Mobile apps have become a staple in our everyday lives. We use them to communicate, stay organized, pass the time, and much more. But have you ever wondered how mobile developers make these apps? How do developers turn an idea into reality? How do they launch a mobile app successfully, and why are some apps more successful than others?
With a global smartphone user base of over 6,648 billion people, it's not surprising that the mobile app industry is doing well. People are using apps more frequently, and smartphone penetration rates continue to grow without an indication of stopping anytime soon.
That's why individuals and organizations are rushing to launch mobile apps and get a piece of the pie. But with over 2.2 million apps available on Apple's App Store and 3.5 million on Google Play, the competition is fierce. So, how can you ensure your app stands out from the rest?
Mobile app programming and app launches require careful planning and execution. Moreover, there are many factors to consider, from the initial idea to the launch day. If you're thinking about how to launch a mobile app, it's essential to understand the process involved in launching one and how to develop an effective mobile app launch strategy.
This article will take you through how to launch a mobile app, from conception to launch day.
10 Steps on How to Launch a Mobile App
The following 10 steps will go into detail about how to launch your mobile app:
Conduct Research on Competing Apps To Identify Your Assets
With so many mobile apps available, there's bound to be competition for whatever app you plan to launch. That is why it's vital to research competing apps to see what you're up against.
This doesn't mean you should copy other apps, but understanding what they offer and how they're received can help you determine your own app's unique selling points. It can also give you ideas for improving your app and making it more successful.
To begin your research, make a list of competing apps and take note of the following:
- The app's name, launch date, and any recent updates
- The app's category, rating, and number of downloads
- The app's reviews and ratings
Once you have this information, you can analyze each app to see what they're doing right and where they could improve. This will give you a better understanding of the market and help you determine how to make your app more successful.
Identify Your Target Market Before Development
To achieve a successful launch, you need to know your potential customers. This step is essential for many reasons, including helping determine the app's features, design, and pricing.
There are a few ways to identify your target audience, such as:
- Asking friends, family, and colleagues which mobile apps they use most frequently and why
- Surveying target users to see which features they're looking for
- Analyzing data from your website or blog to see who's most interested in your app
Once you've identified your potential users, you can start to cater the development of your app to their specific needs and achieve the highest level of customer satisfaction through a great user experience.
Set Measurable Goals To Ensure Success
Before you launch a mobile app, it's vital that you determine what success looks like to you. This will help you set measurable goals and track your progress over time.
Some goals you may want to consider include the following:
- Number of downloads
- Retention rates
- Number of active users
- Amount of revenue
- Average app rating
Setting these goals ahead of time will help you track your progress and give your app a better chance of success.
Consider the Benefits of Building for Multiple Platforms
When launching a mobile app, you have the option of building an app for different platforms. The two most popular options are Android and iOS, but other platforms are also available. However, launching your app on multiple platforms is the best and most effective way to reach the widest audience possible.
Statcounter indicates that in 2022, Android's market share was 71.55 percent, while iOS trailed behind at 27.8 percent. The other operating systems then share the remaining 0.65 percent.
It's, therefore, not enough to launch your app on just one platform. Instead, it would help if you considered the benefits of building mobile apps for multiple platforms and launching your app on as many platforms as possible.
Building for multiple platforms has many benefits, including:
- Reaching a wider audience: You can reach more potential users by building a mobile app for multiple platforms.
- Increased chances of success: With more people using your app, you're more likely to achieve your goals.
- Increased visibility: Building for multiple platforms can help you get more exposure for your app.
If you need help deciding which platform to build for, you can always start with one and then expand to others later.
Use IDE Software for Simpler Cross-Platform Development
You'll need IDE software if you're looking to launch a mobile app on multiple platforms. This software allows you to develop apps from a single code base for different platforms. This means you won't have to create separate code bases for each platform, which can save you a lot of time and effort.
Several IDE software options are available, but some of the most popular cross-platform ones include Qt IDE, React Native, Flutter, Xamarin, NativeScript, and Node.js.
Create Social Media Accounts To Generate Interest
Social media is a massive part of marketing a mobile app. It's a great marketing strategy to generate interest and build an audience before you launch your app.
When creating social media accounts, there are a few things you should remember:
- Choose the right platform: Not all social media platforms offer the same value. Make sure you choose the most popular with your target audience. For instance, if you're targeting teenagers, Snapchat and Instagram would be better choices than LinkedIn.
- Create quality content: Post high-quality content that interests and engages your target audience.
- Be active: Don't just create an account and forget about it. Be active and regularly engage your audience.
Write Content To Explain How To Use Your Mobile App
When you launch a mobile app, you must get people to know how to use it. The best way to do this is to write content that explains how to use your app. This can be in the form of blog posts or tutorials.
Make sure your content is high-quality and easy to understand. You want people to use your app without any problems. Remember also to market your content so that people see it. You can do this by promoting your content on social media or through paid ads.
Develop a Video To Demo Your App
Videos are a great way to show people what your app can do. A demo video can be very effective in generating interest and getting people to download your app.
When creating a demo video, there are a few things you should keep in mind, such as:
- Keep it short: People have short attention spans, so make sure your video is short and to the point.
- Showcase the features: Don't just show how your app works; highlight its best features.
- Make it engaging: Use music, visuals, and other elements to make your video more engaging.
Design a Dedicated Landing Page for Potential Subscribers
You can use a website or landing page to promote your app. However, a landing page is the best way to get people to sign up for your app and drive traffic to your app store page.
A landing page should be:
- Simple and uncluttered: Don't cram too much information onto your landing page. Keep it simple and easy to understand.
- Focused on one thing: Your landing page should focus on getting people to sign up for your app.
- Action-oriented: Include a clear and straightforward call to action, such as "Sign up for our app today!" The call to action should be easily visible on your landing page.
- Visually appealing: Use visuals such as images and videos to make your landing page more appealing.
Conduct Prototype Testing With a Test Audience
Before you launch a mobile app, it's crucial to conduct prototype or beta testing. Prototype testing is when you test your app with a small group of people to see how it works and get feedback.
Prototype testing is crucial because it helps you find bugs or errors in your app. When conducting prototype testing, a small group will suffice. Only test your app with a few people, as this can be overwhelming.
Positive user feedback will give you the confidence to launch your app to the public. On the other hand, if you get negative feedback, it's better to make changes to your app before launch.
Top Mobile App Developer Tools
There are several software options available for mobile app development. They don't all perform the same way or offer the same value, so this section will look at some of the top mobile app developer tools.
Buildfire.js
With Buildfire.js, mobile app development is easier than ever before. This open-source tool makes it easy to launch a mobile app with the click of a button.
This new development portal enables marketing firms, web developers, small development firms, and small IT departments to create custom app solutions at an affordable price. Additionally, Buildfire provides developers with a powerful suite of out-of-the-box open-source functionality (Plugins) combined with an SDK to fork, enhance, and resubmit these plugins or create entirely new functionality.
With Buildfire, gone are the days of spending an arm and a leg on custom app development. Now, you can easily manage your apps without breaking the bank.
Ionic
Created by Max Lynch and Ben Sperry in 2012, this cross-platform mobile development framework is entirely free and open source. It's an excellent choice for building hybrid mobile apps.
Ionic allows you to build native-quality mobile apps using web technologies that you already know, love, and are comfortable using. Ionic Framework and Ionic Capacitor provide developers with everything they need to get started, from rich libraries of mobile-optimized UI components to easy access to common device features. And with Ionic Portals, it's now easier than ever to deploy micro front ends across multiple existing native mobile applications.
If you're a web developer who's looking to get into mobile app development, Ionic is a great choice. It will allow you to launch your app quickly and without learning a new programming language.
Xamarin
Xamarin is a cross-platform development tool that allows developers to create apps compatible with multiple platforms. It uses C#, which makes it more familiar to developers, and provides a single code base for all major platforms, including iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows.
This mobile programming tool has made it familiar for regular developers by allowing users to easily use the same code base for both platforms without having to remember different syntaxes constantly. Plus, the User Interface remains almost unchanged - it just has to be built separately for each platform before being bound by the common code base.
Xamarin also offers two ways to build mobile apps: using Xamarin.iOS and Xamarin.Android, or using Xamarin.Forms, which is a framework for simple apps and prototypes. With Xamarin.Forms, a single interface can be shared across all platforms, making it the ideal choice for apps with significant code sharing.
Android Studio
Android Studio is the official integrated development environment (IDE) for Google's Android operating system, built on JetBrains' IntelliJ IDEA software and designed specifically for Android development.
Android Studio includes all the tools necessary for developing Android applications, including a code editor, a debugger, and a device emulator. It also provides built-in support for Google Cloud Platform, which allows you to deploy your applications directly from the IDE to the cloud.
Android Studio is the recommended development environment for building Android apps. It is a powerful and feature-rich IDE that makes it easy to develop Android applications.
It is available for download on Windows, macOS, and Linux from the Android Developer website.
Corona Labs
Corona Labs is a mobile app development tool that allows developers to create cross-platform apps using the Lua programming language.
Corona SDK is a powerful and easy-to-use toolkit that lets developers create native app experiences for multiple platforms quickly and easily. Corona SDK provides a comprehensive set of APIs and features that allow you to create apps for all major mobile platforms, including iOS, Android, and Kindle Fire.
Corona SDK is free to use for personal and commercial projects. There are no up-front costs or monthly fees.
Lua is an uncomplicated and effortless-to-learn programming language that makes it a breeze to get started with Corona SDK. The language focuses on the main elements of the development, which are velocity, portability, extensibility, scalability, and (last but not least), user-friendliness.
This mobile app development tool is an excellent choice for developers who want to launch their apps quickly and without learning a new programming language.
Appcelerator
Appcelerator is a mobile app development tool that allows developers to create cross-platform apps using JavaScript.
Appcelerator Titanium is a powerful and easy-to-use toolkit that allows developers to create native app experiences for multiple platforms quickly and easily. Appcelerator Titanium provides a comprehensive set of APIs and features that allow you to create apps for all major mobile platforms, including iOS, Android, and BlackBerry.
Rapid application development tools are essential for a successful mobile app launch. Appcelerator offers various tools that make the process easier and faster, including ArrowDB, a schema-less data store. This allows developers to deploy data models without additional setup time.
Additionally, Appcelerator has prebuilt connectors for popular services like MS Azure, MS SQL, Salesforce, and Box. This makes it easy to integrate with existing systems and get your app up and running quickly.
Sencha Touch
Sencha Touch is a mobile app development tool that allows developers to create cross-platform apps using the HTML5 programming language.
The Sencha Touch platform is a powerful development tool for creating mobile apps. It offers extensive capabilities and an easy-to-use interface, making it easy for developers to create rich, effective apps that work on various mobile devices. Additionally, the platform's compatibility with different resolutions ensures that apps will look great on any screen size. This makes it a popular choice for businesses looking to launch a successful mobile app.
With the Sencha Touch framework, developing apps according to customer needs is much simpler than other alternatives. This technology contains numerous state-of-the-art features and built-in components that make mobile web development quicker for developers and clients.
Where To Find Mobile App Programming Talent
While finding a mobile programmer isn't that difficult, finding a talented one can be difficult. At Revelo, we focus exclusively on connecting companies with the best tech talent in Latin America. Our network of pre-vetted, experienced mobile app developers is available on demand to work on your mobile app project. Get in touch with us today to get matched with the best talent, easily and cost-effectively.
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