Did you know that it's actually incredibly simple to develop an app? Once you have an idea for an app, you just need a development process to follow. The 12 easy steps below will give you a great starting point.
Establish your goals
To be successful, you need some goals to aim. The first question to ask your self is, "What problem can my app solve?" If your app will not simplify the lives of users, then you need to reevaluate your goals. Your time is best spent on this step because you do not want to waste time developing something no one will use. Clearly defined goals will make the development process flow much more smoothly.
Also, at the start of your development process, sign up to Google Play and the Apple Store.
Draw and plan
Pen and paper trump technology in the initial phases of app development. Simply sketch out your ideas of what your app will look like and how it will work. This allows you to be creative, whilst the sketching process gives you freedom to express your ideas without the restraints or complexity of technology.
Competitor research
If you look through the Google Play and Apple Store for similar apps, you'll find reviews of your competitor's products. This is essentially your target market research, where you can find first hand feedback from potential customers.
Look through the reviews to find what people like about your competitor's apps, what could be improved and how you can apply this to the development of your own app.
Read More: - Developing a Smartphone App
Blueprint
Design a wireframe of your app so that you can create the basic layout and functionality of each of your pages. If you're not sure where to start on this, you can use the best wireframe tools to use for app development.
Back end development
Now it's time to develop the technical aspects of your app. If you can't code yourself, as many app entrepreneurs can't, you can simply sketch out your APIs, servers and data diagrams.
Make these drawings really simple and easy to understand, so that a developer can quickly grasp the concept of them so he can begin creating the technical functionality based on your ideas.
Read More: - Top iPhone VOIP Apps 2016There are also many different platforms that will help develop your app's functionality, without coding skills. Do it yourself app platforms can drastically reduce cost and simplify the process for you.
Testing time
Once you have a basic version of your app up and running, it's time to test it. Ask a few friends or colleagues to try it out and collect feedback from them.
This will help you understand how user friendly your app is and give you some interesting ideas on how to improve it.
Implement the suggestions
Now that you have some great feedback, make any changes required. Really think about the research you've received and how this can be reflected in your app.
Read More:- How Mobile Apps to Help Sell Your Business OnlineDesign the front end
Commonly referred to as a user interface (UI), at this stage you should focus on designing your app to create a great user experience. A quick Google search will help you find a whole host of beautifully designed user interfaces for inspiration.
You may also want to hire a designer, or there are plenty of design tools online to help you.
Retest
Now it's time for another round of market research and feedback. Use a testing platform like some of the tools to find out what else can be improved on your app.
Final changes
It's time for your last round of app changes. Make sure you're efficient with this stage, only implementing changes that will add value to your app and increase it's performance.
It's easy to waste time and develop changes that aren't necessary, so focus mostly on enhancing user experience instead.
Create a beta version
Upload your app and pilot it as a beta version. For iOS apps you can use Apple's tool called TestFlight, whilst you can use the SDK for apps on Android devices.
Release your app to the market
The time has come to release your app and launch it in the market! Upload it to the app stores and let it fly. Remember that once you have completed this 12 step process, you're going to need to proactively promote your app to increase it's popularity and downloads.
As you can see with the above steps, it's fairly easy to release your own app. It's an exciting time for app developers and mobile technology is a great opportunity if you have the right idea.
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Andrew Gazdecki is the founder and CEO of Bizness Apps, a do-it-yourself mobile app and mobile website platform for small businesses, and Bizness CRM, a CRM for selling to small businesses.
