6 tips for a great app building process
This is the time when both established companies, as well as new entrepreneurs, take the chance to try out their business ideas in the form of a Proof of Concept or as a viable app. Apps can be either used as the core of their idea or to attract customers & run part of their business process.
But the problem here is you might be confident about the business idea, but you may not be able to find a strategy on how to build, test its viability, attract early adopters and make traction. And if you’re not that familiar about tech, you probably want to work with an agency to take care of the technical part. But it can be hard to know where to begin and to make sure that the end product is the app in your mind.
A great product comes from good collaboration, understanding, empathy, result-oriented approach and passion to build the best!
Here are the few key steps to take while taking your app idea to the next level:
1. Do research & have good knowledge about the industry you are going to enter
Once you have a good app idea, don’t directly call some people and discuss it. Take some time to research whether someone else is already in that space and whether people will want to use your product. Good user research can help you make a clear idea and don’t waste your development time. Also, tell it to people whom you can trust and will give you very genuine feedback about it — most people will tell you if they’re already using something similar. You can ask whether they will use your solution or not for a specific need and why.
Research the industry if you’re not already very familiar with it. It’s very important to have knowledge of your targeted user and the problems they have in that industry. If you know the problems that they are facing and how certain workflows happen in their domain you can tailor a custom experience for those users.
2. Figure out how your idea is different and it’s business plan
Research the competition. Not to beat them, but to make sure you’re not building something useful and not already being served. If similar apps exist, make notes of how your product will be different. If you know this, you can focus on those features which help you sell the app to potential users easily.
Have a plan for funding your product from the beginning itself. Research funding options, bootstrapping till a stage, crowdfunding, making a viable prototype and raising through an investor, product pitching and other ways to raise the money you need.
And think about business plan and monetisation too. It’s important to think how you’re going to make money from the app unless its a hobby project. There are different ways of monetization for apps these days like commissions, advertising, charging for use etc. Don’t think you will figure it out later. It’s a must that you incorporate it into the planning for your app.
3. Have an open mind and be involved in the whole process
When you take user feedback and talk to a lot of people, it might end up becoming a different product from what you thought. We meet entrepreneurs with great ideas but don’t know how software can solve their problem. That’s where we come in!
And with our knowledge, we often suggest features that our clients haven’t thought of. So don’t be too strict on your ideas of what the product should look like. At every step of the process, the product will change and evolve. So be engaging and get involved in the whole process and make a product together with your tech team. We love when clients are involved, give good feedback, share ideas, and continuously research on it.
We want to collaborate on projects because we believe that the combination of your and our knowledge can create the best possible product. But that requires that you spend time working with us. Don’t just hand off a brief and expect to come back and pick up a finished product.
4. Trust your agency/ team
Find an agency that is a good culture fit for you. When developers or designers tell you that something would be the best solution for your project, it’s important that you trust their judgement. They may genuinely want to help and are invested in your project is successful.
You need to stay flexible and trust the learning process as we work, get feedback and continue improving the product. They may be able to work with you & produce something better than you actually thought of.
5. Slowly develop a marketing plan
Marketing is another important factor. There is a saying that if a product is good enough, it will market itself. But it will not happen always. You have to showcase it and share in on the necessary channels. It is good to think of marketing the app from the early stages of development itself. It’s really important to think about how you’re going to get the app into the hands of customers. A lot of people release an app in the app store and wait for the customers to come, but that’s usually not going to work. Think about how you’re going to get the word out before you even start building, and how best to communicate to your chosen target market.
6. Enjoy the process
As you start working with people and agencies, the collaboration grows. Make sure that you work with a team that sees the product through your eyes, think from the customer view and support you build the product which is best for the market. When we do the prototype, design UI/UX, develop, maintenance and iterate, the product gets better over time.
Good luck building your app! And if you are looking for an experienced team to work with, let’s chat!
Original post: https://www.stunntech.com/blog/31/6-tips-for-a-great-app-building-process
More about us: https://www.stunntech.com/
