Coming up with an idea is the simplest thing. It’s easy to imagine a picture or see a problem to be solved. But developing that idea and building an app is not relatively easy.

Mobile applications have shown to be one of the best methods of building a thriving market and reaching out to more customers. Millions of businesses now leverage developing an app to increase their sales and reach most of their target customers. This is because more than half of the world’s population use smartphones, and therefore, their online activities are preferably done with their mobile apps.

However, with the influx of millions of applications to the marketplace, most of the apps fail miserably. This is why you need to get the processes right before you begin to develop your idea.

Thankfully, this is why we are here. With our experience in mobile app development, we have created the strategies and processes involved in developing a successful mobile application. We will be sharing this with you, read this till the end.

First Things First

Validate your Idea:

This is where most of the work goes into. Most people just dive into developing their app without making appropriate preparation, which is where they miss it. This process involves the following:

1. Defining your target audience:

The first and most important thing you should do is discover who will be using your app. Who needs the solution that the app brings to the market? Where will they be? What are their buying habits? Are they mainly Android or iOS users? You don’t just wake up and start building an app believing that the app is for everyone. You will be shocked at the outcome if you do it this way. You need to narrow your audience to a specific target audience.

2. Find out your Market Size:

Now that you have defined your target audience, the next thing is to determine your market size. You should find out if there are enough people who need the app. You don’t just launch a solution into the market without determining if people need it. Don’t always assume people will like your idea.

A better way to do this is to conduct market research using keywords that your target audience is searching for. While you are at it, pay close attention to the monthly search volumes of these keywords. This will help you find out if your app solution will be greatly accepted and increase the potential popularity of your app. Tools like Ahrefs and SEMRush will significantly help you to achieve this.

3. Research your competition:

Yes, there is enough space in the sky for every bird to fly. But then you must not fly blindly when you can do it smartly. Researching your competition is something you should actively do as it gives you more insight into the market size. You can know those that are already doing what you want to do, seek ways to improve it, and make yours better. If your idea is new with no competition, you will never know until you have conducted your research.

Designing and developing the app: 

In the design and development of the app, you must take note of the following.

1. Defining the app:

You should be clear on what kind of app you want. What do you hope to achieve with the app? Do you intend to sell the app later? Is your app going to be an aspect of your already existing company? Are you a startup company, and you wish to increase your brand visibility through app? You should also be clear on the functions of your app. This way, you won’t remember something new to add during the developmental process as this will cost more time and money. Ensure that you sort all of this out before you begin developing the app.

2. Deciding which platform to host your app:

Making this decision is not as easy as it may seem. You must understand the difference between iOS and Android. It’s easier to launch your app on the Google play store, but it is faster and less expensive to launch it on the Apple App store.

As much as the percentage of Android users globally is a lot higher than Apple, your monetization strategy can affect the platform you choose. If you intend to charge people for download, then using the Apple app store would be better. With Android, in-app purchases and adverts are the primary means of making money.

You can also decide to build on both platforms or build a hybrid app. Hybrid apps can work on both Android and iOS devices.

3. Plan for a team:

Building an app is not a child’s play. It is not something you will do as a side job if you want to be successful. You will need the following persons;

• a project manager
• the developer himself
• the marketer
• the person who will draw the business plan
• the person in charge of branding

If you do not have all of these skills, then endeavor to employ people who would help you with this. Most especially the project manager and the developer himself.  It is advisable to have the developer be a member of your company to help you manage the app and fix any bugs after launching. Companies like ISHIR can help you transform your app idea into a viable product.

Launching Your App

Before completing the developmental process, ensure that you have already started setting up marketing channels and putting the word out for your app. This helps ensure that as soon as the app is released, you have people on the ground to download and purchase it. As we initially mentioned, you can always outsource people with these skills for a smooth process, so the marketer can always be your team member.

Note: A critical process you must not miss is testing the app at each developmental process. This helps to keep things in check and ensures a better application.

Conclusion

Building an app is not an easy process, as we initially mentioned. This is why you must ensure that you have the right team, including a professional developer or agency, to handle the project.

While outsourcing a developer, ensure that you employ people with a track record of delivering quality service. Just as we mentioned earlier, at ISHIR.com, you would find a team of professionals ready to get your app to the marketplace.