The Importance of Mobile App Maintenance

The importance of Mobile App Maintenance

Mobile apps for businesses have gained importance due to the convenience it offers to the customers. Developing a mobile app goes through several processes from brainstorming to prototyping and launch to growth.

After spending months following the app development life cycle, your app is now live on the app stores. Many people believe that an app, once created, will run by itself. However, this is not the case. Frequently, there are new mobiles launched in the market or a new version of the OS, on which the app is made.

Mobile Apps doesn’t operate on the “set and forget” principle. Like a car, your app needs constant care and upkeep in order to meet people’s expectations. If you don’t have ongoing maintenance, your app will start losing users and tank in rankings. Building and launching your app doesn’t mean your work is over. You should be constantly updating it. Here is all you need to know about maintaining your app in the long-term.

Why care about app maintenance?

Various versions of Operating System

Undoubtedly, your app perfectly works on the current operating system. However, every year people get a new version of iOS and Android. What happens then? Each time one of these updates hits your users’ devices, there is a high chance that some features of your app will fail to work properly. Every year sees updates in iOS and Android versions, and apps need to be updated so that they are compatible with newer versions.

There are many technological updates that an operating system update brings along, so your app has to be compatible with those changes. Users love using new things and if your competitors have something which you don't, you will lose your customers.

Minimizing uninstalls

Apps that have annoying bugs or crash often can drive users away faster than you can say ‘uninstall’. There are few apps in the same niche in the market. So, if your app stops providing users with value after a while, they will see no reason to continue using it, or even keep it installed on their device.

To reduce uninstalls, it is important to hear out all the user's feedback and complaints, and maintain your app properly so that your users do not face any issues. Ensuring your app works smoothly, keeps users happy, and is always up-to-date with the latest trends and user habits can minimize uninstalls and significantly increase your retention rate.

Deliver Better User Experiences

Same like integrating new technologies, adding new features in your app is important. As your business scales up and gain experience, you tend to understand what works for you or what your users demand, and accordingly, you must add new features to it.

Developing healthy, long-term relationships with your users is key to your app’s success and growth. To develop these relationships, you need to provide them with amazing experiences they won’t be able to forget.

Maintain a Positive Brand Image

Maintaining your app means maintaining your brand. If you don’t do it, you risk tarnishing your brand’s image.

It doesn’t take unhappy users long to start criticizing your brand or app. They might also start leaving negative reviews on social media and app stores, driving potential users away.

Security updates

As far as mobile app maintenance goes, you’ll need to spend time on security updates. Such updates are crucially important as they ensure the integrity of your app as well as your users’ information/data.

Remember that no one is safe from bugs and various security holes as they can pop up at any time. Make sure that your programming team is capable of fixing any issue as soon as they arise.

Performance Monitoring

Don’t forget to follow up on how your app is performing. Keep an eye on loading times, lags, and responsiveness issues.

Along with monitoring the technical performance of your app, you should also stay updated with your analytics reports.

Know your retention and churn rates, analyze patterns of customer usage, and track your engagement and conversion rates.

Monitoring these metrics will help you improve your app, minimize loss of users, and keep the app in its best condition over the long-term.

Conclusion

As you can see, app maintenance is as equally important as its development. When we talk about app maintenance, it means that you should keep your app up-to-date as well as fight off bugs. Which, in its turn, requires constant vigilance and a good system in place.

The mobile app maintenance needs thorough process and skillful team in order to keep it bug-free and updated. Don’t get your app abandoned by users or blacklisted by iOS or Android app store. If the users face glitches from every now and then, they might not be interested in installing the app. Moreover, they may rate you badly, impacting the overall reputation of your company.

And even though app maintenance sounds expensive upfront, it’s the only way to ensure that you get returns on the investment you made in the app development phase.

Looking for a mobile app maintenance team? We don’t give the wrong impression about our services, instead, we always deliver excellent end user experiences with good design. We also provide ongoing assistance to the customers so they will get endless benefits from our side and make sure delightful experience for their end users after they will get the service. Contact us now!