Launching a mobile app is one of the most exciting things that you can do as an entrepreneur. It greatly contributes to brand awareness and changes profoundly the way you communicate with customers. The mobile app is an extension of your business, so it’s worth investing more in guaranteeing that your organisation’s distinctive characteristics, design features, and identity are integrated into the app.
Preparing a mobile app for launch isn’t as easy as it seems, but it’s also not so difficult as you think. It’s necessary to prepare ahead of time and remain flexible as your initial plan will probably go through multiple modifications. Please continue reading to find out what it takes to transform an idea into a successful digital product.
The most successful digital products address deep-seated needs and desires, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that they’re used by many people. Determine what your target group is – age, sex, education, interests, hobbies, and so on – and what problems you can solve for them with your mobile app. Engage with your customers where they are the most comfortable (social media, perhaps) and understand what they want or need. Ask them if your idea is a possible solution and if they would consider buying your product.
There’s a chance that the idea you want to translate into business reality has already been exploited. Offering a digital product that has the exact same features as the competition won’t help you win over customers. It’s impossible to come up with a unique idea for a mobile app, but you can stand out from the crowd. How? Offer a digital product with much better features. In this regard, it’s necessary to check out the competition. See what improvements can be made and what mistakes can be avoided.
If you don’t have the technical knowledge or coding skills, it’s recommended to hire dedicated mobile app developers. They will accompany you during all stages of the product launch, providing your customers with more value because the experts are up to date with the latest app trends. A good mobile app development team consists of visionaries, developers, designers, sales and marketing specialists, and, last but not least, QA specialists.
Rather than sticking to one platform – Android or iOS – you should build your app using a universal language so that it can be exported to various others. You don’t want to risk missing your presence on Windows Apps or Amazon Appstore. Cross-platform app development enables you to release a digital product that is fast, safe, and ensures better quality.
Discuss your plan with the mobile app development team. Based on your idea, the IT professionals will create a wireframe for your mobile app and, the moment it’s ready, you can start working on important aspects of mobile application design, such as font style or color choice. Testing will be done at each step for functionality, usability, and consistency. Choose a group of people to test the mobile app and fix the bugs that need to be fixed and make improvements to the user interface.
It’s necessary to strike a balance between functionality and what users consider reasonable. If people don’t agree with the pricing, they will let you know via comments and ratings. You can use subscription pricing or provide an initial download price and a number of in-app purchases. Speaking of which, in-app purchases represent an important source of revenue for developers. People would rather make purchases through their mobile phones than go shopping.
If your aim is to reach millions of people, it’s a good idea to offer the mobile app for free. Not only will this increase the likelihood of adoption but also it will help enhance brand value, strengthening your overall reputation. Don’t sell your mobile app. A free mobile app can capture thousands of users, who can be transformed into paid customers. It can be tricky to convince people to open their wallets, but not impossible.
Before the official product launch, leverage your social media accounts to generate interest for the mobile app. Create great content that educates, informs, and even entertains followers. Prove that your digital product is the answer to their problems. For instance, if you have a lifestyle mobile app, create posts about the importance of being in shape, and offer cool tips while promoting your app. Later on, you can run a contest to motivate people to try your mobile app, such as a caption contest.
Create a dedicated Facebook landing page to legitimise your mobile app and give potential users the opportunity to discover it. Include lots of screenshots and visuals. People will undoubtedly get excited about the digital product that you’ve invested so much time and effort into. While Facebook is the largest of any network, there are other platforms to explore, such as Pinterest, Instagram, and Imgur. These are the best places to show your app in its final stages.
Consider making a demo video, which acts as a visual guide, introducing people to the user interface and key features. Keep in mind that the best mobile apps don’t go viral due to the algorithms. They become successful because people can’t stop talking about them. A product demo is one of the most effective tools you can use.
It’s commonly agreed upon that Sunday is the best day to launch a mobile app; it’s the time when you can attain the highest ranking in the app stores. Weekends see higher downloads, so it’s not recommended to run a promotion during the week. To sum up, it’s worth noting that Apple users discover apps more conveniently as opposed to Android users. Don’t worry if people don’t immediately find out about your mobile app.
Now, you and your team can relax. You’ve done a great job, so you can give yourself a pat on the back. Of course, there are many other things to do. This isn’t the time or place for that discussion.
