The process of digitization keeps evolving, with more people choosing smartphones over other devices, spending time on the Internet like never before. While it doesn’t help with socialization, it definitely does for brands who want to increase their online presence and gain new customers. Knowing where your clients are and speaking their language can give you a significant edge over competitors.
Nowadays, it hardly matters whether you are already an established brand, or just entering the market, having a mobile app to represent your business is crucial for increasing online visibility. Regardless of the pursued goals, it should be fast, convenient, and easy to navigate. Before hiring a company specializing in app development, you need to consider a few important things in order to receive a mobile application that will help you accomplish your main objective.
It all starts with an idea
Before developing a mobile application, it is rather important to identify a certain problem that your app will resolve and decide on its main features. The application should have tangible advantages for the customers. These might include cost reduction via enhancing productivity, getting new revenue, or improved experience for the customers.
Any successful application had a specific idea before anything else, so don’t miss out on starting it all with identifying the main purpose.
Decide on the Budget
That’s probably the first thing that comes to mind when you start thinking about a mobile application. How much does it cost? In reality, it all significantly depends on how sophisticated your app needs to look, a number of required features, desired user-interface, and many other details. The more you want to include, the higher the price.
The cost of app development might range from $15 to $10,000 and more. Independent app developers and various companies offer different prices. It would be a plus to conduct your own comparison, find a list of developers, and discuss your preferences with each of them before choosing with whom to partner.
Conduct Market Research
Thorough market research is beneficial in terms of identifying existing competitors, understanding the client’s preferences, and evaluating the features you might later want to include in your mobile application. It is good to read reviews and see what features other apps lack and whether there are some that are considered useless. It will be even better to download other mobile applications and become your “competitor’s customer” for a while in order to see what they have to offer and how you can make your future application even more efficient than those already on the market.
Choose the Preferred Platform
There exist two main platforms for mobile applications – iOS and Android. Before choosing the right one for yourself, make sure to evaluate the hardware and its capacity, battery condition, performance, and support of the device along with its coverage and other significant factors.
The choice will also depend on how much you are ready to spend and how much you can afford. However, if you have a flexible budget and want to reach as many customers as possible, it will be beneficial to have your app developed on both of the mentioned platforms. It will allow you to net in every potential client and make them stick with you.
Define your Target Audience
While doing market research, you will already have a wider picture of what people are using, what their requirements are, and which features work best for them. This is your first step towards establishing your target user. Depending on their age, the place they live in, and their expected experience, you will be conducting your next steps in the app development. If you are making an application for a younger audience, your strategy and further stages will drastically differ if you were to develop an application for those between 40 and 55. Younger audiences are highly digitalized and need more features and the latest perks. The older generation appreciates convenience and simplicity. They will not need half of the features, but will definitely pay attention to details and whether all their needs can be met within one app.
You need to identify those people who will be attracted to the idea you pursue and then focus specifically on them when you develop your mobile application and when you market it.
Decide on the Design
The interface and the design of your future application should be user-friendly and convenient. People who are to use the app for the first time should know how to navigate through it and where to find this or the other feature. Make sure to pay attention to UI design, consider design standards, and include multi-touch gestures.
And never forget about the chosen target audience. The design will depend on whether you are developing a funky application for youth or a formal one for those with a more sophisticated taste.
Test & Improve
Beta testing is a chance to get some valuable feedback and identify ways for further improvement. First, it increases the app visibility and gives it a so-much-needed push in the store. Secondly, it is a chance for a better understanding of who is your ideal customer and what their requirements are.
After you are done with the first wave of testing, you are ready to upgrade and pack your application with improvements. In order to ensure application success in the future, it is vital to update the app on a regular basis, meet the guidelines, and avoid stagnation.
Release & Market
Although we are done with developing steps, the app success significantly depends on the way you will market it once it is released. Due to a great competition, your application might be lost among other apps fighting for attention. Make sure you keep up with being truly exceptional and quality-driven even after the app is on the market in order to stand out and attract more customers.
If you still have any questions, please feel free to drop us a line and we will assist with your query.