A secret to success for your mobile application

[Photo courtesy of Rob Enslin]

As an investor, I get to see several new companies every week.  User experience is a key dimension of success for these companies, especially the mobile applications companies.  I can't tell you how many times I see UIs that are completely cluttered and don't get to the crux of the value-add fast enough.

Now the end-user perspective: In the last few months, when at home, I'm now spending more time on my mobile device than on my laptop.  Whether it's for checking email, doing a web search, getting directions, reading blogs, looking at photos, listening to music etc., my mobile device has become my preferred computing device.  So I asked myself why this was the case.  Here’s why:

Other than the need to use a smart/super-phone such as the iPhone or Android-based device with a 3G or Wifi broadband connection, the key is that the app immediately gets me to the #1 value-add of the app... and in most cases, I don't need two fingers - just my thumb.  Some examples:

• Flixster: The first menu item is "Movies I Want to See". Instant gratification.
• Google Reader: Get me to a directory where I can read all unread posts or post by category immediately.  Great.
• Pandora: Immediately starts playing the channel that I was playing when I exited the app the last time. Perfect.
• INRIX (full disclosure: Venrock is an investor) - on the iPhone, as soon as I launch the INRIX Traffic! application, it zooms in to where I am and displays road traffic flow and incident data around me.  Great.
• Gowalla: Immediately finds places around where I am and lets me check in. Done.
• Echofon: Shows the latest stream of tweets in reverse chronological order immediately. Sets my screen at the oldest tweet that I haven't yet read. Perfect.

I wish some of these mobile apps did a better job (I still like them a lot, though):

• LinkedIn:  The latest release of the LinkedIn iPhone app is a huge step up from what LinkedIn had before. What you get now is a laundry list of functionality to pick from e.g. "Status", "Connections", "Favorites", "Invitations", "Themes" etc.  Why not pick one of these items as the first screen to drop users into?
• Tripit: The mobile app is fantastic value-add. However, why not drop me into my current trip immediately instead of showing me a menu listing all my trips?

I think the wired Web has spoiled developers in one dimension - it's given them too much real estate to play with and, as a result, they have crammed too much into that interface. An example is Flixster - unlike the mobile app where I immediately can get to 'Movies I'd like to Watch', on flixster.com, I have to list all the movies I've rated and then sort them by categorization - it takes too long and is very frustrating.   The main value-add for me on Flixster is to get to the 'Movies I'd like to Watch' list.  So effectively, Flixster has put a giant barrier between my in-the-moment need and its gratification.

The moral of the story: If you're building a mobile app, think carefully about what this one key value-added feature is and immediately get your users to that portion of the app when they launch the app.  Preferably with no clicks but at most one click. 

Comments

[Account Deleted]

Hello, i want to say that this is a very good article. All points are very interesting.

[Ingi Björn]

Dev..

Thanks for the tips, the idea was to set up a game for drivers. Driver could compete to one another to become better drivers. Similar to the eco drive Fiat is proving for their drivers (except wireless ). http://www.fiat.co.uk/ecoDrive/

We just use GPS to calculate driving behavior, so we don´t need any connection with the ODB2 port. We need a second per second GPS data, which most GPS enable handsets can handle.

But to set it clear, we are simple telematics company and mobile application market is little bit out of our league. But we hold very powerful patent. http://www.wipo.int/pctdb/en/wo.jsp?wo=2003077206

[Account Deleted]

Ingi,
I believe there is a market. However, I don't believe it is a standalone application for consumers. I think it needs to be combined with something that drives user engagement (audio, not display) in the car (much like radio does) - these could be services such as music, web information, traffic etc. One has to remember that cognitive overload is a key issue for drivers (and other people sharing the road!) and multiple apps/services can't be running at the same time. An integrated experience is key.

Another issue is how you get data from the OBDII interface to the mobile device in the car. I believe there are cables available these days that connect the OBDII port to an iPhone.

Of course the other way is for the auto OEM to include it in-dash but I think that is further out. Digital displays may make this process easier over the next several years.

[Ingi Björn]

Do you think there is market for application that help drivers to drive better. I work for company called SAGAsystem, and we hold an international patent that we can use to measure acceleration, deceleration and G-Force in turns with only GPS points.

We have been using our driving analyzing as a part of a fleet management tool. We have had great success with companies to motivate drivers to drive better. The result is reduction of accident, fuel savings and less maintenance.

It would rather easy to convert our methods to a mobile application. Do you think there is a market for that kind of an application?

[Account Deleted]

Agreed. Personalization (out of the gate as well as ongoing) as well as getting immediate value is what I like in my mobile apps. I'm willing to give web apps a bit more leniency on that front.

[Robin Chase]

hi Dev,
Interesting points. Here is why I think that is:
1. because phone interface is crummy, you've had to spend the time to configure exactly what you want. You could do that with your laptop (remember the widgets screen? and the tabs present to your first-choice preferences?). We seem to not bother with configuring our laptop in the same way we do our phone. Our laptops, we can get back to where we were relatively painlessly (but clearly we should be configuring).

2. Logging in/timing out. On the laptop, some things you can't keep signed in to, while on the phone the assumption is that it is always you.

3. I do drag my laptop between kitchen and living room, and garden. But in reality, the iphone is easier and lighter to take around.