Have an exciting app idea? There’s no denying that creating app can be an extremely rewarding and lucrative endeavor, but let’s also not forget that competition in this field is exceptionally fierce. Each day sees more than 1000 apps being launched on the Apple app store alone, making it vital that you take all of the right steps to ensure your app’s success.
So, if this is your first time creating app, how do you go about avoiding making any fatal mistakes? Keep reading as Circle Hub shares X things you need to know.
1) Make Sure That Your App is Needed
With so many new apps constantly being launched, your first step is ensuring that there’s a need/want for your app. After all, if people don’t need/want it, they aren’t going to download it.
This doesn’t mean that your app needs to be completely original. Sometimes, success is seen by taking an existing but poorly executed idea and improving it. This could be done with a better design, a higher quality app, or simply an app that has more useful features than what’s already out there.
2) Protect Your Idea
With the app industry being so competitive, ideas get stolen all the time. The last thing that you want is for someone to copy your idea and then launch their own app before you’ve built yours. This would render your own app obsolete.
This is why many choose to go down the route of protecting their initial idea. How? Copyrighting tends to be the easiest way. This will protect the intellectual property of your idea. Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) should also be used with anyone on your team/working on your app. Even if you think that you can completely trust them, don’t risk it. You need to ensure that everything related to your app is kept in the strictest confidence.
Be selective with who you speak to about your app as well. Don’t excitedly share your ideas with everyone you meet, especially in the early stages. Vet who you talk to so that your ideas don’t end up in the wrong hands.
3) Put Together a Good Team
There are plenty of online resources available that will enable you to build your app yourself. However, if you don’t have much experience in this area, be warned that your resulting app will likely lack professionalism. It won’t be as sleek or high-quality as one that has been created by an expert.
This is why, when creating app for the first time, it can be very helpful to have a team of people you can work with. One option would be to work with an app development company, but this can be pricey.
It can sometimes be cheaper to put a team together yourself. Find the right freelance app developers, content creators, technology experts, and marketing gurus and you’ll have gathered together all of the knowledge you need. Of course, if you work from a coworking space, like Circle Hub, this becomes even easier. You’ll be surrounded by these professionals each and every day, making it so easy to network and make new contacts, some of who could end up being your new team members!
4) Define Your Target Audience
While you may have a great idea in place, you’ll need to combine this with an understanding of your target audience if you’re hoping to see success. Learn more about the people who are going to be using your app and spend some time understanding their needs/goals/problems etc.
Once you have this information, you’ll be able to tailor the design and features of your app to your target audience. This will also make life much easier when it comes to marketing and promoting your app, as well as monetizing it.
5) Apple or Android?
Another useful piece of information that you’ll gather when learning more about your target audience is determining which operating system to use for creating app. Apple vs. Android may not seem like a big decision but they each use very different systems and coding languages. There’s a good chance that your target audience will favor one over the idea and it’s important that you know which that is.
Most apps are launched on Apple first before an Android version is created. This is down to how Apple users are known for being willing to spend more on apps. However, if your priority is downloads rather than sales, Android has a wider user base. This will make it easier to target the mass market with your app.
6) Research Your Competition
Whether you’re launching an app, a physical product, a service, or anything else, competitor research is crucial. It goes without saying that you’ll want your app to stand out from the crowd so that people have a reason to choose yours over the others. However, in order for this to happen, you’ll need to understand the competition so that you can somehow differentiate your own app.
Take a good look at the apps that will be competing with yours. Examine their design and functionality to see how yours stacks up. Spend some time reading user reviews too. This will give you ideas on how to make your app better than the competition.
7) It Will Take Longer Than You Think
Creating app takes time. Even if you have an incredible team that’s capable of getting everything done super-quickly, set aside more time than you initially think you’ll need.
Don’t forget that you’ll also need some time to register your app. Whether you go with Apple or Android, this isn’t something that happens instantly. The policies for registration are constantly changing and even the smallest breach could end up setting you back a few weeks. While some apps are registered in just a couple of hours, others take much longer, so be sure to account for this when planning your launch date.
8) Spend Time Building a Marketing Strategy
A good marketing strategy is essential when creating app. Ideally, your marketing efforts should begin before your app is actually ready. You want to start early in terms of raising awareness and intrigue for your app.
Build up and maintain enthusiasm as soon as possible. A buzz surrounding your app from now will give you an audience that’s ready and waiting to download your app as soon as it is launched.
9) Constantly Evaluate Costs
The cost of developing an app can vary greatly. This is something that you need to consider from the start and then constantly evaluate as you progress through the app creation process.
Make a list of everything that you’ll need to spend money on. From creating app itself to marketing, troubleshooting, and remunerating your team, you don’t want to find yourself caught out by any unexpected costs.
10) Think About Monetizing Your App
Of course, while your app may initially cost you money, it might not be long before it’s bringing in profits. This isn’t everyone’s goal. Some businesses may choose to develop an app to add to their range of services but even then, your app should still help to boost your profits.
There are plenty of app monetization strategies out there to consider. The most obvious is charging people to download your app in the first place. You could also opt for a pay-per-click/view strategy, or offer an app that’s completely free to your audience but still earns you money through advertisements and affiliate marketing.
11) Learn About App Store Optimization
As we mentioned earlier, a good marketing strategy will help to attract potential users to your new app. However, you also need to make sure that your app stands out on the app store you’ll be selling it on. Many people simply navigate to their app store, search for what they need, and then download their app of choice. Your app needs to be as visible as possible in order to grab a slice of some of those downloads.
This is where app store optimization comes in. This begins by ensuring that the name of your app is easy to spell, read, and remember. Your app description will need to be relevant to your audience. It should contain all of the right keywords so that people can easily find it.
Make sure that all of your visuals are also as appealing as possible. From your logo to your graphics to your videos, these should be attention-grabbing and aesthetically pleasing.
12) Encourage Early Reviews
It goes without saying that user reviews could quickly make or break your app. Ideally, you want to gather as many positive reviews as possible early on in the process. This is something that will heavily influence the purchasing/downloading decisions of future users.
Try to encourage early users to leave reviews. Accumulating positive ratings will also help with your app store visibility while giving you vital information on how you could improve your app in the future.
13) Your App Will Always Need Development and Improvement
Speaking of improving your app in the future…
This is something that you’ll need to be constantly working on. Sure, your app may witness great success at the start but it won’t be long before your competition picks up on this. They’ll soon start to release features that are similar to those that set your app apart, meaning that you’ll need a continuous stream of new ideas that will help your app stand out.
Creating a Successful App
Although creating an app isn’t easy, the process can be very enjoyable, not to mention rewarding! Seeing your initial ideas come to life in app form is always exciting. With that said, make sure that you don’t get carried away with the novelty of it all. Keep the above tips in mind to ensure that you’re covering all bases. This way, once it comes time to launch your app, there’ll be less uncertainty surrounding its success and it won’t be long before all of your hard work begins to pay off!
Looking for a base to work from while building your app? Click here to find out more about Circle Hub’s coworking spaces!