10 Tips to Turn Your Mobile App Idea Into Reality

Mobile apps are one of the most profitable modes of doing business currently. And for an apparent reason. Since smartphones have become a necessity for us, many companies rely on these tiny devices. The mobile world is growing bigger and bigger, with countless apps getting launched every day.

If you have a mobile app idea in your mind and want to convert it into reality, you are at the right place. Getting an app idea is easy; what is difficult is making it into reality. The sheer effort an idea requires to transform into an app makes most drop the thought.

So we have curated these 10 tips to help newbie app enthusiasts to turn a mobile app idea into reality. Consider these tips before going to hire an iOS developer or Android programmer. And keep reading the article to know what things you are required to realize your idea and build a thriving business.

Tips to transform your idea into a mobile application

Explain the problem and opportunity

To begin with your app idea, you must be able to clearly articulate the problem your app solves, and the business opportunity lies there. If you fail to do so, you have to create a new robust business plan for your app venture. Then, go and research the market.

Is your app addressing an existing need? Or creating a new need entirely? If your app falls in the former category, it must have a unique selling point to stand out from the competition. The latter type of app might have less competition, but it is tough to get success in it.

Create a list of essential features

Further your mobile app idea by specifying its features. Make a list of features you think your mobile app needs to meet the requirements of your users. This, of course, won’t be a final list, and you may have to modify it as you go ahead with market research, competitive analysis, and even at the development stage.

Generally, features vary from app to app, but there are certain standard features that your app should have to provide your users with a great user experience.

• Social media integration
• Search bar
• Offline usability
• User feedback
• Mobile screen responsive design
• Multi-platform compatibility

Do competitive advantage analysis

When you have identified the market need and curated a list of initial features, it is time to assess the competitive advantage of your app. For example, suppose your app idea has already a flourishing market with competitors. In that case, you must have a reason why people should choose you over your competitors.

Your app must have a differentiator that improves the customer experience. Define how your app is unique and better than your competitors. For this, you have to develop a strategy for how you will out beat your competitors. The plan will have to explain how you will catch up with an ongoing competition.

Choose the right platform

Selecting a platform is the most crucial step in building an app. There are mainly two platforms ruling the smartphone industry: iOS and Android. Choosing the right platform between these two comes down to identifying the geography of your audience. 

Android is very popular in Asian and European countries and South American countries. So, if your target audience mainly resides in these regions, go for Android app development services. Similarly, iPhone and Apple devices are more prevalent in developed countries like the US, UK, Australia, and Japan. So choosing iOS app development services for these audiences would be a great idea.

Create flow chart and wireframes

Now venture further into your app idea development and decide the structure flow of your app. Create flowcharts to illustrate the navigation of your application. This helps app designers and developers to determine ideal tools for creating interfaces for apps. Flowchart diagrams can be as detailed as possible, depicting every tab, icon, and click/swipe gesture.

Commonly confused with user flow charts, wireframes help explore different possibilities of your app, unlike flow charts which concern themselves with how the user navigates through app pages. Wireframe serves as a clear blueprint of your app, helping avoid the common mistakes in app design.

Create a brand identity

Brand identity puts your app apart from everyone else and makes it identifiable to your customers. Good branding should reflect your core values and deliver your users a consistent experience. Many times an iOS or Android app development services provider helps you with branding your app, so you might not have to hire someone else for this job.

In modern-day digital marketing, personalization is everything for good branding. If you want your app to thrive in the market, create and communicate a memorable image to your customers. And major elements that make you unique and identifiable amongst competitors are your icon, colour scheme, fonts, and pictures.

Identify monetization strategy

Now you are at your final initial step to bringing your app idea into reality. Finalize your strategy to turn technical functions into financial revenue. There are many ways to monetize your app. Choose the perfect plan that works for your mobile application.

The most common monetization plan is in-app advertising. Although app users highly criticized this, this plan can generate more revenue than any other plan. You can also opt for in-app purchases. This plan is more popular in the gaming industry. Besides these, subscription-based plans could be a great option to monetize your mobile application.

Find a mobile app development partner

Once you’re done with your initial stage, completing most of the groundwork to bring your app into a reality, it is time to find and collaborate with reliable app development partners. At this time, you would also want to set a bar for your app development budget. This will allow you to find an appropriate programmer.

You have already decided what platform you want to choose, so you would now have to find a respective developer as per your requirements. You can go for a freelance developer (cost-effective) or hire an iOS developer or Android programmer from a reputed agency (assured quality).

Craft an effective marketing strategy

Meanwhile, your app developer or a team of programmers work on your application. You would want to think of a marketing strategy to bring it to your audience. You can market your app in many ways. For example, you can go for a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) marketing model or launch social media as your budget allows you.

Moreover, you can also promote your app through industry leaders and market influencers. Besides these options, there are also some cost-effective ways to market your app. For example, you can optimise your app with relevant keywords to rank higher on the app store.

Deploy a beta test first

Before you introduce your app in the market, launch a beta test to gather customer feedback and discover and fix any possible technical faults. Get a large number of users (beta testers) who would be among your potential app users. These testers will use your app consistently for a while and get you feedback about their experience.

There are many beta-testing platforms to get you started with this. But before you venture into testing, you should have a definite testing goal with exquisite precision to get desired results. Once you are done with this, your app will be good to go and hit the market.

Can you develop a mobile app by yourself?

Yes. Anyone can develop a mobile app themself. However, you should have at least hands-on experience working with all the tools and technologies it takes to build a mobile application. But, most of us don’t have adequate time or energy to learn mobile development. Therefore, hiring an app development agency would be a good idea.