Have an App Idea? 3 Ways That Will Help You Get It Live

149.3 billion mobile applications were downloaded worldwide last year. As of March 2017, there are 2.8 million available apps on Google Play and 2.2 billion on the App Store. By 2020, mobile apps are estimated to reach the $189-billion-dollar mark.

What do these stats have in common? We can tell two things: apps are here to stay and they’re booming.

Now is the time to put that application idea to action. How do you go about that? How do you increase the chances of it going live? Read on!

1. Polling Improves Market Research

Who is your target audience? What are the most popular apps on the market? What categories have a high success rate? Will my target audience like my app? Will it facilitate a process—such as IIS performance monitoring or bug detection?

Before you submit your app to an app store, you need to study the market and conduct your own research. Failing to do this could affect whether app stores accept or reject your app.

Polling is one (key) way to accomplish this. Create a poll using social media, polling sites, or a simple Excel spreadsheet.

Choose a question/questions you want to focus on—for instance, what app does my target audience want? (Know that you can combine multiple questions in a survey format, which will reduce time and hassle.)

You can poll via a questionnaire or interview. If you’re polling multiple people in person at once, it’s best to pass out a questionnaire to reduce the risk of ingenuine answers.

Lastly, the samples size should be 100 at the minimum and must only include your target audience.

2. Invest in a Good App Developer

App developers are a dime a dozen. However, finding one who shares your same vision and can deliver in a short period— (a couple of months) — takes work.

While freelance sites have several knowledgeable developers, they are notorious for competitive, low-ball prices and bids.

While initially that may be good for your wallet, every app developer needs to pay their bills and eat.

Meaning, they can’t afford to spend quality time developing your app—even if they want to. Less time means a greater likelihood of bugs, increasing your chances of rejection.

Don’t Overlook College Students

Check out universities and colleges instead, which have a slew of app developers eager to get their hands on a professional project.

While inexperienced, they’re knowledgeable, willing to work hard, and most likely don’t have a stack of bills piling up.

Ask Around

Ask around. You’d be surprised by how many people know or know of a web developer. Just that sliver of personal connection can cut the ice and get the project rolling. Especially young developers who are looking for ways to land their first job are eager to hear you out and what project you are working on.

3. Consider Combining Market Research

Mobile music and instant message are the top two apps in the US. While utilities and social networking are the top app categories for the Apple iOS.

If you want to create an app for Americans and submit it on Apples’ App Store, you may want to combine these stats. Perhaps a mobile music app that also functions as a calendar?

This goes back to market research, combining the stats and observations you learn to create a more efficient, better-received app.

Final Thoughts

Getting an app to go live takes hard work, dedication, and a little luck. Before you start, make sure you have:

  •      Access to the device your app will be on (e.g. Mac computer, Android phone, iPhone…)
  •      A developer license for the app store you’re submitting your app to (e.g. developer license for the App Store, App licensing for Android…)
  •      $500-$2,000 in start-up costs
  •      An entrepreneurial spirit

What have you learned from creating an app? What do you wish you knew? Comment below!