Apps play an enormous role in modern-day life, and many people use multiple apps throughout the day, whether they are using them for work, listening to music, playing games, staying up to date with news, communicating with friends, or organizing their life just as a few uses. As such a big part of life and with there being so much potential, you might have thought about developing your own app for personal usage or even selling. So, how can you go about doing this? It might not be quite as daunting as you might think, so read on for the main steps that must be taken.
What You Need
The good news is that there is not a huge amount that you need to create an app. A high-quality desktop computer is worthwhile, especially if you plan on doing the graphic design and/or coding yourself. It is then a case of using various pieces of software and tools to design, make and promote your app. You do not necessarily need experience in app development, coding, or graphic design in today’s day and age, but these are all highly valuable skills to learn and would allow you to make better and more unique apps.
Come Up with An Idea
Once you have everything you need, you will want to develop an app idea. The options are endless here, but whatever you decide on, you should define how the app works, its features and sketch out how it might work with just a pen and paper, or there are software options where you can create digital mockups. When coming up with an idea, you need to consider what problem the app is solving, who will use the app, and what will measure success for you.
Market Research
You should also conduct some market research and see if there is anything similar currently available – be careful to avoid stealing someone else’s intellectual property. If there are other similar apps currently available, spend some time thinking about what works well with the app and if there are any weaknesses. You should also read reviews that people have left, which might give you some ideas for improving the idea.
Graphic Design
Next, you will want to begin the graphic design stage, which can be good fun and a chance to be creative. This might include visual details, graphic effects, image assets, animations, and motion design. You can do yourself with a graphics template or use a professional graphic designer’s services. Obviously, the results that you get with a graphic designer will be impressive, but it is not essential, and if you are looking to save money, then a template will be your best option.
Build the App
You will now be ready to start building your app and bringing your idea to life. There are a few different options here, so you will want to choose the right one depending on your coding and confidence experience. If you know how to code (a highly valuable skill to have), then you can build apps with XCode and Swift for IOS development, and various other tools can help you to build a high-quality app. If you are looking to create an app without any coding experience, you can use an app builder like Apps Geyser, which can be a quick and easy way to bring your idea to life. Your other option is to pay someone else to build the app, whether this is a freelancer, app development company, or programmer.
Design A Landing Page
Once the app has been built, you will then want to launch it and start getting people to download it. Before you launch, you should create the landing page for the app. This will describe what the app does, who it is for, and why people should download it. You may also want to include instructions on how it can be used, reviews (these can be added later), a breakdown of features, images/video of the app in use, and any other relevant details that will encourage someone to download the app.
Launch the App
Now is the moment of truth, and you will be ready to launch your app. This is relatively straightforward, with a few steps to get through:
- Create an Apple Developer Account
- Fill in the app title and metadata
- Upload the latest build with XCode or Swift
- Submit and wait for Apple to review your app against App Store Guidelines
- Get approved or fix what needs fixing if the app is rejected
Promote Your App
You will now want to start promoting your app and get as many people to download it as possible. There are many effective ways to do this, such as:
- Encouraging friend and family to share
- Promoting the app on social media
- App Store Optimization
- Video promotions/demonstrations
- Make the app free for a short period (if monetizing the app)
- Influencer marketing
- Submit the app to curated platforms
- Content marketing
- Referral programs
- Customer reviews
Track KPIs
Once the app has launched, it is important to track KPIs to monitor performance and identify if and how any improvements could be made. Speed, uptime, downloads, deletions, re-downloads, and most used features are just a few metrics that you should be using, which will help you gauge how your app is performing and help you identify the best ways to make improvements.
Pay Attention to Feedback
Think about competent analytics in the early stages of mobile app development. A week is not enough for configuration and testing. It’s a lengthy process, but it’s worth the expense. So do not forget to give it a working time and prepare everything for the launch of the application. A good app developer will also pay attention to the feedback that the app is receiving. Feedback is always helpful because when it is positive, it can be used to promote the app, while any negative comments or constructive criticisms can be used to make improvements. You cannot keep everyone happy, but if people are reporting the same issues and concerns, you should look to address these areas.
Maintenance & Continual Improvement
The work is rarely complete here as you will have to make regular changes and carry out maintenance, particularly when mobile operating systems come out with new updates, so you will need to make sure that it is always compatible with the latest software versions from both Android and Apple. Keep in mind that regulations and compliance levels can also change, particularly if you are processing payments or handing any sensitive data. In cases like these, it is also important that you are able to provide support, so you need to make it quick and easy for people to get in touch and be able to respond swiftly.
These are the main steps that you will need to take to build an app. It can be a fun, challenging, and rewarding process to go through, especially once people start to download and use your app. While some technical skills will certainly come in handy, they are not essential, which means that app development is something that anyone can get started with and a chance to make something that could make a difference in your life and the lives of others. Taking these tips into account will be a good start in building a working knowledge in the app building process. Good luck.