Smartphones have undoubtedly become the most used invention nowadays. Every one of us is stuck with a phone in hand for at least a few hours per day. You don’t have to be a genius to figure out that the share of mobile development and marketing worldwide is rapidly growing. But what does it really take to build a mobile app that’s going to be on top of the wave?
The groundwork
Everything starts with an idea. Your app is not an exception. When it comes to mobile app development, I’ve seen many people bursting with creativity who’ve failed tremendously. Probably the most important part is to be practical and realistic. Just keep in mind what you’re using your phone for and what bugs you. Mobile apps are useful only in certain cases, like getting directions, finding a great place to eat, socializing, etc. If you are wondering what to invest into or want to refinance your student loan, in most cases, you are willing to spend more time in research and probably won’t trust a single app, if it ever comes to your mind to download one.
For example, if you’ve been through statistics you know that people are unlocking their phones at least a few hundred times per day. This might seem like an excellent opportunity to make an app that you see on your lock screen. On the other hand, just imagine how irritated you’ll become if you have to close it every time before using your phone. You’ll either throw the device out the window or uninstall. No matter how good your marketing is or how many people have downloaded the app, they’ll just run away after using it for more than a day.
Your idea needs to be practical. It’s important to make an app that will serve the consumers for the social scenario they’ll be in while using it.
Give it a chance
One of the most common mistakes when making an app is hiring a very small team. It might seem like a considerable reduction in costs but the backfire effect most probably will be devastating for your brand. It’s simple, if the app gets popular, you’ll certainly need to react to consumer needs promptly and efficiently. This is just unachievable with a single developer. And here’s how your cost reduction can make you go from hero to zero in no time. Once you disappoint the crowd the road back is gone. So when you’re making an app you might as well believe in it from the start and be ready to invest.
Make a business model
It’s crucial to know what you want to achieve and how to do it, whether you want to gain revenue or contribute to a social cause. The most common working model is creating a free app that lets consumers spend money to buy additional features. This presents an opportunity to gain a rapid number of users, show them your idea and make them invest in it to use it completely. A great practice is also to allow ads as an additional revenue mechanic just don’t forget to give people the opportunity to buy an app-free version. Best example about this is Spotify. The monthly fee is negligible, there’s additional revenue from advertising, and due to this, almost everyone who uses the app pays a subscription to get rid of the ads and or use the extra features.
Measure your progress
Think of what are the best ways to track your results towards achieving your business goals. There are numerous metrics to help you with this, as the increase in revenue, number of downloads, page views, social sharing, monthly users, reviews, mentions in the press, etc. You just have to figure out what are the ones you need to pick for your business model. It might not be beneficial to track your page views if you’re aiming for revenue, but the number of downloads, monthly users and subscribers can give you a lot of insights on what needs to be done.
Iteration is king
This goes for any software and web development project. Testing your app, its functionalities, cross-platform performance and polishing everything down to the smallest detail to ensure a smooth start is what might win the public and turn you into the next big thing on the market. Invest not only money but time, be patient, have a beta testing period, the high start sometimes has nothing to do with timing.
If you are aiming for “competitive” build cross-platform
This doesn’t mean you have to go too far and offer something that will run on any tech device possible. It might be both costly and inefficient. Just, if you want to target a significant audience, you have to give them the means to use your app. To be competitive, you have to at least offer your product to Android and iOS users as they combined make most of your target market.
Engage
It’s not only important for an app to be functional. You have to make people stay inside it as long as you can. This is where all the “small details” like the design, UX/UI, and copywriting come in handy. People nowadays are not looking for something that will just work for them. They crave for personal experiences. Whether it’s this small line that says “Hey, you there, we thank you for your support!” or just user-friendly design that makes the overall process of using the app feel smooth – it can determine your success.
Squeeze as much info as you can
Metrics and reports based on them are a great start to knowing where you’re really going but it’s important to hear your community. Make a feedback loop and do it smartly. People love to feel involved and speak their minds. You only have to listen and might turn into the crowd’s favorite; a spot everyone most definitely wants to be in.
Don’t forget that users are searching for a thorough smooth experience. Don’t just build a window that will pop-up in the middle of it, asking for feedback. Just add a button for this – make everyone who wants to tell you about a problem be heard. Getting as much information as possible is vital. Leave an open field where people can say everything. Avoid making it just a like/dislike button, you won’t understand what needs to be changed, why and in what way. Keep in mind, the easiest way to stimulate feedbacks is via an in-app reward system.
Get the word out
A lot of people forget this. It doesn’t matter if you’re going to build the greatest app ever or the worst invention of your life if no one knows about it. You have to advertise – you need to spread the word and reach your potential clients. Don’t be afraid to present your ideas to the whole wide world!
So, do you have this great idea that could change the tomorrow? Are you willing to dive into the mobile universe and conquer its territories? The only thing you might need in this case is the right tech partner along the way! The one who’ll understand how this digital world moves and changes, what’s just a one-day trend, and what you can improve to make the wind blow in the right direction. Someone like us, who’ll always have you back but will tell you what needs to be done to succeed? Let’s introduce the next big thing to the world together!