10 Steps To Building a Mobile App

If you’ve got the next Candy Crush parked in your brain, you need a road map to make it come to life. The first step in all app development starts in the garage—or in your case the app store. So before you begin anything, set up your accounts at Google Play and the iOS store. Then you can merge onto the highway of development.

10 steps to Building a Mobile App

Identify What Problem Your App Will Solve

The most important thing you need to remember when developing an app is that it has to solve a problem. It has to simplify users’ lives; otherwise, it won’t get downloaded, and you will have wasted quite a bit of cash.

Read the Reviews of Similar Apps

Head to the Google Play Store and the iOS store and read the reviews of similar apps. See what people like and dislike about similar apps. Use the feedback to see if you’ve overlooked anything in your original idea.

Decide What Will Set Your App Apart from the Competition

Now that you’ve looked at the success and failures of the completion, set your app apart. Push yourself to think of that one additional feature that the competition lacks.

Get your Ideas on Paper

Good old fashion pen and paper is where to start when planning your idea. Technology offers too many bells and whistles that can lead to distraction. A composition book and a pencil can go a long way in getting your ideas to exit your mind.

Develop a Monetisation Strategy

There are 4 ways that you can profit from you app: freemium, in-app purchases, in-app advertising, or sponsorships. You need to decide your approach early because your monetisation strategy will affect the development process.

Prototype

After you’ve got your ideas on paper, you can start to wireframe your idea. Decide what you want your app to do and how it should flow. Online resources can help you wireframe your app. This may seem like a menial task, but it will assure that you are not overlooking anything.

Decide on a Developer or a WYSIWYG Platform

Now, that you have this great idea mapped out, you need to decide if you want to attempt to use an online service or if you want to hire a custom developer. Online platforms are perfect if you are looking to build a basic app. If want an app that has a lot of unique features, a developer will most likely be necessary.

Design the User Interface and User Experience

The user interface and the user experience are the two the most important parts of your app. Customers are attracted to the visual, so your app has to look good and offer an enjoyable experience if users are going to be compelled to download it. You can hire a designer for this step or use built in templates supplied by online services.

Launch Your App in the Store

This is pretty self-explanatory. Follow the rules set by iOS and Android and get your app on the virtual shelves.

Develop a Marketing Plan

Now you need a plan to get your app from the stores to people’s phones. A few marketing strategies will come in handy during this phase. One of the biggest ideas you will need to familiarize yourself with is App Store Optimization. You need a plan to get your app to the top of the search list!

Bio – Andrew Gazdecki is the founder and CEO of Bizness Apps, a do-it-yourself mobile app and mobile website platform for small businesses, and Bizness CRM, a CRM for selling to small businesses.