User interest in mobile apps waning: How to create a program device owners will use

According to a new Deloitte study, today's mobile app users are becoming less interested in downloading new mobile applications, a finding that's sparking concerns in the application development community.

The study showed that 31 percent of smartphone users don't download a single app in an entire month, according to The Inquirer. This represents a considerable drop in the number of downloads by the typical user, which has decreased from 2.32 last year, to 1.82 this year.

In addition to not visiting app stores, nine of 10 survey responders noted that they never pay for applications. At the same time, an App Annie report found that Freemium apps, or those that download for free and prompt in-program purchases, are now the top grossing programs.

"Each additional smartphone [owner] has less inclination to download apps, either out of apathy or, at a more global level, affordability," noted Deloitte analyst Paul Lee. "Ironically, the better that apps get the longer people will keep them, meaning people feel less inclined to look for new apps."

So how can developers create programs that will again garnish the attention - not to mention downloads - of users? The Next Web advised leveraging a number of time-tested strategies to ensure users will like the app, including fully understanding user needs, designing for ease of use and testing to ensure functionality.

In addition, developers should also seek out a niche that is not currently being fulfilled within the marketplace and establish an application to suite these user needs. This will cut down on the amount of competition the program sees, but only if creators are able to guarantee a quick time-to-market.

One approach to speeding application production is the utilization of HTML5 form for development. This language comes with cross-platform functionality, meaning that program creators only need to create code for a single version of the app that will work on any operating system.