From ordinary to wow: How UI/UX tweaks turn apps into user magnets

You know that moment when you open an app and everything just ‘clicks’? The colours are inviting, navigation and button placement feel instinctive, and executing what you have in mind isn’t jarring or inconvenient—almost as if the app knows you better than you know yourself. 

Then there’s the flip side. Apps that feel like a maze designed by a mischievous gremlin, leaving you frustrated and reaching for the uninstall button faster than one can even say the word ‘engagement’.

User interface (UI) and user experience (UX) have transcended from mere tech jargon to the heartbeat of any successful app—more so in the retail space. As we’re seeing newer apps surface faster than social media trends going viral, the imperative for keeping your UI/UX feel fresh and intuitive has never been greater.

However, why do these tiny tweaks matter? How can one achieve this amidst the uphill battle in the background without breaking a sweat (or the app)?

Why do little tweaks pack a big punch?

Reports highlight that a staggering 50% of users uninstall an app within just 30 days of downloading, with nearly 25% abandoning it after just one use. In that fleeting moment, the UI/UX does all the talking. An intuitive, visually appealing, and welcoming layout can make a difference between a user diving deeper or tapping out.

Small UI/UX enhancements—like simplifying the checkout process, optimising load times, or making call-to-action buttons more prominent—can lead to improvements in user engagement and conversion rates. 

This is more so during the festive season when user activity sees a spike alongside competition. Retail and ecommerce apps roll out special offers, flash sales, and user interfaces donning the festive spirit.

However, if an app’s UI is clunky or counterintuitive, users will uninstall the app faster than Santa climbs down a chimney. According to a report, about 70% of online businesses fail due to poor usability of their apps and websites. Poor UX can be devastating—customer churn, negative reviews, and a tarnished brand reputation. 

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The struggle behind the scenes

Keeping the UI/UX fresh and intuitive is paramount. However, ensuring this poses significant challenges for product managers and marketers alike.

Frequent UI/UX changes demand a lot of creativity, time, and collaboration, and more so when dealing with global user bases with varying cultural preferences. Besides, the process can often be time-consuming. About 50% of marketers say it takes over four weeks to modify app and web experiences.

Dependency on developer teams and the arduous internal processes restrict the ability for quick implementation of updates, creating bottlenecks and further limiting responsiveness to user feedback. Nearly 24% of marketers find it impossible to experiment with variations due to technical or resource constraints.  

Moreover, 54% of product managers are unable to support marketers in experimenting with onboarding flows, content, and layout adjustments due to resource limitations. This reliance on developer teams adds to the complexities for marketers and product managers, resulting in potential delays in delivering timely, engaging experiences. 

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Improving product experiences with no-code solutions

Meeting the demand for instant UI/UX adjustments without a full-scale overhaul may seem impossible. However, advanced no-code and low-code solutions provide a seamless way for teams to enhance product experiences and easily manage frequent app updates.

In fact, 81% of marketers and 72% of product managers agree that no-code frameworks could empower their teams and facilitate faster and more frequent experimentation.

Marketing automation platforms with no-code personalisation features and dynamic UI/UX adjustments can enable product managers to instantly tailor experiences for different user segments, minimising the strain on the developers. 

By unlocking faster implementation and reducing the dependency on engineering, such tools can help marketers and product teams push out relevant updates without compromising on quality—empowering them to remain agile and responsive to market needs and ensuring the app is always fresh for users throughout the year. 

Today, as technology and user expectations continue to soar higher, standing still is not very different from moving backwards. Agile UI/UX isn’t just about keeping up with the trends but setting them.

Prioritising UI/UX with low-code and no-code solutions shows users the brand listens, adapts, and values quality product experiences—building loyalty and engagement more easily than ever.

Anand Jain is the Co-founder and Chief Product Officer at CleverTap.