Top 15 Tips on How to Create a Professional Mobile App

How to Create a Professional Mobile App

Mobile Apps are a very important part of our daily life, we use them to stay up to date, and we use them to connect with our friends whether for conversations or for entertainment.

This means that there are countless apps that no one uses due to their uselessness or poor quality.

How many apps do we use?

This is a technical problem, we have an oversupply of software, user interest is limited, and it usually takes longer to get your message across than product development.

To stand out from the crowd, you need deep market research and a lot of experience in mobile app development, you have to make sure that your product is well built and suitable for market needs.

Key features of a successful application

A successful application combines three aspects in a smart way:

• Market.

• the user.

• the product itself.

All of these factors must work together to give users unique value, great usability, and good performance, with accessibility being the most important feature of a successful mobile app.

What makes an app successful?

We can divide the features of such an app into two main categories: consumer-focused and business-focused.

Consumer-centric features:

• cute design

• UI/UX is well thought out

• Covers key expectations and needs based on how customers use a particular service.

• Stable and reliable workflow.

• Provides an adequate level of data protection.

• Provides quick access to the service/help desk.

Business-centric features:

• Encourages user retention.

• Offers fast and hassle-free payments.

• data breach protection.

• Low cost for future development and maintenance.

• Easy update procedure.

15 Tips for Creating a Successful Mobile App

Define your audience

The most important thing to realize for the success of your app is knowing who will be using your app.

This will help you verify (the market need) for your app idea, as well as examine how to communicate with your target audience (marketing message), and where to communicate (channels).

how did you do it?

• You can find stats and ideas, check trends, ask questions on forums, take a survey or create an MVP version of your mobile app and collect all user feedback.

• Check out all of the available knowledge sources.

• It collects all demographic data such as gender, age, gender, and location, and collects certain information about users' behaviors and motivations (pain and gain). Then discuss your idea with people you think are good.

• Narrow the target audience - the larger the group, the more positive the aspect of your product, but at the same time the higher the chances of something going wrong with your application idea. It is easier to target an innovation towards a niche.

Value Proposition

A good idea for an app that solves a specific problem for a target group of potential users.

Even the simplest form of entertainment, like a specific game, reduces stress and kills boredom while you're on the go or standing in line.

The application should bring an important benefit to the user so that they have enough motivation to download and use it.

The unique value may be related to the price of a particular service, the speed of information transmission, the way the application works, or the provision of access to features or services not available from another channel.

The perfect application combines consumer needs, business goals, and technology solutions in a smart way.

A good product should be fun or useful, repetition is inherently good, and it's always better if your application solves more than one problem.

Define your business model

App developers around the world mainly choose to monetize their apps using ad-based business models.

Video ads are one of the most popular sources of income and in-app purchases are very popular among business owners, but there are many other business models to choose from.

Each mobile application business model has advantages and disadvantages, in order to choose the one that best suits your needs, you should start by analyzing what your competitors are doing.

Note that not every successful mobile application should generate revenue, there are categories of applications, for example, applications for enterprise use, that have different benefits, sometimes you create an application to save money or improve business processes, not to generate direct revenue streams.

Define the scope of features

You've probably spent some time thinking about your app idea, you've already envisioned all the cool things it can do, all the features that might enhance its functionality, and social sharing, notifications, payments, and integrations seem indispensable.

It may also be that they are all useful features, but it may be better if you postpone them for later, because each of them will hinder the development of your core feature, because if you focus on the wrong end of the mobile app development process, you will lose time or quality.

You may end up ignoring the gist of the app idea. Think again about the ultimate reason for your app. State your goal in one sentence, focus on it, and the rest will come with time.

Once you've decided on the core feature of your app, try to make it clear. Every extra option, every customization, and every integration will make it hard for users to understand the value you offer. This too has a real cost.

Developing more complex products is not only more expensive, but you will also have to invest more time and money in customer support in the early stages.

Choose the right technology

How you build a mobile app affects its success as much as how it works. If you want to create a successful app, you must select the appropriate technology.

There are three main alternatives available to you:

The original platform app

Native apps are coded for a specific mobile platform - iOS or Android, the programming language used to write these apps is only supported by those platforms' operating systems, and a native app can take advantage of your device's hardware and functions to a great extent, elevating the user experience.

The original cross-platform app

Applications developed using this method use shared SDKs.

React Native and Flutter are common technologies used to mark up native applications across platforms.

While you lose some original features, this is still the most cost-effective approach if you're on a tight budget, but still want an app designed, optimized, and built for more than one type of device.

Hybrid application

A hybrid application is compatible with all devices and operating systems, where cost-effectiveness, portability, and rapid deployment are three key factors for the popularity of the hybrid mobile app development approach.

However, keep in mind that you're not getting the benefits of native components and local interaction patterns, so you're sacrificing some of the app's user experience.

However, if you take this approach to develop a successful application, you do not need to write a different database for each platform, instead, you can write one and use it on multiple platforms.

This is done using basic web technologies you are probably already familiar with, such as HTML for layout, CSS for styling, and JavaScript for interactions.

Simple and intuitive UX/UI design

Design is one of the keys to the success of the application.

This is true for both B2C and B2B applications, as people want to use mobile applications with a simple and smooth UX and user interface.

For example, the simple user interface does not hinder the data that the user consumes in the application.

A fast user interface adds a good feel when using the app, but remember that an intuitive user experience is essential for ease of use.

There are many other benefits of a well-designed user experience and user interface, a well-thought-out sign-up process leads to better user acquisition and higher download numbers, the same is true with a well-designed setup, when it is simple and understandable users will stick with your app and possibly recommend it to new users.

And if you rely on in-app purchases, make it clear what the user will get from buying virtual goods, this helps increase the conversion rate.

Select your own design and development team

The quality of your product is a result of the ability, talent, and work of your application development team.

A single app developer can complete some projects, but you can also outsource the work to a development team or hire an integrated consulting partner that will not only provide you with technical expertise but also support your success in the market.

Ensure that your development partners have a wide range of skills, that they communicate effectively with each other, and above all understand the mission you have assigned them.

Make sure your team is on the same page

It is difficult to combine creative thinking with effective project implementation, they must be balanced as much as possible.

Your first idea will inevitably be minimized when confronted with technology during a scoping session, and you must be willing to compromise, which is why clear identification of the core feature, problem solved, and the target user group is so important.

Make sure that every member of the custom software development team you work with understands the product, how it is supposed to work, and how it is supposed to be useful or entertaining for users.

Application developers are passionate about the technology they work with, they are a great source of ideas when you really involve them in the creative process, they are motivated by finding new, innovative, and effective ways to apply their tools, and you need to engage them in your vision and increase their knowledge and skills.

Maintain high performance

Strive for maximum efficiency if you want your application to be successful.

According to Connectings' 2019 Mobile Usage Trends Report, two-thirds of mobile phone users clean their phones at least once a month, meaning they get rid of apps they no longer need.

One of the main reasons for abandoning the application is the lack of an argument for it.

But the quality of performance is the key to the success of your app because app users will abandon the mobile app if it has bugs.

And remember that users will charge you for any problems that may arise while using your application and not the phone manufacturer or the carrier that provides them with the Internet, only you are responsible.

Make sure your app is secure

An insecure mobile application poses a real threat to the entire system, as we store and work on important data on our devices such as payments, banking information, access keys, medical and personal data, etc.

There are many ways to solve security issues, but ensuring that a mobile phone is protected is not an easy process, especially when you have to identify a threat in a specific application and determine its security level yourself.

Most common methods follow standard security standards, while others are adapted for mobile app development.

Key standard security practices include:

• Appropriate encryption of sensitive personal data, such as encryption of a local database, cache, or API connection.

• Correct encryption key management and user session authorization (tokens).

• Token validation set one for each individual device and with different expiration times for sessions.

• Proper implementation of secure communication standards, such as certificate pinning in the case of HTTPS.

• and general checks recommended by OWASP which you can find in our mobile security review.

Use of third party services

Third-party services can enrich your app, increase user retention and improve the overall user experience, such as Google Maps for example.

Thanks to third-party integrations, you can not only check out the fastest way to get from Point A to Point B but also see information about public transportation, see Uber prices for delivery to the destination you want to reach, or even greet an Uber directly from Google Maps.

It's a great way to boost your app's credibility. Integrating it with what people already use makes it easy to deliver a familiar experience. Use these integrations specifically to improve conversion and increase retention.

But don't over-engineer third-party integrations, because they always take a long time to implement, so think about it, it's a shame to waste resources if you develop an integration that only a few users will use.

Do your research properly and make sure that the third-party integration will provide value to the majority of users.

Marketing strategy plan

It's more difficult than ever to get your users' attention and make the right sales arguments to convince them, that's why you need to select the right marketing tools and language to promote your solution.

Getting your message across sometimes takes longer than product development, which is why you should start as soon as possible, as successful apps are promoted before they reach the app stores.

Your marketing strategy can be divided into three campaign phases:

• pre-launch.

• launch.

• after launch.

There are also plenty of tips already available that will help you achieve your marketing strategy.

Make regular updates

Building an app the right way and marketing it right are two parts of a three-part matrix for a successful mobile app, the final part of the matrix is ​​working on the app and updating it after its release.

If you're building an app, you probably want it to stay in the market, right? So don't forget to make continuous improvements and fix any bugs.

Mobile app users stop using the app the moment they encounter errors like crashes or repeat errors, so make sure you fix every little bug right away.

Also, develop new features and keep your app updated, so your users feel that you care about their experience.

Constant updates also help you gain more downloads from your app, and introducing new features and bug fixes ensures better user retention.

Never forget the most important reasons for uninstalling apps, see how much space your app takes up in device memory, see the complexity of user acquisition (setup, registration forms, etc.) and pay attention to overall quality, performance, and security.

Remember that every year Apple and Google update their operating systems, keeping your app relevant with the latest changes in the operating system is key.

Sometimes this can mean activating some features or changing the assumptions about your app.

App upgrade based on feedback

If you want to make sure that the updates you provide to your app are relevant to your users, just base your decision on the data, you need to know how your product is being used, analyze this information and interact with it as soon as possible.

Define clear KPIs that measure the success of your app. Measure as often as you can, but prioritize the KPIs you identify.

Implement a bug feed mechanism to facilitate reproduction and fixes, consider implementing a feedback form or NPS prompt to ask users what they think and also report bugs.

Here are some mobile app analytics platforms that you may find useful:

• Google Analytics for Mobile Apps

• Mixpanel

• Firebase Crashlytics

• App Annie

Work to retain users

Analyzing all the data you collect and constantly updating your app has one main reason to keep your users.

Remember that 25% of users abandon the app after just one use, so make sure you do everything in your power to keep your users satisfied, and your retention rate drops if the app isn't engaging enough.

Push notifications available on all platforms are the most used, for example, you can use notifications to remind users who have downloaded the app but don't know all its features and how fun it is to use.

Other techniques to achieve good user retention include onboarding, in-app messaging, and retargeting, but always think about it and attempt to develop fresh ways to engage your people.

Remember to provide real value. If you don't provide any value to the users, it will only lead to frustration.

Summary of these tips

Creating a successful app is not just an opportunity for a handful of savvy programmers anymore, in fact, designers, innovative entrepreneurs, and creative marketers are dominating the mobile and web app market.

You can simply discover a partner that will give you a world-class product if you have a brilliant idea but no software development expertise.