Tips for Developing a Successful Mobile App
Seems there’s an app for everything. And why not? Mobile apps are a fun way to keep your brand in front of customers, and when done right, they make people’s lives easier. If you’re considering developing a new mobile app, here are a few tips from our app development team to make it successful.
Identify the problem to solve.
Start any app development plan by talking to your audience. Get their help identifying a need or want directly related to your brand that you can solve with your app. If they can’t identify the problem you hope your app will solve, it’s not likely to succeed no matter how flashy you make it.
Keep it simple.
Focus on doing one thing really well—store locator, photo gallery, quick product lookup or what have you—rather than trying to solve everything. Remember that your app isn’t a replacement for your website.
Make the launch time short.
Mobile apps are meant to be used on the go. Users intend to jump in and out of them quickly, and no one likes waiting for them to open. Program your app to open quickly and efficiently, and your users will thank you.
Test well before you release.
Schedule time into your project plan for a full round of testing. Bugs are inevitable and you don’t want your customers to be the ones reporting them to you. Release the app only when you’re satisfied that you’re giving your customers a great experience.
Get the word out.
If you’ve created something cool and useful, tell people! It doesn’t matter how great your app is if no one knows it exists. Submit it to iTunes or Google Play (as appropriate), throw a release party, and advertise it with download links on your website.
Be the most frequent user of your app.
If you’re not using the app yourself, are you sure you developed something truly useful? The more you use the app yourself and show it to others, the more likely it is to be successful. And using it may give you insights into how you can improve it in the next version.
For inspiration, view some of the mobile apps we’ve created—and good luck developing your next app!
