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So, you have decided that you want to create a mobile app? It is not hard to see why this would be something that you are considering. After all, the app market is booming at the moment, and this presents an exceptional avenue for businesses that are looking to reach more people, solidify loyal relationships, and ultimately, increase their revenue levels. However, this is only going to be the case if your app is a success. With that being said, read on to discover a step-by-step guide on how to create an app.


It all starts with an idea…

There is only one place to begin, and this is with your app idea. You can’t build an app for the sake of having an app. You need to make sure that it resolves a problem. You need a problem if you are going to build a successful app, and the good news is that there are lots of problems, and they are everywhere. The most successful entrepreneurs are those that solve problems in a way that we could not have envisioned. When you look around, all of the services and products that we use have been designed to create a specific problem. For example, if you look at the car that sits in your driveway, it was designed to help us get from one place to another in a quick manner. If you look at the light above your head, it was designed to help you see. Everything is designed to fix a problem, and your app needs to fall into this category too.


Identify the need…

The next thing you need is validation. This is to prove that there is a demand for the sort of app you are going to make. There are a number of ways you can validate the need for your proposed app. One option is to use the Google Keyword Planner tool to find out whether people are searching for what you are trying to do or not.


Lay out the features and the flow…

The next thing you need to do is detail your app into a document. You could also utilise a wireframing tool if you prefer. At this stage, being as detailed as possible is important. Your flow is all about how the user will navigate the app, as well as all of the features you expect your app to have.


Remove the non-core features…

Now that you have a document that states the features and flows of your app, you can now start to look at the features closely so that you can remove anything that is a non-core feature. It is advisable to only produce the core value of your proposed app. In the first version, building ‘nice to have’ features is not recommended. These are the sort of features you can add at a later date.


Hire a designer/developer…

Now you are ready to engage a professional in the process of app creation. This person is going to play a monumental role in the success of your app, and so it is of huge importance that you give this a lot of thought and consideration. When you are hiring a design and development company, take the time to do your research. Look online to find as much information as possible about the agency that you are thinking about hiring. Not only should you research the company in terms of looking at their website and reading their sales pitch, but you should also read reviews that have been left by previous customers too. This is a great way to get an honest insight. Moreover, take a look at their portfolio of apps. You should also download some of the apps and use them yourself to discover whether or not you like what you see.


Create developer accounts…

You are going to need to register a developer account with the app stores you are planning on offering your application through. At present, Apple charges $99 per year while Android charges $25 per annum. You can register as a company or an individual.


Integrate analytics…

You are getting towards the end of the process now. Now, you need to integrate analytics. This will help you to track the retention of your mobile app, as well as user engagement levels and downloads. There are lots of tools available to assist you with this, so again, do your research before choosing one to make sure it has a good reputation for being accurate. This is an imperative part of the process when it comes to creating a mobile app - you really cannot afford to skip it. After all, if you do not have any idea regarding how your app is performing, how are you going to know if you need to make changes to any elements? How are you going to work to improve your app going forward? How do you know what elements of your app are the most successful? The simple answer to this is that you won’t. This is why analytics are of huge importance.


Get feedback…

Once your app goes live, you need to get feedback from users. You can also look at this agile testing guide for enterprises so you can determine the best way to go about testing your app to make sure it always functions in the way that it should. Changes and enhancements are constant, so this is an element that you need to keep on top of all of the time.


Introduce new features…

The final piece of the puzzle is to introduce new features. If you have followed this guide, you should have only implemented the core features, to begin with, removing all of the ‘nice to have’ features. You should have an app that has only the core offering and limited features. This gives you something to keep working on. You should now assess the app that you put out there and all of the extra features that were excluded from the first version. Through feedback and analytics, you will be able to determine whether or not the features are relevant anymore. Remember, you do not need to add all of these features at once. Start with the most important, and continue to assess the consumer need to determine how you can improve your app going forward.


Hopefully, you now feel more prepared when it comes to creating an app for your business. If you follow the steps that have been presented above, you should end up with an app that functions well and caters to a need that is out there. Remember, when it comes to creating a successful app, half the challenge is the technicalities of it and the building process, the other half is building something that people actually need. You need to ensure that you are solving an issue and helping people with your product.