Reasons Why People Prefer The Old Version Of Your Software

Developers usually get very excited about creating a super cool brand new version of their application, full of new tools and boasting a hip new design. But sometimes, what was the developers’ triumph is the users’ nightmare. So before developing a new version of your software, check out some of the reasons our clients have found users prefer older versions:

1) The new version is so different and complex, users are getting lost

Even though the new version has lots of cool new tools and is much more powerful, users were used to the older version’s interface. You certainly had a reason for changing how the user interacts with the software, but make sure they agree with it. Gradual changes are (usually) safe changes, but radical changes are the ones that get you attention and make the most difference. Regardless of your pace of change, use an analytics platform (did we mention we’re in the analytics business?) to sanity check your new ideas.

2) The users’ favorite tool was removed or modified in the new version

You’re probably not going to remove “copy” or “preferences”, but what about that filter hanging on from version 1.0? None of your developers use it anymore, so why not just sweep it under the carpet to free up some space? Before arbitrarily purging your software of features you know little about, read 4 reasons to Improve Your Application by Tracking Events & Feature Usage and check out who’s using them. Perhaps it’s only being used by those sticking to the free version or those pirating versions on college campus, but what if you can identify a correlation between the use of a set of features and conversion from free to paid? I think we can agree to let those be.

3) The new version is buggy

You know the version works. You’ve tested it and tested it and tested it, right? Sometimes, though certain system environments or certain users watch the software crash in front of them, wait forever for it to load, or have to readjust their preferences every time they load the software. Use an analytics platform to identify - well before enough people contact you for you to notice - and fix bugs like these.

Fast Tip

Respect users’ choice and never impose an automatic update - let your users have the option to use an older version.

Conclusion

As you develop the new version of your software consult an analytics platform to get to know the users and usage of your application and invest your time and money on addressing the right needs. After launching a new version, monitor the installation and unsinstallation rates, and the change in the frequency of use, to make sure there’s nothing seriously wrong. Then look at how the versions are used in order to gauge their acceptance.

How about you? Have you had (or avoided!) disasters with new versions? Tell us about them in the comments section.