Review: Maybank2u Mobile App

Initially I just wanted to provide some feedbacks to @MyMaybank via twitter, but there were simply too many things to tell, so I thought it would be easier to write a blog post about it.

Native mobile apps that are extensions of existing web services are a great way to make your service more accessible and enjoyable for your customers. If done correctly, it can boost your customer satisfaction and increase your customer loyalty.

Today I will be reviewing Maybank’s mobile app for iOS and giving some constructive critique. I hope they will take feedbacks of mine with an open heart and improve their app further, so that it can be a better app for their customers in general.

A big no-no – placing an ad on app startup

m2u_startupOne of the big no-no’s in mobile app usability is to display an ad during the app startup. Because this slows down the process of user reaching to his objective (i.e main screen, where he wants to log into his account) thus increases his frustration. Because that’s what user wants to do, login to his account and do some transaction or check his account balance.

Well, Maybank thought that it would be a good idea to display a banner ad that lasts whole of 8 seconds (see screenshot to the left) until user sees the main screen of the app. These 8 seconds feels like 20 second for the user..

This is a typical problem in big corporations. Where different product managers who are in charge of different products (in this case Maybank Malaysia Open event) within the corporation are always fighting for eye balls and visibility on company’s website, mobile app, newsletters etc.

Suggestion: Get rid of the ad and make the app snappy, let it go straight to the main page. If startup image has to be placed, then it shouldn’t be longer than 1-3 seconds.

Fighting for Visibility

On the landing page, fighting for visibility continues.. as you can see, landing page is really busy..

m2u_main
There are tons of things displayed on the main page, Login (which they should be concentrating), Mobile Transfer, Promotions, Locate, Social & News, ARound Me, Personalize, Calculator, Rates, Contact Us, and Other Apps.

As mentioned above, this is very typical in big corporations. Different products and services are managed by different product managers and all of them have their own KPIs to achieve, so everyone of them will be trying to leverage the company’s website and mobile apps to get some real estate on the main page. More visibility = Easier to achieve KPIs right?

Unfortunately, no one is thinking of the users. Poor user just wants to get to his account quickly but has to put up with 8 seconds of startup ad, followed by many other products and services that distract him on the main page.

Suggestion: It’s high time that companies put users’ needs first, rather than chasing their own dysfunctional KPIs. One way to do this is to set up UX (User Experience) Team if there is not already one, and to strengthen their standing within the company’s processes – in other words, to make sure that every new (or changes to the) website or mobile apps go through UX’s team for usability and UX checking and approval.

m2u_mockup_startupAs for the mobile app’s main page, this is what I would suggest (see the screenshot to the right).

  1. Display the login field directly on the main page. This will make it “one step” closer to the user, since he/she doesn’t have to tap on the button to see the login page.
  2. Display the “Quick Balance” button below it, since these are the two main features of the app.
  3. De-clutter the page by putting the rest of the secondary items under the bottom navigation menu. Someone has to man-up and say “no” to those product managers’ requests to put up their products and services on the main page of the app. This either has to be a top management or UX team as suggested above.

Download the wireframe source file: click here (Balsamiq filetype)

Improving Quick Balance Access

Maybank has to be commended for coming up with this feature. Quick Balance is a great feature that allows you to access your account and check your balance and transactions histories quickly. It’s done by enabling a PIN code.

However, it could be improved further by combining Step-2 and Step-3 below. Currently, after you tap on “Quick Balance” button on Step-1, you are taken to next page, where it displays a text-field and a “Login” button. On this step, user needs to tap inside the text field and it will bring up the number keyboard for you to enter your PIN code.

m2u_quickbal

This could easily be reduced to 2-Step login (see below). After user taps on “Quick Balance” button on Step-1, the next page should directly display the num-pad, so that user can straightaway start entering his PIN code. Easy and so convenient!

m2u_quickbal_4

Download source file for this wireframe: click here

Web based App VS Native App

m2u_webviewOverall the app feels very sluggish and slow. It’s most probably because the app is a web based app, based on mobile web frameworks like PhoneGap, Sencha Touch, JQuery Mobile etc.

I will choose Native App over Hybrid App anytime. Because Native App is faster and snappier. If you want to give superior quality and performance app to your customers, you should strongly consider going native.

Too Many ‘Nice To Have’ Features

One of the pitfalls of building a product without talking to your customers is, you might end up building all kinds of useless, shiny, nice-to-have features that your customers do not really need.

Maybank2u’s mobile team seems to have fallen into this trap as well. They have build an Augmented Reality feature (which seems not working anyway). They also have a Customization feature where user can chose different type of Themes.

m2u_ar

These features are nice but they are not the most important things for the customers. Instead of wasting their efforts on all these nice-to-have features, mobile team could have improved the overall UX of the mobile app and most importantly develop a native app.

What Customers Want?

I’m not sure if they have sought customers’ feedbacks on how to improve their mobile app further, I’m guessing not.. but I could be wrong. However, I’m a heavy user of Maybank2u Mobile App for iOS myself, so I hope they will treat my feedbacks as that of one of their customers’.

  • I want a fast and snappy app (that means Native app). Sluggish web based mobile app is not different from responsive website. In fact, Maybank2u’s website for mobile has a better UX than the app for iOS. Much better UX actually.
  • The most important features for me is the Account Login and Quick Balance check features, so these features should be focused and improved further. Everything else is secondary to me as a customer, that includes Promotions, AR feature, Calculator, Peronalization etc. So please don’t push them to my face on the main page.
  • Don’t put banner on app startup, ever. The worst thing about these Golf and Tennis Events are that, they are not even relevant to me as a customer.

To Conclude..

I hope Maybank will find these feedbacks and suggestions beneficial. I know it’s easier said than done to do what is right for the customer in big corporations, due to the nature of their size, structure, processes, policies, personal interests and politics etc. But these shouldn’t be an excuse not to improve their products based on customers’ feedbacks. Because if they don’t, their competitors will do. And for customers, they always flow to the greener side i.e to the bank that offers the most convenient services. So, either way, Maybank has to put their internal differences aside and listen to their customers’ voices and work towards providing usable products and services.



Follow me on Twitter, UX Stacks Exchange or LinkedIn.