Do you want to create an app to be displayed on the App store or online? Are you stuck on how to build one? You may think calling development companies would be the first step but there are a lot of steps you want to take first before calling them up. 1. Ask yourself, “Why?” Many people have app ideas that make sense initially, but soon realize that they themselves are confused about what their idea entails. Ensure that you clearly understand your idea and the goal that you’re trying to achieve. Ask yourself why you’re creating this app, what purpose does it serve, and who it benefits. Having an idea of who your users would be is crucial to the success of your app. 2. Draw Your Idea Out Sketch on paper what you want in your app. Figuring all of this out in your head will lead you into a jumble of ideas. Make sure to have a clean slate to write and draw out the specifics of your app, what they should look like, and what purpose each factor serves. You should know the main functions of the app so place those functions on the sketches. You don’t need to know every function that belongs on every screen as developers can help you determine that but these sketches are a great start and help both you and the developers understand whats going on. 3. Figure Out What App Designs You Like Figuring out the design is the first stepping stone to making the perfect look for the finished product, an important feature of the app that will attract customers. You can find design prototypes online to create a basic layout that a software developing company like SDI can work with to further develop your app. This is great for playing around with your design ideas. It’s ok if you are unsure about this step. You can also have a couple apps that you find visually appealing. You can show examples of those. 4. Should You Do A Minimum Viable App Or A Clickable App First You should understand the difference between a minimum viable app or a click version app. You may think you have to create a full 100% complete app but you don’t. There are a couple of options that can help you save money and gives you the ability to present something amazing to investors beyond just basic designs and concepts. Once you talk to developers about your project you can talk to them about these options to see if it’s something that will work for you. A minimum viable app is the most basic format of your app that you can make. On this type of phone app, you can type, click, and complete other actions. This version of the app doesn’t have to have additional features that aren’t necessary for the most basic functions. This would be enough of a lead for investors to understand your vision but also gives them the ability to truly see how it would work. If you want to create a clickable version of an app, you would need to form the layouts for each part of the app and compile these into a presentation, where you can click from one slide to the next. This clickable version cannot allow the user to type or do any actions besides click from one page to the next. You would have the completed designs of what the app would look like and certain items on each screen would be clickable but you wouldn’t be able to actually type anything into fields like you can with the minimum viable app. 5. Ask Around Once you have a general idea of your app, ask potential users what they think of the idea and the problems that they’ve encountered which your app can solve. Obtain info on additional features which could enhance user experience to ensure your app is better than your competitor’s app (if there are competitors). Developers can help you decide what you should do, but a good understanding of what people want in the app will aid in the conversation. 6. Know What Native, Hybrid and Web Apps Are Again, you do not need to start modeling your apps after these types, but just be aware of the definitions for each of these concepts before approaching software development companies. Native apps are durable and work well for gaming, taking videos and photos, and other purposes requiring a deal of power and interaction with other parts of the phone (like contact lists, camera, microphone, and more). Native apps are generally faster and more dependable for users. These apps are created for specific devices, such as iPhone-only apps, or Android-only apps. The user experience is the best with Native apps but because this is limited to specific devices, you will need a bigger budget to run this app on other devices. Web Apps are cheaper to develop than native apps, but cannot be downloaded on app stores or on a mobile device. These apps are slower than those on app stores but are greatest for easy updates. Web apps are written in Javascript and/or HTML5 so that they can be used through computer browsers. Hybrid apps are, of course, a “mix” between native apps and web apps. These apps can use the same code for different platforms, utilize the features of a device, and exist in app stores or as downloads on computers. However, Native apps still beat hybrid apps in terms of speed and user experience. Unlike native apps, hybrid apps can continuously be built on with new features to many versions of the app. With Native apps, you would need to copy every new functionality, a more time consuming and costly task. 7. Know How to Monetize Your App Probably the most important thing to you as the creator is learning how to monetize your app. One example could be advertisements (video, text, banner ads), which can generate money and grow your network. You could also implement a freemium opportunity, a step to the “pay to use” upgrade for the original free version. Another way would be In-App purchases, which could take the form as a user paying to “unlock the next level”, or complete other actions. There are just some of the many ways that you could make money with your creation! You just need the basics of these concepts. A great app development company like SDI will be able to help you determine what will work best for your app. Decide How to Start Now that you have a good grasp on what your app should have it is time to start talking to app development companies like SDI who will work with you to build and grow your app. Not all development companies are alike so making sure you know the difference between a good and a bad company. Need help creating your app? Call Rob at 408-802-2885 or contact us here for more information!