Do you remember a time when you pulled up the web version of an app that you usually handle on your phone?
Chances are, it was a different experience from what you were used to in the mobile version. Features might be in other places, and it might even look like a completely different app. It feels off.
You don’t want that for your own product.
There are many areas where product-led companies face challenges on a daily basis. Reducing the gap between the experience of the web and the mobile version of an app is a common one. But the task is not so easy.
In this article, you will read about three roadblocks and the impact they have on product companies. If you are currently developing an app on different platforms or planning to do so in the future, this is for you.
Prepare yourself for testing times (pun intended) and keep on reading!
Challenge #1: User Interactions Aren’t Linear
Thanks to modern technology, users may interrupt their work and later pick it up where they left it. These interactions can not only be sporadic, but also scattered across platforms, giving room for frustrations on the user end. If an app is not optimized across its channels, the user experience will suffer from it.
When it comes to web and mobile development, a multichannel approach might harm your product’s success. Delivering a feature in the same manner on multiple channels is a company-centered strategy.
There is a better solution than this – the omnichannel approach. It focuses on the customer and delivering a seamless and unified experience no matter the platform they use.
As a product-led company, chances are, most of your customers are both web users and mobile users. You can reduce the gap between the two user experiences by adopting an omnichannel strategy.
Putting the customer in the center of your app will bear its fruits sooner than you think! With a smooth cross-channel user experience, product adoption and happy customers are guaranteed.
Challenge #2: Different Platforms, Different Time Perceptions
Time and timing are tricky aspects to perfect in software development. Especially when it comes to cross-platform planning. During web and mobile development, focusing on time perception is essential. Here’s why.
Mobile users are notorious for being more impatient. It only takes seconds to switch between the apps on a phone. Due to this fact, users have a different set of expectations on the time spent on one task. So, don’t waste their time!
For instance, during onboarding, don’t try to show them how many things your product can do. Focus on keeping them engaged and helping them reach their goals with your app. Mobile users have a limited attention span, so make the most of it.
In contrast with this, web users are much more patient. The reason behind it is very straightforward. When a user sits down in front of a computer or laptop, they are more clear-headed and focused on the task ahead of them. For them, time moves more slowly. But, as mobile apps are more often used on the go, their users’ time perception is different.
Time holds relevance in web and mobile development. As a product manager or developer, you should always pay attention to this detail. Focus on how your app is perceived depending on which platform it’s used on. Patience is a virtue – but it’s not your job to prove that to your customers.
Challenge #3: Introducing New Features
Feature discovery brings unique challenges to web and mobile development. Implementing new aspects into a well-oiled machine can be tricky. You don’t want to disturb the user, but you want to show them the latest features.
It might seem like a hamster-wheel kind of issue. As screen real estate is precious, a great tip to implement feature discovery is popups. They help build user awareness, they work both on web and mobile apps, and don’t clog up the user interface. Besides this, popups open opportunities for continuous user onboarding.
Cross-platform feature discovery represents a challenge in web and mobile development. As the users’ workflows differ from platform to platform, you need to cater to everyone’s needs when introducing a new feature to your product.
At the end of the day, it’s important to underline that by adding new features, your users can maximize their productivity within the app.
Cross-Platform Apps Are Challenging
Web and mobile development is a tough business. You have to cater to your customers, to their needs and wants, and to their preferred platform.
Let’s sum up some tips for a smoother product adoption process.
- The omnichannel approach can be helpful in integrating your users into the development process. This way, your product will feel cohesive across platforms.
- Don’t try to make your mobile users as patient as your web users. They might get frustrated.
- Use popups for feature discovery. They are quick, they help with building user awareness, and most importantly, they help with screen real estate.
How to face any challenge that might arise?
If you want to overcome similar challenges in your software development journey, book a demo and get started with Contextual! We’ll help with your product’s onboarding process, feature discovery, and many more!