4 mobile app development tips for start-ups

Say you have a brilliant start-up idea and you need a killer app to go with it. If you’re just beginning to set sail on your app development journey, it might get a little difficult navigating the waters of app development. We put together several app development tips for start-ups in this blog just to help you get started on bringing your ideas to fruition.

Building an app is not an entirely straightforward task. You’ll need to take several factors into consideration before the development phase to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible. It will take a considerable amount of time going from the initial planning to production, and you will encounter obstacles. It might seem daunting at first, but none of these obstacles are impossible to overcome if you plan things right.

Do a market research

There are several questions you need to answer during the initial planning stage. Who are your competitors and what are you doing differently? Are you playing into their weaknesses or are you doing something completely different?

Comb through your competitor’s app store reviews to get a general feeling of what their users like and dislike about their app. Store reviews are important as they act as a wishlist made by the users. By taking note of what they want, you can offer the things your competitors don’t.

To make sure your app stands out in your particular vertical, you’ll need to know your audience. Social media is a treasure trove of information on this. Listen to what people are saying about the apps in your vertical and include the solutions that they want in your app.

Focus on the user experience

When it comes to the usability of your app, user experience is the most important aspect of your app’s success. During the planning stage, you need to work out the best flows and features to go with it to ensure a smooth usability experience. You can refer to one of our earlier blogs about maximizing your app’s user experience here.

One thing to note, however, is the pressing matter of your user login processes. The importance of streamlining the way your users log in to your app can not be overstated, as it is one of the first things your users encounter when they start interacting with your app. The tricky part is to find the balance between convenience and security.

VerifyKit has the perfect solution for all your user verification needs. When verifying your users, VerifyKit lets you use popular instant messaging app WhatsApp, cutting your verification costs compared to SMS. It’s fast, secure, and the most important of all, user-friendly. Treat your users and give them a choice when they’re logging in.

Don’t try to do everything

Unless your app is one of the super-apps like WeChat or Alipay, it’s best to keep your focus on one problem and offer a solution to that problem only.

Virtually no app needs to be a jack-of-all-trades solution to everything. Mastering one solution to a problem is far more valuable than trying to do everything and being a master of none. Focusing on a core feature lets you direct your focus on just one thing and do it very well, and it makes your app stand out.

The most successful apps are the ones that purpose-built and different from the competition. If your users demand more features, you can add more to cover the edge cases at a later date. This strategy works because rolling out additional features on-demand makes it easier and faster to develop your app’s initial offering.

Choose your platform wisely

After doing market research and determining your target audience, it’s time to choose a target platform. “Why not both?” you might ask. The reality is, iOS and Android users behave very differently, and depending on the nature of your app, this translates to different amounts of revenue your app will net you.

When you look at the market share of these two platforms, you’ll notice that Android is the clear winner in this regard. In terms of reach, no platform comes even close to Android. However, Android’s profit share tells a different story. Basically, iOS users are more likely to spend more money on apps than Android users.

In short, if you prioritize widespread adoption, Android is the way to go. If your app is a paid one, you should publish your app on iOS first. Remember that this is not a definitive choice, you can always publish your app on the other platform in the future.

In closing, app development is not an easy task and it takes time to cook up a great mobile app. From the initial planning to development and production, your app may go through several iterations. The key is to focus on that core idea and feature set and to combine it with a stellar UI/UX. Thanks for taking the time to read our app development tips for startups and don’t forget to check out VerifyKit when laying out your plans for the user login stage and cut your verification costs right from the get-go. Try VerifyKit now.