It can be easy to come up with a good idea for an app, but the difficult part is having to follow through with the idea and finally turning it into a reality. Developing a successful app is not something that could be done as a small side project. It requires investing enough time. Application development is a business and should be treated as such.
The first thing to do with your app idea would be to validate it so that you won’t fall into an unfortunate situation of investing into an idea that would not be able to produce any returns on investment. Following a specific set of processes as outlined below would ensure that the chances of failure are minimized and that you succeed in turning your idea into a reality.
- Discover the audience for your app: the very first thing you need to do would be to find out who would be making use of your app after it is finally ready. You need to narrow down your audience and target a specific niche who would obtain the most benefit with the value your app would be providing. If you are able to find a specific niche for your app, then you are on the right path to validating your idea.
- Research the market: after you must have found your specific niche, it is now time to discover ways through which you could appeal to them. This is not the time to launch a marketing campaign. It is the time to conduct a preliminary research that would help with your marketing efforts You need to find out if someone else has already attempted to solve the same problem which your app is meant to solve and whether or not they succeeded.
- Estimate the costs: developing an app is often expensive. Set out a clear budget before you even start out so as to avoid running out of funds.
- Define the app clearly: you need to find a general direction, purpose, and goal for your app. Clearly define the functions of the app and its parameters.
- Assemble a team: you would require a team which would include people who would perform the following functions: coding and building the app, branding the app, creating a business plan, marketing the app, and overseeing the entire endeavor to make sure that everything is in place.
- Create a brand: the success of your app would depend on your brand identity. Create an icon, choose a brand color, and other aspects which would suit your app and appeal to your target.
- Pick a distribution platform: decide whether to use the Apple Store or Google play Store. It is often easier to develop an app for the Google platform. It is also often found that people who use Apple products seem to be able to pay higher fees. Observe your target niche and find out which platform is common amongst them. Also ensure that you create a backup of your data.
- Release your app for the consumption of your target market: you need to start the marketing process even before the app is done. After releasing the app, incorporate a feedback channel so that your users would be able to send back useful criticisms and insights which would help you create a better version for your app.
