Do you have an app idea that you want to turn into reality?
Whether what you have in mind is small or the next million-dollar app, developing an app is exciting! But this excitement can easily turn into intimidation if you delve into it without any prior knowledge of the process.
So, before jumping into the app development realm, there are a few important things to consider.
Get your priorities straight
The first real struggle with developing an app is identifying the main functionalities to include. While you might have an app idea with a lot of features, this could potentially hinder the time that it takes to get it developed.
It’s essential to prioritise the features that are necessary for your app to not only save you money but also end up with a product with great features that stand out. The easier it is for your end-users to identify the functionalities, the more likely they are to come back.
Prioritising based on the MoSCoW method is effective for identifying the Minimum Viable Product. Here, you can separate your features into Must Have, Should Have, Could Have, and Won’t Have.
From the ground up
Mockups are there to help you envision the final product. They are an undervalued part of the process in terms of constructing the overall user interface and experience (UI/UX).
There are three distinguishable design iterations (See image above). Wireframes are the barebones design layouts, that you can sketch out with pen and paper to help identity what each screen of your app could potentially look like and their functionalities.
The next stage is the mockup designs, typically a high fidelity iteration of the wireframes. In this stage, you can visually create the app using design tools and can start fiddling around with the look and feel. This includes the colour theme, button placements, spacing, and navigation.
Prototypes are a great way to test the functionality of the app. Not only does it give you an indication of what the end product will be like, but will also assist in discovering issues early in the development cycle.
Building collaboratively
From start to finish, it is imperative that you maintain constant communication between you and the developers. This is a risk-managed development approach, where an open dialogue will ensure that throughout the whole development process, decisions are evaluated.
This means any feedback, issues, or concerns should be raised early and often from both parties. This ensures that any potential risks throughout the development process are managed.
Get the word out
9,999 in 10000 apps released are likely to fail. There are many reasons for this and will vary from app to app. But there are some reoccurring pitfalls that no app is safe from.
The first being a poor launch due to poor marketing and research. While at this stage you might have a robust application with all the bells and whistles, it does not necessarily guarantee success.
Over a third of App development companies (35%) dedicate 31-50% of their total app development budget to marketing; 21% dedicate 51-70% of their budget to marketing. - App Developer Magazine
This makes marketing and research into your end-users an integral part of the success of your app. So make sure you get the word out about your idea.
Maintenance
Another reason why most apps fail and end up in the app store graveyard is due to a lack of maintenance. Once your app is in the app store, it’s vital to continually update and maintain it throughout its life cycle.
The purpose of maintenance is to ensure that the app is updated so that it works as expected and is compatible with the latest versions of the operating systems that it supports. Stay engaged with users and listen to valuable feedback to discover new issues that arise or even new features to include that were suggested.
Experts in App Development
At Fonseka Innovations, we have an expert team of designers, digital marketers, and developers. We run workshops to help you hone in on your app idea and ultimately turn it into reality. We can assist in building custom and robust applications from the ground up. From there, we will help your app grow and offer services to continue to maintain it from the point of its release.
