In this post, we have listed down detailed steps involved in converting your app idea into reality.
Light on the current app market
Before you plunge into the development process of your app, you must know the scope of the mobile app. As a forecast from Statista, mobile users downloaded 178.1 billion apps on their devices which is about to reach 58.2 billion by 2022. Backed by various reports from Forbes, Statista’s and IHS Markit’s, the industry is growing consistently with no end in sight. The revenue generated by the global app industry is also booming like never before.
So if you are wondering whether the app market is profitable or not, we strongly say that yes, it is the right time to step into the app market before it’s too late. Keeping business considerations, functionality and marketing in focus, you can certainly develop a profitable app. App developers are also introducing different monetisation models like in-app ads and in-app purchases that are quickly gaining popularity and bringing fortune to mobile apps.
So, let’s get started…
Define your target audience:
Before you start working on your app idea, it is vital that you clearly define your target audience to create and sell your app. Identifying who would use your app and how will your app benefit them, is important in determining the success of your app. Your audience could be from a particular domain, for a particular gender, region, age or any other group.
Choosing your target audience, and understanding what they like and dislike will help you re-engineer your app features. As most of the time, you will be focused around gaining more user engagement, you must conduct focus group studies to best understand how to lure your audience and provide them with exactly what they would like.
Do a competitive analysis:
After you define your target audience, the next step is to gather information about your competitors. As there are thousands of applications hitting the app store, you must see how your application will add value to the user’s life and how you can beat the competition prevailing in the market.
However, you must also note that there is absolutely no need to find out about all the similar apps, but you must carefully monitor the functioning and features of your close competitors you will be dealing with or those who have already captured a good share of users. To surpass the market leaders you must hold a unique selling proposition to attract your potential users.
Create a functional document:
The next big step is to draw a functional document. It acts as a brief to provide detailed application specifications that you will have to provide to the development company. At first, you are required to have storyboards and sketches at early stages that lay a strong foundation for the future of your app interface & act as a reference during the actual development.
The next step is to list down all the functionalities of your app. As you have a clear picture of your app in your mind, it is also necessary to list down all the features that your app would showcase. This acts as a concrete draft while you handover your project to the developers for the further app development process.
Create a Wireframe:
After jotting down the functionalities of your app, developing a prototype (a model of the final product) is next. In this stage, you need to list down the most basic features of your app and start prototyping them. This is a process of creating a mockup or a prototype of your mobile application. It focuses on defining the information hierarchy of your app design, simplifying the layout of how you want your users to process the information.
Developing an MVP (Minimum viable product) will allow your users to visualize the app & create a quick wireframe and to bring your app idea to life. There are several tools available online for doing this. However, some of the most commonly used tools are Balsamiq, Moqups, and HotGloo.
Find investment:
Many startup app ideas never get a life due to a lack of funds. Developing an application is expensive which involves the cost of hiring developers, cost of app testing, deploying cost and marketing cost. Thus, to find appropriate funding or investment you have several options to choose from like personal savings, help from friends or family who truly believe in your app idea, finding an investment partner, take a loan from a bank, find organizations to provide you with seed capital, look for sponsors or do crowdfunding. If you choose to go with crowdfunding options, there are several platforms where you can go including Kickstarter, Boomstarter and many others.
List down your features:
After your initial concept of the app is drafted, the next step is to find how you want your users to use and engage with the app. Here, you will have to list down all the features you wish to include in your mobile application. You must also include the user flow that determines how your users will navigate through the app from the start to the end.
Choose a technology stack:
After you list down all the features of your mobile app, the next step is to take a technology decision and choose your technology stack. This primarily involves deciding which platform you want to get your application built. Here, you need to decide whether you want to go for an Android platform, iOS platform or develop the app for both the platforms.
Similarly, you will also have to make a tech stack decision for your backend, which involves deciding which language or platform you want your app to be developed like Ruby, PHP or Java. If you need to incorporate Artificial Intelligence-based technology, chatbots or machine learning, you must take the decision in the same step.
Identify the monetization strategy:
Your ultimate goal from developing your own mobile app is to make grossing bucks, right? Yes, it should be. After all, making money acts as the biggest reward and a boost to your app idea. Well, there are multiple ways to make money from a mobile application!
Some of the most common ways to make money from an app are through charging a subscription fee, incorporating in-app purchases, having in-app ads, freemium strategy, sponsorship, and others. As launching paid apps does not yield as much as free, you can launch your free app on the app store and can make use of monetization strategies to generate grossing bucks. However, you must carefully choose which monetization strategy would work best for your app depending on your target audience. For eg., a freemium strategy can go for a game app.
Hire a development agency:
The next big step is to hire an award-winning development agency! This is a crucial step for your app development process as this is the actual place that decides the fate of your application. To get the right developers on your side, you must seek an app development company that has a great talent pool and a solid team of developers.
Before you finalize your development agency, you should check their credibility and see the past work. Seeing their portfolio will give you confidence that your project is in safe hands and will also ensure that the developers have worked on a similar project previously. This will also allow you to see their style of working and decide whether they would be the right fit for you or not. While looking for a developer company, you should discuss your project freely and also discuss your specific requirements. If the developer takes interest, answer all your questions and understand your project requirements, chances are, they could be the right one for your application.
Related: An ultimate guide to protecting your App Idea
UI/UX & backend development:
Here starts the actual development process. Now that you have a strong development team ready for your mobile application, your developer will first design the individual screens of your app, usually called “skins”. It is like a high-resolution format of the previously developed wireframe.
After this is done, developers start developing your backend. In this process, the developers set up servers, create functionalities, create databases, APIs and other storage systems. At the same step, it is also important to keep in mind to sign up for developer accounts at the app marketplaces you are developing for. This is crucial because these platforms usually require several days to get approval.
Get your app thoroughly tested:
As you have the initial version of your app ready, you will have to test what is working and what isn’t. At first, you are required to perform a technical beta testing, where you will have to get the testers to try out your app and provide you with honest feedback. In this process, you can call out your friends, colleagues, family, etc to try out your app or can also get beta users on certain websites. Based on the testing process and feedback, you can enhance your app’s interface, fix any bugs or problems arising in your application.
The testing process does not end here. As you cannot afford to have your app crash or leave any bug before it reaches the final audience, you must carry the testing practice thoroughly again. Remember, any negative review or any problem after your app launch can shut your app forever and you can lose the credibility from your end-users. Thus, make sure that your app receives only good reviews, that can only happen with thorough testing practices and making sure that every flaw is fixed before app launch.
Gear up for the App Launch:
And here you go, it’s time when you can actually launch your application! All through this while, you had been waiting for this moment. To launch your application successfully, you first need to submit it to Google Play or App Store. This takes a week or in some cases more than a week’s time until it’s finally approved.
During this time, you should be ready to incorporate fast changes to get your app approved in the store. Also, do not forget to create teasers or collaborate with influencers (as a part of marketing) to advertise and talk about your application & create suspense and buzz before its launch. And finally, on its launch day, hit the app store with a bang!
Time to market your mobile app:
Marketing is critical to any app’s success! A majority of app developers The majority of app developers and marketers dedicate more than 30% of their total app development budget to marketing. There are several ways to promote your app including mobile advertising, social media promotion, app store optimization, influencer marketing, registering on app directories, email marketing and many more.
However, you should make sure that you follow marketing strategies that best suit your app. You must choose the marketing options based on which techniques will benefit your app the most. In this process, you must also keep an eye on your competitors and see what tools and strategies they are leveraging on. While your app is running, you must closely monitor the app results, review the feedback that is coming in for your app, stay committed to post-launch activities and keep engaging users in unique ways to make the most out of your app & keep your app flourishing!
Now that you know how to execute your brilliant app idea, it is high time to get started and get things going. As you already have a strong app idea, high-quality development and a talented team is all you need to make it succeed. As an app development agency, we can help you kickstart your project and turn your excellent app idea into a full-fledged app. To discuss your project with our expert developers, contact us today!
