From app idea to successful app

Do you have an app idea? Then you probably want to know how to get your app idea turns into a successful app. It can be a fun challenge to get an app idea off the ground. Perhaps you are still in the early stages of your app concept. Where do you start? What steps do you need to take to develop your app idea into a promising concept and actually have it developed? In this article we discuss the various phases that precede the development of an app so that you have the tools to make your own application idea to create a successful app!

The idea phase. Or also the 'it can't be crazy enough phase'. You have an app idea. You have looked around in the stores and online and it seems that your idea does not yet exist, or that there is no good alternative yet. That is the first step to success. However, you are not the only one with an app idea. Maybe someone has the exact same idea. However, don't let this put you off. In any case, an idea with competition means that there is probably a demand for it, and therefore potential.

In the planning phase, your app idea starts to take shape. Parts that can help you with this are:

• Concept of the app with detailed functionalities
• A target group study
• A financing plan

To create a good concept with a validated target group research, you can talk to the target group. Conduct interviews to gain insights and sharpen your plan and refine your ideas.

Don't be afraid to share your ideas, because if all goes well, your ideas will change at least a few times before the final plan is finished. Developing an app is a time-consuming job that requires a lot of motivation from you and the developers. In addition, people often think that their concept is unique. Unfortunately, this is often not realistic in practice (Sorry). With millions of apps in stores and hundreds of millions of app ideas worldwide, it's likely that your concept already exists. The trick is to have one better variety to offer. Do you focus on the USPs (Unique Selling Points) of your future app, how will your app distinguish itself from the rest? The fact that the idea already exists can be a positive thing. If your app does not yet exist, this may mean that it can be difficult to earn money with it.

Now it gets fun. When you are sure that your app idea is distinctive, we always advise building a prototype. Prototyping an app is an effective way to test the concept with minimal effort. When developing a prototype, often not even a line of code is involved. This makes it a lot cheaper for you to make changes and collect user data and feedback. In addition, it is necessary for many investors to have a solid prototype before they want to do business with you. A prototype of the app ensures that the app has already been validated by the users.

A suitable tool for developing a prototype app is an MVP (Minimum Viable Product). A MVP app is a simplified version of the final app. It allows you to collect valuable user feedback and generate income in advance. This development method fits well with the Lean methodology and our pragmatic approach. For many apps we first develop an MVP product before we realize the final app.

Unfortunately, developing an app is not free in most cases. In fact, the costs of having an app made are often higher than you think. When you develop an app, this is a time-consuming process that requires a lot of expertise to achieve a high-quality result. For example, the costs for a mobile app developer like us often start at a few thousand euros. This is because developing an app involves customization, and you want the app to be written with good code and to last a long time. Don't you have this budget available right now? Then you can choose the following options:

• Find an (angel) investor. Read more information here.
• Build the app yourself with an app builder. You will find more information on how to do this here.
• Taking out a loan or partnership.

In this phase it will be fun for us as developers: the development of your app concept will begin. It is advisable to choose the same developer you commissioned the design from. Besides the fact that this often saves time and budget, app specialist designers are familiar with all the ins and outs of designing an app.

When developing the app, the choice for the technology and whether you want the app in the Netherlands or, for example India develop late. These are considerations you need to make. If you need advice on this, we are happy to get in touch contact. As a technical partner, we can provide technical advice where necessary, ask critical questions and guarantee the success of the app.

This stage is all about refinement. To refine the app concept, you can test the app by releasing the app for a limited target group (this is also called a Beta release). These are the last moments of feedback before the app goes live and also help to fix basic technical issues early for an audience that expects bugs. This prevents you from losing customers and ensures a more stable end product.

In addition, you can use the Beta version for marketing purposes by, for example, releasing it for new channels. To measure is to know, so you must ensure that the steps and feedback from the users are accurately tracked and measured. After some finishing touches, the app is ready for a final public release!

A good example of an app that made smart use of this and was in the charts immediately after launch is the app 'Range'. On the first day, Range already had thousands of downloads. Here's how Range tackled that

At this stage, the app is publicly available. Feedback will now mainly come in the form of reviews and the number of installations. Maintenance in this phase is still necessary, but features will generally not change any time soon. Marketing and customer service is probably still needed at this stage to boost the app and retain customers.

It is possible to arrange a maintenance contract with the developer you have engaged. This way the app will continue to work in the future with operating system updates and you can add extra features that increase the success of your app.

NB! You must one create developer account for publishing the app.

Tip 1: Set ultimatums and plan ahead. Make sure you don't stay too long in the concept phase and make decisions, but make sure you keep testing decisions. Let others assess the progress and don't forget to keep your business case sharp.

Tip 2: In general, cheap is expensive. Know that what you pay is what you get. The quality of your app depends on the code and the expertise of the developers. Are you having the app developed abroad? Then you have to make good agreements and be prepared to compromise on the quality of the app.

Tip 3: Choose a developer who has experience with your concept and the associated technology. Whether you choose us or another developer is irrelevant at this point. It is more important that there is a match for both parties. Look closely at it portfolio, the team and choose the developer that you feel good about and think can make your app a success.

As you read above, there are quite a few steps involved in developing an app. To lay a good foundation, we have the Accelerator Day called in life. Within a day we will discuss your idea together and we will make a clear roadmap that includes your goals, revenue model and functional requirements. Are you curious how we can help you develop your app idea? Please contact us using the form below.