The process of developing an app can be complicated and confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. If you are considering creating an app, then this is the article for you.
Technology has changed how people live, work and play over the past decade, so it only makes sense that apps have become more prominent than ever before. This post will provide you with some steps to developing your own app!
We will cover topics such as what platforms are best for developing apps, what programming languages are used, how much money you should expect to spend on development costs and more!
Find a need in the market
The first step to developing an app is identifying a need in the market. What are people looking for?
For example, if you’re looking to create an educational game, it would be important that your target audience consists of school-aged children or educators.
Once you have identified this, brainstorm as many possible app ideas as you can! Start with three and narrow those down until you reach one idea that seems like a perfect match for what your potential customer base wants.
This process will help develop an understanding of how much research should go into creating the app and identify which areas require more attention than others when determining whether or not someone needs your product before development begins.
Answering these questions will provide insight into the viability of your idea and help you determine if there is a market for it.
Create sketches of what your app would look like on paper
Once you have narrowed down your potential app idea, create sketches of what the user interface could look like.
This process will help determine whether or not your target audience is willing to use this product and if it’s easy to navigate through.
You shouldn’t worry too much about the details right now because that comes later in development!
For example, sketch out how many screens there would be (you can always add more), where users would click/tap on things, and other basic elements necessary to create an app.
This part of developing an app requires a lot of imagination, so don’t hold back from being creative! It also helps to collaborate with others who might have some insight into what works well for apps as far as features and design.
Once you have an idea of what your app might look like, then it’s time to actually code! If this is not for yourself but rather a client, then the process remains similar, although you would be responsible for designing their brand within the product.
This can also include creating mockups with software such as Photoshop and Illustrator.
Coding
The next step is the actual coding process! It’s best to try and use either an existing platform or programming language that others have recommended to minimize your learning curve.
We recommend HTML, CSS & JavaScript for beginners who want to learn how it all works together and Java/Swift if you are more experienced in coding.
Don’t worry about the design or user interface quite yet! This is where things such as buttons, drop-down menus, and other small details will be added later when you actually begin working on your product’s front end.
The main priority at this stage should be to have a basic understanding of how an app works so that someone who has no prior knowledge can still navigate through it successfully.
Testing
Once you’ve finished coding, then it will be time for testing! You want to make sure everything runs smoothly before moving on to the next step, adding all necessary features into your app.
It also helps if there are others around to test out what they think could work better from a customer standpoint rather than just relying on software code alone since it’s hard to think like a regular user.
This is the time when you may want to consider hiring someone who specializes in this field, such as an app developer or programmer so that they can bring your product from just an idea into reality!
This also ensures that what you’re building works well and minimizes potential bugs before they hit the market.
Market and advertise your app
Once you’ve finished testing and added the necessary features, it’s time to market your app! This is where social media comes in, such as Facebook or Twitter, so start building up a following beforehand.
It’s also important to post on relevant apps stores that will list your product for free (iTunes, Google Play).
Do not forget about paying for advertising if there aren’t any options available within iTunes/Google Play. This will help increase downloads and bring revenue back into your business at some point!
Remember that once an app reaches too many people, those interested won’t even need it anymore – no matter how good of a developer you are.
There really isn’t much more to say other than these key steps, but as I mentioned initially, there is much more to it than this.
Like any other business or product you want to create and market, developing an app takes a lot of time & effort!
Expand your app’s content as needed
provide updates with new features, bug fixes, and monitor user feedback and reviews.
As the app is gaining more users, you will need to continue providing updates with new features and bug fixes!
Make sure that your product continues staying up-to-date, so it doesn’t lose sight of what was once successful for it originally.
This step requires a lot of time because there’s usually always something that needs to be fixed or added.
Conclusion
Developing an app is a long process that requires patience and determination. Make sure you know what to expect before beginning, or else it can end up taking much longer than expected! The more research you do into the industry, understanding your target audience, and finding out how other apps have been successful will help make this endeavor easier and less costly.
