So you have a great idea and you think that the smartphone-owning people of this world would love it? Good for you …. and the hundreds of thousands of other people who are thinking the same way! If you have development experience, you at least have a head start on the competition.
If you have a great idea for an app, these are the steps you need to take along the way:
As a developer, you may think you know what is needed to build an app, but first you need to check that more people than you think that your idea is a good one!
Market research will identify customer demand and also notify you if something all-too-similar already exists.
You need to do this early if you want to make a profit. If nobody will pay for what you have to offer, see if you can sell ads in order to make back the money you’ll spend developing your app.
If you have no experience in this – consider bringing in an expert consultant to help you with a monetisation strategy.
A good app needs to be designed, built, tested, marketed and sold. It’s unlikely you can do this on your own, even if you have some of the necessary skills. You don’t necessarily need to pay people full time – one option is to source freelancers who will charge by the project or by the hour.
Once you have your team in place, work out a system for developing your app based on industry best practice (we’re thinking storyboard / wireframes / prototype etc).
Have you heard of a minimum viable product? It’s what most companies release first into the digital world. Your ‘MVP’ performs the main function of your app with few bells and whistles. Think of a banking app that lets you check your account balance and transfer money. The ‘tap to pay’ features can come later.
Start with the basic designs and keep them simple. This will save you from a tangle of problems and expenses… it’s easier to start with the foundations and build on them than to try to do everything at once.
Apps in the Android and iOS store are vulnerable to hack attacks in two ways – firstly through the theft of customer information and secondly through reverse engineering, which allows hackers to make and distribute ‘fake’ versions of your app that spread malware and suck away at your profits.
Many developers leave it until last to think about security. Don’t make the same mistake.
For your app to get through the app store approval process, it needs to work perfectly. For customers to like it, use it and recommend it to their friends, the same applies.
A calculated test plan will smooth out the problems before it’s too late.
Good is better than perfect, but late is better than bad. Your launch date will get delayed, but it will be worth it to have a good product.
Tell the world! A marketing expert will be able to help you develop a strategy that reaches your audience directly, either on the social media platform they use most or via other methods.
Once you have launched and promoted your app, it’s time to make it better. In order to keep your customers interested you need to be bringing them updates and new features that will keep on getting you noticed.
PS – Want information on easy to implement, unique app security software, how to save app development costs and enhance your mobile app performances? Visit www.quixxi.com
