The advent of Smartphone technologies fuelled with high-speed 4G internet services enabled the development of a wide array of mobile applications. The reach of a mobile app available in the Google play store or the app store transcends the boundaries we all have in our mind. Numerous independent app developers are also joining the party, competing with the big heads. Whether you are a budding startup or an established app development company, there are certain things to be considered before getting started with the app development process.
Refine your app idea
Do you have an idea for the app in your mind? That is great! Before going to the next step – the development, let us do some groundwork. Start searching for similar apps on the market, if there is, identify and study the competition. How will your app be different? How will it be better than the available ones? Even go to an extent of critically analyzing whether your app is needed or not.
Identify your business goals
Once your app idea is ready, think about what you are going to achieve with it. It is important to have definite goals in mind. You have to know where you are going if you want to get there. Set realistic goals and use analytics to track your progress.
Know your user
Not only in app development, but also in all the commercial processes, it is important to understand your user. Find out who will use your app, to which sector of people (age group, gender, industries they belong) you are planning this app. Next, plan things on reaching these people. Which medium of communication will be effective to cater to your audience? Once you have a solid answer for this, the marketing process of your app will become more effective.
Set your budget
What is the total budget you have in your mind? You may build an app for free using the free tools available on the internet, but catering it to the people may cost a little. If you are creating an application that you want to distribute to the public, the best way to do so is to upload your application to Google Play or App Store.
Google has a onetime $25 registration fee, which you need to pay before you can upload an app. You can submit as many apps as you want in the app store you need, although you need to wait for apple’s approval on accepting your app. Your only cost is an apple developer’s account, which is $99 per year.
Also, understand that you may have to spend bountifully to promote your app to the digital audience. Allocate some funds for marketing as well. Fix your budget as per your requirement, figure out what you can afford and prioritize must-have features during the development process.
Select a target device
Now, you are through with the budget and platform settings, next choose the device. You can take any one device like Smartphone or tablet or desktop and develop your app for any of that. Soon after the launch, you can make compatible versions of your app available for all the devices. Since there are hundreds of devices with different resolutions, be sure to which device you are going to develop first!
Choose a platform
iOS or Android? – the million dollar question that buzzes in everyone’s mind! If you are on the verge of developing an app, you should have an answer for this as well. Select your platform based on the users you are going to target. App Store users are mostly premium, but the scenario may not be same when it comes to Play Store.
Develop your branding
What moves in our world now without branding? It is essential to set up a proper brand structure for your app. Work on the logo, theme color and attractively promote your app brand. Remember, since there are many similar apps available in the market only through proper branding you can make your app stand out.
Outline the app design and user interface
The design is an important aspect that can make or break your app. Your app may have a strong and important use, but if it does not have the user expected interface or if it fails to give the necessary user experience, your app may fail big time. Remember,
User Interface (UI) + User Experience (UX) = Creative design
A suggestion is to keep the interface simple and intuitive. Most of the successful apps are minimalistic in nature with a clutter-free functionality and smooth navigations.
Work on a development timeline
Anything that is not time bound, will take ages to complete and once when done it may not give you the necessary satisfaction. Decide on the app launch date, set milestones to the development team and create clear documents on the same. Strictly abide by the dates in the document and try to avoid the escalation hurdles.
Build your network
The best marketing tool then and now remains the same – “Positive word of mouth”. App reviews are the most important things, which can be used to make your app viral. Build a strong network even before launching the app and promote your app strongly in both organic and paid ways. Social media is the ideal platform to promote your app to your potential users.
Once your app becomes an overnight success in a single platform, develop the same app for other platforms as well. Consider the above steps and gear up to create a revolution in the app development.
Originally Published on: Oct 4, 2016 @ 18:41, updated Dec 12 2020
