The user interface is often the first and most important thing customers experience when interacting with an app. A well-designed UI can make all the difference in driving downloads, conversions and long-term loyalty.
According to research from Baymard Institute, over 50% of users will abandon an app if it’s too difficult to use or contains confusing navigation. On the other hand, focusing on continual small UI refinements based on testing and data can significantly boost key metrics like signup rates, orders placed and retention.
In this post, we’ll explore 14 specific UI tweaks that can be easily implemented to double downloads of on-demand delivery and service apps. Each recommendation is backed by case studies and data showing real impact on important KPIs like conversion rates.
Combined, these minor changes create a better customer experience through reduced uncertainty, effort and friction. They foster positive emotions like trust, familiarity and comfort – driving more exploration and higher lifetime value once someone does become a customer.
1. Add a Photo or Avatar to User Profiles
Our brains are hardwired to recognize and respond better to other people rather than faceless companies or brands. By adding a profile photo, users gain more context and feel a personal connection with the individuals fulfilling their requests.
For example, food delivery service DoorDash saw a 14% increase in average order value simply by including the driver’s name and photo on delivery tracking pages.
The human touch makes customers more trusting and comfortable with the experience. It should be among the easiest wins for improving both conversion and retention metrics in an on-demand app.
2. Prominently Display Popular Request Types
New users often have uncertainty about what all an app can fulfill. By showcasing the most commonly requested items or services up front, you pique curiosity and showcase value.
Rideshare giant Uber saw a significant boost by testing different home screen designs. The layout with popular request types like UberX and UberPool at the top converted 15% more new users into their first ride compared to a layout with general description text or call-to-actions instead.
Giving people a quick idea of your core offering through intentional content placement satisfies curiosity and gets more explorations and signups.
3. Personalize the Home Screen Experience
Generic, impersonal home screens leave a cold first impression and do little to hook users into continued engagement. Instead, personalized greeting messages like «Welcome back!» along with recently used features help customers pick up where they left off seamlessly.
Grocery delivery app Instacart increased retention rates by 27% simply by testing different personalized banner designs on the home screen, like a preview of the current shopping cart or suggested quick reorders based on history.
Making each session feel interconnected through subtle customization keeps the experience fresh and compelling enough that people will come back for more. Read more Readymade UrbanClap Clone Script.
4. Add Useful Filtering and Sort Options
Giving customers control goes a long way in reducing frustration. The more flexible an app can be based on personal preferences, the less likely users are to abandon mid-task.
For example, online takeout marketplace DoorDash noticed a 15% decline in bounce rates after implementing filters to search for favorites, dietary preferences, cuisine types and more.
Having easy ways to browse options and zero in on what suits you reduces cognitive load – keeping customers engaged for longer as they discover new offerings.
5. Optimize the Onboarding and Tutorial Experience
First impressions really do matter. If it’s difficult to understand how to request or what value you get from the start, many will leave without fully exploring what’s possible.
Ride-hailing leader Didi Chuxing cut their early dropout rate in half by carefully user testing different onboarding flows. The winning design seamlessly transitioned new users from the app download through account creation, address entry and requesting their first ride within 60 seconds.
Taking a mobile-first mindset to smooth out friction leads to more people fully experiencing your value prop before deciding if it’s worth continuing with.
6. Improve Integration with Maps and Locations
Knowing where things are in relation to each other builds confidence. Including an interactive map on the listings pages keeps the spatial relationship top of mind.
Food delivery app Deliveroo increased daily active users by 20% through A/B tests introducing map views of nearby restaurants. Seeing real locations right within the ordering flow fostered a sense of proximity and immediacy that pushed more people to action.
Using map interfaces or native location services whenever place plays a role strengthens the perception of on-demand convenience.
7. Enable Quick One-Tap Item Adding
Every extra click or field represents more friction slowing adoption. Streamlining processes like adding items to a cart through single controls keeps that momentum.
Grocery app Shipt more than doubled average online basket size by changing its primary action button from «View Details» to «Add to Cart.» Customers who experienced this version completed purchases 33% more frequently as well.
Always prioritize minimizing effort required for high-value actions like placing orders or requests from within the app experience.
8. Test Different Call-to-Action Buttons
Getting those initial conversions starts by identifying what specific interface or wording elicits the desired response best.
On-demand carwash startup WashOut AB tested «Book Now» against «Reserve My Spot» buttons, finding the latter converted 28% more free trials into paid customers.
Continually experimenting with small variations, like button text, design or even just placement on the page will uncover opportunities to optimize. Leverage data to double down on what consistently works.
9. Implement Predictive Search Features
Anticipating needs before they’re voiced creates an effortless experience. As users type search queries, dynamically presenting highly-relevant or familiar options saves time.
Grocery chain FreshDirect increased revenue per active customer 14% through predictive search. Customers who encountered the feature completed more frequent and larger baskets on average during sessions.
Removing steps to find exactly what you want fosters habit and encourages repeated use over the long run.
10. Provide Timely Status Updates
Nothing builds trust like transparency. Keeping customers in the know with accurate, real-time progress tracked through a fulfillment process reduces anxiety and builds positive word of mouth.
Food delivery player Deliveroo found regular status notifications led to a 20% increase in customer retention rates. Likewise, Amazon achieved 10-25% higher customer satisfaction through proactive delivery tracking emails.
Take advantage of idle moments by keeping experiences consistently informative. It strengthens relationships through increased satisfaction and comfort with the brand.
11. Let Users Customize Alerts Preferences
A one-size-fits-all approach to notifications rarely satisfies every individual. Offering alerts customization respects personalization and preserves a sense of control.
Ride-hailing service Lyft credits much of its growth to enabling granular notification settings. Being able to opt-in only to the most relevant alerts for each user minimized annoyance and maximized the chance of taking responsive action.
When customers feel fully in control of their experience, they’re more likely to stay fully engaged over the long run.
12. Dynamically Surface Contextual Content
Rather than static home screens, discovery Sections can dynamically change based on time of day, location, past behavior and more.
For example, food delivery platform DoorDash increased reorders by 15% testing a personalized «What to Eat» module suggesting meal options based on current weather, day of week and past favorites for that neighborhood.
Keep things fresh by surfacing the most relevant content and suggestions just when someone needs inspiration to continue the experience.
13. Continuously Experiment with layouts
Incremental changes matter. Regularly A/B testing minor variations in layout, interaction flow or element emphasis reveals opportunities to refine the experience.
On-demand car service Lyft found removing navigation headers from certain in-app flows increased customer engagement by 23% on test versions. Ongoing experiments are how you continuously optimize.
Protect time to learn through data. Commit to constant improvement by testing informed hypotheses rapidly and focusing energy where it drives most impact.
14. Provide Personalized Product Recommendations
Leverage previous actions and stated preferences to deliver individualized suggestions fostering discovery.
Food delivery platform Grubhub more than tripled email click-through rates by surfacing personalized recommendations for deals, restaurants and dishes a customer might enjoy based on their orders to date.
Data-driven personalization builds an experience that feels truly tailored for each unique customer, driving ongoing value and loyalty.
Conclusion
While flashy features grab attention, the smaller details that together compose an effortless experience are what retain users long-term. Staying nimble through continuous A/B testing positions your app to keep pace with shifting user expectations.
The 14 tactics covered demonstrate low-hanging fruit opportunities to double downloads through incremental changes backed by testing. By committing resources to extracting learnings from usage patterns and conversion events, even minor tweaks can yield major impact on important metrics like retention and lifetime value. An optimized on-demand experience is one that anticipates and satisfies customer needs at every touchpoint.