Hemendra Singh
Small businesses are slowly realizing the role of applications in increasing their user base. Given the fact that our entire population is slowly moving over to the smartphone-enabled category, business houses are also realizing the importance of mobile apps in maintaining user engagement. App development companies have been hugely benefitted with this sudden surge in requirement and are slowly catering to this growing demand with versatile solutions.
Today we are going to take a look at points which need to be considered by small businesses while launching their mobile application ideas. We will cover the entire process starting from the incubation of idea to getting uploaded on the store. Whether you decide to develop the mobile app in-house or outsource the same, the following checklist is bound to help you in the process.
Native app development starts with conducting a competition analysis. This helps in understanding the type of market you are going to cater. Having knowledge about competition apps can help out in such a scenario. However, you should try to maintain your USP while deciding on the features and functionalities of your mobile application. Things become easier once you analyze the competitor products and understand areas where they lack.
It is essential to establish effective collaboration and communication to develop an app successfully. For this, you need to delegate responsibility amongst the workgroup with precision. You will have to determine who will keep track of the cash flow and who will supervise everything. A list has to be created comprising of all those who need to be contacted on a regular basis. It is also necessary to identify the final decision makers to prevent a clash of authority.
A set of rough wireframes need to be developed either during or prior to development. This helps developers in understanding your expectations. Wireframing defines the scope of the application. It details every single screen inside the same and lines out the general flow followed by users.
A solid user market needs to be there for your application to perform brilliantly. There is simply no point in producing an application which is similar to the ones available in app store. Users tend to develop a particular liking for an app with prolonged usage. Thus, it becomes difficult to deviate their attention. You can do that only by providing something extra in comparison to your peers. You can even take the approach of mitigating growing demands by offering your users with an immediate and hassle-free solution.
Once you develop a clear understanding of the application in terms of its specifications and features, you can brace yourself adequately for audience engagement. They should understand the product concept pretty easily. For doing this, you might have to interact with your development team. The success rate gets unstable if you proceed with an unclear roadmap towards implementation of your app concept. Your application needs to clearly define its purpose, functionality, and utility for greater ease of end users.
You can ask the App development companies for a prototype. This will help you in being on the same page as that of the developers. The interactive demo of the mobile app prototype portrays the functionality, design and user flow of the application. The prototype can serve as a powerful tool which can showcase your app idea to probable investors during the nascent stage of development.
Smartphone app development companies suggest preparing a budget containing requisite financial allocations. This can be of great help whether you are seeking out the assistance of a financer or arranging the funds by yourself. You need to consider the purpose and functionality of the application, devices, and platforms it supports as well as its integration with the hardware features of smartphone prior to taking budgetary calls.
Security serves as a pivotal part in applications which collects user data. You need to discuss the same with the developers for mitigating all sorts of risks. Your end users need to feel safe while using your application. Hence, you need to verify the practices followed by your developers for data protection.
Most of the applications rely on Internet connectivity for unleashing their fullest potential. Thus, it becomes necessary to pre-determine instances wherein your users will have to access data on offline mode. This can have a deep impact on your development strategy.
Extremely valuable data can be leveraged from your application. Hence, you need to ensure that inbuilt app analytics is supported by your developers. You can focus your marketing efforts toward lucrative results by determining your target users. App analytics can also ensure the usability and functionality of your application by providing adequate guidance regarding future app updates.
Highly engaging mobile applications impart optimum importance to the user experience. Hence, small business houses need to decide on the choice of platform with utmost caution. Various choices like iOS, Android and Windows can make your decision confusing. However, you need to consider your target audience before deciding on the platform. Native app development relies on specific technologies like Swift and Java for the best iOS app development software and Android platform.
Your application will need to undergo routine maintenance such as bug fixes in the post-launch session. Hence you need to decide on the level of support required out of the developers following the app launch.
If you wish to outsource the task of app development, then you need to look for a developer who clearly comprehends your requirements. It is advisable to opt for developers residing in your region. This can be of great assistance in avoiding communication gap. Prior to conferring responsibilities, you need to carry out a background before hire android app developer. The vision of your company and the zeal of your developer will come together to determine the efficiency of your app.
Both the physical and technical attributes of an app come together to determine its success. Users feel more connected to the brand if the app has a relevant description, title, complimentary icon and guiding screenshots. Apart from being user-friendly, the application needs to have eye-catching fonts and patterns. You can also increase user engagement by linking the app preview video to your landing page. This serves as a great means of advertising for the services provided.
You can re-engage your target users with a robust marketing plan. Small businesses often make the mistake of initiating the marketing plan after completing with app development. Before successful apps reach the app store, they undergo adequate promotion. Hence, you need to pick up a launch date and plan the development timeline around the same.
App development undergoes the intricate stages of planning and decision making. Just one wrong decision can lead to irreparable damage in this expensive endeavour. You can, however, overcome the same efficiently coupled with this checklist.
My name is Hemendra Singh. I am Managing Director and co-founder of The NineHertz, a Mobile App and Web Development Company. My ideology is that a clear vision and hard...
