When you’re starting an app development project, there are a lot of things you need to take into account. What platform are you going to develop for? What features do you want to include? How much are you willing to spend? More importantly, who is your target audience?
All of these factors will influence the direction of your project, so it’s important to have a clear idea of what you want before you get started.
So, with that said, here are a few things you need to decide before starting an app development project:
1. What Platform Do You Want to Develop For?
The first thing you need to decide is what platform you want to develop your app for. There are a few different options available, each with its advantages and disadvantages. SO you need to decide which one is right for your business and target audience.
– iOS:
Developing for iOS gives you access to the large and growing iPhone and iPad user base.
Apple’s programming language is Swift which simplifies the process of coding, and due to the closed ecosystem, you don’t need to test them with third-party resources.
However, developing for iOS can be more expensive than Android, and because Mac OS X is a closed source, it cannot be applied to another operating system.
– Android:
As the most popular mobile operating system in the world, Android gives you access to a massive global audience. Android’s programming language is Java, which is relatively easy to learn, and the open source nature of the platform allows for a lot of flexibility.
However, because Android is an open-source platform, there are a lot of different devices and screen sizes you need to account for when developing your app. This can make the process more complicated and time-consuming.
2. What Features Do You Want to Include?
What kind of function and utility do you want your app to have? Do you want it to be a simple information app, or do you want to include more complex features like e-commerce or GPS?
What exactly those features are will depend on your app’s purpose. Make a list of the must-have features for your app and start planning how you’ll implement them.
What’s more, the features you need to include will heavily influence the development process, so it’s important to have a clear idea of what you want to do before you get started.
3. How Much Are You Willing to Spend?
How much do you want to invest in an app? Developing an app can be expensive, especially if you’re hiring someone to do it for you. You need to think about how much you’re willing to spend on app development, both in terms of money and time.
If you’re on a tight budget, you might want to consider developing your app yourself or finding someone who can do it for a lower cost. Keep in mind that the quality of your app will suffer if you don’t invest enough in its development.
Make sure you have a budget in mind and know how much you’re willing to spend on your project. Otherwise, you might be overspending on something that doesn’t quite give you the returns to cover the overly expensive application.
4. Who Is Your Target Audience?
Do you know who are you making your app for? What needs does your target audience have that your app can fill?
Knowing your target audience is crucial for designing an app that they’ll want to use. Keep your target audience in mind when making decisions about your app’s features and design. This ensures that when the app is finally available for your target audience, it fits their needs and keeps them happy!
If you’re not sure who your target audience is, take some time to research your market and figure out who would be most interested in using your app.
An easy way to build your target audience is to create a buyer persona. This is a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer based on market research and real data about your existing customers.
Creating a buyer persona will help you understand your target audience better and make it easier to design an app that they’ll want to use.
5. What Is Your Timeline?
Consider when do you want to launch you app.
Make sure you have a realistic timeline for your project and plan accordingly. Rushing your app to market is a recipe for disaster. Sure, you want to launch our app as soon as possible, but you need to make sure that we have a realistic timeline for the project.
The average time to develop an app from the planning stage to launch is around 7 – 12 months. If you rush, you make mistakes, and when you make mistakes, the less likely your app will succeed!
Final Thoughts
Answering these questions before you start your app development project will help you make better decisions and ensure that your app is successful.
That being said, at the end of the day, creating an app is a huge challenge. No matter how prepared you are, there will always be unforeseen obstacles and the best way to overcome them is to work with an experienced app development team who can help you navigate the app development process and avoid common pitfalls.
If you’re looking for an app development team in Southampton, get in touch with us today
We Are Innovative is a digital marketing and web design agency that builds stunning WordPress websites and more to help companies get the digital tools they need to succeed. If you are looking for app development in Southampton, work with us today!
