There are more than a million apps available on Android and iOS but only a few of them perform well in terms of user engagement and the number of downloads. What factors are responsible for making an application different from others? Let's find out such factors in this article.
1. User Requirements: Your idea should be along the lines of what users actually need. Taking into account the user requirements must be your first step towards developing an app.
You can start by asking your friends, your well-wishers, or an online community about the difficulties that they face while using their smartphones or any added tool that they would like to use. Visit Android or iOS forums to understand the pain-points of the users. Build a basic model of an app that could address those issues.
2. The Choice of the Right Platform: Your decision of launching your application on a specific operating system should be taken by considering where your target audience is. The market share of Android is more than three times than that of iOS, while iOS leads in the terms of revenue generation. None of the points are convincing enough to prefer one platform to the other.
The striking point is that Android has a strong foothold in developing countries and is generally a more popular choice among first-time smartphone users. iOS, on the other hand, has significant market shares in the US and other developed countries. You should do some research on the consumption patterns of the content on different operating systems.
3. Revenue Generation: How would you like to make money through your application? Will you offer your app for free and earn through ads displayed or charge the users upfront for the app? There are other ways as well, such as giving the option of in-app purchases to offer some extra features for a small fee. Decide about the source of revenue generation well in advance. Go through the guidelines of the app store you want to submit your app to, so as to follow the best practices. Generally, iOS has a more strict approval policy than Android and Windows.
4. Competition: It is hard to find a completely innovative solution, but a "me-too" application will do little good in the long-term. Your app has to offer something that isn't already available for free. If you have an idea of what your application is going to do, explore other similar applications and check user reviews. Observe what people are complaining about the apps and try to come up with solutions to those problems through your application.
5. Outsourcing: Some apps, like TWC and Alibaba, start with outsourcing and then bring the development in-house later. Outsourcing the development of your application can give you a huge sigh of respite and allow you to manage other important aspects such as marketing. Hiring a professional agency can be a good way of cost-cutting, which is extremely important in the initial phase of app development process.
These were 5 points that one should take care of before entering this highly competitive but hugely rewarding sphere of application development.
Final words
Study your target audience, make buyer's persona, differentiate your application by providing a value to the users, and build an online presence before the launch. These simple things can propel your application well ahead of your competitors'.