So you’ve had an idea for an app, congratulations, you’re just like everyone else in the world.
Ok maybe that was a bit too direct, but the it’s the truth, it doesn’t matter how good your idea is unless you take action and make it a reality.
That’s why we have created a guide with the steps you need to follow in order to launch an app without losing a huge amount of time and money.
Something which happens to over-enthusiastic business owners regularly…
Yik Yak, a business once valued at over $400 million, made a number of bad decisions in the development and management of its app, resulting in the downfall of the business and its eventual sale for a measley $1 million.
So, do you want to throw away $399 million? Because you will, unless you listen to what we have to say…
So you have your idea and you’re sure that it will be popular, but how do you know that?
A gut feeling? Or have your friends told you that they would definitely download an app for getting a hangover kit sent to their workplace after a heavy night.
What we’re trying to get at is that you need to conduct some serious user research before you start plowing time and money into a project.
Make the most out of Survey Monkey and get in touch with as many of your target audience as possible, asking some of the following questions;
– Do you know about any other app or service like our app?
– Do you think our app solves a real problem?
– Do you think our app provides a unique service?
– How often do you think you would use this app?
– Would you pay £5 for a hangover cure kit?
Marvel is a platform which can help you to design and build your own app prototypes, even if you don’t have any design skills.
It’s a brilliant tool to create basic designs and user flows, meaning you can have something to show to potential investors, if you don’t have the cash to build the app, to begin with.
It’s also a good tool for testing and seeing if users actually behave as you anticipate on the app.
You should also aim to test the prototype with people with design, UX and marketing skills as they’ll have their own unique feedback.
Plus, anybody who is consistently hungover of course.
One of the biggest mistakes a business can make is putting all of its efforts into its core function and ignoring the importance of the smaller details.
For example, your app may be able to deliver a high conversion rate for purchases but if the experience of reporting a problem is terrible, your product will suffer and its rating will plummet.
Focus on creating the best user experience for every avenue that a user will follow on your mobile experience so that changing card details is just as enjoyable as the main user flow.
If your app gets up and running, or it already has been for a while, it is likely that some problems will appear (unless we build it for you obviously).
So if an issue does arise, knowing which problem to focus on can be a challenge and one which may cause you a lot of problems.
Just like a hangover, the symptoms can be alleviated through; getting in a freezing cold shower, drinking five pints of lucozade, crying, gobbling a Mcdonald’s Big Mac Meal at 9am and finally passing out at your desk at 2pm.
However, by being sensible and cutting out drinking during the week, the problem will be removed at its root.
It’s exactly the same with resolving a technical problem. Well not exactly, but you understand what we’re trying to say.
It’s worth the time and effort to find out what the real issue is before resolving it…
The variety of phones, tablets, laptops and desktops is huge, so you need to decide whether to create an app which is native or hybrid.
This means that your app will either be made just for one kind of device, like an iPhone, or for multiple devices.
For example, Android users are used to a back button that is built into the hardware, something Apple devices lack, so designing hybrid app which fails to take this into account, could severely affect user experience.
Hopefully, we have scared you enough to make you think that it just isn’t worth the hassle and that it’s better to find experts to do everything for you.
In which case, you can get in touch with experts who can do everything for you by clicking below.