In brief
Prepare for app development by researching the market and user needs, investing in promotion, gaining hands-on experience and defining clear product differences. Popularity and success stories alone are not enough to guide a project.
With the recent rise of smartphones, many people want to develop a new app, though some have only an idea or a demo. Most people still have limited understanding of app development. Their main reason for building an app is that apps are popular and they believe they can profit from them. They therefore act as soon as they have an idea, overlooking much of the preparation required, including marketing.
1. Project Research
Many people develop apps without sufficient preliminary research into matters such as positioning and target users. Preliminary research is crucial for every project. It should cover the market, competitors, technology, conditions at home and abroad, and the history of development in the field. Once you have completed this research, you will become an expert on the project.
Research can take many forms. Offering gifts for completing a questionnaire generally does not cost much, but can be very helpful in collecting user feedback. Understanding users’ attitudes, ideas and concerns during development allows you to make improvements that better meet their needs, increasing the app’s chances of success.
2. Strengthen Promotion
Many people pay too little attention to promotion. Without sufficient understanding before development, they enter a market already crowded with similar products, and it is only a matter of time before they are overtaken. Among similar apps, those that stand out are often those willing to invest in promotion. Besides attracting potential users, promotion can help prevent users from abandoning an app when its novelty wears off.
Promotion can attract potential partners. Companies seeking partners generally prefer brands with an established reputation, because working with a well-known brand can effectively raise their own profile—a tangible and obvious benefit. Promotion can also put pressure on competitors, substantially disrupt their efforts, attract customers’ attention and make it harder for competitors to generate sales. So do not rely blindly on your own confidence: doing more promotion offers many benefits.
3. Gain More Hands-on Experience and Spend Less Time Reading Success Stories
When people achieve success, they promote themselves. Media coverage can then make their achievements seem almost miraculous, misleading some people who are eager to succeed and giving their imaginations free rein. In reality, many successful people do not openly discuss the problems and difficulties they encountered during development.
Apple’s success lies in its willingness to spend time and money on promotion. So do not put blind faith in what successful people say. Others will not reveal the experience and techniques needed to succeed; they will only tell you the successful outcome.
4. Differentiate Your Product
The Jewish golden rule states that only 22% make money in a mature market, while the other 78% do not. In the app market, only twenty to thirty apps have more than 50 million users, accounting for 22%. Many people pursue an app out of a passing enthusiasm, only to end up getting nowhere and wasting time.
Success is difficult to achieve, and standing out requires differentiation. Simply creating an ordinary app now offers little prospect of success. The key is to identify what makes the product different and what can attract the media and users. Different target audiences and their behavioural characteristics can all provide a basis for product differentiation.