There are thousands of mobile apps on the market today. Perhaps even more. They range across all industries, right from gaming to food ordering, medical services, restaurant finders, movie ticket bookings, clothes rentals, online shopping, and so on.
Developing an app takes a lot of planning. Right from analyzing whether the idea is economically viable to interacting with a customer test group and planning the technology, a lot of aspects need to be considered. In this article, we are highlighting the top 10 things that you should plan when developing an app – either your own or for your client.
Top 10 Things to Plan for When Developing a Mobile App
Know Your Users
This is the first and foremost thing to plan for when deciding to develop a mobile app. It is important to know who your targeted customers are. Segregate target users by age, geography, professions, lifestyle, likes, dislikes, preferences, etc. Knowing your users makes it easier to develop the application accordingly. The UX and UI should be relevant to your target customers, and the best way to get it right is by using the readily available mobile UI kits.
Develop Expertise on One Platform
Or hire one. Although it is preferable to have an app that works on both Android and iOS, it’s always better to start with one platform. This is easier to manage as well as economical. If you are hiring a developer, consider someone who is an expert in any one platform; those who are experts in both OSs will definitely charge you more. Also, consider your budget while hiring a developer. However, if you’re planning to develop the app yourself, consider referring to a Mobile Design eBook to understand the design fundamentals of building a mobile app.
Offer Early Release to an User Testing Focus Group
Creating a focus group will help you identify your target audience and interact with them on a regular basis. This group can be the testing base for your app, and receiving direct feedback will help you make your app much more relatable and relevant to your audience.
Develop a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
This is the very basic version of the app you wish to develop. It is a ‘tester’ version if you may, which can be used to analyze the market and understand whether the app has potential. It will help save time and resources that may be spent developing a product that isn’t needed in the market.
Think About a Good Marketing Strategy
Sit with your marketing team and think up of a good, strong strategy to market your app. A sound marketing strategy is important to get your app up and running fast. Because of the sheer number of applications in the market, with hundreds already present in your market, you need a marketing strategy to make your app stand out from the rest.
Pick a Technology You Can Live With
The technology you choose defines your app’s functionality. For example, if you want an app that many people can use, then choose HTML. On the other hand, if you want to offer a deep, immersive experience like AR or VR, then you will need to change the technology you want to use. The type of app you want to develop will determine the technology you want to use.
Prepare for Multiple Releases
An app is never perfect right off the bat. It will need to be improved, updated, and re-released as and when users give their ratings or suggest changes. Be prepared for releasing the app multiple times initially; it is quite normal so don’t be disheartened.
Be Ready for Testing
Testing is of utmost importance for any website or application. When your app is being developed, it is important to keep testing it regularly. Testing needs to be done from the prototyping phase itself. It is important to analyze the functionality of the app to ensure that it gives users a seamless experience.
Know What the Market Currently Has
Doing a market survey is very important to understand what is currently out there. How many competitors does your app have? What do they offer? Which ones are the most popular? And how can you top them? Doing a market survey is important to know where you stand and whether your idea will work with the audience.
Plan Your Budget
Before beginning the app development process, plan your budget. This will define every activity that you undertake down the line.
Parting Thoughts
Developing an app is not tough, provided you do your due research and plan out everything carefully. The development process begins with planning, then testing, creating a test group, and then releasing the app to the market. Plan out the process properly and it will go off without a hitch.
