We are convinced that we all must somehow leave our mark in the universe. Someone is planting a tree and raising a son, someone is writing books, we are developing software. There are many ways to leave something on our own, and some of us choose the most modern option – to create an application. But just a good idea is not enough for your application to be successful.
Mistakes to Avoid for Successful App Launch
In this article, we will talk about typical mistakes in the initial stages of work, in collaboration with a developer company and in marketing your product.
Phase 1 – Idea of an Application
Let’s start with the very first thing a startup faces: it’s the idea of ​​an application. There are 3 most common mistakes that can prevent the product from taking off.
1. Excessive Self-confidence
When working on a project, it is easy to think that the whole world is just waiting for your application to be available. But alas, this does not work that way. Do not get hung up on developing your project so much as to get into bubble-space without noticing either competitors or the goals of your product.
Take a competitive analysis of application analogues to make sure that your project is unique. Use special services to check this. For example: IdeaSquares, BetaList, Proved.
2. Undefined Features and Benefits of Application
Of course, at the very beginning of creative process, it seems to you that there is nothing better than your idea. But the reality is that even the best undertakings have their own strengths and weaknesses. You need to narrow the target audience of an application and highlight what will help you achieve maximum efficiency.
For example, Snapchat, popular photo-sharing app. It’s a part of the must-have set of applications, and its distinctive features we think are filters and masks that make the application more entertaining than practical.
3. Incorrect Product Pricing
In the perfect world, you can create something useful and high-quality quickly and cheaply. But in our reality, everything qualitative is time and cost consuming. When planning a budget for your future project, consider what you are willing to spend more on. Practical interface or unique design? Decide which is more important for your target audience.
Perhaps a more practical interface and a minimum of functionality would work perfectly for instant messengers or business applications; but a more interesting design and expansion of functions would be useful to social networks or video / photo hosting. Remember the application architecture – the technical part should be thought out so later it would be possible to launch new versions without trouble. Monetary costs are also affected by the OS for which an app will be created and in which store it is located, but we will talk about this later.
If you evaluate the project cost incorrectly, there will always be a risk that the application will turn out not as you planned. In addition, you can save on the right budget allocation and transparent pricing by the development company.
Phase 2 – Developing Your Idea
The next step is application development. Most often, startups are looking for third-party developers to perform the technical part, and this part of the article is all about which pitfalls in cooperation with the development company can destroy your application.
4. A Non-trustworthy Developer Company
When looking for a development company, look for those who have a portfolio and trustful recommendations. The purchased text always differs from the real one by general phrases and the lack of personalization (in such a review you will not see gratitude to the random Andy for his manners, or to Julia for politeness).
If the company you are going to work with offers a large number of services and does not have the same large portfolio, this may be another reason to reconsider. In this case, every little thing is important: look through the company’s website (if they can’t make a quality product for themselves, will they make it for you?), Make sure that the company’s representatives are always in touch. In addition, you definitely should check out the products created by them.
Additional services, such as IT consulting, would also be a plus in the job, because a well-designed strategy will increase the application’s chances of success. You can use services such as Upwork to learn all about the future partner.
5. No Code Warranty from Development Company
The development and launch of the application takes not only a lot of time, but also a lot of money. And it is natural that when buying software, you want to be confident in its quality, therefore most development companies provide the customer with certain guarantees.
If the outsourcing company gives a lifetime warranty on the code, you can be sure that in case of malfunctions they will be fixed according to the contract. Also, many companies can offer you product support after its release. Then you can stay calm about its future: the development company will take care of the application after it enters the market, fixing bugs and creating updates if user feedback requires it.
6. Not Enough Testing
If the finished application seems to be raw and constantly crashes – maybe it’s not the code, but insufficient testing. Tests should be carried out at each stage of development, and you should be able to track it: then the application will be adapted to the platform you need and work correctly on different devices.
In addition, don’t forget about the acceptance testing that you will have to do after receiving the project. If you are not happy with something in the product, give it back to the development company for correction. Be responsible. The user is unlikely to be interested in an application that crashes or responds to commands after a few minutes.
7. Developer Hides the Pricing
Transparent pricing is important for you, as a buyer, so that you have the opportunity to track how the budget is distributed. In addition, if you intend to work with an offshore company, you need to be able to communicate with the developer. This not only gives you a sense of security and guarantees real work on the project, but also helps to track it and, if necessary, make adjustments to the process.
Few companies, like the MassMedia Group, provide streaming from the office, for example through WatchOnline. This helps reduce the distance between you and the outsourcing company, despite geographical barriers.
Phase 3 – Good Marketing Strategy
And the final step in turning your application into a star of app stores is marketing. After all, it doesn’t matter how good your final product is, no one will know about it if you choose the wrong marketing strategy.
8. No Pre-launch Marketing
Yes, advertising a finished product is much easier. But if you need downloads from the first day, pre-heat customers interest in the application. Make it visible: track mentions on social networks, promote on other platforms, talk about your application, write about it. Show the market why it needs your product so damn much!
9. Not Thought of Choosing a Platform for Application
Perhaps you postponed this for later or implemented your application on the platform without adapting to its audience. Keep in mind that most of the market is occupied by Android and its Play Store, Apple is in second place, and the percentage of the rest is extremely small.
Each platform has its pros and cons. The Play Store will give you more personalization but promoting the program in the Apple App Store may be easier, and you will have to spend a lot of money on optimizing for both OSs.
10. No ASO
Make the icon of your application pleasant to the eye, write optimized text on the page and use high-quality screenshots as a demonstration of the interface. Product optimization for the app store will help it if not take off then at least slowly climb up to the top.
11. No Reviews
App stores bring applications to the search top not only by the downloads level, but also by the number of positive reviews. Contact anyone who could rate your application; Write personally to friends and beta testers, and do not be afraid. The more reviews you have, the more chances there will be for a product to become popular.
Final Words
Now you have knowledge, and knowledge is power! Your idea has a potential, the main thing is not to spare efforts to realize it. Remember that we are all human beings, and even program code is not immune to errors, so learn from the experience of others and learn from it while gaining your own. We look forward to the moment when your startup turns out to be an application in our smartphones!
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