Guest post by Rae SteinbachTwitter @araesininthesunof ymedialabs.com
Maybe you just had an idea for a great app. But what do you do next? That single question has been the death of countless good ideas. People have great ideas all the time, but most of them don’t know how to take that concept and turn it into a real business.
When it comes to iOS mobile app development, the idea is actually the easy part. You then have to take that idea and refine it into a clear vision of what you want the app to be. After that, you have to design and develop it.
Once you have a finished product, you then have to take steps to get people interested in using your mobile app. In this post, we are going to give you a brief overview of what it takes to get from the idea of an app to getting that app onto the phones and tablets of consumers.
Getting Started
You have an idea, but you need to build upon it and really figure out what you want your app to be. What is your app going to do for people? What type of people do you see using it? Why would these people want to use the app?
Beyond answering these questions, you need to think about the types of features that the app will have. You need to think about what you want users to get from it. You also need to think about what consumers may want from the type of application you plan to develop.
Furthermore, you need to consider the operating system. With more than 99% of new smartphones operating on Android or iOS, you can safely limit your decision to those two operating systems. However, you will need to compare the two to see which is more advantageous for your app.
Android has the largest market share by far, so it can be good if you are looking for the potential to reach the largest audience. On the other hand, iOS users spend more on apps, so they tend to be more valuable if you are looking at the amount of money you could make on each individual user.
Design & Development
Now that you have a clear idea of what the app is going to be, you need to start designing it. You want to organize all the ideas that you have and start working on the experience. You could get some ideas of how you want the app to look, and go a little deeper into the user experience and UI. You should also start making wireframe sketches and developing some mock ups.
For some people, starting the design phase on their own is a possibility. You could test out various prototyping tools to assist with the design process, and start working up some prototypes that can be used in the development stage. If you think you need help with the design, then this is where you should start looking for a development partner.
When you do hire a developer, you don’t want to hire the first person you find. You need to compare a few different development partners and find the one that is right for you. Check out the portfolio of the person or agency that you are thinking of hiring. Ask them for some references and spend some time talking to them to learn more about their process.
Promoting Your App
Once you have the app developed and ready for launch, you need to work up a strategy for promotion and marketing. Whether you are developing for iOS or Android, you have millions of apps that are already competing for the attention of users. If you don’t take some steps to raise awareness, there is a good chance that your app will go unnoticed.
One step is to optimize your app and its profile in the app stores. You could consider using a keyword in the name of the app. By adding a keyword to the name, it has a higher likelihood of moving up in the search results. Similar to good SEO, this could increase the chance of getting noticed and discovered by new users. You also want to have a good description that highlights the features and benefits of the app.
You could also try promoting the app through social media and email. If you have an email list, send out a post that talks about the app. You could post about the app on social media sites, and if you want to expand your reach, you could consider paid advertising on social media.
Having an idea is a great start, but an idea will only take you so far. You have to do the work to bring that idea into reality. Even when you have an app that people are using, the work is not done; successful apps get better with time. You’ll need to look for ways that you could make the experience better, find the flaws that are holding the app back, and listen to feedback from your users.