Almost everything starts as an idea. In the case of mobile app development, the thoroughness of your initial idea can be the difference between success and failure.
Although the mobile app market looks saturated, it is a profitable field if you have the right app idea. Research firm App Annie stated that since 2017 there has been a 60% growth in the number of apps downloaded globally. The report also revealed that customer spending has increased rapidly. In one day alone – on New Year Day in 2017 – customers bought apps worth about $240 million on Apple’s App Store. And, according to Statista, mobile apps are expected to generate about $189 billion from revenue via sales and advertising by 2020. These figures show that the global app market is still very lucrative. However, without a unique app, you may struggle to get in on the action.
If you are looking to create an app, take the time to fine-tune your original idea. The importance of building a solid app idea cannot be overstated. Everything hinges on this. If you do not nail this part of the process, not only is your app likely to end up being a misfire, but you may also spend a lot more money and time to create it.
In this article, we’ll be looking at why it is crucial to take the time to hone your app idea. But before we do that, we need to dispel some misconceptions about app ideas.
The idea for the world’s next biggest app can pop up in your head at any time. Therefore, you must form a habit of writing down the most striking ideas that come to you daily. Not all ideas are clear at first. Sometimes, things can be a little fuzzy, and you need to take the time to iron it out in your mind. It is important not to give up on your ideas. Dedicate time to fleshing out every idea to estimate its full potential.
Here are a few reasons why you must take the time to nurture your initial app idea:
It will give you a full perspective of the problem and how your app can solve it.
There are scores of mobile apps on the market. The more unique your app is, the better the chances that it would stand out on the market. When you catch an idea for an app, your next step should be to look at how it solves a problem.
Once you can identify a problem and figure out how your app will solve it, you are already on your way to creating a top-selling app. Pinpointing a loophole is just the beginning of the mobile app development process. The next step is research. You need to look at why the problem has escaped everyone else and why has no other person ever thought of developing an app to solve the problem.
Doing this will give you a broader knowledge of the situation and will put you in a good position to come up with a solution.
It will enable you to identify your target market.
The purpose of your app idea must be clear enough to be articulated in one sentence. This is one of the benefits of building the initial idea for your app. Being able to pinpoint the purpose of your app will enable you to identify your target market. Also, it will allow potential customers to grasp the value of your app readily. As it stands, users of app stores only have a short description and screenshots of an app before they choose to download it. You may lose potential customers if the purpose for your app cannot be communicated easily.
Apart from helping you to identify your target market, working out the idea of your app will enable you to implement the proper user retention strategies from day one. The ability to identify your target market is invaluable in marketing. You can easily work out their likes and dislikes. This will guide the direction of the design of your app and ultimately increase its chances of being a success.
It will give you an edge over the competition.
Another benefit of taking the time to work out the initial idea for your app is that you get to analyze the competition and figure out what gives your app an advantage over all the others.
Getting to know your competitors will give you a fair idea of how difficult or easy it will be for your app to break into the market. Study the history of your competitors and how they have evolved over the years. Also, check the number of people who have downloaded your competitor’s apps as well as their ratings, and reviews.
Going through the pains of figuring out what gives your app an edge over the competition during the initial phase of your idea will save you time and resources. You can learn a thing or two from your competitors about how to make your app appeal to your target users more.
It will enable you to figure out which platform to sell your app to be profitable.
Another advantage of expanding the initial idea of your app is that you can figure out which platform to sell your app. Although there are different stores to sell your app, it is still important to pick the best one. You can figure out which store is best by considering which store is best to reach your target audience.
In terms of revenue, Apple’s App Store tends to pay developers more for their apps than Google Play and Windows Store. According to Apple Insider, the App Store continues to be a more profitable option for developers compared to Google Play. In 2016, Apple paid out around $20 billion to developers.
Meanwhile, Tech Crunch reported that customer spending on the App Store surpassed that of Google Play last year. Customers on the App Store spent about $38.5 billion while Google Play got $20.1 billion.
Apple’s App Store may seem like a more attractive platform to sell apps, but it may not be the best fit for your app. The Google Play Store has a broader reach because the Android platform has a bigger market share. However, Android users are less likely to pay for apps compared to iOS users.
It will guide the design of your app.
The design of your app is key to its success. Laying out the idea for your app will allow you to come up with the best design. Nothing beats an app that users can connect with. You need to work out the best design ideas and figure out how to make your app appealing to your target users.
Do not compromise on the appearance of your app appears for anything since its one of the first things that users see. The inspiration of your app should guide every aspect of its design including colour schemes, the type of icons you use, and even how users navigate the app.
Your app is more likely to attract more users if it has a design that stands out and is easy to use. When it comes to design, it is always better to do less. Avoid the mistake most app developers make of crowding too many things on one page. Take your time to choose the perfect pixel graphics. Be sure that the size of your fonts, buttons, and icon are not too large or too small for the screen size of your potential users.
Conclusion
Your app idea is the foundation of everything. You must take the time to nurture your idea and shape it into something special. Do research, test your idea, and find ways to improve it before you take the next step of bringing it to life.