How To Turn Your Mobile App Into A Successful Business

It is far too difficult to gain a competitive edge and secure a position in every market under the sun in a world where hundreds of thousands of applications and startups appear, if not every hour, then at least every couple of hours. Even so, anything is possible if you have a fantastic product, a strong business plan, and methods for marketing your concept. Do you want to know how to create a mobile app that is worth your money? This guide has been created for those with a vision for a successful digital enterprise in 2022 and the mobile app development industry.

According to statistics, for Q1 2022, there were approximately 1.5 million abandoned apps in Google Play and the App Store. Hearing this news is tragic. The market, on the other hand, is enormous and is projected to grow to $935 billion by 2023.

Fortunately, with this article at your disposal, you can get your fair share and be able to:

Increases the likelihood that your mobile app will succeed

Avoid the main pitfalls when developing mobile apps.

The development of a mobile application with a large user base and high user retention.

After reading, you'll learn all there is to know about coming up with app ideas and developing mobile apps.

Characteristics Of A Great Mobile Application

Let's first define what makes a good mobile app. What are the factors and measurements that require the most attention? A great app offers a faultless user experience, top performance, and the ability to address some pain points.

Look at the following characteristics that the majority of top-performing digital products share:

• Offer a definite remedy
• But only one thing well
• Deliver a lot of value to the intended audience
• Are straightforward in how they work.
• Maintain security and high performance
• Update frequently and fix bugs
• Provide a customized experience
• Even some offer offline functionality
• Many are given away for free, at least initially.

As a result, the foundation of any successful digital business must be a high-quality product. Second, it's important to include well-planned mobile app development and marketing strategies to improve your chances of a successful app launch.

Keep these things in mind as the guide's subsequent sections go over each step you must take to create app ideas that users will love.

Create A Mobile Application That Fixes A Problem

Many aspiring business owners, including those who are developing mobile apps, undervalue the value of the research. They firmly believe in the concepts of their app. But without market feedback, a clear niche, and a clear vision, this is akin to shooting a bullet into thin air.

The following three steps can be combined into the thorough research that is required to be done to create a mobile app that will make you money.

Market Research For The Development Of A Mobile App

The exclusion of market demand is the number one reason startups fail, making up 42% of cases. Thus, the initial objective is to understand the market need, fulfill it with your offering, and choose the right market and target audience.

You may already have some experience and distinct knowledge in some spheres. Alternatively, you can find a partner who has the necessary expertise and knows the potential problems people face in a particular area.

First, If you have any app ideas, start by evaluating the market viability of each one.

To determine the marketing strategy in this situation, perform a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats). The startup can assess current advantages to achieve the desired goal while lowering risks and overcoming market challenges.

By looking into the external environment (political, economic, social, and legal factors) and better evaluating the risks each industry or market possesses, the PEST scheme complements this research.

You can use Porter's Five Forces model to analyze the level of competition in the industry where you want to introduce your project.

You can define your target customer profile and choose your niche in this way. For instance, where there are fewer potential customers, you can concentrate on a niche market like scuba divers, professional photographers, or expectant mothers. By doing it this way, as opposed to a more general app concept, you won't face a lot of competition.

Second, if you're out of app ideas, research the market to find a problem that needs to be solved. After that, assess your direct and indirect rivals.

By doing so, you will comprehend the state of the market at the moment, its ideas, how people deal with their issues, and ultimately, what might be your best offering.

How To Create A Mobile App With Additional Value?

Start by focusing on adding value rather than money. Most of the apps that have been a huge hit were created to address a problem, and only after that did they gain traction with users and start earning a million dollars.

The following list of tips will help you polish the idea for your app:

• Ask people how they use their connected devices (smartphones, home assistants, tablets, etc.) and what apps they like and dislike to start.
• You might be surprised by how many things still need to be changed to make it easier to perform personal or professional tasks if you try using your mobile device and record your experience.
• Check out forums, relevant blogs, and social media to see what people are talking about and what pains they are experiencing. Look for gaps and blank spaces.
• To learn about market trends, attend hackathons and software development meetups.
• Compile data on which app ideas receive the most funding.
• Examine existing projects by browsing app stores; while you cannot clone an existing app, you can still offer a similar app with enhanced functionality and fresh features.
• Improve the app experience by learning the most frequently used features and considering how to make them better, or look for new ways for users to use their mobile devices (such as a scanner, compass, flashlight, etc.).
• Learn outside of app stores by going to the market and conducting surveys and polls among a chosen group of individuals.
• Dream bigger and use your imagination more broadly because the best app ideas are forward-thinking and innovative. You can predict and lay the groundwork for future innovation (such as AR and VR, machine learning, and AI) even if you start simply.
• Even the most ridiculous ideas should be drawn out and written down; keep track of them and put them down on paper right away so you won't forget them later.

In conclusion, you will undoubtedly develop a distinct app idea that stands out by fusing your knowledge, analysis from online research, and market analysis findings.

Plan Your Mobile App Development Strategy

The next step is to summarize your digital business strategy after defining the main issue your app will address.

Plan Your App's Revenue

Determining your monetization strategy is also necessary. Offering your product for free at first is a good idea, at least in part to attract the initial user base. Then, by choosing one or more options, you can decide how to generate income, specifically:

• Displaying advertisements
• Paid download, such as installing the app for $0.99
• Freemium in-app purchase model with opportunities to sell virtual or tangible goods, bonuses, and ad blocking
• The weekly, monthly, or yearly subscription fee
• E-commerce and retail - the sale of products through apps
• Affiliate and sponsorship programs are forms of referral marketing that can help other companies connect with customers.

The best tool to use for this step is the Business Model Canvas, which also provides a summary of the earlier points. The model has nine areas that you must complete with strategic plans, including:

• Important stakeholders and partners who help you launch your app
• Important procedures for managing your digital business daily
• The essential tools knowledge, means, people, money, etc. needed to create a mobile application and support business operations
• Value proposition, also known as an app's special selling points or the main solution it offers
• Customer service examples, first-user interactions with an app, and ways to foster loyalty
• Customer segments - buyer persona portraits
• Channels - methods for getting your mobile app solution in front of users
• Key cost components of the cost structure based on important activities and resources
• Streams of income: monetization tactics

Once you dwell on these points, you are ready to go with a real mobile app development process.

Select And Work With The Right Vendor To Create A Mobile App

Another crucial choice to be made is the software development company. You can look for a regional supplier, outsource your mobile app development work, or hire a freelancer.

For each variant, consider the following points:

• Local businesses offer high-quality development services, but the hourly rates are much higher in the local economy (for example, in the USA).
• Offshore agencies - offer lower rates while maintaining a high level of service quality (e.g., in the Eastern European or Asian region)
• On a freelance platform like UpWork or Freelancer.com, developers should charge a reasonable rate. It is challenging to identify a good programmer and to highlight the risks of delayed delivery, information leaks, and other issues.

In general, outsourcing your IT is the most economical way to create a mobile app because there is less chance that you will receive a subpar product. You can save up to 50% of your budget this way. It is only necessary to locate an experienced and trustworthy vendor.

So what factors should you take into account when selecting a software company to develop your mobile app? The following items must be taken into consideration when assessing the mobile app development vendor:

Prototyping A Mobile App And UX/UI Design

A UX/UI design is the first actual stage of creating a mobile app. It should be easy to use, appealing to your target market, and simple. The following sub-stages could also be included in the creation of the app:

• App prototyping is the process of creating a high-level version of a product that can be tested on users to determine which version works best.
• App wireframes - define the user experience that serves as the app's skeleton, map out its functionality, and include a set number of screens, the placement of elements, and buttons, as well as define how the app is navigated.
• The chosen stylistics, color schemes, and visual components of an app are represented by the app interface.
• The branding department creates the app's logo and supporting materials like a brand book.

Because it lays the groundwork for subsequent stages of mobile app development, investing in app design is worthwhile. It's crucial to adhere to platform standards (such as those for iOS and Android), prioritize logical gestures, and place an emphasis on the aesthetics of the app. It is necessary to: 

• To increase the likelihood of producing a mobile app with excellent design.
• Use tools that are designed for professionals, such as Figma, Sketch, InDesign, fluid UI, Balsamiq Mockups, Gliffy, and MockFlow.
• Define all potential in-app flow use cases and the underlying processes.
• Make a few screen flows and determine which ones are most effective.
• Apply the 2-tap and 5-point rules, which dictate that once the app is opened, it should only take 2 taps to achieve the desired result and contain up to 5 different design elements (fonts, sizes, and colors).
• Review the screens' sizing and placement.

Even though it might take some time, the UX/UI design process is useful in choosing the best app layout and navigation that emphasizes the app's solution from the very first use. Testing the usability and interface of the app among the identified target audience is the smart course of action. For instance, if the app is intended to be used in clinics by the older generation, its design (clickable prototype) needs to be carefully evaluated by these users for its clarity, user-friendliness, and appearance.

Additionally, a well-thought-out app design can save thousands of dollars during the development stage. During this stage of developing a mobile app, mistakes cost much less.

The actual app coding phase begins after the app's UX/UI design has been approved. A mobile app can be created in a variety of ways, such as native or cross-platform methods.

Here are the benefits and drawbacks of each of the above options:

Native App Development

An app is fully compliant with an operating system (iOS or Android) if using this method. In this way, apps are developed separately for each OS using the appropriate programming languages (Java or Kotlin for Android, Objective-C, or Swift for iOS).

Native apps can utilize a device's features like the camera, contacts, GPS, memory, etc., and are completely integrated with it. Additionally, custom apps can add sophisticated and distinctive features and are typically faster, safer, and easier to scale.

Hybrid App Development

If you choose to create a hybrid app, it will be cross-platform and compatible with various operating systems. It is primarily a website with app shield protection on top. A hybrid app can be created using many different technologies, including JavaScript, React, PhoneGap, Ionic, Flutter, Xamarin, etc.

Since this kind of app takes less time to develop, it should also be less expensive. Contrarily, these apps might make concessions in terms of appearance and performance, making it more difficult to implement complex functionality and provide straightforward project support.

In conclusion, a lot depends on the app's concept, intended functionality, and chosen strategy. In general, creating native mobile apps is advised because they offer more advantages. Hybrid app development, however, may occasionally be a wise course of action, particularly when testing your app concept.

In addition, you should evaluate third-party services and analytics for integration before the mobile app development stage starts (e.g., Google Analytics, Flurry, Mixpanel, etc.). These tools are used to gather app performance metrics and data for app improvement and ongoing development. These factors may also have an impact on how you create mobile applications.

Launch Your App In The App Store

Creating a mobile app prototype first and testing it with actual users before releasing it to the app store is a good strategy. By doing so, you can prevent more serious errors, gather user feedback, and make the necessary corrections.

Making the app public is a significant step into the real world, so you must ensure that every last detail follows your plan. The following is a list of the details you need to be aware of:

• Check whether an app has been thoroughly tested and is bug-free.
• Verify the app's security to ensure effective server protection and data storage.
• Verify an app's adherence to the standards of the Google Play store or the Apple store.
• Control whether your app complies with market regulations, such as GDPR in the case of the European market, privacy policies, and terms of service.

When releasing a mobile app to a live environment, a strong plan, schedule, and control are required. One of the most important aspects of the phase that your software development vendor needs to cover is the protection and integrity of the core system component.

Get The App Promotion Started Early

Your marketing efforts begin to take center stage as soon as your app is uploaded to the store. Planning and scheduling a mobile app's promotion is necessary for addition to developing it for 3-6 months. Your app will get lost among the hundreds of other apps in the app store if you are not well-prepared.

The procedure could involve, but is not restricted to:

Based on appropriate positioning, keyword targeting, and app descriptions, ASO (app store optimization) makes sure that the intended user can find your application.

• AppBrain, SlideMe, AppsLib, and other alternative app stores have published the app.
• Creating an email list of potential customers by placing a subscription button on your previously created landing page.
• Paid app promotion
• Work on various social network distribution channels and SMM tactics
• Work with the media to raise awareness of the benefits that your app offers.
• Contacts bloggers and industry influencers to encourage them to recommend the application to their audience
• PreApps, a community of early adopters of new applications, accepts app listings.
• If you decide to have a website and a corporate blog, use SEO strategies.
• App listing on platforms for mobile app reviews
• consultations with marketing and public relations firms

Metrics For Mobile Apps & Continuing Project Support

Your app has been successfully launched and promoted. Next, what? You must advance and enhance your mobile application. Analytics must be incorporated into mobile app development. User retention and app loyalty will increase with regular updates, feature innovation, and personalization.

The KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) You Should Monitor

• Mobile downloads and installations are a general sign of how well-liked an app is.
• One of the most important metrics, retention rate, displays the number of users who use the app again after their initial use.
• Showcase the number of daily app users; the same parameter can be checked each month.
• Churn rate, which tracks users' abandonment of an app after initial use, is the opposite metric of retention.
• Measure the app's earnings from each user by calculating the average revenue per user.
• User lifetime value (LTV) measures revenue per user, taking into account potential future earnings.
• Cost per acquisition (CPA) demonstrates how much it costs to acquire a single new app user.

Making the best choices as you continue to develop a mobile app requires keeping up with market trends and your product's performance. Mobile app development and its support involve ongoing efforts to increase quality, decrease bugs and errors, expand functionality, and enhance app design.

Final Ideas For The Development Of Mobile Apps

Overall, a successful app offers just one service but stands out for being distinctive, well-designed, and performant.

The following is a summary of the main concepts discussed:

• Determine your areas of strength and expertise so you can build your app.
• Analyze the market and TA (helpful models include SWOT, Porter's Five Forces, and PEST)
• Establish a clear direction and strategy for your digital business (use the Business Model Canvas).
• Hire a team of software developers with the necessary skills and knowledge (you may want to consider IT outsourcing to Eastern Europe or Asia due to their superior price/quality ratio).
• Spend money on developing appropriate UX/UI design, then test it with TA
• Utilize the most appropriate tech stack and tools when implementing the application.
• Launch marketing campaigns early (ASO, paid ads, SEO, SMM tactics, etc.).
• Regularly assess the app's performance and update it.

Therefore, it's important to comprehend the problems users face every day and find effective ways to solve them to come up with app ideas and build a mobile app that users will love. In addition, ongoing innovation and app improvement will keep users engaged with your digital product.

A strong mobile app is a powerful marketing tool. A fantastic mobile app makes your business stand out from rivals. We explain the need for mobile app development for your company.