9 Reasons Why Your Mobile App Failed

The Missing Puzzle

9 Reasons Why Your Mobile App Failed

Slide ‹#› The Missing Puzzle

Spencer Tan

Project Manager The Missing Puzzle


Background


•  In 2014, Gartner publish a report that says more than 99.9 percent of consumer mobile apps will not be considered a financial success by their developers.

•  Despite being well funded, Halio, a taxi mobile applicaDon app with $100 million in funding failed to gain tracDon and eventually pull out of North America in 2014.

•  Circa, a news mobile app started out promising in 2011 announced its shuIng down in June 2015.

•  Every mobile app is launched with a goal to succeed. But why do few succeeded when most do not?


•  As a custom mobile app developer in Singapore, we received mulDple enquiries on mobile apps development.

•  Based on what we have seen and studied, we compile 9 sets of reasons to explain why majority of mobile apps failed.


Reason 1

There is no market demand for it


•  Almost half of the mobile app development request does not come with comprehensive market research.

•  Many are not aware of the importance of an in-‐depth market research.

•  For any products to succeed, there has to be an exisDng (if not potenDal) market demand.

•  As a result, substanDal number of mobile apps never manage to get more than 100 downloads.


Reason 2

Mobile app is not the most suitable solu8on


•  Although mobile penetraDon has been growing, mobile app plaWorm might not be most ideal plaWorm.

•  Brainstorm and look into other possible ways to deliver your idea.

•  Ensure it is the best plaWorm to deliver the soluDon.


Reason 3

Mobile App is poorly developed


•  Mobile app tracDon and user retenDon are determined by user experience.

•  A good user experience involves being easy to use, clean design, good funcDonaliDes and fun features.

•  Development Dmeline and budget must be well managed as well.


Reason 4

Mobile App failed to reach its intended audiences


•  One has to market the product with serious markeDng effort.

•  A great product can’t sell itself if people are not even aware of its existence.

•  Concerted effort and adequate budget required in markeDng the mobile app.


Reason 5

No or flawed business model


•  Many mobile apps were developed without a business model.

•  A mobile app must be capable of generaDng revenue either directly or indirectly from the users.

•  A mobile app that failed to sell to users will not be sustainable.


Reason 6

Lack of ecosystem


•  Mobile app can be easily replicated.

•  Standalone mobile app will not be sustainable.

•  An ecosystem of hardware, so^ware and mobile app are necessary. (e.g. WhatsApp, Uber)


Reason 7

Inability to overcome intense compeDDons


•  For every idea that comes to mind, there is a very high chance it is already being worked on.

•  Fundamentally, compeDDon almost o^en comes with viability.

•  Intense compeDDon is expected when the mobile app is built on a successful idea.

•  To succeed, one will need to be able to handle exisDng or foreseeable intense compeDDons.


Reason 8

Lack of performance tracking


•  It takes more than a few iteraDons to deliver what users really want.

•  Being able to measure the performance of the mobile app helps to idenDfy the features to be strengthened, added or removed.

•  ConscienDously measuring and modifying helps deliver what users really want.


Reason 9

Quit too soon


•  It takes months to more than a year to develop the first version of a mobile app.

•  SubstanDal amount of Dme and effort needed in markeDng the app.

•  More than o^en, mobile app owners call it quit too soon.

•  A thorough understanding of the mobile app development and deployment process helps..


Thank You

Thank you!

“To deliver so4ware people love using” hdp://www.themissingpuzzle.com.sg

Thank you!

“To deliver so4ware people love using” hdp://www.themissingpuzzle.com.sg