How do you take your app to the next level?
The French Quarter Task Force app was created so that the same people living in and visiting the French Quarter could report a crime in progress. The first version of the app was a success and the new version named App Task Force tries to be more user friendly and expand its user base.
Listen To Feedback
Developers with published apps available for download in Apple’s App Store or in the Google Play Store can get feedback from their users instead of guessing what their users want. Something that seemed obvious or easy to you during development may not be clear to your users. Maybe the first version of your app was meant to test your idea before you expanded it on a larger scale.
After the French Quarter Task Force app launched there were questions about expanding the app’s coverage. The French Quarter isn’t the only area that could benefit from the Task Force style of community policing. Users made that clear by asking if the app could be used outside the French Quarter. The new App Task Force is made to work for more than one area. App Task Force checks your location and looks for a Task Force that patrols your area. If there isn’t a task force in your area yet, you can send an email from the app to get more information about the task force or let someone know that you’re interested in getting a task force in your area.
Simplify App Features
Look at the way users interact with your app. In French Quarter Task Force users let the officer know the incident location by selecting from a pre-populated list of streets and then choosing the cross street. This worked in the French Quarter, an area that is structured like a grid but what about other neighborhoods? What if the user doesn’t know the street names? Why not use geolocation to find the user’s location the way that Uber or Foursquare does? Incorporating Google Maps API in App Task Force meant that users could see where they were on a map with a marker pointing to their location. They could move the map marker or use the search bar at the top to choose a different location. This makes the app more user friendly and gives the responding task force officer more detailed information about where the incident occurred.
When you’re updating an app, do more than freshen up the user interface. Take advantage of feedback from your current users. Make the new version of your app easier to use by taking advantage of mobile device capabilities like geolocation and push notifications. Take a look at the changes made to App Task Force. It’s available on iOS and Android in the App Store and through Google Play.