7 Things to Consider Before Building a Mobile App

Did you know that there are more than 1k apps launched on Apple’s App Store every day? This means that the competition is quite fierce when it comes to building the next viral product. However, if you don’t give it a try, you might miss out on a piece of the digital revolution.

According to a survey by Clutch, more than 40% of small businesses in the US have apps and about 30% are planning to have one. There’s no doubt that apps are dominating the world – statistics say that consumers downloaded nearly 195 billion apps a year. The question is: Where does your business stand?

But before you dive into designing and building your mobile app, it is wise to take some time to do some research. In this post, we’re looking at 7 things to consider before building an app.

Use a Developer or an App Maker

When it comes to building a mobile app, you have an option to leave the job to a pro developer. But even if you decide to go with this option, there are other questions you need to answer. For instance, should you build your app in-house? In some cases, it can be faster and cheaper to use a white-label company to create the app for you. On the other hand, developing the skills in-house will allow you to take ownership of the whole app development process, from concept to development. You can also hire a remote developer via online platforms like Fiverr and Upwork.

Another option is to use an app maker. A DIY app maker is software that enables people (even those with little or no coding knowledge) to build apps. Featuring pre-set templates and drag-and-drop functionalities, app builders are the cheaper and time-saving alternative for developing a mobile app.

Know Your Users

In order to build a successful app, it’s vital that you know your target audience. Because even if you have a never-before-seen idea, it won’t mean anything if your target group doesn’t need it.

Start by conducting research well before you begin developing your app. Ask your target users what they want, evaluate their demands, and take all the necessary decisions to meet those demands. Knowing the people who will be attracted to your idea will help you plan the app’s design and functionalities, decide which platforms it will be available on, and focus on marketing it properly among your prospective users.

Who Is Your Competition?

Conducting thorough market research will help you obtain valuable insight into who else is out there and how well they’re doing. It will also help you understand what strategies your competitors are using and avoid the mistakes they made. You can learn from those mistakes and come up with better solutions.

Take a look at competitors’ user reviews to see what people say is missing or what are the main letdowns related to the app. Put these comments into a list and go through it to choose the ones that will make your mobile app stand out.

Android, Apple, or Both?

You should also think about what platforms your mobile app will be available on? On a global level, Android reigns supreme but in the States, iOS controls nearly 45% of the market share, which is why you should consider building a mobile app for both platforms.

In addition to the platform, you will also need to consider the devices your app will be used on.

For instance, iPads and Android tablets are quite different. In addition, devices with bigger screens may have fewer limitations than smaller phones. This info will provide you with a direction when building your app as the dynamics and specs of each device are different.

Security

Many people keep valuable personal information on their smartphones, ranging from bank account details to passwords. That’s why, When it comes to building an app, security and data protection are of the utmost importance.

If you don’t get your app’s security protocols right, something will inevitably go wrong. Unless your mobile app is something very simple, such as a calculator, you will need to ensure that your data resides in a scalable and secure location in the cloud.

Monetize Your App

Before developing your app, you must determine how you will earn from it. There are several strategies such as private ads inside your mobile app to start earning on a pay-per-view or pay-per-click basis.

You should also think about whether you’ll be charging users for downloading your app or integrate an in-app purchase strategy. You can always go for a freemium option initially. In this model, you distribute your app for free and generate revenue from 0.5% to 2% of users who are willing to enhance their experience with in-app subscriptions or purchases.

If you’re building an eCommerce mobile app, it’s vital to provide your customers with a payment gateway. Having an app integrated payment system will make sure that customers can make payments, book tickets, or pay their bills quickly and efficiently.

Marketing Your App

Once your mobile app is built, it is very important to market it among your target audience. This will not only allow you to set your foot right in the app stores but also let your potential users know that there is something very interesting/useful in store for them.

Effectively marketing an app involves defining your target users, figuring out ways to reach them, communicate with them, as well as analyzing their in-app behavior to make continuous improvements. The ultimate goal of a mobile app marketing strategy should be to acquire users that will drive repeat engagement and become advocates for the product.

Final Thoughts

Starting an app development project is exciting, but while it can be tempting to simply dive right in, certain things need to be taken into consideration first. Keeping these 7 tips in mind before you start building your app can help you make more informed decisions and make your mobile app less fragile.