Thanks to coding platforms getting more user friendly, creating your own apps is easier than it has ever been. Of course, creation alone does not guarantee success. If you really want to have the next big app and shove Tom Hanks out of the #1 Spot, here are the things that you need to do:
#1. Personalization is Key
There are two different types of personalization that matter for app developers. The first is the obvious type: the kind where you offer users a variety of settings and details to choose from so that they can set your app up to operate in whichever fashion suits them best.
The second type of personalization has to do more with marketing and customer retention. Websites use personalization all the time to increase customer loyalty and sales. For example, when you log in to Amazon and it presents you with a list of items you might like, based on your previous browsing session and purchases. You can do this, to some extent, with apps as well—especially if your app is built around commerce and shopping.
#2. Test, Test, Test and then Test Some More
Testing is an incredibly important part of every step of the app process. Don’t wait until you think your app is finished to start testing and looking for bugs. All that does, believe it or not, is slow your process down. Testing along the way means that, when you’ve finished building the app, you can test for “simpler” things like likability, user preferences, and other quality control issues. If you wait until the end to start testing, you might find that you have to rip apart the whole app to fix something that should have been caught much earlier on. Test, test and then test again.
Beta testers are particularly important. As you work on your app, you’ll get used to your code doing certain things and your app behaving in certain ways. This can blind you to fixes and alterations that really could make your app better. Beta testers can help identify ways to smooth out operations, improve details and improve your app’s overall functionality before you release it to the public.
#3. Beware the Feature Creep
Feature creep is what happens when you get obsessed about creating an app that can do everything. This is, sadly, often an unfortunate side effect of personalization. You get caught up in the idea of accommodating every possible user and forget your original goals. Apps are designed to accomplish one (a few at most) goal. Maybe your app is about list making. Maybe it is a game. Don’t forget your original simple goal.
Think of it this way: if you find that you really do want to accommodate a second set of needs or desires, you can always develop a second app to cater to that audience.
#4. Details Matter
There is no such thing as a detail that is too small. In app development, everything has a specific purpose and end goal. Just as it is important not to include superfluous details, it is vitally important to make sure that the few details that you do include are perfect.
#5. Mind Your Analytics
Just like with websites, tracking your users’ behaviors and actions inside your app is important. Unlike a site, though, you need to monitor everything a user does while the app is open, not just while they are utilizing certain features. By tracking user activity and habits inside your app, say the developers at Appsee, you can better understand how people use your app, which makes it easier for you to figure out how to make it better for them (which increases profits and customer loyalty). In order to better understand and optimize the users’ experience and how it impacts your mobile app analytics, watch a video about it at www.appsee.com.
Obviously, there is more to app development than this, but these five hints are a good place to start. What do you think is important for ensuring app success?
IMG Source Cristiano Betta Flickr
