Apps have become an integral component of people's lives. From managing finances and monitoring health to keep up with the latest sports news, they touch on every aspect of life. With the demand for apps rising, the industry is growing daily. Projections indicate the app market will generate $470.7 billion in 2022.
Moreover, the number of app downloads is expected to reach 228.983 billion. While the demand for the mobile app is rising, so is the supply. Each day, developers launch and publish new apps in the App Stores. As the opportunities and competition increase, there's only one question. How do you create and launch an app that offers value and stands out?
The first step is choosing the right app development company to assist you with strategy, design, and implementation. If you plan to launch a mobile app, you're in the right place. Here you will learn five things you need to know to launch a mobile app successfully and other key insights.
Why Many Apps Fail
As you prepare to launch your app, it's easy to envision success. You picture an app that becomes popular fast, like Candy Crush or Angry Birds. However, that's not always the outcome. Even with successful apps, most take time and don't reach such levels. But the sad part is that most consumer apps fail. In fact, if you do some research on the same, you'll likely encounter some scary data. For instance, there's a common belief that for every 10,000 apps, 9,999 fail.
However, this is a great misrepresentation of reality. Even though apps don't fail at a rate of 99.99%, a large proportion fail. And it's vital to understand why if you are to avoid the same outcome. While numerous factors influence the success or failure of an app, there's a common theme. Successful app creators understand that the devil is in the details. As a result, they pay special attention to each aspect, even if it's not enjoyable. So, if you want your app to outperform competitors, leave nothing to chance.
Important Things for Creating a Successful Mobile App
Now that you know how important it is to be attentive, here are some areas you need to focus on.
1. Research
Research is the first and arguably most important step for building a successful app. While your idea may seem unique, there's a high chance there's something similar in the market. This is why research is important, as it helps you determine whether there's a market for your idea and what it needs to succeed. If there are similar apps, research allows you to identify areas of improvement that will make yours stand out. As you do research, ask yourself:
- What problem does the app solve?
- How will the app solve that problem?
- Who are you developing the app for?
- What is it that makes your app different?
- What does your app need to do?
If you begin app development without answering these questions, you'll doom your app to failure. Research should start with a search of the potential keywords your app may rank for within app stores or on Google. This will let you know the kind and level of competition you're facing. But more importantly, you'll know how best to position your app for success.
2. Determine the Scope of the App's Features
After doing research, you'll know the features that your competitors offer. At the bare minimum, you should offer similar features and capabilities. But that's not the recipe for success. Instead, use this insight to determine the must-have features and how you can make them better than competitors'. You should also try to come up with unique features that will make your app stand out.
However, be careful not to overdo it. In most cases, it's not about the number of features your app has but its functionality and user experience. The most important thing is that the app is beneficial to users. So, only add features that add value to the app without compromising the core features and user experience.
During development, the focus should be on the key features. Then, you must ensure that they are developed well and function seamlessly.
3. Develop a Robust Marketing Strategy
Regardless of how good your app is, it won't achieve meaningful success without proper marketing. So for better results, don't wait until the app is ready for use to begin marketing. Develop a robust marketing strategy early on and begin executing it while development is ongoing. Depending on your niche and target audience, there are some questions you need to answer for your marketing efforts to be effective:
- How will you price the app?
- Will you use a monthly subscription model, or will users have to pay an initial price during download?
- Will you offer in-app purchases?
- What's the best price for your target audience?
As you answer such questions, divide your marketing strategy into phases such as pre-launch, launch, and post-launch. If you begin marketing before launch, you'll increase your app's chances for success. This is because it will already have some traction during publishing. Here are some tips to help your app gain some popularity and increase the chances for success:
- Create a demo video for your app
- Pay for ads to promote your app
- Promote your app in your emails and social media posts
- Apply for mobile app awards
- Create a press kit
- Use Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and App Store Optimization (ASO)
- Ensure your mobile app has a great landing page
4. Take User Feedback Into Account
It's good to have a clear vision of how you want your app to be, but don't be rigid. Otherwise, you may become an obstacle to your app's success. Keep in mind that the true owners of the app are the users. If the app does not meet user needs or expectations, they'll not just stop using it. They'll also uninstall it from their phones. And that's something you don't want to happen. During the launch, your app will mostly feature your ideas and those of your development team.
But in the future, you'll need to incorporate ideas from users when launching updates. Understand how your audience uses the app and take note of what users are saying. Then, incorporate this feedback when determining ways to improve the app. In this regard, you'll need to work with a development company that offers data analysis. This will enhance your capacity to test and validate the hypothesis, reducing the time needed to launch updates.
5. Ensure the UI and UX Is Spectacular
For your app to succeed, you need to look beyond great features and also have a great design. Therefore, investing in your app's UI and UX design is non-negotiable. With an experienced app development company, you can be sure your app will have an excellent design. In turn, your app will deliver the best UI and UX keeping your users happy and engaged. This increases the chances of users keeping the app installed on their phones and using it frequently. In so doing, your app's chances of being successful increase significantly.
Bonus Tips
Often, the line between the success and failure of a mobile app is very thin. So while there's also an element of luck, you need to be strategic with your approach. So, beyond functionality and elements like UI and UX, some things may seem insignificant but will play a significant role.
6. Application Workflow
When using your app, users will navigate across different pages. As such, its workflow –how it moves from place to place- is integral. First, your app needs to have adequate features to make it worthwhile for users to take the time to use it. Also, these features need to be diverse and of value.
With the features in place, you'll need to figure out the workflow. If it's challenging for users to navigate, they'll quickly lose interest. So, take your time to design an efficient workflow to enhance the user experience. This involves determining the number of screens and what each will have, and how they're all connected.
7. Color Scheme
While it may not seem important, the color scheme of your app will influence its success. Organizations and marketers have been using color psychology to make marketing and branding decisions for years. Human beings are visual creatures. As a result, color elicits different emotional responses in people. So, depending on the emotion and mood, you want your app to elicit, determine the appropriate colors to use.
For instance, blue gives an impression of trustworthiness, strength, and dependability. On the other hand, yellow brings a sense of optimism and warmth. Green is the color for you if you want to project an aura of peacefulness and health.
Get Off on the Right Foot
Developing and launching a successful app can be a business and life-changing event. Unfortunately, while the demand for apps is increasing, only a small proportion become highly successful. To join this elite club, you'll need a great app idea and the right development and implementation strategy and team.
This is where Brightscout comes into play. It is a mobile app development that helps clients build marketable, effective, efficient, and engaging apps to deliver desired results. Get in touch with us today for reliable software development services.
