Before you spend a single minute on app development and design, there are several steps you need to take. The app market is flooded each year, with more than 60,000 apps released each month in the App Store. To create something that stands out from the crowd, line up all the parts of app development before investing in the programming piece.
Development Begins With an Idea
In fact, mobile app development begins with lots of ideas. The more ideas you have, the better you can assess the viability of each one. The trick is to pick the best idea of the bunch. Which idea has the most appeal or addresses a market gap? Which can be monetized rapidly? Find the pain points and address them before investing time and capital.
Focus on Features
After choosing an idea, work out the best way to deliver on the promise of your proposed app. Napkin UX, a prototyping tool, allows you to see not just the individual features offered by your app, but how each feature flows into the next. You can set up screens as intended inside your app and track how the user experience would work, before getting deep into development. This allows you to identify issues early in the project.
Making Money on Apps
You have an idea, and you have a mock-up showing you how the app will function. Before you invest money in development, you need to know how you will make money after launch. The most common revenue-producing models include in-app advertising, freemium, pay-per-download, in-app purchasing, subscription models, and sponsorship. Each of these models can bring in revenue, though most new apps now use a blended program, combining things like in-app purchasing with advertising, or using a freemium model that leads to a pay-per-download option. Get the monetization in place so you know how you will recoup development expenses.
Planning the Launch
Before the app goes to market, you must know exactly how you will engage with consumers. With hundreds of apps hitting the market each day, you need to stand out. Market research and communication is the key to an outstanding launch. Know your target and know what avenues work best to reach them. Then, include a feedback loop that allows your customers to drive your development project.
Finishing Touches
The last thing to do before you dive into development is approach the experts. Ask experienced developers and expert marketers to look over the project. They will help you identify pain points and the areas where you could streamline your ideas.
