Despite so many mobile applications being launched every day, not every one of them will become successful. So the question is, what makes these apps different from the others? How did they manage to gain user attention?
This article will give you the answers to these questions and provide 6 tips and best practices to ensure that your mobile application reaches your audience in the most effective way.
1. Identify Your Target Users
Every mobile application should be developed keeping in mind the target users. Having a clear vision of your target audience will enhance the chances of success of your application.Start by examining the market need. Check for trends, search for statistics and insights, conduct a poll, ask questions on forums, or simply build an MVP version (i.e. one that has only the core functionalities to solve a specific issue and satisfy early adopters) that will help you gather valuable user feedback.
Checking various sources of knowledge will help you collect demographic data (gender, location, age), as well as info about your users’ motivations, behaviors, and pain points.
2. Design Your Application
When designing your application, pay special attention to user experience and user interface because good UX and UI mean good discoverability.Another important thing to do during the design phase is to make sure that the added functionalities suit and work well on both iOS and Android platforms.
In this phase, you should finalize your app’s flow and design elements. You might decide to go for a simple approach in order to avoid any unnecessary complexities, or you can choose to add additional animations, graphics, or sound effects to make your app more appealing.
3. Build Your Application
When it comes to actually building your app, the first question to ask is: What is a better option - hiring a professional app developer or using a DIY app creator?If your budget is limited and your objectives are simple, using an app creator is a far better option. Most app creators have a very simple interface, which means that even those without any technical knowledge can use them to create a perfectly usable application. On the other hand, working with a developer means a highly-customized final product that can be quite expensive. In addition, finding the right person for the job can be a complicated process. Should you work with a freelancer or get in touch with a developer company? Is it a good idea to hire a full-time in-house developer? If so, will you be able to pay the salary he’s asking for?
4. Think About Monetization
Apps are usually monetized by using different ad-based models. Some of the most popular sources of revenue are video ads and in-app purchases, but there are many others to take into consideration.To select the one that best fits your needs, start by looking into what your competition is doing. If it worked for them, chances are it will work for you as well.
It should be noted though that not every mobile application has to generate profit. Some types of applications are built to optimize a business process or save money.
5. Test Your Application
Testing your app gives you an opportunity to get feedback from your target audience and enhance your visibility in the app store. Beta testing also gives you a chance to better understand your target users and their needs.Before testing your application on different platforms, you’ll need to eliminate device-specific bugs.
Be sure to start the testing process with clear goals in mind. This will help focus your efforts and reduce product risk.
6. Plan a Marketing Strategy
No matter how good your application is, you still need to find a way to get the word out and persuade people to use it. To that end, you need to choose the right marketing tools, channels, and messaging.
Be sure to start marketing your application as soon as possible, well before it hits the app stores. Your marketing strategy will be more successful if you have a detailed plan divided into three places: pre-launch, launch, and post-launch.