Mobile Apps are quickly becoming a means for people to do just about anything. We use Apps to control our banking, transport, news, communications, exercise, leisure and so much more.
Apple and Google Play combined have hosted over 5.6 million Apps, and with constant progress in App Development capabilities this number is only expected to grow. It’s estimated that almost all application downloads are generated by just 10% of the Apps available, leaving a small window for businesses to fit into.
So, with such a large number of Apps to compete with, that can do just about anything, you should ask yourself; “How can I make my Application a success?”.
This might seem like an obvious bit of advice, but is easier to get wrong than you would think. The best App is not one that crams in everything you could ever want, but one that has a sole purpose, and carries out that purpose well. The best Apps are either; completely original ideas, improvements on another idea, solving a common problem, or simply keeping people entertained. As well as the idea, the actual interface needs to be well developed and designed to be intuitive and look great, so that anyone can just pick it up and start using it, no problem.
Some of the top apps such as Instagram and WhatsApp rely on its users’ networking. If possible, try to incorporate something to the development of your App that will require users to invite their friends to gain a full experience. This can branch off into a massive network of new users without much work needed on your end to drive user acquisition and sales.
You may think because Android controls the majority of App users, or iOS introduced the world to smartphone App Development, that you need only develop for one of the two. But the truth is developing your App for both is the only way you will see success. This is easier than you might think. Here at Mosaic we specialize in what is called ‘Hybrid development’. In layman’s terms this means using a single bank of code to create an app for both Android and iOS. This cuts down development time and costs. We are then able to pass savings made to our customers.
While the endgame might be a worldwide phenomenon, consider starting off with a smaller target. For example, develop your App with somewhere like Dublin in mind, then when that’s a success you can begin to look at the rest of Ireland or the UK and the bigger picture after that.
It seems tempting to simply take your fully developed App and straight away launch it to the market with some advertising and see how it goes, but this won’t work. Although your App Development team will probably carry out a testing phase before you see it, you should always carry out your own testing. Release the App to a small audience to generate feedback and reviews. That way you can get a good idea of any unfound bugs, crashes and user preferences. Furthermore you’ll get free market research on what potential users will need and want, and get a head start in developing further on these aspects.
It’s not enough to just stick your App on the Play Store and hope people begin to find and install it. As our Marketing departments are always reminding us, you can have the best product in the world but if you don’t tell anyone about it, it won’t go anywhere. Like any other form of product, you need to advertise your App well. You should already have your target audience in mind, and have a marketing budget / plan set aside to kick into gear in the lead up to the App release date.
Keeping all of these points in mind while developing your App can help qualify it as a success, and together with some beautiful interfaces, a great idea (and a little bit of luck) your App could be the next TikTok!
Every successful App began with a tap – click here to talk to our team today!