Treat this post as your blueprint for building an app that you’ll actually want to use. No more creating something because you think your users will want it; rather, creating something because you know that it’s the best solution. Here’s how you’ll do it.
Mobile is the future. It is here to stay. It is the way. These are facts that most business owners and entrepreneurs know by now. And yes, you can open a successful restaurant with just an app. It is the future. But if you think that success comes easy, get ready to be disappointed.
You are up against tough competition when you build a mobile app. There are thousands of apps already in play for almost every business out there. So how do you make your app stand out?
This article looks at some of the strategies to follow before building a mobile app and how to stay afloat in the very crowded world of apps.
So, let’s begin:
Step-by-step process of creating mobile applications
01 – Determine the core purpose of your app
Determining the primary objective of your app idea is perhaps one of the most critical parts of any project. You can build any app to improve your business, but you must know what purpose it serves. Ask yourself: why do I need a mobile app?
Are you looking for growth? Then what is the value proposition of your app? What can it do that a website or an online portal cannot? Do you want to track your sales and inventory in real-time? Or do you want to build a community of users who can interact with each other?
These are some of the questions you have to ask yourself. And if you can’t answer any of them, then you need to reconsider your decision to build a mobile app.
02 – Complete a thorough Market Research
This step is a must. You don’t just wake up one morning and decide to build a mobile app – this is the wrong approach. You need to do your research first, understand the potential of the mobile app you are looking to build, and then decide.
There is a direct correlation between marketing and mobile apps. You will need to market your app for it to succeed. So how do you go about it?
First, you have to know your target audience. An app built for small-time businesses won’t serve the needs of large organisations. You have to know exactly who you are catering to before you even begin developing your app.
Some of the questions that you should be able to answer:
Who are your target audience? What is their age group? What devices do they use most? You can get answers to these questions from your competitors too. In fact, it is a good idea to analyse what they are doing right before you make any decisions.
Some tools and strategies you can deploy to complete your market research:
Google Trends
Google Trends is a great resource when it comes to conducting market research. You can use it to find the number of times a particular keyword has been searched over a period of time. This data can be used to determine what interests your target audience the most.
Surveys
You can make a survey on Google Forms, for example, and ask potential users to fill it up. Surveys are one of the most accurate ways to know if your target audience is looking for an app like yours.
Social media
Social media networks are also great tools to find out what your audience is looking for. Look at their profiles, see what they like and share most, and then look for patterns. You will be surprised how much data is available on social media platforms. To reiterate, just recently, we came across a post by a Twitter user looking for an app that can help translate Hindi tutorials on YouTube to English. You can even come across such needs and start building that app immediately.
User Reviews
Last but not least, you can always look at what people are saying about your competitors. Look at the comments section of popular apps, and you will know what to expect from users before making a decision.
Analyze your competitors
Once you know your target audience, it is time to examine the competition. What types of apps are already in play? How can you do better than them?
Take inspiration from your competitors, but make sure it helps you stand out. Use the research to find out what features are missing in the industry. Taking cues from your competitors is okay, but don’t straight rip their ideas off.
Technology changes rapidly, and you have to stay afloat with trends. If you don’t, your app will be another one that no one remembers after a few months.
Your main goal should be to find the perfect balance between what you want to offer and what is already out there. Your app should be innovative;
Know your ROI
So you have an idea of what the app should do and who its users are. Now it is time to decide how much resources you can put in. You will have to look at the app development cost before deciding if building an app is a worthy investment or not.
So first and foremost, you need to look at the history of similar apps before making any big decisions.
03 – Go for essential features only
Many apps fail in the market because developers add in too many features. Keep things simple, and define your app’s core function before starting work.
For example, if you plan to build an app for web developers, the main core function will be coding. You can add other features if you have time and resources, but make sure you are not trying to do too much at once.
Here is a tip to help you get on the right track – limit functions to 1-3 essential features only.
The aim is to create a solid app that serves its purpose well. If you add too many unwanted features, users will get confused and uninstall the app soon enough.
04 – Stick with the right monetization plan
Your app will have to make money sooner or later. When it comes to making profits, there are several ways you can go about it. But whatever strategy you use, make sure it is clearly defined from the start.
05 – Setup a Mobile App Development Team
Building an app takes time, and you need to find the right app development company to work on it.
The team should have a good mix of software developers, designers, UI/UX experts, and testers. The benefit of outsourcing work to an app development team is that various experts will be working on your project. This approach ensures that you will get an app that is well designed and has great code and UI/UX.
Before you hire a team for your project, you must lookout for the following four qualities –
- Trustworthy team members
- Educated and experienced experts
- Dedication to work on your project until it is finished
- Reasonable rates and on-demand support
Hiring a team for your project works out well only when the members are trustworthy and have the right credentials. They need to be skilled and experienced enough to deliver a solid app on time. Also, they should put their best foot forward to see your project through to the end.
06 – Choose the right platform
Android and iOS are the two leading mobile operating systems right now, and you will need to decide which one your app needs to be built for.
iOS is the second-largest market, and Android the largest globally. Some considerations to keep in mind while choosing between Android and iOS –
- iOS is considered a more stable and secure platform than Android.
- Android has a huge market share, which is an added advantage.
- iOS has the highest rate of user satisfaction and loyalty.
- Android offers more options for marketing your app, which is a big plus.
- Android offers relatively fewer restrictions to developers since it is “open source”, allowing more creativity and functionality.
- iOS is easier to develop for, so it’s a good choice if you are new to the mobile application development business.
07 – Wireframing and Mapping the User Journey
Now you have a crystal-clear idea of how your app should look and the core features; it is time to define different user paths and define the right UX.
It would be best to look at your app’s user flow, navigation, and how the different features should be showcased in the app. Once you have defined the right UX, it is time to move on to the next step – wireframing.
Wireframing is the process of laying out all the content and features on a piece of paper to get an idea about how things should look. It helps you see if you have added too many features and how it can affect the UX.
Typically, the best app development teams will create a wireframe map of the app and gather feedback from you. Once you are sure that the wireframe is perfect, it’s time to move ahead with the app development process.
Before we conclude, here is a list of tools that you can consider for wireframing and app planning –
1. Balsamiq Mockups
2. Mockingbird
3. Moqups
4. POP (Prototyping on Paper)
5. Axure
08 – Building Your App Using Agile Mobile App Development
Now that you have a wireframe map of your app, it’s time to build the actual application. At this stage, programmers will write the code and get the application ready.
The best way to build your app is by using agile mobile app development methodologies. Agile is a process that helps you quickly get an app in the market. You can fine-tune things later on and add new features depending upon testers’ feedback.
Popular programming languages and technologies used in mobile app development
- iOS: Swift (Objective C), Java, Xcode
- Android: Java, Kotlin, Android Studio
- Windows Phone: Visual Basic .NET, C#
Building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
No matter what others say about building an app, the truth is that it takes time – both in terms of development and marketing. While there are no shortcuts to success, building an MVP is the best way to save time and resources.
An MVP is a basic version of your app that you can use to test concepts and ideas. It may not accommodate all the features, but it will give users a feel for what your app does.
09 – Test Your Mobile App for bugs and errors
Now that you have worked on the UX and features, it is time to test your app for bugs and errors. A bug-free app is a must if you want your idea to go further.
You should hire QA engineers who can test your app for UI/UX clarity and bugs (both logical and technical). They can also test it for stability and its overall performance.
QA is not only about finding out the errors in your app, but it is about making sure that there are no gaps left in the processes. It is why you need a team of testers, as they can also find out if there are any loopholes in the UI/UX of your app.
The best part about testing is getting feedback from users about their experience of using your app. You can also get valuable feedback about the bugs you need to fix at the earliest.
10 – Go Live
Once your app is ready to go live, you need to have the right marketing plan in place. A poorly-planned launch is just going to hurt your app’s credibility.
You should focus on the following things when you are launching your app –
1. Make it available for download on the respective app stores
2. Create a landing page with all the details about your app where people can get more information
3. Use social media to let people know about your app
4. Reach out to bloggers and influencers in the market to help spread the word about your app
5. Use paid advertising to tell people about your product
The success of your app is not going to depend on a single factor. It will depend on a combination of things such as your existing reputation, timing, marketing plan, and more.
10 – Optimise your app
Once you have launched your app, you need to track its daily usage. You should also be on the lookout for bugs or crashes and take immediate steps to fix them.
You also need to see how many people are using your app right now and how many are using it for a specific period. This will help you make changes to your app and give you insights on how to market it better.
Regular updates and upgrades to your app are a must if you want it to succeed in the market. However, make sure that the updates add value and do not break anything working.
Mobile app development doesn’t stop after your app goes live. You need to keep up with the changes in technology and improvise to make your product better.
Wrapping Up
Building a great mobile app can be an incredibly profitable and fulfilling endeavour with the current multi-billion dollar mobile industry. We hope that this article provided some direction on building a mobile app and getting started.
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