Just starting out? You are definitely on a mission to get more people on-board and reach out to as many people within your audience as possible. The more tools you have handy, the better it is for you.
Given that it is a mobile-dominant age, you need to have a mobile presence to act upon your ideas, it goes without saying that the mobile app is a must for the startups. However, before getting started with a mobile app, there are a few things you need to consider. Let’s just say if you plan for these points, you are ready to sail through rough seas with ease.
Here, we will talk about everything that you need to consider and plan for, before embarking on the journey towards giving your startup a mobile app.
Table of Contents
Define the objective of your mobile app
Your competition has a mobile app, and so do others in your niche. However, that should not be the sole reason for you to have a mobile app. If that is the case, rethink your objective now!
- What purpose will a mobile app solve for your target audience?
- How will the mobile app help you further your business?
- Will the mobile app help you accomplish your goals if you have already defined them?
Answering these questions will bring you nearer to your purpose and help you define the real objective of having a mobile app for your business.
Always have a simple and clear statement determining the objective of the mobile app. This will help in planning, and make your needs clear to the developer as well. The objective will also help in deciding the features and the roadmap for mobile app development. Along with the purpose of the app, you will also need to work on what the future of the app you are developing is.
Identify the uniqueness of your app
The mobile app world is not just dominant, but also competitive. You will find several apps proposing to do the same thing, in different ways. When Uber became a success, you could see several Ubers coming out in the open helping you with finding the best transportation for your needs.
Candy Crush, the game that became a hit with many people, has made space for several games of the same kind. A lot of mobile app ideas are being scrapped by the app store, and few others are being used and reused by the competition in the segment. Therefore, you must have something unique to convey to the audience.
You may not have a completely different idea, however, you need to propose your idea in a slightly different manner, bringing out a taste of uniqueness. This will help the audience connect. Before releasing your app idea towards development, make sure you have answers to the following questions
- Is the app idea unique and different?
- Does the app truly solve a problem that is being faced by the audience in the niche?
- Will the app connect with the audience?
In order to answer these questions, you should ideally connect with the people in the target group, and understand what sort of problems they face with the existing apps. What are they looking for in the new apps that will hit this segment? The answers to these questions will help you define the unique element in your app.
Plan the technology stack for the app
Once you are clear about the app idea and the unique proposition, it is time to get started with the planning. You need to ensure every aspect, including the app’s features, are well planned and nicely defined.
At this point, you will also need to plan for the technology that you will use in the application. Here are a few questions that should help you plan the technology?
- Are you planning to go hybrid or native with your application development?
- Are there more iOS users in your target audience as compared to Android users?
- Which native platform user is more likely to convert and help generate revenue for your business?
- Are the features you are planning supported by both the native frameworks?
- Once you have answers to these questions, you will know which platform to build your application for, and what technology stack you should be using.
Define a marketing plan
It is not enough to have a mobile app ready to go; you also need a very tough and impressive marketing plan that will penetrate the markets you are attempting to break into and convert the potentials in there.
Start working on the marketing as soon as you have a development plan in place. Make sure you know the markets you want to reach, and what kind of customers you are looking for. Research your target’s media habits, both online and offline. This will help you prepare a thorough marketing plan.
If you know where and when to capture your audience’s attention, you have already won the battle.
Summing up
Before you start an app business, it is, therefore, very important that you plan your mobile app meticulously, taking into consideration all aspects of your target audience. This will give you a sufficient base to build a successful mobile app and will leave little to no room for failure in connecting with your audience.
So, stay prepared, research well, and have a defined strategy in place before moving ahead with your ideas.
