There’s no denying it: Mobile apps are useful, fun, and addictive to the users who love them. Nearly 90% of mobile internet time is spent on apps. Android users have access to 3.48 million apps on the Google Play Store, while the Apple App Store contains 2.22 million apps. That may sound like plenty of apps to keep users busy, but demand is still growing. Mobile app revenue is expected to reach $935 billion by 2023. If you’re seeking your piece of that pie as a hopeful mobile app developer, you’re not alone. Thousands of new mobile apps are released daily.
Mobile app creators that build successful apps reap the benefits, whether it’s a full-time career they love or a side-hustle that brings in significant cash flow. Yet, not all apps are successful. If you hope to create a successful app, it’s important to understand how to make yours stand out in a saturated market. Follow these tips to improve your chances of creating a successful mobile app.
1. Generate a Useful Idea
Mobile device users download apps because they’re entertaining, useful, or provide a valuable service. In the same way that physical products must be useful to consumers, your app needs to have a purpose. The most popular apps are used for entertainment, information, tools, or to improve the user’s lifestyle.
Consider these ideas for inspiration:
- Combine various elements of apps you like
- Build the app you always wanted
- Improve a favorite app with new features
2. Validate Your Idea
It can be difficult to face the fact that your great idea won’t be perfect for everyone. Still, it needs to be good enough to gain interest. Scope out competitive apps to learn their success rates, number of downloads, frequency of updates, and how they’re monetized. If comparable apps don’t exist, pitch your idea to others.
The more people you can share your idea with, the more valuable feedback you can obtain. Create a summary of your app and pitch it to friends, family, online followers, and even strangers.
3. Build for Usability
Mobile device users expect apps to be fast and user friendly. Sixty-two percent of people uninstall apps that crash, freeze, or contain errors. User experience describes the way a user feels about the functionality of your product.
Take these steps to create a user-friendly app:
- Study the basics of usability
- Consider creating a tutorial for your app
- Choose high-quality design tools
4. Choose the Right Platform
You can develop your app for Android, iOS, or both. Android and iOS platforms have different features that have certain benefits for app development. Base your platform choice on the specifics of the app you want to create.
If you want to gain the benefits of more users for a better chance of success, you can create a version for both platforms and improve the features of each as it makes sense.
5. Improve with User Feedback
Successful apps are not complete upon introduction to the world. Consumers want useful apps. Once your app is in the hands of real users, you’ll learn the facts about how it performs.
Warning: Not all feedback will be positive. Take critical feedback as advice you can use to improve your app for all users. Communicating with users, fixing bugs, and adding new features shows users you care about improving their experience.
Whether you live and breathe code or are just getting started in software, creating a mobile app is an adventure. It can also be a great way to create additional income or build a successful career. Learning as much as possible about the process and keeping your users in mind at every step will increase your odds of success.
