How to build software, application class shopping mall

2011 Major Mobile application store rapid rise, the warlords. Based on the mobile app Store, the software store is also quietly forming. These software, application stores are diverse and different in style. Some successful app stores are already moving to the "shopping mall": The App Store's big winners are Apple apps (i Pad, iPhone), the domestic Android Market, NetEase apps, Tencent Application Center, and so on. The secret to the success of these stores is that they are not just positioning the product as a simple tool to provide application downloads, but are carefully operated and designed to create a one-stop site for application services.

What kind of software application store is the most perfect? How to make the software application Class "store" promoted to "shopping mall"? In view of this, this article starts from the shopping mall's planning principle, and seeks its common point with the software application store. Through the task and the scene to the existing several major application stores analysis, refining the software application store design elements.

The definition of Shopping Mall is: large retail industry as the main body, many professional stores for the auxiliary industry and multi-functional commercial service facilities formed by the aggregation. and a perfect software application class store should be a warehousing, shopping malls, services and a software Application Center. Like a perfect shopping mall, it sells different kinds of software. The following figure compares the shopping mall with the software and application stores from 3 aspects of roles, tasks, and scenarios.

Analysis, shopping mall and software store tasks and scenarios similar, the two have much in common. Therefore, the design of the software application store can draw on some successful elements of shopping mall. The following two aspects from the task and scenario, analysis of the software application store can refer to the design elements.

Task-Create a comfortable and intimate shopping process

Shopping Mall The profit of the merchant comes from the consumer's buying behavior. Therefore, providing convenient and efficient purchase service is every shopping mall necessary aspect. The merchant has carried on the comprehensive ponder to the purchase behavior each link, including the commodity choice, the commodity carries, the commodity payment, as well as the door-to-door installment, the Post-sale warranty and so on. For each step in the purchase behavior, the merchant has been carefully designed to not ignore any details to ensure that the entire shopping process of consumers smooth and satisfactory.

Similarly, the user's task in the software application store is similar to the shopping mall. As shown in the figure above, the user's main tasks in the store include browsing the software, selecting the software, downloading the installation software, and the "after sale" of the Software: upgrading and uninstalling the software.

(1) to create a comfortable and intimate software "shopping" process, first of all to provide a good shopping environment, user-friendly browsing and selection of software.
(2) Secondly, to ensure that the software download and installation process fluent, and timely feedback download installation progress, so that users can manage their own download content.
(3) Finally, the software store to succeed, the provision of a good "after-sale" service is particularly critical. Provide timely and convenient software upgrades and software uninstall process, is to retain the user's advantageous means.

Scene

Shopping mall and the software store scene can be divided into scene summary and scene subdivision two convenient, the following for the design points in different scenarios to analyze the software application store can be used for reference.

Scenario Overview

1. One-stop enjoyment

Shopping Mall is a "one-stop" consumer place that integrates shopping, catering, lodging, leisure, entertainment and tourism. function of the whole, set shopping, catering, leisure, entertainment, tourism and even financial, cultural functions in one, to carry out all-round services. A true meaning of the Shoppingmall generally includes major department stores, supermarkets, stores, food courts, cinemas, skating rink and other entertainment.

Similarly, the success of a software store depends on the ability to provide a comprehensive system of software services to its users. Simply providing software downloads can not meet the needs of users. To become a software application shopping mall, a new type of software store should have a series of places such as active software stores, software warehouses (large supermarkets), special markets (brand stores), entertainment centers (restaurants, cinemas, etc.). Here, users can hang out in the software store, find a target in the warehouse, roam in the favorite topic market, and relax in the entertainment center ... Happy at the same time also can manage their own purchase of software, only in this way, the software market can meet the user's one-stop software enjoyment.

2. Product Display

Consumers to shopping mall's main purpose is to purchase goods, the user in the software store the most important task is to download the software installation needs. This shows that the type and number of software is the key to determining the success or failure of the software market. Believe that users like to buy in a full range of shopping malls and will never linger in the market. Therefore, in the software market design, attention should be paid to highlight the variety of software and the number of many, to create a dazzling feeling. The following figure.

Successful software app stores also have to work product presentations. At present, there are two modes of displaying information in the common software store in the market: one is the display mode with the icon, the other is the information display mode based on picture (pictured below).

In contrast, the icon mode is more systematic and regular, the picture mode more active and attractive, both have their own strengths. Both methods draw lessons from the design elements in the product display: Effective information, graphics, color, intricate order and so on. In this respect, the author summarizes the following points:
(1) Software and application display is the focus of the software application store, to display the most effective information to the user in the limited space. The software store should make full use of the space to display content, minimize unnecessary information area occupy, maximize the display of all the software in the store;
(2) The graphical elements are more attractive than the form of the text, so as to convey the software information as far as possible;
(3) Gorgeous color is active a store element, in the picture choice should pay special attention;
(4) Arrange the form should not be disorderly, but also should not too rigid, as far as possible arranges orderly, appropriate prominent;

In addition, the business to promote a certain commodity, but also the use of "star Products", "good reputation" and other reflection of the voice of the user's marketing tools. Starting with consumer feedback, you can make other consumers trust the product and buy it. Software stores also use this technique to visually display software ratings and comments, and to promote users ' understanding of the software. At the same time, provide a convenient and effective scoring and comment portal, so that users participate in the software feedback, so that the software store really alive.

Scene subdivision

1. Target purchase-able to quickly find the desired product

On the basis of many commodities, consumers can find the goods from a large number of goods is also the key to the mall. Just as shopping malls will distinguish between different categories of goods, the software store should be classified according to the different types of software, good classification can help users to quickly find the target software. The following figure. (NetEase application-category, Apple Store-category)

In addition to traditional classifications, some forms of software classification for different usage scenarios or user types can also provide a more convenient channel for specific users. The following figure shows the software warehouse for the "installed" scene under the different user needs of the subdivision: Internet, online shopping, games, office, Development, Fry, for users to find relevant software to provide a convenient and intuitive way.

2. Stimulating potential purchases-attractive marketing activities

One of the most attractive Shopping mall is the occasional promotional campaign. After the careful planning of large-scale promotional activities can always attract the arrival of consumers, stimulate consumers desire to buy. These marketing activities include new products release, boutique display, special sale and so on. Shopping Mall's Daily commodity display is able to meet the needs of consumers looking for goods, but want to attract users, tap the consumer's potential consumer desire, or rely on the changing marketing activities.

The same applies to the Software store. If users do not have a clear download target when using the software store, well-planned recommended software activities are an effective way to promote users to download software. As a result, a successful software store must have a place to showcase the recommended software, run it carefully, and update it in real time.

The above picture is two different forms of the list, and the traditional table style is very different. Software, application stores mostly in the rankings up and down, whether the content of the operation or design style should reflect the effectiveness of the rankings and guidance. Because the list of this kind of marketing means, most can inspire the user latent downloading desire. Similar to the list of marketing tools There are many, such as hot recommendations, the latest update, best-selling, now popular, editor favorite ... Are places where users are easily attracted to the software store. As with store marketing, software application stores also need to tap into the potential needs of users, through effective marketing, to attract users to download and buy.

3. Stimulating potential purchases-timely hosting of thematic events

In addition to the common marketing activities, some shopping mall also hold themed events during special periods such as holidays, such as Halloween sessions, women's festivals, children's Day and so on. Each theme activity has the unique propaganda language, the specially designed meeting place, displays with the topic corresponding commodity. Consumers are easily attracted by the atmosphere of these thematic activities, where they feel the same, and are apt to inspire the desire to buy.

Software stores can also learn from this feature, the same type of software together to form a special topic, through the form of theme marketing to the user to show the topic products. In order to make users more attracted to the topic, can be unique in the design of software topics. As shown in the following figure.

Thematic area background design can be consistent with the theme style, through special rendering design can create a unique theme atmosphere, so that users are willing to immerse in the topic. The arrangement of software in the project can also be distinguished from the normal arrangement, and the arrangement of different styles can reflect the special features of the topic. In the performance of the software, you can choose the icon or picture according to the different software. For example, the software that has exquisite picture chooses the picture to display as far as possible, but to the functional software uses the icon.

The elaborate design of software topics is a good way to stimulate the potential needs of users, just as consumers are easily attracted to the business-orchestrated theme activities. When the user wandering in the exquisite software topics, empathy experience the atmosphere of the topic, how can not be subject to the content of attraction, echocardiography as the action of the download and purchase it?

In summary, from the task, the scene extracts summed up the shopping mall 6 success factors, the following figure. These elements can be effectively used in the design of the software application store to realize the leap from "store" to shopping mall.

Software apps stores are booming, trying to maintain a store boom and have a niche in a competitive market, and ordinary "store forms" are far from enough. Looking for design inspiration from shopping mall, good at using the elements of its success, "store" becomes "shopping mall".