FAQs for App Development Beginners

If you are creating a mobile app for the very first time, you may have a few questions about the process. 

Here are some the most frequently asked questions:

The idea

Most people come up with one idea that they want to pursue, but if you have many ideas, then you should not limit yourself. Many successful businesses have succeeded by following multiple ideas.

Prototyping 

Start by putting your idea down on paper as soon as possible. Search for good prototyping tools on the web and create an in depth, screen by screen prototype of your app. One of the most popular prototyping tools for app designers is inVISION, but there are many others available too.

App Development

Once you are clear about all the requirements, decide whether you want to develop the app yourself or outsource the work. If you are developing the app yourself, you need to learn app development. 

Outsourcing vs In-house development

If you are not developing the app yourself, then you will need to also think about whether you want to make the app in-house or outsource and in case of outsourcing, you need to find choose a company that can do the design and development. A few of the most popular products out there were outsources in their preliminary stage and then brought in house. Examples include fab.com, Alibaba, Digg and Skype. 

Go to market

The best way to know if the customers will like your app is to get to the marketplace fast with a prototype. Don't wait around to make a complete app with all the current features.

Native or Hybrid app

Next you will need to decide if you want to develop a native or hybrid app. Native apps offer the best performance and use the native capabilities of your device. Their cost of development is also higher because of the specialised skills required. In the every app is different and you will need to weigh the pros and cons of each approach and see which works best for you.

Milestones

Make sure you have a milestone and try and keep the cost down initially. Your aim should be to get your product in the hands of the customers as soon as possible. Once there is traction and continuos demand for your product, you can bring the development and maintenance in house. 

Monetisation Strategy

Decide early on how you are going to monetise your app. Will your app be free or paid? Alternatively you may monetise through advertising or in-app purchases. Subscription is also an option and is recommended for news, books and music apps.

App Submission

If you are submitting your app to the Apple App Store, then you need to register as a developer and pay a $99 annual fee. To submit Android apps, you need to pay $25, which  allows you to submit unlimited number of apps for life.

App Marketing

While the app store search engine will help people find your app, it certainly is not enough.

Here are some other things you can do to market your app: 

Get third party endorsements. Reviews from technology bloggers also help spread the news about your app. You must also try and secure press coverage.

Feedback

Once your app has been submitted, you will need to gather feedback from the users and improve your app accordingly. This is made possible by using analytics tools such Flurry and 

Once your app is in the hands of your customers, you will need to get their feedback and improve the app features accordingly. When developing the app, ensure app analytics such a Flurry and Google Analytics for Mobile apps.