5 Considerations When Planning To Develop Your First App

What You Need To Know Before You Develop Your App

The mobile world has grown incredibly fast in the last few years. Just for perspective, there are over 4.5 billion mobile users across the globe, and the number is expected to hit 5 billion by 2019. Most of these users have smartphones with access to either the 1.5+ million iOS apps in the Apple Store or the 1.5+ million Android apps in the Google Play Store.

So, if you have a brilliant idea for an app, which platform should you develop it for? Perhaps you should create a cross-platform app? How will you make money from it? There are many things to consider before committing your resources to develop an app. You need to create a sound plan on how to turn your app from a great idea into a useful tool for your target audience.

Failure to plan will lead to a lot of resource wastage involving re-work, decreased utility, and diminished profitability. Here are some things to take into account:

  1. What are your goals? You must have a clear objective when creating an app, as this is what will guide the rest of the process. Some businesses are not able to differentiate the role of the app from that of their website or current business systems. But it is important to set realistic goals, such as the number of downloads, target revenue, ease of conversion, etc.
  2. Who are your users? Identifying your target audience helps to ensure that your efforts are directed at a segment that will appreciate the increased efficiency, better repeatability of routine tasks, or some other value offered by the app. Rather than adding features that seem useful to you, identify what your audience really wants, so you deliver the greatest impact.
  3. Do you need a mobile Web app or a native app?A mobile Web app is usually a good idea when your only objective is to optimize the mobile experience for your current website or offer some basic lightweight functionality for your users. A native app, on the other hand, is necessary when you want to increase the level of user engagement, like when you want to allow the use of device-specific hardware, such as barcode scanners, cameras, etc.

    If you opt for a native app, you then need to choose the platform to design for first – Android, iOS, etc.

  4. What is the skill level of your app developer?Working with a skilled app developer helps to ensure the right colour combination of your brand colours to create an aesthetically pleasing app. Moreover, a developer who is up to date on the latest trends will make the app more intuitive and easier to use, with minimal loading delays, increasing the ultimate success of your app.

Lastly, your goals will define most of the key steps involved in developing your app. For instance, if you intend to collect sensitive information from users, you must include a privacy policy. Similarly, if you want to monetize your app, you must choose a monetizing strategy, such as paid apps, in-app purchases, or in-app advertising.

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