Create An App : 6 Exclusive & Time-tested Steps to a Hit Mobile App

by Shishir Dubey April 8, 2018

I am quite sure that there is something unanswered in your mind that has brought you here. If I am right, you probably have an excellent idea for a Life-changing mobile App waiting to be brought to reality. But unfortunately, you are not aware of the ‘ABCs’ of How To Make An App. Well, you are not alone. Many people approach us saying- “I have an Idea for an App, but don’t have any clue regarding How to Create A Mobile App ? Or What are the basic Steps To Create An App ?

So, this blog is an attempt to enlighten not only them but also:

Budding Entrepreneurs (And trust me, even those with a miniature business)
Newbie Developers

And even

Non-Techie personals looking forward to some insight into App Development.

Our daily lives thrive on Apps belonging to different domains.

Why so?

The answer is simple: Because Apps make our lives easier.

Looking into Statistics, as of 2017,

There are 4.43 Billion Mobile Users in the world.
The Number of Apps available in:

Google Play Store is – 2.8 Million Android Apps

Apple App store is – 2.2 Million iOS Apps

(Courtesy-www.statista.com)

So from the above graph, you can understand the Demand Of Apps in the App Market. This is leading to an upsurge in:

Entrepreneurs who are wanting to Hire Mobile Application Development company to start building their own Mobile App.

But, Hold On!

Be aware of the fact that not all Apps succeed.

50% of the Apps in the Android App Store do not get downloaded.
60% of the Downloaded Apps have a 80% chance of getting deleted within the first week.

Don’t think that I am here to discourage or demotivate you. In fact,

This blog will present you with:

A Step by Step Guide To Create An App that is a Market Hit.

Please note that there is no single absolute best way to Create an App . It is quite a flexible yet complicated process. Therefore to make your life easy,

This Blog is written with an attempt to provide you with a clear reference regarding “How To Create An App ” in easy steps. So let’s start.

Step 1: Coming up with Unique Mobile App Idea and Validating it
Step 2: Sketching and Wireframing
Step 3: Developing your App
Step 4:Testing your App
- Alpha testing
- Beta testing
Step 5:Launching and Marketing your App
Step 6: App maintenance and Providing Customer Support

Create an App – Step 1: ||Idea Validation Through Market Research ||

Every App Making process starts with the same parameter- AN IDEA.

Without an Idea, there won’t be any App.

And to gain an Idea, you need A Big Imagination.

“ Imagination Gives Birth To An Idea And Idea Gives Birth To An App”

Therefore, you need to think Big and Out of the box to come up with the idea that is exceptional and promising.

But don’t get frustrated if you fail to do so because it is quite a challenging task.

So, have a look at –

Some Tips To Help You Generate Great App Ideas-

Begin With A Real World Problem: Observe what problems and challenges people(Including yourself) have to face in their day to day lives. Come up with an App Idea that will cater to these problems.
Find Out A Market Niche: Look out for what’s popular among people and figure out what people are in dire need of at the moment.
Don’t Emphasize On Money As Of Now: Instead, focus on delivering an App that will improve your User’s Way Of Living. This will attract More Users.

And More Users = More Money!

Engage In Brainstorming: Sit down with your Friends and Family and tell them that you want to Create An App . Ask them for Ideas. Discuss with them the pros and cons of every Idea.

Think About The Future: What can be ‘A Game Changer’ in the Future? Conceptualize the Future Trends and work out something that may add value to your user’s lives in the future.
Note Down Your Ideas: Ideas may pop out in your mind in the most unexpected of times. Make a habit of recording them down and eventually you may hit the bull’s eye.

You need to make the best use of these aspects that will help you to get the practical answer of -“How to build an app.”

Now Imagine that,

You have managed to Pop out an Idea that seemed impressive for creating your first App.

But a few months down the road you get hit with the realization that your Idea is turning out to be a failure. And after investing so much of Money and Resources, it’s now too late to get back and start again.

You don’t want yourself in that situation. Right?

That is why before you start to Create your Mobile App it is mandatory to check for your Ideas Uniqueness and also Validate It simultaneously.

Let’s understand what I mean by ‘Validating Your Idea.’

Idea Validation is one of the crucial steps related to Creating an App through which you will get answers to:

“Is My Idea Worth Converting Into An App?”

“Will my App be able to solve the problems of my prospective users?”

And the Key to these answers is: Market Research

Now, Conducting an App Market Research will not only Validate your Idea but also ascertain its Uniqueness.

While researching the Market, a lot of criteria should be taken into consideration. Which can be summed up into 3 aspects as discussed below:

Create a Mobile App -Market Research Aspect 1 :

“ Finding Out The Presence Of Similar Apps In The Market And Analyzing Your Competitors”

To figure out if your App Idea is Unique, you need to Research the Market for Apps similar to your prospective App.

If you don’t find such an App, then “Congratulations!”

You have managed to come up with an Exclusive Idea.

But sadly, this is not true for most of the cases.

That’s Because it is quite challenging to come up with a 100% Unique Idea due to the overgrowing population of Apps in the market.

In this situation, you need to Find out ways to incorporate something unique to your App.

“How Should I Do It?”

The answer is to Analyze your Competitor Apps.

And the most efficient way is to maintain an Excel Sheet accommodating an App’s details such as-

Services and features
Number of Downloads
Ratings
Feedbacks- both Positive and Negative
Funding received
Cost-related aspects- whether it is a free or a paid App.

What you need to do is:

STEP 1:

Search for Apps According To App’s Domain & list them in Excel Sheet.

For example-

If you have an Idea for a ‘Food Delivery App,’ then you need to search for Apps belonging to the same domain.

Apps such as:

Foodora
Menulog
Seamless

Fall under this category.

You can find out Apps that are similar to yours from sources like (but not limited to):

Google Play Store:

I am quite sure that you know what Play Store is.

And If you have ever owned an Android phone, you must have certainly searched for Apps in the Play Store.

Apple Store:

While the Google Play Store is a platform for Android Apps, Apple Store is where you will find all the iOS-based Apps.

Quora:

Quora is a knowledge sharing platform where you can ask questions and get answers regarding every possible domain.

Here is an example showing How To Use Quora For Market Research:

Create a Mobile App – Use Quora – Step 1: Go to www.Quora.com

Create a Mobile App – Use Quora – Step 2: Type in the domain to which your App belongs to.

For Example- “Best Fitness App”

Create a Mobile App – Use Quora – Step 3: Select the most relevant option from the Search results.

Create a Mobile App – Use Quora – Step 4: A page will open. And in there will be different answers and opinions regarding “Best Fitness Apps.”

Create a Mobile App – Use Quora – Step 5: Go through all the various answers listed there. And Analyze them carefully and thoroughly.

Create a Mobile App – Use Quora – Step 6: Then list out all the different Fitness Apps that are mentioned in the answers into the Excel sheet.

STEP 2:

Now, Go Through The Details Of All The Listed Apps.

And do not Forget to enlist them in The Same Excel Sheet.

Why am I emphasizing so much on the Excel Sheet?

Thast’s Because it will ease up the process of comparing and analyzing all your Competitor Apps.

Given below is a sample excel sheet showing you how to do it.

STEP 3: Next Go Through The Feedback Column.

See those Negative Comments and Feedback in the Excel Sheet?

Analyze them to figure out the loopholes of the Apps.

You need to use these drawbacks to your Advantage. Implement features into your App to Bridge the gaps left unattended by your competitor Apps.

This will provide your users with ‘Something Extra’ which they won’t find in the other Apps.

Similarly, study about all the Apps and the different categories mentioned in the sheet above to make your App superior to the other Apps.

Time for a BONUS TIP!

Another innovative and incredible way to Superiorize your App Idea is to make use of sites such as:

Capterra – A free Web service that acts as a tool for finding out the best software solutions for businesses.
Software Advice – A platform that focuses on providing user reviews and research on various software applications
G2 Crowd – A review platform for business solutions that was started to collect user reviews for business software.

Haven’t heard of them?

Well, these are software listing sites and can be used as an excellent source to find out Softwares that belong to your App’s Domain.

Now and then, exceptional and the best custom software development companies like ChromeInfoetchoften come up with outstanding Software solutions which you can use as references.

You need to research and dig out information about these software and the various features incorporated in them.

“How Will It Help You and What is its significance in the process of “How To Create An App ?”

By providing you an opportunity to incorporate a much wider perspective to your App Idea.

While researching about these software,

You may stumble upon some features which you can merge with your App Idea to bring forward something unique and different.

For your ease and convenience,

Here’s an Example showing how to use Capterra :

Create a Mobile App- Use Capterra -Step 1: Go to www.capterra.com. Click on ‘Software Categories.’

Create a Mobile App-Use Capterra -Step 2: You will get a webpage listing various software domains.

Create a Mobile App-Use Capterra -Step 3: Type in your App’s domain In the Search Box. And then select the relevant option.

Create a Mobile App-Use Capterra -Step 4: You will have in front of you a list of software belonging to the same domain.

Create a Mobile App-Use Capterra -Step 5: Choose any one of the software, and you will get all its details and characteristics.

After completing the above step, proceed with the following:

Study about each of the software in depth.
Get to know about their various features and services.
Find out if there is any way that you can incorporate them into your App.

You can also take a step ahead and:

Download those software which you think are remarkable and noteworthy.
Thoroughly go through their ‘HELP’ and ‘FAQ’ section to understand them better.

Similarly, you can use the other two sites for the same purpose.

Before moving to the next aspect of Market Research,

I want you to sit down and assess what you figured out from this step.

Proceed forward only if you are confident about your comprehension and understanding of the above-mentioned points.

Create a Mobile App – Market Research Aspect 2:

“Identifying The Recent Trends In The Market”

In today’s fast-paced world, trends sustain in the market for a limited amount of time.

You need to Research the Market and keep yourself updated all the time regarding what’s trending at the moment.

Why is it one of the crucial steps that i required to Develop an App?

Let me explain,

Humans are Social beings. We like to keep ourselves in sync with what’s currently going on in the world.

So, undoubtedly we will be attracted to things(Apps) that incorporates the latest trends in one way or the other.

What you need to do is,

Build your own unique features that cater to these trends and incorporate them into your App.

This will make your app much more popular among the users than the other apps.

You can rely on these websites to find out what’s Trending:

Google Trends

This is an online search tool. It can be used to find out the most searched words, phrases, and topics during a specific period.

How Does it work?

It analyzes the number of times a ‘term’ has been searched for relative to the overall number of searches done on Google during a specific period.

Given below is an example of:

How to use Google Trends for Market Research:

Step 1: Go to Google Trends. Click on the menu tab at the top on the left side of the page.

From the menu, you can either select “Trending Searches” or “Top Charts.”

Let’s first look into “Trending searches.”

Then you need to select the country for which you want to search for Trends.

Step 4: Now You have two options. Either click on “Daily Search Trends” or “Real-time Search Trends.”

Daily Search Trends will provide you a date-wise list of all the Trends.

While the other option will offer you with a time-based list of searched Trends.

Step 5: Now let’s go back to the menu tab at the Top Left. And then click on Top Charts.

Step 6: Here, you have the option of Changing the Location along with the Year.

Step 7: You will have in front of you the top Trends of various domains for the selected Year and Country.

Filter out the Trends that you find of some relevance to your App and research about them.

Trend Hunter :

It is another Platform where you can search for the latest trends belonging to different Sectors.

SpringWise :

Another excellent source for Trend Research. It is a paid service consisting of different plans.

There are also other ways to track the current happenings in the market. You can make use of:

Social Media- such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin

Websites of top News channels.

But do remember that the market is versatile and it keeps on changing.

So always keep yourself and your app updated conforming to the market scenario.

Create a Mobile App – Market Research Aspect 3:

“Knowing Your Target Audience”

One of the best ways of Validating your Idea is to go out and talk to your audience.

And Steve Blank, the Startup Guru, states this as “Getting Out Of The Building.”

(Pic Courtesy-www.logomaker.com)

People have to face various hurdles in their daily lives, and it will be your App’s responsibility to simplify their lives. But it is impossible to Build An App that can cater to everybody’s problems.

Therefore, you need to narrow down and establish a specific group of people for whom your App will be of value.

This set of people is your ‘Target Audience.’ And Figuring out your Target Audience is one of the steps that are crucial to Building An App.

Let’s find out:

“How To Identify Your Target Audience.”

There are two( Cost effective) ways:

Surveys
And
Interviews

Both surveys and Interviews are meant to ask questions to the audience. The only differences are:

Surveys are conducted in a pen and paper format. While Interviews are more personal and include one-on-one conversations.

Through Surveys, you can reach out to a large group of people in less time. While Interviews are more time consuming restricting you from targeting large masses.

Framing the right set of questions is essential for effective Surveys and Interviews.

These questions should be constructed keeping certain aspects and parameters in mind as described below:

After conducting the Surveys and Interviews, Correlate your App’s Idea and purpose with the information gathered from your audience.

“Are you able to relate them to each other ?”

“Do they compliment each other?”

If Yes, then Voila! You have found your Target Audience.

Let me remind you again that to make your own App, it is essential to Validate your Idea before moving on to the core stages of development.

So by any means, If you feel that your Market Research is not up to the mark,

Then as an App builder, the best option is to turn around and dig yourself deeper into Market Research.

But If you are confident about it, then:

It’s time to set up some SMART Goals.

And by SMART I mean goals that are-

S – Specific and Significant

M – Measurable, Meaningful and Motivational

A – Achievable and Action-oriented

R – Realistic, Relevant and Results-oriented

T – Time-based, Tangible and Trackable

What are some of the best goals that an app builder can set?

This will vary from person to person as every individual has different expectations from their app.

For example,

If you are an entrepreneur, then your goals may look like this:

“Arrange for proper funding.”

“Get endorsement deals for my App.”

“Set a stage for my company on social media through my App.”

But for an individual, the goals might be :

” To gain some personal recognition through my App.”

“To practically implement my personal projects.”

The right thing to do here is-

First, figure out your expectations and then set your goals.

Below are some generic goals which every App building enthusiast expects to achieve:

To get ‘x’ no. of downloads by ‘y’ amount of time
Maintain ‘x’ % of active users
To finish all the steps of Building An App within ‘x’ amount of time
To complete the entire project within ‘x’ amount of money(Budgetary constraints).

The goals that you will set up won’t be achievable until and unless you track them.

You can track your goals by:

Recording it on a notebook
Maintaining an excel sheet.
Setting up reminders on your phone
And If necessary you can also make use of Apps such as Goals on Track, Lifetick and so on.

Click on the above apps to know more about them.

Without Goals your “Idea” is just an idea, Nothing more. By supporting your Idea with a set of Goals, you will be able to envision your App.

Your Goals will also help to keep you on Track and prevent any diversions from the steps required for Building An App.

So just relax for a moment and first figure out your Goals.

Let’s see what we have done until now.

Come up with an Idea?- Done
Check for its Uniqueness and Validity?- Done
Set SMART Goals?- Done

What’s next in the line of the process of “How To Build An App”?

Writing A Business Plan

Any Idea that you may come up with will always sound fantastic in your mind.

BUT,

The same idea may not feel feasible when viewed from the perspective of Finance, Logistics, Marketing, and other Important Aspects.

That is why Writing A Business Plan is very important to Create Your Mobile App

An excellent Business Plan will:

Provide you a reality check into how viable and workable your idea is.
Help you to figure out a path for achieving your goals.
Make your app a market hit!
Increase your possibility of getting funded by 29%

What Exactly Is A Business Plan?

It is merely an outline (a written description) of your mobile app based business. It is an official script of your plans to achieve the goals of your App Based Online Business.

A business plan connects these 3 broad aspects:

Financial aspect
Operational aspect
Marketing aspect

How To Write The Best Business Plan As An entrepreneur or App Builder?

Writing a business plan is a very vast topic which cannot be covered here in details.

Below is a summary of the essential components that every Business Plan should contain:

An executive summary of your Idea and Vision
A description of your Company
Market and Competitor Analysis.
Structure of your Organization
The services and features of your App
Sales and Marketing Strategy
Financial Plan and Funding.

Your Plan should contain every aspect regarding what you are going to do and how you are going to do.

It should also provide an idea regarding when and how you plan to break even on your investments if things don’t work out your way.

But out of all the components you need to focus more on the Finance related aspects because it is your effective Financial Plan that will drive your business forward.

It is noteworthy that the percentage of ‘New Startups” failing is quite high.

So if you want to make your own App, you need to do everything possible to increase the chances of your app’s success.

And an Excellent Business Plan will undoubtedly help with that.

Now, Finally, we have reached the end of the First Step of “How To create An App.”

You may have the urge to skip this step and directly begin with the Technical Processes. But remember that it is this step that will form the foundation of your Successful App.

And If you feel that you require consultation,

A leading Mobile Application Development Company will be the right place to go.

Let Us Now Proceed To The Next Important Parameter which is:

Create an App – Step 2: || Sketching And Wireframing ||

Since you have scrolled down to this step, I assume that you are convinced about your Idea’s Uniqueness and Validity.

But here’s a word of Caution before you move ahead:

The above steps didn’t require you to spend much money. But from here onwards, you will have to reach out to your Funds regularly.

So make sure to manage your Financial Aspects strategically.

Sketching and Wireframing is two mandatory steps of Mobile App Development Process.

And For an App Builder, the best and the most effective way to start Designing your App is through Sketching and Wireframing.

Let’s understand these terms one at a time.

What Is Sketching?

Sketching is the initial planning of your App. It’s the 2D(pen and paper) representation of how your App Screens will look.

You can think of it as the most rustic way of depicting your app’s screen.

Why Is Sketching Essential For The Mobile App Development Process?

Sketching will help you to:

Visualize your Ideas and app features: You have some excellent features in your mind to incorporate into the app. But you are confused about how to put it forward to the users. Sketching can help to provide a clear vision regarding the right way to present these features/Ideas and fit them into your App’s screens.

Plan the navigational flow of your app: Navigational flow refers to how your users are going to move from one screen to the other. Sketching can play an essential role in planning a smooth and continuous flow between the different screens.

Come up with new and better ideas: Don’t think of Sketching as the final benchmark of your Idea. While sketching, it is highly expected to stumble upon some new ideas and possibilities. This is where you can get a chance to improve some aspects of your app. Or, maybe resort to a completely different perspective of your Idea.

Communicate your Design: ‘A Picture is worth a thousand words.’ And the same is applicable in this case. Sketches will make it easier to communicate your Idea, Vision and Thoughts to your Team and Your Investors.

How To Do Sketching?

“I can barely draw an apple.”

“How am I supposed to sketch my app’s screens?”

But Don’t panic.

That’s because Sketching doesn’t require you to be a pro.

All you need to know is How to draw lines. And you are good to go.

Here are some Tips to help you with sketching:

Before you start, get hold of all the necessary equipment such as:
1. Pen
2. Paper
3. Folder
4. UI Stencils
5. Ruler
6. Sketchbook

Keep your sketches as simple as possible
Don’t forget to add Titles and Numbers.
Make use of arrows to connect the different sketches
Add notes and annotations wherever required
There is no need to beautify your sketches.
Make use of colors and shadows
Learn how to draw long lines
Keep rotating the drawing page to make it easier to sketch
Use templates to save time
Practice! The more you practice, the more sharpened will be your sketches.
And finally, you can always opt for digital sketching if it is more convenient for you.

There’s one more importance of these Sketches.

And that is MVP Development of your mobile App, a process that is vital for the success of your App.

MVP What?

MVP stands for Minimum Viable Product.

It is a premature and basic version of your App that is used for Test runs.

It is a means of Risk Management through which you will get a perception of whether your App will survive in the Market and make it big.

Once you have a rough perception of your App’s design, it’s now time to develop a more detailed and comprehensive version of your sketches.

And this process is called Wireframing.

So,

What is Wireframing?

It is nothing but an extended and advanced version of Sketching. You can call it as the blueprint or skeletal framework of an App.

Your Wireframe should include the following aspects of your App:

The features and categories.
Actions that you want your user’s to take.
Distribution and placement of your features and functionalities.
Prioritization of the contents
The Navigational flow from one screen to another.

Why Is Wireframing an essential element of the Mobile App Development Process?

Wireframes will help to bring clarity to your mind regarding your App’s layout and appearance.
It will give you a clear Idea regarding how your App is going to look and function.
It will help you to effectively communicate your Ideas and thoughts to your team and the stakeholders.
Wireframes will prevent you and your team from getting diverted. It will act as references once you step foot into the principal steps of App Development Process.

How To Create A Wireframe?

First, you need to know about the 2 types of Wireframe:

Low Fidelity and High Fidelity wireframes.

Here is an example of a low fidelity wireframe transitioning into a high fidelity one.

The Big Question for an App maker is:

“Which one should I go for?”

The answer to this question will depend on the following parameters:

Your Financial Resources.
Your Time constraints.
To whom are you going to represent the wireframe?
Whether a Low -Fi wireframe will meet the needs of your project or do you exclusively require a Hi-Fi wireframe.

After choosing the right type of Wireframe, you can make use of various Wireframing Tools such as:

Axure RP

It is one of the market leaders in the niche. Using this, you can build wireframes for complex apps based on both Android and iOS. Also, Axure has big names in its basket such as Microsoft, Amazon, and eBay.

UX PIN:

It is one of the best tools available in the market for Wireframing. It is giving a significant competition to Axure and has been in the radar of big and respectable companies such as NBC and HBO.

Justinmind:

It is also one of the most used tools for Wireframing. It includes various features that will help with your Wireframing process.

Sketching and Wireframing is some of the crucial steps to Create an App . These will lay the groundwork for your App’s Presentation and Appearance.

So if you want to Create A Mobile App that will grip user’s attention,

You must give sufficient importance to these steps of Mobile App Development Process.

The Mobile App Development team at Chromeinfotech consists of creatively constructive App Designers who are always ready to assist you with every aspect of Sketching and Wireframing.

Always feel free to Contact us at ChromeInfo Technologies and discuss with us about your needs and requirements.

I know that it’s been quite long since we started with the steps that are required to Create an App .

But Now Is Not The Time Stop or Pull Back.

Because finally, you are about to step into the main events of “How To Make An App”:

The part where you actually develop the App!

Read Below To Know About The Phases of Developing An App.

Create an App -Step 3: || Developing Your App ||

Before you get engaged in the technical steps of App development Process,

You need to understand another essential aspect of “How To Create A Mobile App ” which is,

Enhancing Your App’s Overall Look And Feel.

It is known that people are always intrigued and attracted to visually appealing things.

And that is precisely what your App should be- Captivating and Engaging.

You can make your App visually attractive through:

User Experience Designing

User Interface Designing

It is necessary to keep in mind that although these two terms sound similar, they are used in different contexts.

Let me explain How they are different:

User Experience (UX) Designing:

It refers to boosting up of User Satisfaction by focusing on the following aspects of an App-

Usability
Accessibility
Efficiency
Functioning
Usefulness

It focuses on finding out ways to provide a valuable and meaningful experience to the users while interacting with the App. To create a mobile app that retains users in the long run, UX plays a significant role.

User Interface (UI) Designing:

It is a subset of UX Designing which includes taking the UX designs as a reference and creating elements that are:

Attractive
Easy to understand
Easy to use
Guiding
Responsive

User Interface Designing focuses on enhancing :

The overall look of the App
The responsiveness and Interactivity of the App

Here are some aspects to keep in mind while designing your UI:

Create a Mobile App – Designing Aspect 1:

Keep it simple– The interface should be simple without any unnecessary clutter and elements.

Create a Mobile App – Designing Aspect 2:

Be consistent and adopt common UI elements- Using elements that are familiar to the users will make them more comfortable and save their time.

Create a Mobile App – Designing Aspect 3:

Go with an efficient page layout– Pay heed to the placement of elements and content in the page.

Create a Mobile App – Designing Aspect 4:

Use colors and texture advantageously– Specific colors and compositions can be used to draw focus towards or away from an element.

Create a Mobile App – Designing Aspect 5:

Make use of relevant typography– Vary the fonts, sizes, and placements of texts to increase readability and clarity.

Create a Mobile App – Designing Aspect 6:

Make sure that your App communicates with the users– Always keep the users updated with the actions, changes, errors and any other relevant information.

Create a Mobile App – Designing Aspect 7:

Try to incorporate defaults- Try to figure out the actions and moves of your users and create defaults. This will make your App time efficient and easy to use.

Now you have an idea about UI and UX Designing and how they differ from each other.

BUT,

Applying these 2 steps of mobile App development Process in the right manner & right balance can add that ‘WOW’ factor to your App and help captivate users.

Remember:

A good UI and UX can either Make or Break Your App and are essential aspects of “How To Develop An App.”

So in order to Create a Mobile App that’s loved by the Users,

You need to squeeze out every drop of your creativity into creating an outstanding and impressive UI & UX.

Here Are Some Tips & Tools to help emphasize your App’s Look & Feel:

Focus on providing a continuous and swift flow from one page to another.
Provide scroll bars and a visible signal indicating the direction of scrolling.
Be consistent with the colors that you use for your app.
Reduce the loading time and engage your users by making use of some kind of animations.
Make your interface elements big enough so that they are easy to tap.
Use specific color to highlight the links in yours.
Make the buttons in your app appear clickable and provide sufficient space for the users to click and tap comfortably.
Icons should be such that it symbolizes their function and description.

Now Here’s a write-up on UX designing that can give you more information about the above points. This will help you better understand how to develop an app most effectively.

There are also many UI/UX designing tools available such as:

Sketch – It is one of the top digital designing platforms.

The feature of nested symbols allows you to use them to pre-design elements. And then clone them on other shapes and art elements.

Availability: Only for MAC Users.

Pricing: $99/year

Invision – Invision is a perfect example of a tool that provides a seamless collaboration between design and development.

It is a more interactive tool that allows for launching meeting and setting up guided tours for the stakeholders.

Availability: Mac/Windows User

Pricing: Free(only 1 project)

$15/month(for 3 projects)

$25/month (for unlimited plans)

These 2 steps of App Development Process (UI and UX) also plays a vital role in Mobile App Branding.

There are millions of Apps in the market, and you need to make your App recognizable among them. And the most effective way is to stick to a particular Layout and Color while UI/UX Designing.

It’s all about maintaining a consistent art style throughout the App.

Let’s not forget about the App Icon.

This also falls under the belt of UI and UX designing and is one of the steps that is responsible for Mobile App Branding.

The App Icon holds much importance such as:

The Icon will represent your App in the Market.
It is the first thing that a user will notice about your App and as it is said

“The first impression is the last impression”!

The App Icon will convey the purpose of your App.
The more aesthetically appealing your Icon is, the more users it will attract.
People will start associating your App with its icon, making your App easily visible and accessible.
It is also an aspect of App Branding.
An exceptional Icon will make your App stand out among millions of other Apps.

Looking at the value that an App Icon holds in the Process of “How To Create An App ,” it is essential to plan out its design carefully.

Here are some tips and tricks to get the creative juices flowing in the right direction:

Aim for Recognizability: Make your Icon such that it is easily recognizable and doesn’t confuse users regarding your App’s purpose.
Less is More: Keep your Icon as simple as possible. Jamming in a lot of elements will only make your Icon unappealing.
Make use of Bold Colors: Use bold colors to make your Icon stand out among others.
Make it unique: This is an obvious fact that you must aim to make your Icon unique. You can of course mimic and follow recent trends and styles. But introduce elements that are exclusive to your App Icon.

The primary objective is to make your App Icon appear instantly clickable to the users.

The Next step consists of the Technical Aspects of Mobile App Development Process termed as:

“Coding”-The process of writing Code for your App.

But first, any Mobile App Developer you hire must decide the type of App that they want to create.

This will be a much easier task once I brief you about the two major types of App Development:

Native App Development

Hybrid App Development

What is Native App Development?

It refers to the building of Apps for a specific operating system and is written using platform-specific languages such as:

Swift and Objective C for iOS Apps.
Java for Android Apps.

What is Hybrid App Development?

It refers to an App Development Process which creates an App that works across all platforms and behave like a Native App. A Hybrid App can be installed in a device just like a Native App.

Hybrid Mobile App development Process makes use of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Native and Hybrid Apps-

Pros:

Cons :

So, which one should you opt for?

Carefully study the aspects, advantages, and disadvantages.

So Get more perspective into Hybrid and Native App Development Process and then figure out the one best suited for your needs and requirements.

Now Let’s set foot into Coding of your App.

There are two sides of coding an app that requires the engagement of App Developers:

Front End Development

Back End Development

Simple App development Phase 1: Front End Development.

The front end is the part of an App that the users and clients see and interact with. That is why it is also called the ‘client side’ of development.

For example,

If you are a customer in a restaurant, the food that is served to you along with all the garnishings will represent the front end.

What is Front End Development?

It is merely the process of coding the User Interface of an App.

It involves transitioning plain text data into a graphical representation for the users to view and interact with which involves:

Writing and analyzing code
Implementing structure, design, and animations
Debugging Applications
Ensuring a smooth user experience

Simple App Development Phase 2: Back End Development

The back end refers to what takes place behind the scenes when a user interacts with the App. This is the part that is not visible to the users and includes:

Storing data
Organizing the data
Making sure that everything on the client side indeed works.

What is Back End Development?

Back End Development focuses on the server side of an application.

It is responsible for everything that communicates between the database and the app which includes:

Writing code that communicates the database information to the app
Building frameworks or architecture of the system
Implementing algorithms and solving problems
Testing and debugging of any Back End Application.

It’s essential that you familiarize yourself with these steps that are required to Develop An App.

Because these act as the bricks and stones that is necessary to Shape up and Build your first App.

I hope that you are aware that the above processes will require you to get hold of dedicated App Developers.

And I assure you that by contacting Chromeinfotech you will have access to diligent and committed Mobile App Developers who will efficiently develop your App.

Create an App – Step 4: || Testing Your App ||

Congratulations!!

You now have your dream App in your hands, Ready to be launched!

But you need to sit tight and be patient.

There is one more step that precedes the stage of App Launch and is an essential element of “How To Make An App.”

So without further wasting your time, Here is the next step that is crucial to Create your App:

Testing Your App

Why is it essential to test your Mobile App?

To check if your App is working fine and up to the standards of the users.

Throughout this blog, I have constantly been stressing on the fact that,

“The App Market has become brutally competitive.”

So, to survive in the Market, your app needs to acquire and maintain a top class quality assurance parameter.

You cannot take the risk of presenting an App to users with faults and loopholes. Because It only takes a few swipes and taps for users to like or abandon your app instantly.

Remember,

“A bad reputation once created will follow you for a long time.”

This is the reason why you, as an App Maker need to Test your App before launching it.

Mobile Testing is carried out in two phases:

Alpha Testing, followed by
Beta Testing

What is Alpha Testing?

Alpha Testing is a rigorous form of testing that is carried out by the internal Quality Assurance and Testing team.

It includes the following:

Functional Testing: The main aim of this is to make sure that the mobile application is working as expected.
Performance testing: This refers to monitoring the performance of the App under different circumstances such as:
1. Low battery
2. No or less network
3. Low memory
4. Different modes of Internet connection(3g/4g/Wi-Fi)
Memory Leakage Testing: One of the fatal flaws that can bring down your mobile Application is Leakage of Memory. This test focuses on testing how leakage proof an App is.
Interrupt testing: This testing is done to check for App’s functioning when interrupted by:

Incoming/Outgoing calls
Incoming/Outgoing messages
Plugging in power cable, And so on.

Usability Testing: It is carried out to ensure a suitable mobile experience to the users.
Installation Testing: This is done to check whether the installation, uninstallation, and updating of the App can be carried out without any interruption.
Security Testing: Security Testing aims at checking the App’s data and network Security.

Once you have completed Alpha Testing, resolve all the issues found and then proceed with:

Beta Testing of your APp

This is the final testing phase and is carried out in an external environment.

Here a Beta version of the App is released to a group of external users not belonging to the company’s testing team or its employees.

But,

“What’s the point of a Beta test after already performing an Alpha test?”

Beta testing is required to find out:

If your App is capable of surviving out in the real world
If it can meet the standards and requirements of its users
The various bugs and flaws present in the app
The feedback from the Beta testers.

Most App Builders make the mistake of not providing enough time and resources for Testing their App.

This can seriously affect the success rate of your App.

That’s why, if you want your App to create a good reputation and impression for itself, you need to take initiatives and not neglect this step which is necessary to Create a Mobile App.

**Create an App – Step 5: || App Launch and Marketing ||**

You are now about to cross the finishing line of the process related to “How To Create a Mobile App .”

This is probably the most thrilling and exciting step in the whole Mobile App development process. And a lot of effort has gone into reaching this point.

So,

Feel Proud Of Yourself

Pat your back

And make your move towards the last steps of the App Making Process which is:

Launching your App and Its Marketing.

These two aspects related to “How to Create a mobile App “go hand in hand.

For an App builder, the best way to ensure a successful App launch is to accompany it with a Marketing Strategy.

According to a survey done by InMobi, the single biggest challenge faced by App creators is Marketing.

The Bad news: Absence of a Marketing Strategy can bring down even the best of the Apps.

The Good news: You don’t require a Big budget or an outstanding Marketing Team to market your App.

All you need to do is to make the right moves at the right time.

Marketing needs to be carried out in 3 phases:

Pre-launch

Launch

Post Launch

Pre-Launch Marketing:

This is the most important step and the secret to a successful Marketing strategy.

It refers to starting with your App’s Marketing long before its Launch.

This will ensure that- As soon as you go for App Market Launch, you draw in a lot of users and make your app a Hit!

This step involves:

Promoting and Creating Awareness about your App
Creating expectations and hype around your App

How can you achieve this ?

There is no particular method to be followed.

But there are some checkpoints that you should always consider, such as:

Pre-Establishing your App Release Date
Researching the Market
Creating a website/Landing Page for your App
Starting with Social Media Marketing
Including Email Marketing
Identifying and Approaching Influencers
Getting Feedbacks
Initiating ASO(App Store Optimization)

Now, Here is a blog on ASO that can give you more insights into this aspect.

Prepare for Press Release

Incorporate these aspects in your App Marketing strategy and watch your App climb the ladder of success!

Finally, the much Awaited Day is Here:

The Day of Launching your App!

It’s understandable that you want to finish off with the Launching as soon as possible,

But, you cannot just launch your app out of the blue.

And wait for it to get a million downloads.

If you want to Create a Mobile App that will bring in Users, then it’s very important to pay attention to the following aspects:

During And Right After Launching Your App:

Create a mobile App – Aspect 1:

Submitting your App to the App store- This is an obvious step that needs no explanation.
By now, you must be aware of the guidelines provided by the App store. It’s always advisable to submit your App at least a week ahead of your Launch date.
This will provide you with time if in case any last minute alteration is requested by the App store.

Create a mobile App – Aspect 2 :

Notifying the Audience: After submitting your App, you need to immediately spread out the word loud and far. The audience needs to be made aware of it. And the most convenient and cheapest way to achieve this is by:
- Sending personal emails
- Announcing your App’s Launch in Social Media Platforms

Create a mobile App – Aspect 3:

Notifying the Press and Influencers: Inform Press and Influencers about your App’s Launch and humbly urge them for a little coverage.

Create a mobile App – Aspect 4:

Engaging in paid promotion: If you have enough funds in your pocket, then there is no harm in associating with Paid Promotions.

Create a mobile App – Aspect 5:

Submitting your App to App review Websites: There are various websites available online whose sole purpose is to: Provide users with descriptive information about various Apps of different domains. Some of them are:

AppAdvice

Appstorm

FeedMyApp

Create a mobile App – Aspect 6:

Asking for referrals from your friends and family: A survey conducted by Google/Ipsos revealed that friends and family are responsible for creating 52 % of your App’s awareness.
So urge them to support your App through recommendations.

Checklisting these key aspects will ensure a smooth and successful App launch.

Before you can go ahead and start celebrating your achievement, Don’t forget that you still have to carry out:

Post-Launch Marketing of your App

An App Creator will often emphasize more on the Launch and disregard the aftermath. But my friend, here the real challenge is maintaining your App’s success in the long run.

And that is exactly what a Post-Launch Marketing Strategy is meant for.

It includes the following prospects:

Create a mobile App – Prospect 1:

Retention of Users: Users dropping off your app doesn’t depict a good picture. According to a survey, the top reason for the abandonment of an App is Loss of Interest.

So, come up with interesting and innovative ways to stimulate and engage your users.

Create a mobile App – Prospect 2:

Measuring the Metrics: The success of your App is not depicted only by the money that it is bringing in. It also involves measuring the below-mentioned aspects:
- DAU and MAU: Map your Daily and Monthly Active users
- Retention Rate: Measure your retention rates after specific intervals like 1, 7 and 30 days.
- ARPU: Average Revenue Per User
- LTV: Life Time Value

Create a mobile App – Prospect 3:

Optimization Of Push Notifications: Yes, Notifications are important to keep your users engaged and interested. But no one wants to be spammed with an overload of messages. It will annoy your users and push them to delete your App.
According to a survey, Unnecessary Notifications is the top reason why users uninstall their App. So plan out your Notifications and offer your users the freedom to turn them off easily.

Here is last and the most effective Post Launch Marketing strategy :

Maintaining your App and Providing Customer Support to the users about which I have discussed below.

Create an App – Step 6: || App Maintenance and Customer Support ||

The last stepping stone for ensuring long term success of your App is:

App Maintenance and Customer Support.

An App Creator often misunderstands the term “App Maintenance”.

They infer it to as to jumping into action only when there is something to be fixed in your App. But, there is much more to App Maintenance than just fixing your App.

Following are The components of App Maintenance:

Create an App – Component 1:

Updating your app with new Features: We humans have a bad reputation of being bored easily of the same old stuff. So it is definitely a good idea to keep updating your App by incorporating new features in it.

Create an App – Component 2:

Testing your Apps Performance: Maintaining your App should also include Monitoring your Apps performance from time to time. You can make use of various App Analytics Tools to help you with that.

Create an App – Component 3:

Updating your User Interface: There is a constant variation in the recent trends, styles and user preference of the users. This will require App Builders to upgrade and nurture your User Interface with changing times.

Create an App – Component 4:

Fixing Bugs and Preventing Vulnerabilities: As you continue upgrading different aspects of your App, the chances of developing certain vulnerabilities and bugs increases. An excess of which can crash your App and chase away users.
That’s why you should always look out for any technical issues and fix them ASAP.

Create an App – Component 5:

Making your App compatible with new Hardware and Softwares: New Android/ iOS versions and mobile devices with upgraded hardware are released consistently.
Keep your App updated and make it compatible to the latest technological specifications.

Create an App – Component 6:

Scheduling regular system Maintenance: Pre-scheduling dates for regular system maintenance will prevent your App from acquiring any bugs or vulnerabilities. It will also help to keep your App up to date and prevent any inconvenience to your users.

Now, Although you have come up with an impeccable App Maintenance Service; In the long run, it won’t be enough to keep up with your App’s success.

It all boils down to providing a strong Customer Support Network.

At this stage, every single user of your App is of utmost importance and not valuing your customers can create a big pitfall for your App.

Now in order to care for your users, you will require a communication channel through which you can interact with them.

And a Customer Support Unit will exactly provide you with that channel.

A proper Customer Support Unit consists of the following aspects:

Create an app – Aspect 1:

Solving Problems faced by your users: The top priority of a Customer Support Unit is to:
Pay heed to the problems and difficulties faced by the users and provide suitable solutions for them. Some of the very efficient and effective ways are through:
1. FAQs
2. Help sections.
3. Live chat support

Create an app – Aspect 2:

Maintaining your Brand’s Reputation: Ever thought how big names such as “Amazon”, “Uber” have managed to sustain for so long?
It’s because they have built and maintained a reputation for themselves.
Connecting with your customers and giving importance to their problems and needs will instantly make your App a favorite.

Create an app – Aspect 3:

Retaining your Users: User Retention is not a Big Issue if you have a strong Customer Support System.
Keeping your customers happy and satisfied will certainly make them return back to your App time after time.

Create an app – Aspect 4:

Managing Feedbacks and Complaints: Another important aspect of a Customer Support System is Managing User Feedbacks and Complaints. These will provide you an idea regarding your app’s Strengths and Weaknesses.

A good Customer Support Unit forms the backbone of an App after its launch. So although you have managed to pull off a successful launch of your App,

The aftermath will require you to focus all your energy and efforts into providing a flawless Customer Support Service to your users.

After all, as rightly said by Michael LeBoeuf:

“A Satisfied Customer Is The Best Business Strategy Of All”

A Quick Reminder:

We at Chromeinfotech host an excellent team that is committed to providing you with the perfect and most effective Mobile App Marketing Strategy Solutions.

So do not hesitate to Contact us if you ever have any concern regarding this or any of the other steps of “How To Create An App ”.

Summing Everything up!

I hope this blog has the answers to your questions regarding the App making process.

Yes, Creating your first app is not an easy job. There are no hard and fast rules or steps regarding “How To Create a Successful Mobile App”

But at the end, the best way to Make an App is by taking one step at a time and following a systematic approach.

I believe that this blog will help you a lot in the long run if you want to establish a successful mobile based online Business.

Let me tell you in a nutshell, “Why?”

That’s because most people are not aware of the correct steps related to Building An App. They do have information, but only in bits and pieces.

This blog is a package containing the major steps and dimensions related to How to Create a successful mobile App.

It depicts a clear picture regarding the methodological flow of the process and how the different aspects are correlated to each other.

Although it is a bit lengthy, this blog illustrates How To Create An App in Easy Steps.

I hope that this blog has been able to bring order to your chaotic mind before you start to build your own App.

And as I finish off with this blog,

Here’s an important Tip:

Right from the very first steps of Mobile App Development process, create your Mobile App with a mindset of becoming the Monopoly in the Market.

This will require you to master every stage of the process and put in extra effort and resources.

But Trust Me,

In the end, it’s all going to be Worth It!

So Good Luck with all your Mobile App Building Ventures!

Found this blog Helpful?

Do let us know about it by leaving a comment below.

And If you feel that I have missed out on something or you still have some questions that are unanswered.

Then please, by every means do share your doubts and queries with us in the Comment Section.

We would be more than happy to clear up any confusions that you have regarding “How To Create a Mobile App ”.

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