How to Start a Successful Mobile App Startup?

Imagine being able to buy your groceries with just a few taps on your phone. From ordering your groceries to payment and delivery, mobile apps provide convenience.

As a result, it allows people to enhance their lifestyles. 

This explains why aspiring startup owners choose to develop mobile apps. That’s because it does not require as many resources as starting a business. Yet, it allows you to provide services and generate revenue.

If you want to reap this kind of startup success, here’s how you can build a mobile app startup:

Know your audience

If you want your mobile app to succeed, one of the most important things you should do is know your audience.

Ask yourself: Who are the people you would want to serve?

Before starting your mobile app development, you have to know what users need. The goal here is to deliver the services that your customers need. As a result, more people would want to connect with your mobile app. 

Conduct market research

After you’re done researching your audience, the next thing that you need to do is to consider your current market. When doing market research, you can validate how unique your app idea is and how impactful it is in the long run. 

To perform market research, you need to do the following things: 

  • Check with Google Trends and see if the keywords that are related to your app rank well. 
  • See if there are any similar apps in the market, and study them. 
  • Don’t skip on the overall mobile app industry. Instead, gauge how well your app stands out from the rest of the pack. 

Brainstorm app ideas

There are approximately 4 million apps when the apps of Google Play and Apple Store are combined. Thus, you must come up with a unique idea for your app. 

Let’s say that you’ve chosen an untapped segment within a niche. Consider what gaps you want to fill by providing services that are unique to this segment. 

Getting started in the app generation process is often one of the most common hurdles you need to face. And the best way that you can overcome this hurdle is to ask the following:

  • How does this solve the problem? The most successful ventures out there are the ones that solve a user’s problem. Identifying common issues and creating a mobile app will result in the resolution of these problems. It’s also an excellent way for your app to succeed. 
  • Is there a need for the app in the market? Is there anyone that actually wants it? 
  • Doing in-depth market research is also essential to know what are the existing offers in the market. You should examine the market scenario to understand the current gaps, and mobile apps should be designed to fill in those gaps. Moreover, it should also address a need within a particular audience, and there should be a market demand. 
  • What is its unique selling point? The app that you create doesn’t necessarily have to be completely unique. What you need to make sure is that the app that you’re pursuing has a scope in the marketplace and works out well in its niche. 

Build a mobile app prototype

Ideas without proper implementation are nothing. The most important thing is to know that you can implement your app idea and mobile app design

You can begin working by building an app prototype using the following steps: 

Validate your app concept

One way to know whether your idea resonates with your audience or not is to validate it. Unless your first set of customers purchase from you, then your idea is merely a hypothesis. 

To validate your mobile app idea, you can use keyword research tools. That way, you would know if there is a demand for the app you want to build. You can also develop a landing page that highlights your idea and seeks user interest via email signup.

Build a minimum viable product or MVP that provides basic yet essential features to make it usable and gauge user interest. 

Wireframe your app

After validating your mobile app idea, the next step is to detail your mobile app in a document.

You can choose to create a flowchart for your mobile app on a piece of paper. You can also use prototyping tools like Proto or JustInMind. 

Be detailed as possible

Place in your flow how the user will navigate your mobile app and the features you’ve envisioned. This helps your developer understand your expectations clearly. 

Get rid of non-core app functionalities

While building the prototype, you might also want to look for unnecessary features and remove them.

Focus on providing the must-haves and essential features. After all, you can always iterate and update your mobile app. 

Develop “must-have” feature

Doing so allows you to save on development costs and penetrate the market quickly. These “must-have” features are the ones that will help solve problems for users. 

Research your operating system

Ideally, you should be able to launch your mobile app on Android and iOS simultaneously. But this isn’t always the case, as you only have time and budget for one platform. 

So, how do you choose which platform you opt to go for? Remember that if you choose the wrong one, you run the risk of your mobile app failing.

When it comes to thinking of a platform that you want to join, here are some questions you should ask yourself: 

  • Which is the platform that your target audience will likely be using? 
  • What programming language does your app use? Usually, different languages tend to translate better on various platforms. 
  • Does your app have paid features? 
  • How much time and money do you have? At the moment, there are more Android users than iOS. But you might need more time testing. 

Choose the right technology

How your mobile app is built can impact its success in the long run. If you want to develop a successful mobile app, you need to use the right technology. Ideally, there are three main options that you can pick from. 

  • Platform-Specific Native App: As the name suggests, these apps are coded for a specific mobile platform- either iOS or Android. The programming that you use in writing these apps is supported only with the operating systems of these platforms. Usually, using a native app leverages the hardware of your device and its functionality to a bigger extent. In turn, it elevates the user experience. 
  • Cross-Platform Native App: These apps are built using a shared Software Development Kit (SDKs). While they lose some of their native advantages, it’s one of the most cost-effective approaches you can use if you’re on a budget. 
  • Hybrid App: This type is compatible with all device types and operating systems. The three main drivers that make hybrid apps popular are cost-effectiveness, portability, and easy deployability. However, you need to understand that you might not benefit from native components and interaction patterns. Therefore, you might be sacrificing some of the app’s user experience. 

If you follow this approach, you don’t need to develop a different codebase for every platform. Instead, you can write one and then use it across multiple platforms. 

Get funding

The next step in your mobile app development strategy is knowing where you’ll be getting your funding. 

If you’re particularly new to the startup game, then you have four options where you can get your funding:

  • Bootstrapping. This usually happens when you’re the one who funds the cost of your startup. Meaning you don’t own anything. However, if your venture files, you’ll lose the money that you’ve invested in it. 
  • Bank Loans. Bank loans give you the money that you need to launch a mobile app. However, it can be a challenge to get one. 
  • Angel Funding. This is also known as seed funding. It usually happens when an investor or a group of investors gives your startup some capital in exchange for equity. 
  • Crowdfunding. This allows you to pitch your idea online using a crowdfunding platform. From there, you can seek funding from people in exchange for an incentive. An excellent example would be lifetime free access to your premium mobile app features. 

Nail your design

Design plays a vital role in your app. Having a great idea won’t really go anywhere unless you create an eye-catching mobile app. Remember that people love beautiful things, and mobile apps aren’t an exception. 

Apps are just like your website. If users couldn’t understand what an app does, they wouldn’t think twice about deleting it. But unlike sites, apps need little space to integrate everything that you want in your app. 

So, instead of overwhelming the user with one feature after the other, you should keep it simple. Unlike a well-created tap, the interface of your app should explain its usability and value. 

Create an MVP

You did all the hard work. You have all the best features and created a great user experience. But keep in mind that this is just in the initial stages and can still transform. 

This potential would mean a fundamental change in the structure of your app. An MVP is a version of your app that only has the main features you still need to release to a couple of real users for testing and feedback. 

After you’ve gotten their feedback for additions, changes, or the things you need to remove, you need to revise it. You also need to keep on testing until you’ve hit the mark. 

Consider app safety

App safety is also vital. When developing a mobile app, you shouldn’t ignore the security aspect. Remember that apps contain sensitive information like bank and personal data, photos, contacts, and so on. 

Therefore, having an unsafe app will cause this information to be compromised. That’s why a developer or a mobile app company should enforce several security checks to ensure app safety.

Here are some security checks:

  • A system that’s well-encrypted for API communication, cache, and database
  • Correct execution of communication standards. 
  • Proper validation of the token
  • Right cryptographic key management
  • Other general security checks needed

Provide third-party integration

Third-party integration is another strategy to enhance your mobile app with various features. For example, your app development has a navigation feature. Using Google Maps can help improve your app’s user experience. 

It’s also a good idea to utilize outside integration since it helps you save resources. The ad-on also improves your app’s credibility and supports the retention of users. 

Make regular checks and updates

You’re not just building an app. You also need to monitor and make time updates for app users regularly. Since there are many innovative mobile apps, it’s challenging to stand out if you’re using old app features. 

Moreover, on a security aspect, you also need to make updates regularly. This resolves bugs and other issues that users report. 

From a security aspect, you also need to make updates to resolve bugs regularly. 

Build brand awareness

Social media works like a charm if you know how to use it properly. So, notify users if you’ve recently launched an app. In other words, you need to build brand awareness.

You might also need to create hype on different social media platforms before launching your app. This excites users, making them more curious about your brand.

Over to You

Mobile app development is an excellent way to build a startup. However, an app idea alone will not get you anywhere.

You need to take these steps to ensure your success in the long run. 

  1. Know your audience
  2. Conduct market research
  3. Brainstorm app ideas
  4. Build a mobile app prototype
  5. Research your operating system
  6. Choose the right technology
  7. Get funding
  8. Nail your design
  9. Create an MVP
  10. Consider app safety
  11. Provide third-party integration
  12. Make regular checks and updates
  13. Build brand awareness

So, before you start thinking about the latest features and updates you want to introduce, focus on how your target users will interact with your app. By going through these mobile app development steps, you will be more than ready to create a successful app launch. Good luck!

FAQ

How to Start a Successful Mobile App Startup?

– Know your audience
– Conduct market research
– Brainstorm app ideas
– Build a mobile app prototype
– Research your operating system
– Choose the right technology
– Get funding
– Nail your design
– Create an MVP
– Consider app safety
– Provide third-party integration
– Make regular checks and updates
– Build brand awareness


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