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Last Updated on April 9, 2020 by Editor Futurescope
It’s easy to make a mistake when developing an app. Here are some common mistakes made by app developers that you need to avoid.
It’s estimated that only 0.01% of apps released every year will make any profit. App developers are the crucial player in whether their app will be in this tiny percentage.
However, when you’re focused on building ‘the best app in the world ever’, it’s easy to get carried away.
Without planning how to develop, test, market, and improve your app, it’s not going to work. Here’s how to avoid making mistakes that’ll cost you the success of your app.
5 Things App Developers Really Shouldn’t Do
When you’re building an app, it’s easy to get so involved that you forget to consider your success strategy.
Avoid doing these five things to make sure your app has real potential for success.
1. Build an App That Tries to Do Everything
It’s easy to get carried away adding features upon features to make your app stand out from the rest.
However, users want a simple and easy app experience. The more features you try to squeeze in, the more complex the user experience is – and this means fewer positive reviews in the app store.
An App Builder is a good way to make sure you’re including the essential elements to make your app do what it needs to – without complicating the process.
You can always launch a minimum viable product first, and use customer feedback to continue to develop features that they actually want at a later date.
2. Ignore Market Research
You might think your app idea is the best one ever – but is there really a demand for it? Creating an app without first carrying out intensive market research will result in many lost hours and no profits.
You might think you know who is going to download your app – but market research can be illuminating. For example, you might think small business owners in their mid-30s will find your productivity app most useful. Market research, however, could reveal that university students are, in fact, your largest audience.
When you know who is going to use your app, find out what they actually want instead of what you think they need.
3. Refuse to Beta Test
Once you’ve built the app, test it time and again. App developers who send their app to market without testing it set themselves up for failure.
You may feel your app is perfect, but users could think otherwise. Beta test your app with a number of people from your ideal target audience. Ask for their honest feedback: what do they like? What is missing for them?
Testing will help you to create a stunning app that people will want to use, so it’s worth investing plenty of time in this stage of app development.
4. Forget the Marketing Plan
You’ve done your market research, tested your app time and again, and you’re ready to launch.
So…how are you going to do that? Developers often become so involved in the creation of their app, the marketing plan comes as an afterthought.
A haphazard marketing strategy thrown together at the last minute will hinder your chances of success. Instead, set down your immediate, quarterly, and annual marketing plan on paper.
A clear overview of how you’ll launch – and continue to market – the app will give you direction and make sure your app gets noticed.
5. Think Updates Aren’t Necessary
Once your app is launched the hard work really begins.
When it’s out there in the app stores, the public can leave reviews. These can make or break your app’s reputation and chances of success, so pay attention to them.
If people report the app crashes or don’t work on their smartphone properly, look into it. If they’re asking for a feature it lacks, develop it.
Showing that you’re listening to, and acting upon, customer feedback demonstrates that you’re serious about your app as a useful tool. When people feel valued, they’re more likely to leave positive reviews – which turns into more downloads.
Show People Why Your App Is the Best
App developers have a great chance of success with their creation if they know how to persuade people to download their app.
Without a convincing marketing plan, it’s hard to make a new app stand out amongst the thousands released each day.
That’s why an app tutorial video, which walks viewers through the features of the app, can make the difference between a download or a scroll-by. Making videos for your marketing plan isn’t as hard as it might seem, either.
If you want to stand out with a video to promote your latest app, check out our video editing guide to get started.
