We are at the forefront of technological development. Right now, coming up with new and innovative ideas on products seems near impossible because it seems as if everything that could possibly have been done, has already been done. However, if we open up our minds a little bit, we would realise that is not the case. There is still so much room for innovation, so much room for something better, more advanced and more creative. With this in mind, we are going to look at the most efficient steps (according to us), on how we can develop a great mobile app.
If you do not already have an idea, you could look for inspiration from all around you. Look for a problem and create an app that could potentially help solve it.
2. Lay out the flow and details of the features onto a document
Or even better, do so on a wireframing tool. Remember to include the flow of how the user will navigate the app, and the features at each point.
3. Remove non-core features
From the document you prepared in step 2, look at the features that you can afford to remove. Make sure the end product is only the core value of your app idea. Note these extra features down so that you could add them later as an update. This ensures your initial costs of development is dept down and that you can get to the market quicker.
4. Focus on the design
You might think that you just want a very basic design and put all your focus onto just developing an app. That is not the way to go if you want to give your users a positive user experience. The design of your app will determine how the user will experience the app and this is one of the most important things if you want a successful app.
5. Hire a designer/developer
Look for a suitable development company with great design talent and experienced development team. Before settling on a developer, you should do a simple background check on their credibility and apps that they have created. A quick internet search should give you what you are looking for. If what they have done resonates with you and you feel confident they will be able to bring your idea into realisation, they could be the right one to choose.
6. Register for a developer account with respective app stores.
This step is something you have to do in order to be able to sell your app through their platform. Google’s Android: $25/year, Apple: $99/year. If you have a company, you can register as a company, otherwise you can register as an individual.
7. Analytics
Integrating analytics will ensure you are able to track downloads, user engagement and retention for your app. You can use tools such as Flurry (its free), and Localytics (has both free and paid versions).
8. Get feedback and improve from there
Once your app goes live on the app store, you are able to get insight into how to enhance your app, judging from the customers’ usage and behaviour. At the end of the day, it is all about what the market wants. It is best if you are able to continually improve upon your app and enhance it further.
9. Updates
You had shaved off the extra features that were “good to have” when first developing your app (step 3). Now is the time to introduce them to your app. Analytics and feedback will allow you to realise whether the features are relevant anymore.
These steps are just a guideline on how you can build your app in the most efficient way. You might face some hiccups along the way and it will not be smooth sailing but if you have an idea in mind which helps people, and has potential to be able to capture the market, it is worth the effort.
