Sometimes, small details can make or break your app in the long run. An extra 10 minutes you spend on a feature can leave a lasting good impression, whereas an extra 10 minutes you don’t spend can make the user deem the app unusable and forget it altogether.

This issue especially important in mobile app development, for two reasons:

1) The attention span of the users is limited in mobile apps. It is quite likely that they won’t stare at the app for hours: They’ll open it when they need it, use it for a few moments and then close it. Therefore the app has to be practical and impress the user in this limited time. If something frustrates the user at this point (especially when running for the first time), the app will probably be put away and never opened again.

2) Nowadays it is possible to create mobile apps in a matter of days. This can cause the developers to rush the development to put the app on the market as soon as possible, either because of time constraints or because of the urge to complete the app now that we’re very close to finishing it.

Well, this may not be the whole issue in WinRT apps since they are used in many devices ranging from tablets to laptops to PCs, but they are still treated as mobile apps and still they are subject to the aforementioned reasons. Combined with the fact that thousands of new apps are pouring into the market daily, you need to pay attention to details and think of the long run as a developer if you wish your apps to excel.

First of all, there are many guidelines for WinRT in the Dev Center and taking a look at them could help you a lot. There is a large amount of reading material, but just browsing or looking at the parts that intrigue you can help you make more beautiful and usable apps more quickly. Here are the links for an overview of Windows Store Apps, UX Guidelines for Windows Store apps and Planning Windows Store apps.

So, since I’ve developed and seen my share of WinRT apps in the last 1.5 years, I have come up with a list of some tips about what not to do in your Windows Store apps. Note that if you are familiar with WinRT, chances are you might already know some – most – all of the items I’m going to list here. But still, simple != unimportant, so take a look and see if there is something you haven’t seen or thought before, because these are the things that help increase the quality of your app.

Well then, let’s start the list. Keep in mind that they are not ordered in any way; I’m writing them as they pop up in my head. 🙂

➤ The good thing is, most of these small tips require at most 10 – 15 minutes of effort from you…