Remember native applications that required to be downloaded and installed on your computer? Nowadays, even the companies that used to offer such applications are gradually shifting towards the new models. Web applications and mobile applications are now the most popular types of software to build. How to build them successfully?
Let's see what are the factors that contribute to successful web app development:
Problem-solution fit
Henry Ford is believed to say that if he asked people what they want, they would tell him that they need faster horses. It doesn't mean that you should not listen to your customers! It's just the opposite. You need to listen carefully and draw conclusions, focus on problems and not on the solutions.
Every web app development project needs to have a clear goal. That goal should be focused on solving your target customers' problems. Mind that the goal is not the same as KPIs which are only measurements (we'll get to them later). To set the clear goal, think about your persona's pains and greeds and how can your web application relieve these pains and help persona gain her greeds.
Once you set your goal, you need to plan how to get there. A project's roadmap with milestones and relevant measures to be monitored at different stages will help you achieve your goals and watch the progress towards it. If something goes wrong, you will know it in advance and you will be able to react.
Communication
Unless you're developing your app all by yourself, you need to communicate with other people. It's important that you and your team, no matter if it's an internal team or some trusted? web app development partner, share the common vision, understand the project's goals in the same way, and that you are honest with each other.
Technology
It is true that there is no perfect technology and the choice should be always determined by your needs. If you are building a real-time application that needs to be performant and efficient, you may benefit from choosing Node.js, but if you are
building e.g. a banking system that needs to handle large numbers of calculations (even at the cost of the longer application development process), Java will probably be a better choice. Different technologies serve different purposes and those? who can benefit from Node.js won't benefit that much from PHP or Java - and the other way around.
Early validation
You may do the best market research but the actual, behavioral, data you will get when the users get to use your product will always differ from their previous declaration. That's why it is so important to put your product on the market as soon as possible and see if (and how) people use it.
Once you get an early validation and know that there are people out there who are willing to use your product, it will be easier to raise investment. It will also help you plan the next features better and better plan further development.
Every unsuccessful application is unsuccessful in its own way, but all successful web applications are alike, having some certain things in common. Usually, it's not about certain features but rather about the right approach to the whole process of web app development. When building your web application, make sure that it shares the same approach!