How To Create An App For Your Business?
What do you do when life presents a problem? You find a solution! For many entrepreneurs and current business owners, a mobile app may seem like the best solution to a problem you have observed. For example, you live in a part of the city where a great pizza restaurant doesn’t deliver. The solution? Build a food delivery app that can partner with local restaurants (including the pizza place) to reach a whole new scope of customers. Voila! Problem solved!
Now that you are ready to build your first mobile app, where should you begin? Let’s look at 10 steps that will get you on your way…
Discover the app idea or problem to be solved
If you already have an idea for an app, that’s great! You can move on to Step 2. If you have a problem that you think an app will fix, that’s good too! Step 1 of building your first app is identifying what your goal is with your new app. You want it to be something used by a large target audience and will be advantageous to them (and you). Successful apps are ones that are creative and ultimately solve problems of everyday life (boredom included!). Get to brainstorming on what problems you see in your day-to-day interactions with the world and then settle on an app idea that will solve one of those problems creatively and positively.
Identify the need for the app
So, you have your app idea ready to go but aren’t quite sure if enough interest will be shown by the public for it to be a successful venture. There are a few ways you can get the confirmation you need about your app’s potential. One way is to create a landing page that will describe your work-in-progress app and encourage users to sign up for alerts about the app (such as the launch date). While you’re at it, go ahead and get opinions from potential users by creating a poll on the landing page! The more confirmation you can get, the more successful your app will be when it finally launches.
Layout the flow/features of your upcoming app
Think about the last time you had to write a research paper. You probably recorded on paper the points you wanted to make, the order they would be written in, and so on. This step is like that, except it’s for your app instead of a research paper. After you have received validation from your future customers (Step 2), write down what you envision your app will look like, inflow and features, when completed. Record not only what features you hope it’ll have (like a search tool, virtual cart, rewards program, etc.), but also how your app should flow. Be as detailed as you possibly can! This will be extremely useful to your development team when they begin working on your app.
Dump the non-core features
From the layout, you created in Step 3, cross-off the features that you listed that aren’t core features. For example, if you would like a feature that animate your logo on the home page, cross that feature off. It isn’t necessary right now and can be added later in an update. Getting rid of non-essential features now will save you and your development team time and money. You know what else? Now you already have ideas for an update down the road! Awesome!
Make sure the design aspect of your app is in the front, not back, of the development train:
So many first-time app hopefuls make a critical error by going with a basic design for their app. Their reasons for doing that? They want to save time, money, launch the app quickly, etc. This is a huge mistake because graphics (including user experience) are what pull the users in and keep them in! Don’t skimp on the biggest arsenal your development team can offer!
Find and hire a designer/ app developer:
Here’s the deal…if you want an app done with precision, accuracy, and effectiveness, then you need to hire a professional! It is crazy to let your wife’s tech-savvy nephew design an app for your business when he has no prior experience in app development. The investment of time and money that go into making a successful app are not suited for anyone less than a certified professional. So, while you browse for an app development company or designer, be sure to do at least these 3 things: Verify their credentials, ask for references (and to view work) from previous customers, and ask many questions. Doing these 3 things will help you decide if they are (or aren’t) the right fit for you.
Create/register a developer account
If you are wanting your app to be available on popular platforms, like Android or IOS, you will need to create/register a developer account (if you haven’t already). A developer account is backed by a subscription that you must pay annually for your app to be available on the platforms’ markets. Usually, Google (Android) charges $25 per year and Apple (IOS) charges $99 per year. So, you are looking at dishing out roughly $125 annually to keep your app on the market for users to download and update. A side note – you do have the option of registering as a company or an individual, so that gives you a little flexibility if you haven’t established a “company” (so to speak).
Integrate analytics
Analytics is a word that brings dread to many people. But, for our purposes, you shouldn’t dread it at all! Here’s why: You need to have a way to monitor your app and its user activity. With analytics software integrated into your app, you will be able to see how many users download, delete, or engage the app within a certain time frame. This data is invaluable because with it you can decide if your app needs to be updated with fresh material, what parts of the app are drawing people in, what features are the most popular, etc. Basically, without analytics, you will be blind when it comes to the overall health of your app (past, present, and future).
Obtain feedback quickly, then improvise and update
Once your app hits the market, users will (hopefully) begin downloading and interacting. Monitoring how those first users interact with the app while receiving feedback from them will point out features/functions that need to be improved. The first people to use your app can help you sand-down the rough edges and become an app that they will want to tell everyone about. Now, you may be thinking, “Isn’t this what beta testers are supposed to do before the app goes live?” In a way, yes. Beta testers are there to help work out any technical glitches and provide suggestions for fluidity. But, they won’t be looking through the same eyes as your actual customers – these are the people who have been waiting for your app to be released. They are excited, enthusiastic, and more than happy to provide any feedback that will improve their user experience.
Add in those features:
Remember back in Step 4 where we threw out the features that weren’t considered essential? It’s time to pull those notes back out! Talk with your development team about the bells-and-whistles you had initially wanted in the app. Some may still be relevant and could give your app just the right boost to put it at the top of its game. Or, throughout the development process, you could have come up with new ideas that you thought would benefit your users. Collaboration is the key! Make sure you collaborate with your development team (and maybe even a few trustworthy, honest friends) about your feature ideas. Even the smallest idea can grow into a fantastic feature!
Do you have to follow these steps word-for-word to build your first mobile app? Absolutely not! We are simply offering a guide for those of you who want to jump into making an app, but don’t know where to begin.
Why Gomeeki?
Gomeeki is an app development company that offers services to individuals, businesses, and companies. We want to guide you into a future where your app is wildly successful and benefits not only you but others as well. You see, Gomeeki isn’t just a design company. We are a family. Bosses, coworkers, and clients are all a part of the family. We strive to provide an app development experience that leaves our clients wanting to come back and build another successful app with us. But wait, there’s more! We provide customer support that is beyond the call of duty. Our app developers work hours upon hours to guide you through the app development process, answer any questions you have, and give you the peace of mind you should have when handing over your app idea to us for development. So, what’s left to do?
Brands We’ve Worked With
Contact Gomeeki today! We can’t wait to meet with you to discuss your app idea, how it can be developed, and how your future looks so bright with Gomeeki as your development team.
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