The digital world has seen quite an exponential growth in the economic, practical and financial value of app development. With literally tens of millions of active mobile users in the Philippines alone, 52.2M to be exact, app developers are faced with a vast audience hungry for apps that cater to their needs. At first glance, offering an app to the digital community seems quite easy especially with a large demographic, but even the greatest app ever developed would never see the light of day if much of its success is expected from a reliance on the app’s mere greatness.
A great app plus great marketing is equal to a certainty of considerable success. To ensure the target downloads are hit, here are seven things you need to consider before you launch your app.
Is there a market?
Identifying whether or not there is a market in the first place lays the fundamental foundation on which your app can gain a foothold and determines the subsequent elements of your marketing strategy for the app launch. Once a market is identified, it is a necessary and crucial incident to get to know your target audience, ascertain the benefits they could derive from your app, and highlight its distinctive quality which makes it a better fit for your market than the competing apps. Factored into a whole, these elements create the brand position of your app; giving it a voice that your audience can easily recognize and respond to.
Where will you launch?
The platform of choice for your app launch accounts greatly as a reflection of your priorities. Typically, an app that is available on both Android and iOS is ideal. However, depending on your priorities, submitting and launching your app in one store ahead of another will do much for its success.
Organize your promotional activities and user base towards a central platform with higher rating and ranking as well as more exposure. Incidentally focusing all your activities to a single store will make it easier to account for your progress.
The right development partner
Behind every great app is a team of founders specialized in every aspect that makes it a cohesive whole. If you’re on the non-technical side, look for a partner who can focus on the app’s development. Without a foolproof developer, not even the best marketing strategy will make the impression last. Meshed together, a great product and an effective marketing plan function like clockwork towards a successful end goal.
Don’t let the app bugs bite
It’s common knowledge that even the most downloaded and most popular apps in the market experience a few bugs here and there. It’s an inevitable occurrence, so gear up and gather a team of developers or an agency together to keep these unforeseen bugs at bay. Keep your original app developer in the loop with the team to ensure no unnecessary deviation from the original design and architecture is made. Having a team of bug-fixers will help your app maintain its spot in the market as bugs often carry alongside them unfavorable ratings from users.
Be careful with your budget
Almost every step in the process of app development will need financial throttle to get it going. It is crucial to know your budget and its proper allocation. It would be wise, before even beginning to spend your money on your app, to deputize an accountant or just someone who is well-versed in the field to manage your finances and keep track of your expenditures. This is to make sure your money is going where it needs to and to prevent overspending.
A marketing strategy
While a media push can drive excitement around your app and spur downloads, the effects are far from lasting. You need to ensure that a solid marketing strategy is set in place for long-term and effective results.
Your marketing efforts should start the moment you begin working on your app. This is at least before 2-3 weeks of the launch to let the users know what to expect. Seek out potential influencers and the appropriate channels to amplify the buzz around your app.
Design & Usability
One of the most effective ways of getting your app to stand out is its design and usability. So once everything else is ironed out, focus on the design and be sure it delivers sleek and seamless user experience. Designing an app requires careful considerations and understanding of aesthetics, functionality, visibility and more. Users won’t accept anything less than perfect.
As of March 2017, the Play Store houses 2.8 million apps while the App Store boasts of 2.2 million offerings. It cannot be hard to imagine how one app out of millions, without a strategic launch plan gets buried underneath millions of others. Be sure to follow this quick list of must-dos to make sure your app is off to a good start.
Sources:
Muneer (2017, April 10) Why is Design the face of your Mobile app & Website? Retrieved from https://krify.co/why-design-is-the-face-of-your-mobile-app-or-website-development/
Himanshu, M. (2016, January 11) 11 Important Tips to know before Developing a Mobile App. Retrieved from https://www.devsaran.com/blog/11-important-tips-know-developing-mobile-app
Rhodes, W. (2015, March 4) The 7 Best Tips to an Effective Pre-Launch Mobile App Marketing Strategy. Retrieved from https://savvyapps.com/blog/mobile-app-marketing-strategies-pre-launch
Shields, K. (2016, October 11) 6 Things to Know Before Launching Mobile Apps on the App Store. Retrieved from https://www.sitepoint.com/6-things-to-know-before-launching-mobile-apps-on-the-app-store/
Varshneya, R. (2016, June 10) 7 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Developing an App. Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/275794
