Blog entry 20.10.10 What desktop sites (ordinary websites) could learn from iPhone apps It strikes us that in comparison to the mountains some websites must climb to achieve a decent level of usability, iPhone apps tend to be relatively straightforward and users experience a more ‘instant’ sense of gratification, which is what they’re usually after on either interface. We’ll focus on iPhone for now, but similar things can be said of others, e.g. Blackberry and Android apps too. Why is this? A few reasons that we’ll continue to investigate, but first is the obvious lack of complexity inherent in many apps. They’re often a one-trick pony, which means it’s easier for them to deliver on their promise, e.g. giving you a compass bearing, the news or a game to play. Apps have little need for anything but the simplest navigation structures, which means that learning your way around one is (usually) very easy. Compare this with trying to negotiate a complicated travel or banking website for the first time and an app is a walk in the park. There’s also the fact that users don’t have to register or login to use an app (unless purchasing e.g. from Amazon), which removes a layer of frustration often experienced by users wanting to use a website’s services. These may be the reasons that users sometimes get incredibly excited by an app during research – it works, plain and simple, and it works fast! More and more companies are investigating the possibilities of mobile sites and apps, so watch this space for more on user reactions and how to offer the best app experience! |
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