Creating a mobile application seems to be extremely simple: you only need a good idea and an experienced mobile app developer. However, when you look at it closely, you notice that your idea can be implemented in many different ways and you have to make thousands of decisions before your app appears on the market. Therefore, the whole mobile app development process can get costly and take a lot of time. How can you make it much easier and save your time and money? One of the best ideas is to pre-plan your mobile app so that developers know what you expect from them. Below we present 5 brilliant tips which help you to start off with your app strategy.

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1. DESCRIBE THE GENERAL IDEA

Although you have your app idea in your head and have thought it through in every detail, it is always a good idea to describe it on a sheet of paper:

  • Write what your app should be all about;
  • Highlight the key points such as the purpose of your app – how it should work and look, for whom it is made;
  • Ask yourself questions about your expectations of the app and how it can be useful and engaging for users.

Make it brief and simple, but incorporate the core idea and main features so that not only you but also your future partners and coworkers can understand the idea well.

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2. GET TO KNOW AS MUCH ABOUT YOUR MARKET AS YOU CAN

Having this first draft of your app, you should dive right in the market and gather as much information as you can about what your customers and competitors do. One of the key steps is to determine your target audience and its needs. You prepare your app for the users so if it is to achieve success, they have to find it useful and likeable.

Another important thing is getting to know your competitors. Even though your app can be unique, there are always other companies who want to fulfill the same customers’ needs. Identify them and learn from their experience. This doesn’t mean that you should copy their work but knowing what is already on the market can improve your idea.

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3. TEST THE IDEA FROM DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW

The general idea of your app is yours to keep but the more pieces of advice you get before launching the app on the market, the better it performs. Brainstorming your drafts with people you trust can lead to discovering ideas you would never thought of alone. It can also prevent you from including features that are not necessary or too money- and time-consuming. Remember that your interlocutors shouldn’t necessarily be like-minded. It is even better if they come from different fields, especially such as marketing or IT. Don’t be afraid of criticism – it might be really constructive and helpful and prevent you from making elementary mistakes.

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4. PRESENT YOUR IDEA IN DETAILS

After the market research and testing you have made, it is time to re-describe your initial app idea. Basing of your findings from the above steps, create a brand new description of your app. Keep it comprehensive and detailed as it will be of use not only for you but also for your future coworkers. You should also compare it with the initial concept and make sure that your new description is close enough to your general idea and meets your expectations.

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5. SET GOALS AND DEADLINES

Once you create a comprehensive app strategy, you may find it very complicated and difficult to implement. Eventually, you have all your ideas gathered and described in detail and that is much more to think about than just a general idea you started with. To manage all these, it is good to create a to-do-list. Set your goals, checkpoints and deadlines. Be specific and write down what should happen to mark the task as done. Keep it real and possible to achieve within specific time. This list will guide you if the development process stuck in some point.

And the most important: begin the implementation of your app strategy at once. The good idea could be for instance validating your app concept as soon as possible by building an MVP (Minimum Viable Product). Instead of creating a whole app with all features right from the start, you can make use of MVP method to provide your users with a simplified version of your app, check how it works on the market and gradually add extra features. It can save 70% of your budget and 60% of the time needed to develop an app. Learn more about MVP method conducted by Ready4S here.


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