6 Important Things to Consider before Building a Mobile App

If you’re looking to build a mobile application you’ve come to the right place. Since our inception we’ve built up to 100 mobile and web apps across 15 industries in counting, and while software and tech innovation has never been a challenge for us, we’ve quickly realised the many intricate considerations required in building a successful (read popular) mobile app.

So, if you’re a business or entrepreneur looking to expand your customer touch point to the mobile world, we’ve put together a few tips to observe before you start development.

Know your competition

If you’re attempting to build an application that you want your customers to use it’s important you research one basic factor — does something like this already exist in the market? (Yes / No)

If yes,

• Find out what the pros and cons are of the existing application and strategise how you can adapt and improve on the features.
• Look into how you can differentiate your product from the existing application and build a unique selling point for your product.
• Check out the existing product’s app reviews, what are customers saying about it and what does it highlight as the customer’s main needs or priorities.

If no,

• This is usually a good start but, make sure to research whether there is a need for this product in the first place. You can do this by testing out your idea with trusted friends or by getting in contact with our in-house business strategists for a confidential consultation.

In both instances it’s also important to consider the platform you want to launch your application on, Android or iOS, or perhaps both. Scoping out where your competitors are playing could very well determine this decision for you, and if you’re product is a first on the market, evaluate what platform(s) would best suit your offering.

Choose the right Tech Partner

The type of tech partner you choose can make or break your product’s success. Here’s what you need to look out for in your search for a winning partnership:

• A good tech partner will have a sound understanding of you and your organisation, and rather than taking a shot in the dark, they’ll be able to advise a custom solution based on a relevant tech stack and technology.
• Your ideal tech partner will always think long-term and will be willing to improve on and foster your goals, making sure you get the very best out of your product, even after development has been completed.
• Regardless of how big or small your mobile app is, a good tech partner will manage and execute the development of your app with careful consideration and due diligence.
• The right tech partner will collaborate closely with you through every milestone, ensuring that as a team you work towards the same vision.

Be clear on your app’s main purpose

There are many clients that come to us looking to build an all-purpose application and while this could very well be the solution to a great need in the market, it’s often the case that the more targeted an application is, the more successful it is among users. Even the giant social media platform, Facebook, decided to streamline their messaging functionality by making Facebook Messenger a standalone application, thus creating a much better experience for its users.

This isn’t to say that an app can’t have many functions, just make sure the outcome serves a very clear, set purpose.

Have a realistic budget

While there are many mobile applications that can be downloaded for free from the app store, don’t make the mistake of thinking that the same goes for developing a mobile app. In fact not only is it not free to build an app, it’s hardly cheap either. To be completely transparent, the cost of a mobile app comes with the talent your hire to develop it. Unless you’re hiring an independent developer to build your app, which may take years to complete and little to no guarantee of it actually selling, you’re likely going to consult a specialised software development company to ensure the best, guaranteed, outcome for your product.

Building a mobile application complete with integrated custom features, striking UX/UI design and seamless functionality requires a team of expert individuals, each with their own important roles geared at optimising your product.

Consider a phased approach

Remember you don’t have to build it all at once. As an innovative and strategic tech partner, we’re able to offer a flexible and phased approach of development to suit your budget. Following a phased approach gives you room to develop your app in a way that’s more economically viable for your business.

Plan for maintenance

As you’ll find with the very best mobile applications out there, updates are made on a regular basis. Be it to fix bugs, improve the user-interface or to offer additional services/features based on the consumers’ evolving needs, you’re going to need to consider a maintenance strategy for your mobile application once it’s on the market. Remember that this, as well as the required testing, will also incorporate additional developer expenses as you go along.

We hope that the above tips have helped set you on your way to starting the successful development of your app. If you’re still on the look out for a strategic software development partner, GET IN TOUCH.