It’s no secret that mobile applications have become an essential part of our daily life. Research from Statista points out that 2.7 billion people use a smartphone, and almost 90% of the time spent on mobile phones is dedicated to in-app use. As a consequence, it’s no wonder businesses are competing to hire the best developers and designers out there. However, to build an amazing mobile app, businesses should focus all of their efforts on user experience, too, not just on the development part. Having a target audience in mind is key to having a successful mobile app. Here are some tips and tricks to help you get started on the right path:
Know your target audience
For any type of mobile app to be successful, it has to have an audience. The people targeted will help businesses validate the idea, build a scalable MVP, and develop a final app with ease when transitioning to the user experience part. Following this step, marketers will choose the best channels that suit the audience, and then decide on the marketing message they wish to send out.
When targeting an audience for your mobile app, the first step is to look for insights, analytics, and statistics within the company. Next, ask for feedback, check market trends, and make a survey just to have a poll of prospects. When building the MVP, make sure to collect feedback to be able to make improvements on the go, and improve both UI and UX.
Provide value to your target audience
The next step in developing a mobile app is to make sure it adds value to your target audience. Answer yourself the following question: “Does my mobile app solve a problem?” The best apps should be able to do that, regardless of the circumstances. In general, mobile apps must be entertaining in one way or another. Gaming applications, for example, are excellent stress relievers whereas shopping apps can provide better experience than desktop-based apps.
The more you focus on the benefits it provides to end-users, the better chances you have to develop a successful mobile app. As for the unique value it brings, it is equally important to analyze your competition and find ways to do things differently, in an original, innovative way. A great mobile application is a mix between business objectives, consumer needs, and technology used in a smart way.
Decide on the right technology
The way a mobile app is developed matters just as much as functionality. For any app to be competitive, it needs to be built using the right tech stack. There are numerous options you can choose, based on the budget you have available and time available for the development process:
- Native mobile app (platform-specific): code for specific platforms, such as Android or iOS, native apps are bound to a certain coding language. The benefit is that it increases user experience because it uses your device’s functionality and hardware.
- Native mobile app (cross-platform): although still native in nature, cross-platform app development uses a shared software development kit (SDK), and common tech stacks used are Flutter or React Native. To some degree, the native benefits are lost, but it’s a cost-efficient option if you’re a startup or mid-size business with a limited budget.
- Hybrid mobile app: fully-compatible with all OSs and mobile devices, a hybrid mobile app is the best approach. The development process can be cost-efficient, not to mention that it’s fast to deploy and launch. The only drawback is that your app won’t have the features of a native app, meaning that if you care a lot about user experience, it may not be a suitable approach.
Building a successful mobile app takes time, dedication, and resources. It is an overwhelming process that can go sideways when teams are not united. For any product to have a chance at market scalability, innovative business leaders, developers, designers, and creative marketers must work together. Collaboration is the key to a great end-product.
Regardless of business size or budget, sometimes it’s best to work with an app development company in Austin, or any other state, rather than struggle on your own. The more businesses can acknowledge that they can’t do it in-house, the better chances they have to partner with an agency or provider that can help them streamline the process.