1. The planning phase of an app
Defining the idea
Start by clearly defining the idea behind the app. Create a list of reasons why you are creating the app and what you hope to accomplish by doing so. Next, describe the app, the target audience, what it is for, who will use it, why they will use it and so on… Take your time and make sure you have all the answers to your questions.
Once you’re done, conduct some basic market research to discover if there are similar apps or competitors that you should be aware of.
Matching features and users
OK, so you’re ready to begin development. Now you’ll need to focus on the most important features of your app.
First of all, write down all the features you want the app to have, then prioritize them according to the different user groups and target audience. In order to understand your target audience you will need to get a clear picture of who they are. This includes finding out their age, location, gender, where they’ll use the app, when, how and if they are willing to pay for apps.
After identifying the different types of users, match them with the right features. Use mockups and iPhone/Android sketches to design the look and feel of the app.
2. The importance of graphics, user experience and user interface
Apps are all about the user experience and user interface (UX and UI). Most apps don’t invest enough in their design and as a result end up as clutter in the marketplace.
As a simple rule of thumb, if it’s not easy and fun to use, people will not use it! Use an experienced UX/UI designer along with a top notch graphic designer – it will improve your app and increase the chances of success.
Before beginning the design, go back to the research you made and learn from competitors and similar apps, making sure to differentiate your app from the others.
3. The key to user engagement
One of the biggest challenges in app creation after getting the user to try your app is for them to keep using it. It is therefore important to keep users engaged.
Social media integration such as Facebook and Twitter are key. It allows users to create wall posts, status updates, upload pictures, find friends, tweet and feel connected. While this keeps users engaged it also helps to spread the word .
Analyzing user behavior
In order to find out more about the user who downloaded your app, e.g. find out where they come from, what phone and operating system they prefer and which features are most important to them, tools such as Apsalar (www.apsalar.com) can come in handy. Apsalar allows app publishers to analyze users and their behavior.
Updates are another way of engaging the user. Whenever they’re being asked to update their app; it’ll be perceived as often used and updated in response to user feedback.
Push notifications are another tool to engage with users. But this tool needs to be used carefully – less is more. Too many notifications will cause users to either turn off the push option or even delete the app.
Push notifications can be valuable and welcomed by the user if they provide insightful information. Allow the user to choose when to get notifications and make sure they have a choice between options such as quiet time, alerts types and sound. Push notifications can also be turned into “social” features by linking them e.g. to Facebook in order to find friends, invite them to a game, post or comment on something. This creates further engagement and word of mouth.
Build your app so you’ll be able to change content, alerts and any information sent to the user dynamically. Using a backend solution (server side) that includes a content management system makes content creation and updating within the app easy and more flexible.
4. Ensuring easy and smart development processes
There are many smart tools and services for developers out there which can be used to ease a developer’s workload and make development processes more efficient and financially rewarding.
App developers, are likely to already know which client side technology they are about to use. Make sure it’s the right one for you; it is easy to use and covers all the features planned for the app.
Every app needs a server side. Choose one that allows you to create databases, objects, use a content management system (CMS) etc. and has an easy to use user interface. Make sure that your backend is able to grow with the app and adjusts according to performance needs and app usage. We provide such a server side backend solution called Applicasa (www.applicasa.com).
So you have everything ready for upload and you’re asking: “how do I make money out of it?” There are a few options:
A free version of the app. Free versions are easy to sell (well it’s free after all) and can boost an app’s download rate.
Once users “fall in love” with the app you now have a user base or audience. This audience can be leveraged in many ways for financial gain. Some examples include click through ads, mobile payment solutions, selling in app goods, click through promotions or simply commanding a price for your app based on the success and feedback thus far.
Advertisements are another solution for monetization. Developers should make sure they use in-app ads wisely and are relevant to the user. One tool to ensure ads are targeted is InnerActive, a location based ads toolkit. Location based ad services recognize where the user is and displays content relevant to the city or venue. This will ensure app users don’t get spammed with irrelevant content and app developers don’t waste their chances for financial rewards.
Paid for App
If you’ve planned for your app to be a paid for, there are some great toolkits helping you to set the app up with in-app payment services which are fast, easy to use and secure plus aggregates various payment sources, such as credit cards and PayPal. One of these mobile payments software development kits (SDK) is offered by Zooz. ZooZ enables developers to quickly and easily add checkout and payment services on mobile devices to their app, which include secure payment features.
This is just a selection of options that exist for making profits from apps, what is most important is to remember: No app will be used and/or make money unless it’s fun to use and serves a purpose.