10 Steps To Creating A Successful App
What key aspects do you need to remember before your app hits the market?
There are dark rumors swirling around the IT industry that the app’s days are numbered. As our devices gain always-on connectivity, thanks to ever-more reliable mobile networks expectations are changing. Chatbots – better known as bots – are poised to represent the future of personal service provision. A bot, if you didn’t know, is an automated tool that performs specific functions like checking local traffic or turning on appliances remotely, and their customizable nature offers intriguing possibilities.
In the meantime, apps remain indispensable in our daily lives. But how can you ensure that a brand new app achieves a reasonable degree of market penetration?
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Build on an existing brand.
The Google Play store’s top charts include a host of familiar names – LinkedIn, Facebook, The BBC, etc. These apps have become favorites because they harness recognizable brands.So if your company has any pedigree, the app should proudly sport your brand name and logo in its title.
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Offer something other apps don’t – or do it better.
The app market is in the maturity stage of its product life cycle, and there are apps for everything – even receiving fake calls or displaying an icicle that users can lick. While these are undoubtedly niche services, try to identify and fill any identified gaps in the existing market.
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Don’t charge a fee.
Many apps are downloaded speculatively, but few people will pay hard cash for something they’re not certain will add value to their lives. Free apps are far more likely to be installed, while revenue can be raised from advertising, premium services, expiration of free trial periods or sponsorship.
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Conduct extensive beta testing.
Rope in family and friends to test an app prior to its public launch, since real-world testing always reveals issues that might not have been obvious during development. Try to resolve any criticisms – the observations of loved ones would look much more damning in a negative review on an app store listing.
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Be streamlined.
The best apps perform one or two functions dependably and intuitively. Don’t try to create an app that can do too much – instead, solve a problem or deliver entertainment. Reports suggest over three quarters of apps are uninstalled after just one use, so simplicity is essential to keep people coming back.
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Develop a pleasant interface.
Avoid jarring colors, block capitals or synthesized bleeps. An app should exude a classy ambiance, ideally with smooth navigation and large menu buttons that can be correctly selected with a thumb. Try to minimize the code so each tab or service loads quickly and study competitor apps for inspiration.
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Market the app everywhere you can.
In such a congested marketplace, how will people find the app if you don’t shout its presence from the rooftops? Create short but compelling marketing text for the app listing, advertise it on company emails and websites, and try to harvest customer reviews to build levels of trust.
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Undertake tracking.
There’s no use having an app without monitoring what goes on among its users, so employ tracking tools to investigate how people use it. They may have identified unforeseen functionalities, or perhaps one location is driving most of the traffic for new downloads. Once any patterns have been identified, exploit them…
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Roll out improvements.
We are all familiar with the messages on our phones announcing that apps have been updated. This demonstrates how an app can evolve over time, gaining new functionalities or resolving glitches. Despite standardized operating systems, bugs crop up on specific devices and should be resolved ASAP.
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Offer security.
Finally, but perhaps most critically, ensure the app is secure and user data is treated with the utmost sensitivity. Keep users logged in but request additional security details before completing transactions, and don’t launch the app until a robust payment gateway has been thoroughly tested on as many devices as possible.