What do Clash of the Clans, Spotify Music and Candy Crush Saga all have in common? Answer, they are all apps, yes, but they are all also making massive profits each and every month. Clash of the Clans, for example makes an estimated $12.3M per month.
Apps are big business and developing a good one can take you from rags to riches overnight – but where do you start?
1. You Get the Idea
For many, this is the most difficult part of the process, you need a great idea. Formulating an idea can come about in a number of ways, for example, you may look to fill a gap in the market or to identify a need.
And whether that idea is for a game, a way to make life a little bit easier or one that will help solve a problem, you need a clear vision and a strong resolve to see the project through.
2. Put Pen to Paper
Once you have an idea, then the best thing to do is to write it down. You should look to planning how the app will look, its features and how it will flow in terms of the user experience.
Whether you literally use a pen and paper, a Word document or something more sophisticated like a wireframing tool is, to a large degree, irrelevant, the important thing is that you have a plan that you and others can reference.
3. Get Technical
To bring your idea to life, it needs to be developed using specific software and there are lots out there to choose from. Of course, this is not something that you can just pick up and get on with and so some accredited DevOps training may be required for the inexperienced.
In addition, keeping up with all the latest developer news is important.
Understanding the principles of how apps are developed is paramount to the success of any such project, as it is these that act as the foundation stones for your project.
The type of app you are looking to build will dictate the type of development software you choose, but there are some guidelines to get you thinking along the right lines. Native development, for example, can be supported more easily when platforms are updated or upgraded.
But, perhaps the biggest consideration when choosing app development software is which platform you want to put the app on.
4. Put you Platform on a Pedestal
Choosing a platform for your app is not just about technical matters, you also need to think about things like target audience and revenue.
Most app developers choose one of the big three; iOS, Android or Windows, but there are some significant differences between the three and so do your homework.
5. Release Your App and Reap the Rewards
Once your app is ready to be released, this will mean uploading it to the app store you have selected to use. It is however, advisable to start marketing your app well in advance of its release and therein lies a whole other story.
