UPDATED 12:32 EDT / MARCH 03 2014

What’s the formula to make simple, powerful apps? Developing the easy life

man holding iphone using iphone logo back appleConsumers prefer apps that do one, maybe two things, very well. Clunky apps that try to be your virtual Swiss Army Knife typically fail to do anything good, with each additional feature being another impossible frustration. Instead, an app should do one or two things, and be great at them.

The app marketplace is more crowded and competitive than ever, making it important to put out high-quality apps that meet expectations. Apps that try to meet every need are slow to load and prone to errors. Evidence is in that users no longer choose to settle for an all-in-one app. According to a recent study on consumer expectations and experiences of mobile devices:

 .

• 79 percent of users will abandon an app if it fails to work on the first or second try.

• 48 percent said that they are less likely to use an app when they are not satisfied with its performance, and might submit unfavorable reviews.

• 84 percent of respondents said that user ratings in app stores are important factors when they are choosing apps.

 .

Single or dual-purpose apps tend to be less complex, with faster load times and fewer opportunities for malfunctions. Uber, MyTime and Wells Fargo Mobile are three such apps that do their job: making life easier.

Uber is Simple and Utterly Useful

 .

Uber connects users to private drivers in select cities in 19 countries around the world. With one tap, Uber checks a user’s location using their device’s GPS and dispatches a driver to pick them up. Uber even tracks driver location to see how far away they are and contacts them if needed.

image courtesy of Uber

image courtesy of Uber

Want some variety in your travel? Uber lets users choose from five different vehicles ranging from a taxi, SUV, luxury sedan, the original Uber Black sedan and the uberX economy sedan. The app allows users to easily compare rates between vehicles, and paying is easy because the fare is automatically charged to the credit card on file. Uber is also smart, and automatically breaks up tabs among multiple credit cards for large groups. After the experience users can rate their experience, leave feedback about the driver and share the experience with friends on Twitter, Facebook, or through email.

As with all the best apps, Uber is evolving, and with its latest update, users can now quickly share with friends their ETA and route trips with friends. Uber lets users text a live map to friends, as well as an approximate time of arrival. Arriving fashionably late is no longer an option as progress can be checked via social media!

Book Appointments Whenever, Wherever with My Time

 .

Calling to make appointments has always been a waste of time. Between phone prompts and waiting on hold, the time spent trying to schedule is time wasted. Essentially, whoever is booking the appointment at the business is an unnecessary gatekeeper. If one could look at their own personal calendar it would streamline the whole process. That’s exactly what My Time does. It eliminates the wasted time with the gatekeeper and lets users set up their own appointments in a few clicks.

The app compares a user’s calendar on a mobile device with that of the business being in question in a fraction of a second. The best part is the user chooses the best option. During its beta testing phase, My Time discovered that most of its appointments were booked after the business had closed. From barber shops to tennis lessons, more than two million local businesses are online and on My Time and are ready to set an appointment immediately.

Wells Fargo Mobile Excels In Defense

 .

People expect just one thing from a trustworthy bank: to build a wall between their money and the outside world. That same logic goes into the Wells Fargo Mobile app. This handy money-managing app foregoes the bells and whistles to concentrate on fast load times at 128 Bit SSL Encryption.

image source: Wells Fargo

image source: Wells Fargo

The web can be a scary place when it comes to personal information and personal back account data is at the top of that list. The stories in the news of hackers and viruses are making consumers rethink browser-based banking. In case the phone is lost or stolen, the Wells Fargo Mobile app is secure, by not storing username and password information anywhere on the phone.

The most useful feature is the minimalist design that focuses on what really matters. The Wells Fargo Mobile app is simple and has a clean display so users clearly see the fine details related to account status, even on small screens.

Also just released, Facebook’s new Paper app is a simplified version of Facebook, with the goal of making it easier to consume content. Buttons, menus and other distractions are removed for a clean layout.

Life can be Hard, Make it Easier

 .

Uber, My Time and Well Fargo Mobile fit the mold of the modern app: light and efficient, quick to load and respond, but powerful and useful. When apps do something well and do it quickly, it fits into the lifestyle of today’s consumer. The formula is easy: a simple function or service + clean, easy to navigate design = a successful app that users will keep coming back to.

This fall Localytics released findings that consumers spend 26 percent less time using apps this year, but they are opening them 39 percent more often. The report concludes:

“The whole goal of mobile is to get people the information they need as quickly as possible. Shorter, more frequent sessions with apps were a sign of their increasing integration into consumers daily lives. They’re more engaged with the device, and not just using it as a way to kill time.”

Apps need to one thing well and do it quickly. Simplicity in design and function are becoming absolutely essential as consumers depend on their apps to make their life easier.

Photo36054-FullAbout the Author

Ben T. Smith, IV is CEO of Wanderful Media, a startup reimagining the digital circular with Find&Save. He is also a Venture Partner at Accelerator Ventures and co-founder of MerchantCircle.com and Spoke.com. Ben blogs at btsiv.com, and you can follow him on Twitter at @bentsmithfour.

Disclosure: Ben T. Smith, IV is an investor in venture funds that may hold a stake in MyTime and Uber.

feature image credit: CarbonNYC via photopin cc

A message from John Furrier, co-founder of SiliconANGLE:

Your vote of support is important to us and it helps us keep the content FREE.

One click below supports our mission to provide free, deep, and relevant content.  

Join our community on YouTube

Join the community that includes more than 15,000 #CubeAlumni experts, including Amazon.com CEO Andy Jassy, Dell Technologies founder and CEO Michael Dell, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, and many more luminaries and experts.

“TheCUBE is an important partner to the industry. You guys really are a part of our events and we really appreciate you coming and I know people appreciate the content you create as well” – Andy Jassy

THANK YOU