Not so long ago, customers chose their bank according to the bank’s branch location, atm accessibility, etc. Now, mobile banking apps are rapidly taking the stage and the most competitive and distinguishing elements within these banking apps have become the UX (user experience) and UI (user interface) design that these apps provide to their users.
The overall purpose of these mobile banking apps is to provide users (customers) easy and convenient financial products and services. However, a bank that has a poor UX or UI design can be discarded without a second thought. So, what should you look out for when designing a mobile banking app with excellent UX and perfect UI design? Here’s our guide on what you should (and sometimes shouldn’t) do.
Design
The design of a mobile banking app is one of the first things that a user considers when evaluating their UX. Therefore it is important to proceed carefully when designing one. It should be appealing but not overwhelming.
Keep it simple
Sometimes, less is more. If you clutter your app with tens of options and buttons, there’s a great chance that you will scare your users away. The ultimate UX is when users can complete their tasks with as little input as possible.
Consistency
Visual, functional, and external consistency is the key to success. What do we mean with consistency regarding the design of a banking app? Firstly, it goes without saying that there must be a consistency of theme, color, etc. throughout the app.
Besides that, if a bank has branches, a website, and a mobile banking app, the style, language, color theme and everything else in-between must be relatable as well. A banking app that lacks the element of consistency can drive the users away because most of the time it causes insecurity and confusion.
Co-create
There are basics features that a banking app must provide:
- Check account balance
- Pay bills and transfer money
- Transaction history
- Branch- and ATM locator
Almost all features besides these can be optional and if you allow your users to “customize” their dashboards and add features like “currency exchange” and “loan interest rates” optionally, it will be one of the best ways for them to build their own UX.
24/7 help
Mobile banking apps can be used for daily purposes; however, finance can be confusing and users may need assistance in various fields and may have questions about multiple features. Guiding them in such times will help them have a good UX and even build brand loyalty.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI can be helpful for your users to solve their problems without having to contact customer services or the bank. Not having to waste their time outside the app will give them a great UX. AI also brings many benefits to the bank and users (cost-efficiency, 24/7 availability, etc.).
Helpful tips
Guiding your “first-time users” through the app and introducing them to the app features will help them better understand the UI design. You can benefit from tutorials, gifs, illustrations and so much more to help your users figure out how they can navigate the app.
Q&A
Having a Q&A in your help box can help the users have a better UX when they experience issues or have questions. Saving them from the trouble of contacting a representative when they have a question will ease their workflow.
Chatbots
Chatbots are another addition that will give a better UX to your users when they need to contact a representative. Like AI, chatbots are available 24/7 and you can use real-life representatives or an integrated AI or offer both options according to the situation that the user is in.
Layout
The design and layout go hand in hand and there are slight changes that you can apply to your layout to offer a better UX and UI design.
Readability
The readability of your content is very important. The fonts should be easy-to-read and clear. If you have an international mobile banking app, the font family should support characters in other languages.
The font size should be bigger than 16 pixels (or 11 points) because anything smaller can cause reading difficulties, which will cause a poor UX. Appropriate spacing within the text is also a very effective point in terms of readability.
Cards instead of lists
Having long lists of services and products can cause clutter and scare your users. The layout should be easy-to-use and simple. Therefore, having the features and services categorized and sub-categorized will make operating the app easier.
Another modern approach to categories is to use cards instead of lists. The menu or dashboard will look more attractive and navigating through them will be easier.
Easy scrolling
Instead of having a one-screen dashboard, build a dashboard with a scrolling option (horizontal or vertical). It will also avoid cluttering and help your users navigate through the app easier, which will give them a better UX.
Buttons
Another aspect that has a major effect on the UX is the buttons. Large-sized buttons that dominate the screen can invade your display area, and poorly affect the readability of your app. On the other hand, too small buttons are hard to tap and they generally cause mistaken taps which lead to users’ frustration.
Interaction
Mobile banking apps are one of the best ways in which a bank can interact with their customers. These interactions can be based on errors and glitches that have to be reported to the user as well as notifications about the latest update.
Notifications
Notifications can be very useful to promote your service and products. But asking for overall permission can be denied by the users because they may not want constant notifications about features and services that they’re not even interested in. However, categorizing your notifications (about interest rates, currency exchange, etc.) will increase the chances of the users allowing notifications.
Error reports
Apps can give errors, it’s normal. It can be caused by a user mistake or because of a glitch in the app. However, how to report these errors to the users is an important issue for UX. An error report that isn’t clear (why it happened, what the problem is, how and when it will be fixed, etc.) can frustrate your users and lead to a poor UX.
Appreciate feedback
Better yet, ask for it! Don’t just direct your users to rate your app, but ask for their feedback on how they would want you to improve, what changes and developments they would like to see, etc. Doing so will not only provide them a good UX, but will also help you be on top of the game and lead your customers to develop brand loyalty.
Loading
How your app runs is one of the key factors in building positive UX. It is important that your app operates without glitches and loads fasts. A research conducted by Google in 2017 shows that:
- 1s to 3s of load time increases the probability of bounce by 32%
- 1s to 5s of load time increases the probability of bounce by 90%
- 1s to 6s of load time increases the probability of bounce by 106%
- 1s to 10s of load time increases the probability of bounce by 123%
Loading screen
The loading screen of an app is as important as how fast it loads. Having a visual distraction during the loading process can be very useful to occupy your users. Additionally, having an indicator that your page is loading or using skeleton screens and displaying information as they load will help the users understand how much longer they have to wait, avoid their frustration and prevent them from having a poor UX.
Building a mobile banking app can be a handful on its own, and designing it in a way that will give the users a great UX and UI design can only add to the pressure. Getting guidance from professionals is always a good option, especially for people who don’t have experience within the field.
ForInvest has many references from reputable companies and banks and offers its services with in-depth technical & financial know-how, perfectly fitting tailor-made solutions and quality-driven continuous development.