! As you’re working on your app design, keep these common reasons why apps fail in the back of your mind so you can work to avoid the pitfalls:

1. A Lack of Purpose and Function

The big thing with apps is that, like any product or service, it needs to serve a purpose. It needs to solve a problem your customers have. It’s overlooked but even when you consider gaming apps, they solve a problem, they defeat boredom, they pass the time, they serve as on-the-go entertainment. As you’re working on your development plan for your new app, make a point of identifying early on what purpose the app serves and how it helps the user or solves a problem./

Even if you manage to market well and gain a high number of downloads at first, gimmicks won’t keep the downloads coming and certainly won’t retain users.

2. Targeting Too Small a Market

Many think too small when they initially start to design their new business app. A common mistake is to identify a small, often domestic audience that they already understand well. The app market is very much a global business now and smartphone ownership and use is growing rapidly all over the world, even in markets you may not typically expect.

Being too narrow sighted and only targeting a small market will limit your app’s potential for downloads and use. Think broadly, cater globally and always consider providing alternative language support. Think bigger!

3. Neglected Marketing

Probably one of the biggest mistakes made when launching a new app as a small business is neglecting or underestimating the marketing required to gain awareness and traction. There is unfortunately a common misconception that making a very well developed and high functioning app means it will generate downloads for itself. This couldn’t be further from reality. Apps like anything need marketing to push them, especially in the current climate where competition is fierce. It doesn’t matter how good your product is, it won’t sell itself.