The mobile app industry is booming with time and shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, according to the report of Statista, it's estimated that the number of mobile app downloads will reach over 156 billion by the end of the year 2023. With such a vast and rapidly expanding market, it's no wonder that more and more businesses and individuals are developing mobile applications.
However, before developing an app, you should know that many mobile apps fail. According to the CIO report, nearly 80% of mobile apps are abandoned after their first use, highlighting the importance of considering several key factors before developing an app.
From defining your target audience and setting clear goals to conducting the research about the competition and determining your budget, it's essential to do your homework and plan carefully to increase the chances of your app's success.
In this blog, we will discuss several important points to consider before developing an app. Understanding the key factors that contribute to an app's success will enable you to create a mobile app that resonates with users and stands the test of time.
1. Do extensive market research
Before doing any task, it is always advisable to do R&D. Building an App is no different. Conducting in-depth market research helps you obtain valuable insights into the current market scenario and competitors.
It helps you understand various strategies used and mistakes made by your rivals. You can learn from those errors and come up with a better plan. Ensure that you involve users’ reviews in your research. Ask your target audience what they want; evaluate the real demand and take all the necessary decisions to suffice them.
Other than that, it helps you explore new opportunities in the market that your app can fill in order to solve the problem for users.
2. Define your target audience, understand them, and develop your elevator pitch
After conducting thorough market research, you need to define your target audience and understand their needs and preferences. This ensures that you are creating an app that resonates with the right group of people and meets their specific needs.
To effectively define your target audience, consider factors such as:
- Age
- Gender
- Location
- Interest
- Behavior
Once you have defined your target audience, it is important to understand their requirements and continually monitor their changing needs and preferences. By staying attuned to these changes, you can ensure that your app remains relevant and valuable to your users.
Also, create an effective elevator pitch to attract potential investors. An elevator pitch is a brief summary of your app and its value proposition that effectively communicates the app's benefits and distinguishing features to investors.
3. Hybrid or Native - Choose the right platform
The level-headed discussion on choosing the best platform for your application can be entirely befuddling. However, when settling on the choice between Android, iOS, React Native, or Windows and thinking of a holistic UI that you can deliver specifically to your application, you need to choose the best platform.
Also, you can choose from hybrid development or native development as per your business requirements.
Selecting a suitable platform for mobile application development is extremely important for your business success. If you want to match your pace with this exponential app development market growth, then you need to pick the best platform for your app.
If you want your app to operate only on a specific operating system such as iOS, Android, or the web, then you can go for native application development.
Hybrid App
With multi-platform web technologies such as HTML5, CSS and Javascript, it is possible to build hybrid applications. Hybrid Apps are easy to develop and have fast accessibility.
If you are aimed at interactivity, regular usage and offline compatibility, then a hybrid app may suit your preferences. It delivers attractive advantages in both the native app and the web app development approaches.
Native App
Native apps are specifically designed for a single mobile operating system. It cannot work across each and every device. For example, Android apps are developed using either JAVA or Kotlin while Objective C or Swift is used for developing apps for iPhone and iPad.
This choice won’t just influence the developers; it altogether affects the scope and flexibility of an app. The required coding that goes into the making of a mobile app will decide the utility and adaptability of your app’s offerings.
Read More: Choose your development option: Native App VS Hybrid Apps
4. Justify your reason for creating a mobile app
It may appear like the least demanding inquiry to answer. However, as you are required to brief developers about your app, you, in the first place, must articulate the specific purpose.
Defining dissimilarities between the website and app offerings is important. There must be strategic clarity on how distinctively you will offer the services through an app than the website.
It is critical to have a keen vision to make an app. Additionally, it must be in alignment with the business objectives and the way how the app will accomplish the same.
5. Know your options for monetization
One of the primary goals of developing an app is to make money, so before you begin development, consider how you will monetize your app.
You can monetize your app in a variety of ways, including freemium apps, paid premium apps, in-app purchases, subscriptions, in-app ads, and selling goods or services. It is critical to thoroughly assess which option is the best for your app and target audience.
You can increase the chances of your app's financial success by understanding your monetization options and planning accordingly.
6. Determining the cost of app development
Plenty of factors contribute to determining the cost of developing a mobile app. These factors must be precisely analyzed before setting up budgetary boundaries.
Apart from the crucial element of establishing the platform that we already discussed above, there are other sub-elements, which require you to take certain strategically-aligned decisions.
- Decide if users are required to log in. Here you need to make a crucial decision of integrating login with the social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter.
- Precisely put down the norms if users are to create a personal profile within an app. In this case, users will enter information into an agreement of public viewing.
- If you plan to blend an app with your website, then it certainly requires making an API (Application Programming Interface). This is the way all your friendly apps talk to each other.
- Determining the design standards for mobile apps is as important as their utility.
Your apps can just be bare-bones or stock, or you can further scale them up and make them appear beautiful enough for your users to enhance their UX.
These factors can be broken down into various stages of mobile app development, and each one carries a cost. The graph below reflects the app development cost breakup during each of these stages.
The following is a breakdown of the average cost for app development, categorized by complexity:
| App Complexity | Avg cost |
|---|---|
| Simple app | $5,000-$50,000 |
| Medium Complex app | $50,000-$120,000 |
| Highly complex app | $100,000-$300,000 |
The cost of developing a simple app typically ranges from $5,000 to $50,000, which includes basic UI and minimum viable product (MVP) functionality. For an app of medium complexity, the average cost is $50,000 to $120,000, having sophisticated features and custom UI.
Complex apps, on the other hand, can cost anywhere between $100,000 to $300,000, including advanced features, bespoke UI, and support for two platforms.
Technically, the cost of app development is based on hourly rates. These rates vary from company to company, and even geographical location plays a pivotal role in determining the cost of developing a mobile app.
Read More: Factors Affecting the Cost of Mobile App Development
The industry standards for developing a mobile app in major markets are as follows;
- The US and Canadian-based companies charge from $50 to $250 per hour
- Australian app development agencies offer their services for $50-$150 hourly
- Western European and UK-based app developers are charging rates between $35 and $170 per hour
- Eastern Europeans (that’s where we are) are pretty happy with $20 – $150
- Indian rates of $10-$80 per hour are enough attractive
- These costs depend on the features, intricacy, and mobile platform.
- One needs to consider the back-end servers as well while determining the cost of developing mobile apps. Usually, back-end service will end up costing more.
- The cost of developing a basic app from India can be around $8,000 – $12000.
- Also, it is advisable to keep a little budget aside for updates, marketing, and maintenance.
A mobile app development project will typically include fees of
- UX/UI designer who is responsible for creating the visual content to be coded into the project.
- Mobile app developers build the app and QA experts to make sure that the end-product is bug-free.
- A Project Manager, who undertakes to liaise with clients and coordinate with app developers to actually reach the predetermined milestones.
- A Business Developer who is responsible for communicating with the Project Manager to carry out functions on behalf of the director by supervising the mobile app development process.
7. Select the best app development company
The idea of the app is solely yours, you can build your app designs on your own by using different app builders such as ColdFusion Builder, Appy Pie, Apple store connect or Interface Builder, or based on an entirely new data model.
The app builder contains low-level coding, high productivity integrated mobile app development environment where you can develop applications as per your preferred user interaction.
However, the execution is dependent on the mobile app development company you choose as it plays a significant role in making your App user-friendly, aesthetic and intuitive.
You must check and clarify all the important below point before choosing a development company:
- Check all the technologies, coding skills and app-making processes used by the service providers.
- Read their case studies to get an idea of the types of apps delivered by the company.
- Contact companies they have previously worked with.
- Keep in mind the time zone for effective communication.
It is imperative that your developer should have a sound knowledge of delivering excellent app designs to provide the best user experience. Your developer must consider the usability of a relevant graphic design that suits your app.
The mobile app developers must build the app in such a way that the user can perform its designated functions without any assistance.
8. Build an app marketing strategy and create pre-launch buzz
Starting your marketing efforts before your app is developed and available in app stores can help create buzz and anticipation among your target audience. This can be a good way to generate interest and excitement for your app before it is officially released.
However, your marketing efforts will be more effective in the long run if you continue to promote your app after it is available in app stores. This can help to drive more downloads and increase user engagement.
During the pre-launch marketing phase, it is important to establish your branding, identify the channels where your target audience spends time, create content that appeals to your audience and reach out to industry influencers to help promote your app.
These efforts can help generate buzz and anticipation for your app before it is officially released, increasing its chances of success.
9. Make a plan for app store optimization
After you've published your app to an app store like Google Play or the App Store, it's time to optimize it to increase visibility and downloads.
Some of the key elements to consider when optimizing your app for the app store are:
- Application name: It should be easy to read and spell. Users should be able to pronounce it easily, the app description should be relevant to its purpose.
- Use relevant keywords: Use commonly searched keywords that accurately describe your app.
- Include visually appealing graphics: To showcase your app, use high-quality, well-crafted, and appealing images and videos.
- Write an app description: Write a description that clearly describes your app's features and benefits.
- Use social proof: Use ratings and reviews to impact customer decision-making in a positive way.
With the proper app store optimization, you can rank higher, increase visibility and drive more downloads.
10. Ensure security measures
You need to decide the security measures in case you have such a mobile app that needs sensitive data from a non-technical user to operate. It also comprises the information that needs to be collected and the way it is used.
Mobile app security became an extremely important thing that couldn’t get easily neglected. Moreover, your real users' data is the most valuable asset. So, ensure that you have the processes in place to collect, handle and store the real user data, as well as to manage any potential security risks.
11. Marketing an app
It is equally important to market an app amongst your target users, partly to set your foot right in the app store and slightly to sway audiences by letting them know that there’s something critical in store for them. Make sure you perform A/B testing for efficient conversions.
Marketers often fall trap to commonly used techniques like undertaking SEO activities for app marketing and social media marketing. Instead, it is wise to master the art of mobile marketing hacking and get things right for your business.
Conclusion
Keeping these things at the back of your mind before developing a mobile app can make your app less fragile. Having said that, mobile app development is a strategic call rather than a technical call and therefore it must be nurtured intrinsically in the company’s values and objectives.
