How to Make an App - What No One Told You Before You Started

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You have an app idea and can’t wait to start building it. You have also found out all you could about how to make an app.

But before you start investing money on the idea and going on about hiring app development service from a well-known agency, wait and read this article.

What are the things you don’t know about app building? How to make turn your idea to be successful?

You know that when you have an idea of an app, you can build it yourself, or maybe get an experienced team to build it for you. But is that all?

How are you going to get a return of your investment? How do you build your app that is going to make you profit?

So How to Make an App? Key Things To Know About

Creating an app is not easy. The best way to go on about the process of building is to ask yourself and others some important questions besides the generic how to create an app.

Here is a brief rundown of all the steps of developing an app.

Go through a proper idea validation process
Understanding your Target Audience
Research your market competition
Understanding the cost structure of your app
Going for a business model to make the app
Fixing the app features and the wireframes
Choosing the right app development partner
Fixing the App development platform to build
Designing the UI UX of the app
Fixing the Device adaptability
The size of your app- how it should be
Need for app localization
Testing, testing, and testing
Launching and marketing of your app
Fixing the app description
Maintenance and upkeep

You can find plenty of answers to all these questions online, but they are all in a very fragmental and scattered style. Here we are going to give you answers to all the questions you may have about how to create an app in a comprehensive manner.

1. Why Should You Build An App?

Why do you want to create an app?

You have a simple answer for this, “because I have an idea for an app.” But is that answer good enough?

Before starting, you need to know that just because your idea sounds good theoretically, does not mean it is going to be awesome. It needs to have a value proposition for its users.

Source: https://bradchattergoon.com/what-is-value-b9df225f7d08

So before you really get into it, look at the idea and then look at it again. Analyze the idea and find out why this project is really needed out there. What problem is it going to solve? How is it going to help the people out there

You also need to look at the logistics side of the idea. How is the idea going to be translated into the application? How will it make you money? Only after you’ve done a complete evaluation of your idea should you go ahead with your idea.

2. Who Is Your Target Audience? Have You Made A List?

Every answer related to how to build an app online has the topic of target audience related to it. So who is the target audience?

Those who are going to use your app?

Understanding your target audience before you start building your app is one of the most important steps. This will help you understand what features you need in your app. It will also help you to choose a platform? Based on that you can ask the following questions

How to make an app for iPhone? Or, how to make an app for Android?

For example, if you are building an e-commerce app for a makeup company, your target audience is going to be mostly women. Knowing this, it will be easier for you to optimize your app according to their need.

Understanding the target audience is also important for figuring out what kind of monetization model you need to choose. Knowing your target audience means also knowing how they are going to pay and how you can generate revenue from them.

In brief, knowing your target audience means knowing how to build an app that everyone loves.

3. Why Do You Need To Research Your Competition?

Today no idea is unique.

Just when you are thinking “I have an idea for an app”, someone somewhere is probably developing it.

So, how to make your app unique?

The answer to the question, how to build an app that is unique is easy- you look into the competition in the market. See what they are doing, if you have to, use their app for a while. Do a complete and thorough analysis of what they are doing and how they are doing it.

And then think of how you can do it differently and more efficiently.

The users out there don’t need two same apps. So in order to really sell your app, you need to make it as unique as possible.

Try to understand the pain points of the user, and analyze how your competition is solving that problem. And then figure out how you can solve that same problem in a better and unique way.

4. What Is Cost Structure And Why Should You Know About It?

Nothing in this world is free, and the same thing is true for your app.

So just as you are thinking “I have an idea for an app.” you also need to think, “how much is it going to cost to build the app?”

Building an app takes money. Whether you are going to hire the services of an experienced app development company, or doing it yourself with some of your buddies. The question you are probably asking is how much is it going to cost to make your own app?

That depends.

It is a vague answer, but it is true. The cost of building your app depends on your idea. Below are the three factors on which the cost of building your app depends.

Functionality and Complexity

The more complex your app is, the more money it will take to build.

Something simple- like a to-do list app is going to cost less than a complex gaming app.

Your idea may be simple, but you may also want your app to be full of simple little features. This will increase the cost of development. Even though today app developers are more efficient in delivering the project with a wide range of convenient features. It is still a better idea for you to go with MVP (Minimum Viable Product) for that first version of the app. You can add more features as you go on.

Device and Platform

The technical aspect of what kind of app you are building is going to affect the costing.

At first, you have to decide whether you want a native app, which will be installed directly into an Android or an iOS device. Or you can choose to build a hybrid app, which runs directly on a device’s browser, regardless of the operating system.

Whatever you decide, is going to play a major role in determining the development cost. App development for different platforms like Android and iOS takes a different amount of money. So choosing the device is important if you want to determine your app-building cost.

On the other hand, you may want your app to be suitable for more than one platform. Building an app simultaneously for more than one platform is going to raise the cost of app building.

The Deadline to Build An App

When do you want the app?

The timeline or the deadline is going to be important in determining the cost of the app. You may want the app in a few weeks or a few months.

But how is the timeline relevant to the app building cost?

The longer it takes in app building, the more money it will cost you. Which means that you should have the app built as soon as possible right?

If you rush through the development process, it is actually going to cost you more money in the long term. So how long should it really take?

You need to find a sweet spot between the timeline. Taking too long or too short a time is going to raise the cost of the app. If you rush the developer team, then not only will your app quality suffer, but you’ll also have to pay the team rush charges to deliver the project in a short amount of time.

So make sure to set a reasonable timeline for your app to be developed if you want to keep the cost reasonable.

5. Do You Need A Business Model? Which One to Go For?

What is the business model?

When you are building an app startup, you need to implement a business model. This will help you to make money. But how are you going to make money with your business model?

There are a number of business models you can apply to monetize your apps. Some of the most popular ones are

Freemium

It is one of the most popular business models when it comes to monetizing your apps. With freemium, you are offering the user a limited version of your app. If they want full access, they would have to pay.

It is better than putting a price on your app from the get-go, because then people may not even give your app a chance. With the Freemium model, users can at least check out your app before deciding whether they want to keep using it or not.

There are two ways you can make money with this technique, firstly through a subscription basis. And secondly, through a one-time payment basis.

With one-time payment basis, your users are going to pay once to get access to all the exclusive content on your app. And with monthly subscription technique is going to earn you a steady stream of revenue through monthly payments.

Source: https://sweetpricing.com/blog/2017/01/freemium-mobile-apps/

In-app Purchases

With in-app purchases, you can give your users a chance to buy virtual goods. This model is widely used by various gaming apps, but apps such as Radish fiction has also implemented this technique. You can buy virtual coins on Radish fiction with which you can unlock new chapters of books.

Paid Apps

One of the simplest ways of monetizing your idea, paid apps are very popular among app owners. By charging the users one time when they are downloading and installing the app, you can earn revenue.

But to get significant revenue this way, you have to have a wide base of the user, which can be a little problematic for the startups.

6. What App Feature Do You Really Need? Are You Feeling Overwhelmed?

After looking at solutions for how to build an app, make a list of the features you want your app to have.

But before you even think about how to develop your own app with the maximum feature on the first version, STOP.

Don’t try to aim for as many features as possible on the very first version. It is very unrealistic of you to want your app to have tons of feature on the first launch. Try to send out an MVP with essential features that are going to help you in getting more users and revenues. These features can be –

Push notifications

One of the most efficient ways of building a connection with your users, push notifications are necessary for your app. Whether you have a reminder app or an e-commerce app, push notifications can reach out to your users, telling them about new features, updates, exclusive deals, etc. Push notifications can be used very efficiently to generate more revenues from users.

Real-time sync

If you have a website, and an app based on it, it is necessary you have real-time sync on your app.

The feature of auto syncing is going to sync all the user information over all platforms. Specifically important in e-commerce apps, the real-time sync feature makes sure that users have a similar experience throughout all the platforms.

Security updates

There are going to be security problems with your apps whether you like it or not. Even the most famous social media Facebook has gone through security breaches. So it is quite possible that your app might go through that as well.

Which is the reason why you absolutely have to have the feature of a security update from day one of app launch. Your app is obviously going to collect some user data to work. You need to make sure that these user data are safe and not used by anyone with malicious intent.

Making your app a safe place for your users are going to get your app more followers and users. So figure out all the ways you can make your app secure.

7. Choosing The Right Team To Build Your App

Now that you have the features picked out for your app, you need to pick the right team to build your app.

If your company is a global multinational company then you probably have your own in-house development team. But if you are just a small startup, you have a choice to make.

You can hire freelancers who would develop your app at a lower price. When you hire freelancers, you have fewer people to communicate with and the process moves faster.

As for hiring an agency for the app building, it is a bit pricey, but the end result is going to be of good quality. App development agencies have more experience and more specialization. Along with that, when you hire an app development agency, they will work on several parts of the project simultaneously, like the wireframing and the pre-launch marketing strategy making can be done simultaneously, which means the project will go faster.

8. What Platform Should You Choose?

Once again, we are back to the point of platforms- Android vs iOS.

Have you found out How to make your app for iPhone? Or do you need to find all about how to make an app for Android? To know the answer to this, you need to choose a platform first.

Currently Android and iOS are dominating the global smartphone market. So which one should you choose and why does it matter?

From a developmental point of view, it is easier and less time consuming to develop an app for iOS when compared to Android. Android’s open source project means that multiple manufacturers can make their own optimization to the OS and use it for their own smartphone brands.

Source: https://comtech2.com/android-vs-ios-app-development-app-startups-focus-ios-first/

Which is why there is a vast number of different Android phones in the market. And to make an Android app means to make it compatible with all of them. So it is going to take a lot of time to build your Android app.

iOS is a closed system, owned and used by Apple on their own devices. So when you choose iOS as your platform, there is not really any worries about different devices and their compatibilities. Your app only needs to be compatible with Apple devices.

Now you are probably thinking which platform is going to make you the most money.

Even though Android dominates the global market, it is iOS apps that make more money. The vast number of apps available for an Android user means they are more prone to find a free app than pay for one. iOS users, on the other hand, have no problem spending money over a quality app.

And as for the user count, Android definitely has more users than iOS, but when it comes to smartphone user market in the US, and Europe, there are more iPhone users than Android users.

Not to mention, there is an entire matter of wireframing. The wireframing process comes hand in hand with the platform choice making. Whichever platform you choose, the wireframe needs to be developed according to that platform.

The wireframing process is important for the later design and graphics process. It is the skeleton of your app and it needs to be built with care and precision. Choosing the platform will help you with that precision.

You can choose to develop your app for both platforms. But initially, you need to choose one platform which suits your immediate needs the best.

9. Should You Give Enough Attention to The Design And Layout?

To know how to develop an app that is going to be a wide success, you need to pay attention to the design and layout of the app.

Once the thought “I have an idea for an app” makes it in your head, you should start thinking about how that app is going to look.

The design and layout are going to create the first impression on your users, and first impressions matter more than you think.

The only thing you need to remember when it comes to the design and user interface is that it needs to be natural. There is no point in having an app with a hard to use interface. Your users are not going to spend time learning to use your app.

Source: https://dribbble.com/unifiedinfotech

It is important that your user can find stuff and use your app easily. You have to keep it as simple as you can, without adding too much on the screen. The clutter can encourage users to get rid of your app.

In today’s age of less is more, having a minimal design with a seamless experience is the way to get users to love your app. Don’t try to cram your app interface with icons and texts. Just keep it simple.

10. Should You Worry About Device Adaptability?

There is a large number of devices people can choose from these days. So device adaptability should be one of your top priority.

Users are going to use more than one device to access your app. So by making your app adaptable for multiple devices is going to expand your user base.

There are a couple of factors when it comes to device adaptability of your app that you need to keep in mind. These are-

screen size and resolution,
network bandwidth of different devices,
connectivity issues,
storage capacity
configuration details.

When you are trying to get your app suitable for a device, make sure to have a complete understanding of the functionality of the device before you start custom coding for it.

11. How Much Should The File Size Be?

No one wants to download and install an app that is too big in size.

Mobile phones may have become more improved over the ages, but they still don’t have as much space as a desktop computer. So making your app file size smaller is really going to pay off.

how to make an app and what should be the size

Source: https://sweetpricing.com/blog/2017/02/average-app-file-size/

Cutting down the amount of data consumed and the file size without hampering the experience should be your number one priority. Giving the users an app that has fast performance and small size means they will enjoy using your app for a longer time.

12. Should You Localize Your App?

Localization of your app means translating your app into multiple regional languages specific to different countries.

Localization of your app is a great way of getting global recognition. But what comes before localization?

Before you translate your app and localize it, you need to internationalize it. Internationalization is a process through which you optimize the code of your app so that it can be used globally. After that, you can go ahead with the localization of your app.

Localization is going to give you a larger base of users from different countries. But does your app need localization?

There is no point in making an app available in a different language if it is only solving the US-based problem. Your app has to have a global appeal to achieve success through localization.

13. What Is Even Beta Testing?

How to make a mobile app that satisfies your users?

Through beta testing.

Beta testing is having your final product tested by a group of experienced testers. Through beta testing, you can get an idea of how your app is working. You can also find out what other optimizations need to be done to make your app ready to be launched in the market.

It is crucial that you test and then retest your app before releasing it. With the help of an experienced team of beta testers, you can get important feedback on your app. This feedback is going to help you make your app better and user ready.

For a strong number of beta testers, you can choose services like BetaList, Betabound, and many more. These services are going to connect you with a strong team of public betas, giving you honest and useful feedback on your app.

14. How Is Marketing Important For Your App?

Just because you are thinking “I have an idea for an app, and it is so unique that it doesn’t need marketing.” does not mean it really does not need marketing.

Marketing your app is going to be more important than you think it is.

More often than not, app makers actually ignore the importance of marketing. Which is how they end up with a stellar app but make no profit out of it. A marketing strategy that suits the functionality and features of your app is incredibly important.

how to make and app and do its marketing

Source: https://themanifest.com/app-development/why-marketing-critical-mobile-app-success

You may miss out on the marketing opportunity because you along with the development team are focusing all your energy and investment on the development of the app. Which is why you need to make a clear marketing strategy and stick to it.

The marketing of your app needs to start from an early stage. You need to get your target audience hyped up about your app. They need to know about your app, and why they should install it so that as soon as your app is launched, you get instant users.

To make money with your amazing app, marketing is also incredibly important. So don’t forget to plan a proper marketing strategy to make the most out of your app.

15. Writing The Right Kind Of App Description

What is the one thing anyone does before installing an app?

Read the app description.

For most of us, the decision of installing the app is made halfway through the app description on the app store.

You need a good app description to make people want to install your app. Google Play store and Apple app store both display only two-three lines of description before the read more option. You need to make sure that those initial lines get the potential user hooked.

But how to write a good app description?

Think about the first time you thought “I have an idea for an app” what was your vision then? How did you convince yourself to start working on your idea? And start from there.

Keep your description simple but interesting, telling the user what exactly is the apps purpose and why they need it. Don’t add too many embellishments, and don’t provide details they don’t need.

16. Final Maintenance And Upkeep Of The App

Just launching the app is not enough, you need to maintain the app as well.

Once the app is launched, you need to make sure that the app still functions well. Along with that, you also need to roll out updates, fixing the problems and bugs the previous version had.

It is important that you listen to user reviews as well. They might have their own suggestions about the app and its features. Listening to them and taking their advice is going to make sure that they stay loyal to your app.

So even after you have launched the app, you need to keep paying attention to the maintenance and upkeep of the app.

Few Last Words

Now that you know all the answers to the basic questions related to how to build an app, it is time for you to start working on that app idea you had.

But before you start working on it, don’t forget to ask questions. It is your idea and your app. You have the right to know all the information you want to.

Making an app and making a successful app are two different things. To make your app successful, you need to ask as many questions as you can about the app and its development, test the app, again and again, to make it perfect for launch, and then keep up with the quality of the app even after it has been launched.

With the right planning and strategy, your idea can also be the next breakthrough app.

Bonus: Should You Patent Your App Idea?

Have you ever heard of patenting an app?

Yes, it is an actual thing and you too can patent your app,

But how to Patent an App Idea? What are the things you need to know before running to the patent office?.

A. Eligibility

So you are thinking “I have an idea for an app, and it is really unique.” but just because it is unique does not mean it can be patented.

To begin the patenting process, the first thing The USPTO (US Patent & Trademark Office) would recommend you to perform a patent search before filing for a patent. You need to search for any related keywords to your app, or idea and see if someone has already filed for that patent or not.

You can’t just patent your ‘idea’. To patent app idea, you need to have a complete understanding of how your app is going to work. On the application, you’d have to give a complete description of what your app does and how it works. So if you just have a vague idea, then develop the idea a little before going for a patenting application.

Along with being ‘novel’ your app idea also needs to work in a non-obvious or an unexpected way. This is where it gets a bit complicated. The basic idea is that people who are particularly skilled in your field need to consider your idea as extremely unique and unexpected.

Last criteria are really easy- your app needs to work. It needs to solve a problem, or just simply work. Which is why you need to know exactly how your app is working. Knowing this, you would be able to give a detailed description of how your app is useful to the people.

B. Filing Process

The first thing you need to do is to file for a provisional patent application to secure a filing date for your patent. This is cheaper than filing for a non-provisional patent application and needs little effort.

Securing your filing date is important. It determines who was first-to-file in case of a legal problem.

Try to include visual elements in your application such as flow chart, drawings, and sketches of the app layout. This will help the patent officers decide whether your app is worth the patent or not.

The one-year timeline provided to you in the provisional application gives you time to see if your app idea is going to be successful or not. Once you file the final Patent application, the final patenting process will start.

But you are probably not going to get the patent on the first time. The process would probably take anywhere from 1-3 years.

Is Patenting Your App Worth It?

So patenting your app sounds like a good idea, and you are probably going to see if your app is worth patenting or not. But at the end of the day, is patenting worth it?

After knowing how to patent app idea, you need to know about why to or why not to patent it. Sure patenting your app means protecting your idea and making sure no one rips it off, making a profit at your expense.

But patenting is not going to protect your idea from being copied. The code can be copyrighted, sure, but at the end of the day, no code is really unique. There are numerous code libraries available online. You can easily find codes for any feature on your app there. So there is really nothing unique about coding.

But most importantly, getting a patent for your app is a wild card. You already have to invest enough money to build your app and get it going. On top of that, investing money on the patent is going to cost you anywhere around $5000-$20000.

Chances are, once you got your app in the market, if it doesn’t do good enough business, you are going to shut it down. In that case, the money you spent will go down the drain.

According to experts, you don’t really need to patent your app. It takes too much effort and resources away from you, which you could use to build your app.

So before you start the process of patenting your app, think about it carefully.

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