A Beginners’ Guide to App Creation for Business

If you’ve never built one before or aren’t very technological minded, creating an app for your export company may seem like quite a task, almost intimidatingly so. However, it shouldn’t be and you need to take account of the benefits.

For exporters an app is an easily available resource that can be placed on one of the world’s largest stores – the App Store or Google Play Store. Like any software it can be programmed to do a variety of things and for exporters it can be a fantastic tool and utilised for everything from logistics to the end sale.

Millions of businesses have built and published apps on the Apple and Android app stores and yours can too. So, here are some beginners’ tips for app production for business

Audience

Decide who is going to be your audience. This then allows you to make a big decision. Will you be creating for all platforms, or a particular handset? Obviously, the more platforms you create apps for, the more costly things get. So, define the best platform to utilise by finding out your audience. This will help later on when it comes to marketing too.

Research

So, do your market research, find a niche and then come up with a creative solution for development and design of an app. There are millions of apps out there and if you don’t want yours to be merely another number then analyse other apps, where they went wrong, what they did well and then create a plan.

Niche

Imagine the number of Angry Birds like apps in existence. You don’t need to be a pro in the app development game to know there are thousands. This is why you need a niche and original idea for an app. You’d be surprised at how a clean, simple idea can capture people’s attention.

Objective

What will the app do, what’s its objective? Is it for information, entertainment or a practical use? Look at the competition. What are they and aren’t they doing? Use their apps as a catalyst for something a little different – an evolution of the app perhaps. If you don’t know what the best approach is, perhaps discuss it with your marketing company or the company that helps with your web design?

There’s no point in creating something that’s already been created, however you’d be amazed at how tiny and logical improvements in already established apps can make a very popular app.

Money or Free

Will the app be free or will you monetise it and if so, how will you monetise it? These are big questions and the answer often depends on what you want the app to do and whether you’re using it as a marketing tool or a way of making money directly. This should all be decided in your digital strategy.

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If the app is to help establish your brand for example, you’ll want as many downloads as possible and so the app should be free. Now, if you want to make money from the app itself directly then monetisation via a Freemium option, or a paid for app could be an option. It really depends on the end goal.

Simplicity Works

So, many companies create apps that are good in principle but they tend to do too many things at once. Ideally, apps need to do one thing well, rather than a few things badly. Simplicity is often the key to great apps and often high levels of functionality aren’t a necessity.

Test and Get Feedback

Testing the app is one of the most important parts of the process. Apps with issues and glitches irritate people and they quickly uninstall them and leave bad feedback. Testing apps can be done in a variety of manners.

You can get web developers to do so or use other means. Crowdsourcing is a new and innovative manner to test apps. Companies such as Passbrain provide services that offer subscribed users the chance to test and try new apps and they in turn receive a fee for doing so. People love doing so as it gives them a first look at some of the amazing innovative apps out there, while developers get feedback on their app and where improvements are required.

Feedback

When you get feedback, use it to improve the app, ensuring you listen to what is said. You can then develop the app and update accordingly.

For example Direct house buyer have a new app that allows you to stream line the process to get someone to buy my house fast. When doing so they received a number of tips on the app and how to make it better and it’s very different now.

Remember, the best apps are the ones that offer a simple idea, yet make the most of the hardware and software a smartphone or mobile device has. Ensuring apps are innovative and also user friendly is often the key to success.

 

Sectors: Creative & Media, Digital Services, and Marketing Services
Topics: Advertising
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