Did you know that the number of apps downloaded by Apple users reached 100 billion during the summer of 2015? And smartphone users are not all playing Candy Crush Saga or Flappy Bird. Business apps accounted for a little over 10% of all downloads on iTunes. With mobile users spending 86% of their smartphone use time on mobile apps, there is a huge market for apps.
The key to getting people to download and use your app is to create a quality product that provides users with something valuable. This cannot be achieved unless you follow a set of best practices during the development process of your app, whether you want to create a mobile app to advertise your products or aim to create the next Angry Birds.
What kind of app do you want to create?
Start by defining your project and setting some goals for your app. What would be considered a success for your app? Define the purpose of your app in a clear and concise manner. The main goal of the app and what it offers to users should be summarized in one or two sentences.
List some functionalities you would like to include in the app, ask yourself how the app will deliver something valuable and who would be interested in the app. Do some research to figure out which apps could be potential competitors and figure out how your app can offer something competitors don’t have.
The app requirements drafting process
This is where things get technical. You need to ask yourself how your idea can be realized. Be realistic and assess which functionalities can be created and which ones will fall short of your vision. You might have to eliminate some features at this stage.
Start creating some sketches or a storyboard to play with some design ideas and figure out how users will navigate the app.
Going further with your requirements
Now that you have a better idea of what your app will look like and how you will realize this project, there are more technical questions to answer, such as:
- Which device will the app be for? Is your project feasible on all devices?
- Will your app require access to public data? If yes, are there any public APIs you can use to build your app?
- Are there any SDKs (software development kits) available to help reduce development time for your app? If not, is it feasible to write the entire app from scratch?
Creating a great experience for users
There are a ton of free apps to choose from in the Google Play Store and iTunes App Store. An app that provides users with a poor experience will not retain their attention for very long, and fewer users will download your app as it receives low ratings and bad reviews. This is why offering a great user experience is something you need to focus on during the mobile application development process.
A good app should…
- Fulfill its purpose
- Not have any bugs
- Be visually appealing
- Have an architecture that makes sense
Building your app
This is where your app comes to life. Ideally, several developers should collaborate by working on different parts of the project. Building the app is usually not a straight shot since testing often reveals bugs or room for improvement. You might have to go through this stage more than once before you are satisfied with the finished product and ready to launch the first release.
Testing your app
Your app should be thoroughly tested on a number of devices. If possible, get the opinions of testers with different profiles to get a better idea of who will like using your app. Ask for honest feedback and use this information to make some improvements.
Marketing your app
Uploading your app to the Google Play Store or to iTunes is easy. Getting people to download the app requires more work. The best strategies to draw attention to your app and get people to download it depend on what the purpose of your app and who the typical user is.
Do you have an amazing idea for an app? AppIt Ventures is here to help you through the entire development process. All you have to do is come with an idea and our team of professionals will do the rest. Contact us to learn more about the services we offer and find out how we can turn your idea into an amazing app!
