Step by Step guide on developing your first mobile app

As the current market sphere is already thriving for mobile apps, it's just the right time to kickstart your own app and make millions. And why not? Investing in a mobile application is one of the easiest ways to start your entrepreneurial journey and do wonders. 

As you picture your great idea as a full-fledged app, you'd be happy to imagine people using & making great use of it, but do you know where to start? Well, turning your app idea into an app is certainly great, but is a long process that requires immense brainstorming and planning. To help you understand better and give you insights on how you can build your dream app, we’ve listed down various steps involved during the development of your app to make your project a success!  

So, let’s get started… 

Step 1

Specify your goal: As you come up with a brilliant app idea, it is also necessary that you must set your goals clearly. Whether you are developing an android app, iOS app or both, you must be clear on what your app intends to do and what is the core purpose of your app. You must think about all the aspects of the app like, “how will my app help the users”, “What would be the impact of my mobile application”, “does my app offers a solution to any problem”, etc. The more you focus on setting your goal clear, the faster you will strive to take inspired action and work quickly to achieve it. 

On the other hand, if you fail to specify your goals initially, there is a great possibility that you may lose the direction and lose track of your app. The sole purpose of a mobile application is to add value to the user’s life, and if you fail to recognize this, your app idea can fail miserably. Thus, before getting into the development process, make sure to specify your goals straight and go ahead in the same direction. 

Step 2

Draft your concept: After you define your goals, the next step is to design your concept and define your business flow. It is a process in which you turn your abstract app idea into a visual presentation by drawing a rough sketch of your mobile app. This layout will not just give clarity to you about the flow of your app, but will also help the developers and teammates to understand your app better and think of the future interface of the app. By having the storyboards and sketches in the starting stages will actually lay a strong foundation for the future of your app interface that acts as a reference at the time of actual development.   

Step 3

Carry market research: Never ignore the importance of doing market research! Before you step into the market, it is vital to understand the market trends. Not just understanding the current situation of the market, but it is also crucial to do thorough research about your competitors and determine how you can beat them. While you conduct strong market research, you will be able to understand about similar apps in the market, your competitor’s strengths and weaknesses. This will not just give you an insight, but will also help you figure out what extra features you can add to your app and how can you make your app better. 

This process not just means that you simply have an eye on your competitors but it also involves you to analyze who will be your target audience, why would they install your app, feasibility of your app, what marketing strategies your competitors are following, what are the different ways to monetize your app, what would be your revenue model and how will your app survive and stand out in the market. In the same procedure, you will also have to find out an inspiration design for your app and find the technical requirements for your app. 

Remember: Out of the millions of apps out there, your revolutionary idea can only work if you conduct your research thoroughly! 

Step 4

Functional Document: The next step after conducting market research is to lay a functional document of your app. This acts as a draft where you list down the functionalities of your app. While you already have a picture of your app in your mind, it is also necessary to list down all the features that your app would showcase. This step is just a more elaborated form of step 2. Having a functional document ready will help the developers have a crystal clear understanding of what will be incorporated in the mobile app. Once the document is ready, you will have a concrete plan to get started with further development.  

 

Step 5

Develop a Wireframe: Wireframing is a way to design a blueprint of your app at a structural level that works as a skeletal framework. This is an essential step because it provides a visual mockup or protocol of your application where you do not need to verbally communicate your idea. For this, there are several tools that you can make use of like Axure, Mockingbird and others which allow you to easily drag and drop elements and graphics and create a wireframe. Creating a wireframe and storyboard will also help to draw connections between the screens of the app and also help to track the user’s navigation. Thus, in this phase, you can turn your ideas and features of your app into a clear distinctive picture. 

Step 6

Technology Decision: Once your wireframe is ready, the next step is to take a technology decision. This typically involves deciding which platform you want to build your application. Here you need to finalize whether you want to use an android platform, iOS platform or develop the app for both the platforms. Similarly, you also need to make the decision for your backend, which involves deciding which language you want your app to be developed like Ruby, PHP or Java. In the same process, you must also define other technologies to be used in your application. For eg use of Artificial Intelligence-based technology, chatbots, machine learning or others. 

Step 7

Financial Requirement: The next important step is to do financial planning. This requires you to carefully list down your expenses and costs that will incur while you develop your mobile application. You need to consider each and every aspect while making your budget when you get your app developed. Cost of developers/agency, protecting your app costs, marketing budget and others. Note that you will have to spend on each service you take including functional services, development services, administrative services, infrastructure services and IT support services. Thus, make sure to incorporate and consider all these aspects while preparing an estimate of how much you will have to spend on your app. 

Step 8

Hire a Tech Team/agency: Once you validate your app, and find a prototype that people like and appreciate, the next step is to hire developers or hire an agency. Choosing your app development company is extremely critical as they are ultimately going to build your application. Thus, make sure to look out for a company that has relevant resources and experience to bring success to your project. A development firm with a pool of talented designers and developers is all you need to get for a quality app. To check whether the company is the right fit for you or not, make sure to check the previous work of the company and check the reviews before finalizing it. 

Step 9

Contracts (NDA, MSA, Delivery Schedule module wise): To protect your app idea and adhere to all the legal formalities, it is important for you to clearly lay legal contracts and develop agreements. Before you go ahead with the development process, make sure to get the NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement). NDA is a simple way to ensure that all confidential information related to your mobile application shall only be kept between the two parties. Other than NDA, you will also need a Technology assignment agreement, license agreement and privacy policy for your app.

Step 10

Backend Development: Now that your app has been defined clearly, it's time to get started with the actual development process. In this process, the developers actually define the backend of your app. The team works to set up servers, develop functionalities, databases, APIs and storage systems. This is a critical step that builds the backend of your app. In this step, it is also necessary to sign up for developer accounts at the app marketplaces you are developing for, as these platforms may require several days to get approved. 

Step 11

Prototype Testing: Do take opinions from your friends, family members, partners, experts and as many people as possible. Give access to your wireframe and ask everyone for honest feedback on your app. This will help you to detect certain loopholes and flaws to rectify them. During this process, you will also get to know how your users react to your app’s UI and UX. The ultimate goal of this step is to take honest feedback on your app and identify faults in the app before it goes to the designing process. 

Step 12

Designing the App: In this step, the designer is responsible to create individual app screens called “Skins”. This requires a high-resolution format of the earlier developed prototype that was developed using wireframe tools. During this stage, it is very important for you to incorporate all the feedback given to you during your prototype testing. Remember, the more seriously you take the feedback of your users, the better will be your mobile app. 

Step 13

Testing: Once your mobile app skins are ready, it is time to get your app tested. The first stage of app testing is prototype testing, which requires a further round of testing to identify and fix issues like bugs, missing features or crashes. This part is very critical for your app development process as 25% of the users abandon your app right after the first use. A simple bug, crash or any missing feature can simply bring down your app, and you will lose hold of users in one go. This brings your concern about testing your app thoroughly. 

Step 14

All set to Launch: And here you go, your app is all set to launch! It’s time to tell the world that you’ve launched a new application. Here, first of all, you need to submit your application to the preferred app stores and follow their guidelines strictly. Also, make sure to take care of app store optimization to catch the user’s attention. Getting your app live might take some time, so be patient and work on your marketing plans till then. Once your app is live on app store marketplaces, get ready to catch as many eyeballs as possible and get massive installs. 

Step 15

Marketing: Once your app is live, it is important that it reaches its target user base, else it will defeat the entire purpose. Well, this requires great marketing! Try to use as many tools as possible to reach your target audience. Leverage on best marketing practices if you want to see your app booming in the market & making millions. Use ads, social media, emails, websites, and other tools and get your app noticed and get you a strong user-base. 

Now that you know how to go ahead with your app development process, it's time for you to kickstart the process and convert your dream app idea into reality. As a top-notch app development company, our developers have profound knowledge and skills to understand your app requirements and deliver exceptional results. Our dedicated team of app developers have optimum technical knowledge & hold plenty of experience in building highly secured, interactive and scalable apps for real-time user experience. To get started with your mobile app project, discuss your requirements today!