Let's set your scene. You're on the play-store, surfing through it to pass your time. You see many apps, some good, some decent, some downright pathetic. These tiny applications are now everywhere, ranging from games to dating to e-commerce.
And suddenly, you're hit with an idea. You want to create an app. You don't know what it will be about, or maybe you have some vague notion of an idea. But you know that this is what you want to do.
We are here to tell you that this is a great idea.
The top 800 apps on Appstore alone earn over 3500 dollars every day. But that's not all. The top 200 apps can earn more than a whopping; 82,500 dollars every day!
Yes, you heard it right. That is what they earn in a day!
In this article, you will know what is included in
app development. This is your one-stop-shop solution to all your questions, ranging from idea generation to marketing.
Let's get going.
1) Brainstorm the Right App Development Idea
This is the time for you to go crazy. Make a list of all the crazy ideas that you get. It doesn't matter if it's a simple game or an app for world domination.
Here are some tips on how you can brainstorm that idea.
- Look at all your most frequently used apps and analyze why you like them? Are they missing something? What can your app fix in that? (This can also be your USP as we will discuss in later steps)
- What are some of the apps you want that are not available. Contrary to popular belief, there are no apps for everyone out there. What are some of the apps that you want to see flourish? For example, let's say you're an environmentalist and want to date someone. Why not start thinking about developing an app specifically for environmentalists then? Or Vegans?
2) Do a Complete Market Analysis for Your App
Remember what we discussed earlier? Yes, there are still app ideas left, but the success of your apps lies on your shoulders. This is why it's always better to follow up with market research before investing everything in your app.
Look Out for Potential Competitors:
Here, you need to focus on all their reviews. See what their users like about the app and what they dislike. Can you teach all these things in your app as well? What are the ratings of your competitors? What is their target demographic? Is the target demographic saturated? Can your app carve a niche within the demographic?
These are essential questions that will make or break your journey later.
3) App Creation and Development
Alright, We have come to the main dish now. App development is a huge topic so we have broken it down into digestible small "bytes" to help you in your goal.
a) Work on the core features of your app: Core features should have that "
Minimal Viable Product" Vibes that everyone is raging about these days. Here is a list of examples for some basic video game app's core features:
- The players will be able to log in from their Google account.
- The players will be able to trade materials via in-game currency.
- They will be able to upload their own pictures and write a short bio.
- They will be able to communicate when in the multiplayer phase openly.
b) Make a skeleton app with all these core features or some of your core features and test it with reviewers and stakeholders. Take in whatever feedback you get. It's better to be criticized for something in which you didn't spend a ton of money. Imagine if you had invested a fortune without correct reviews only to have your app fall face-first on the ground.
c) Repeat this cycle again and again till you reach a positive conclusion. Now you are ready for the creative work. This is why we recommend that professionals do all the coming steps to help you in your journey of App development.
d) Work on your App design: Design is the name of the game. Everyone judges everything on how it looks. So, make sure the design you're choosing suits your target demographic. If your App development project's main target is young millennial hipsters, then try to design as per their values.
- User interface: Many people forget we don't just want good-looking apps. The primary function of any app is convenience. If your "Good looking" app has a poor user interface, where the user wants to tear away from his hair in frustration, then your app will not succeed.
e) Create a Website Before You Release Your App
No seriously. Make sure to have a rad landing page and a pre-launch email list ready. Not only will this make your app more legitimate in the eyes of others, but you will also be able to keep your customers posted with the latest updates.
f) Ready Your Press Kit
A Press kit, also known as a media kit can save you a lot of time. This is a package that contains all the information about your product. So, journalists will have an easy time writing about your app.
g) Be familiar with the
ASO (App Store Optimization). Here a team of professionals can guide you through these hurdles in your journey of App Development.
h) Release Your App Online
Yes! You finally did it! You created your app and now you can compete with others online!
Conclusion:
App development is a very complex process that requires a lot of external help from professionals. It's advised to take their help when going forth on this journey.
Post-release marketing is also extremely important, but that is a lesson for another time.
