App development can be an expensive and complicated process, but you can reduce complexity if you put in the right amount of planning upfront. With careful attention and thorough preparation, you can launch your mobile app with minor headaches, ensuring that your new product gets off for users. Here are five steps to get started on your mobile app’s journey from ideation to launch and beyond.
Step 0: Determine if you need a mobile app
The first step in launching a mobile app is determining if you really need one. For example, if your business depends on people visiting a location or spending time with you face-to-face, then you probably won’t need a mobile app, at least not in a direct way, if your business is mostly based online (for example, by selling products or services), then probably you will need a mobile app.
You also should make sure that your target market has access to a mobile device. The Pew Research Center estimates that 91% of Americans own a cell phone, and 83% of American adults have a smartphone. The time is right for you if your target market has access to both cell phones and smartphones. However keep in mind previous research was done for the US market, you should take a look at your country.
The next step should be to design an MVP version that allows you to prove the concept before investing a lot of energy (and money) in a full-blown idea, with many features that might be good but are not core to the business logic.
Step 1: Before your Launch Day.
Everyone knows launch day is coming, but many mobile app developers ignore a potentially crucial period just before your launch: The development process. It’s easy to get bogged down in coding and polishing during your final weeks of product building, but proper testing will set you up for a smoother launch experience.
Choose a reasonably prudent launch date to allow time for thorough testing.
Step 2: Creating the right development process
Before you begin developing your app, create a development process and get buy-in from everyone who will potentially be using your app. This initial step is crucial—without a development process with continuous feedback, it’s easy for scope creep and unforeseen snags to derail your project later on.
The key for creating an effective development process lies in communication and feedback: You need to make sure that everyone involved understands what their role are and how they fit into your overall plan. Remember, you’re not just developing a mobile app—you’re building a product to heal a pain.
Every aspect of your product should be designed with efficiency and simplicity.
Step 3: Finding the right people
Who will make up your app development team? Are they a convenient counselor for recommending the technology stack that best fits your product?. How many people are involved? Understanding how many different roles you need and who can fill them will help you determine what your budget will need.
Step 4: Working with developers
You’ve worked hard on your idea, and you’re now ready to see it coming to life. At first, communication with developers might be a bit tough—after all, you both speak different languages. When developing apps for smartphones or tablets, most developers communicate using SCRUM (or an Agile development methodology) – depending on how long your project takes and how fast they deliver it.
Don’t panic if they prefer another method of software development.
