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So you’ve got a great idea for a new mobile app. You’re dreaming about the splashy graphics and imagining people’s faces lighting up when they open it foe the first time.
That’s all great, and your idea may well turn out to be a smashing success. But before you dive head-first into your development plans, there are several things you should think about. And remember, there are literally millions of mobile apps available, so you should definitely shoot for a distinct niche group with a concrete need or interest if you want your app to be successful.
Consider your overall goals, and look at what us already out there
First of all, who are you marketing your product to? You’ll want to consider your demographic carefully. What age range are you looking at? Will your target group be college graduates, or not necessarily? Are you thinking about a particular religious or political group?
All these factors play a role. If you’re looking to attract conservatives, you probably don’t want to have bikini girls jumping out when the app opens up. This might sound obvious, but sometimes messages can be more subtle than you realize.
For these reasons, it is a good idea to consult both experts in app development, as well as people who represent your target group. You might want to create a survey for potential users so that you can use the results to help guide you in your app creation.
If you think you have a good idea of what you want to create, be sure to surf around and make sure it doesn’t already exist. If there are similar apps on the market, think about whether you could do something slightly different, perhaps add some flare or simplify the navigation to attract more users.
What will your app look like?
Once you’ve narrowed down your demographic to a specific target group, it will be time to start thinking about what your app will look like. Try experimenting with visual depictions and think about how they will look on people’s mobiles.
One often neglected fact is that people tend to visualize their ideas life-sized. Remember that mobiles are tiny (and some even tinier than others!), and people tend to look at them hastily, in the sunlight, etc. Therefore, you’ll want to find the right balance between detail (this is, of course, important too) and readability.
Think about the technical features you want
When you have your overall idea laid out, you’ll want to start thinking about execution. Specifically, how will your app actually work, and what features should it have?
Your users will, of course, be your driving force, so it will pay to think carefully how you will create your accounts setup. Your users will want an app that is seamless, straightforward, and doesn’t arbitrarily kick them off when they try to log on.
A related function is payment mechanisms. If you are offering paid services – particularly if you are shooting for a diverse international audience – you’ll want to make sure that your accepted forms are payment are ones that will cover every demographic you could hope to include. If you don’t, you could end up not only losing users, but getting yourself some really bad ratings, as well!
Will your app have some kind of messaging capability? How will you, the admin, be available if people have questions? Will you have a search tool to help in navigation? All these questions are also critical to the success of your app.
In addition, you’ll want to consider your use of icons and whether they will make sense to your target audience. It can be fun to create something new and unique, but if your users don’t get the meaning of it, they will be annoyed and turn to downloading something easier.
Find technical specialists to execute your design
The final step in your creation will be to find experts to do the technical work for you. You could be looking for an iOS developer, Android, or both, and finding the right mobile app team will help you get the best possible product for your efforts.
Your chosen team will create your UI/UX design for you, determine how your app will work across platforms, and put in place all of the app’s details – graphics, animation, sound etc.
Keep track of your progress
Even after your app is finished, it won’t hurt to re-do your research on a regular basis. Check out how your competitors are doing, what new features are out there, and where the attention of your target group is. Remember, the digital world is constantly changing, so you’ll need to stay on top of things in order to maintain your audience.
So start visualizing your final product, and go out and make it happen!