How to make an app in 7 steps!

It is difficult to put a price tag on an app. Each app is different and the amount is determined depending on the specifications. An investment in a custom app quickly costs 50.000 euros and can even rise to more than 200.000 euros. After this investment, you naturally want to be sure that your app will earn itself back.

If you're talking to everyone, you're not really talking to anyone. That is why it is important to focus specifically on one specific target group. You have to be unique for this target group. This is your USP (Unique Selling Point). When you can find out the customer's needs and connect them to your USP, you can use this to market your app. This is also an important part to mention in the business plan. We will discuss this further when marketing the app.

It is wise to start by validating your app business plan before you develop your idea into a concrete plan. You want to know what the needs of your target group are and whether your idea is the right solution. This way you can be sure that you can offer added value. This way you prevent your target group from not recognizing the problem or that the competitor already has a better solution.  

A good one type to your application idea can be validated by a ad on Facebook to place. With a budget of 100 euros you can already measure whether your target group is interested in the app. Select a specific target group and indicate which problem you will solve. When Facebook users click on the ad, they are taken to a landing page. Here they can register for when the app is live. This way you can immediately see how much interest there is and whether the target group needs your app.

There are a number of commonly used revenue models in the app world. For example, you can offer your app on a subscription basis. With this model, users pay a fixed amount per month to use the app. 

A second option is to use a freemium model. You then offer your app for free in the App Store. Users can then use the basic functions for free. But as soon as the user wants to use the premium features, he has to pay for this. This is usually done on a subscription basis. The advantage of this is that the user can become acquainted with the app, which increases the chance of a purchase. 

Another option is to use your app as a sales channel. Back to the coffee example. A webshop app could be of good added value here. Via the app you can sell your coffee or even offer your coffee on a subscription basis. You see more and more that webshops also have a create a web shop app. This is not only done to promote user-friendliness, but also to encourage repeat purchases.

Before you start developing an app, you already have a lot to think about. You can also choose to do this together with a group of app experts. For this we have the Accelerator Day called in life. We then come up with a rock-solid foundation for your app idea in one day.

After we have formulated the plan for the app, it is time for the design phase. We make a good design in which the structure of the app is thought out. This is an important phase because it determines how the user can navigate through the app. 

When you have an app made to sell coffee, you want to know what steps the user goes through before placing an order. These steps are shown in a flowchart and tested with the target group. The better the flowchart, the more pleasant the app feels for the end user. 

A successful design is therefore not only beautiful but also functional. As mentioned, as a designer you think about the different steps, visuals and functions. We also look at it UX (user experience) and UI (user interface) design. After the design has been fully approved, it is time to program the app.

When you have an app made then you can develop the app in three different (programming) forms. These forms are native apps, hybrid apps, and web apps. Depending on which functions you want to use in the app, you can choose between these different forms.

If you want to develop an app with the most complex functions, a native apps the best option. A native app is an app that has been developed in the native language of the operating system. iOS is then programmed in (Swift) and android (Kotlin). This makes it possible to add very complex functionalities. The disadvantage of a native app is that the development costs are higher on average than a hybrid app.

A hybrid app is developed once and immediately works on iOS and Android devices. The development language for this is respond natively, originally created by Facebook. If you want an extensive app without the most complex functions, it is wise to develop a hybrid app.

If you want an application that runs directly on the web, then a web app the most suitable option. These are apps that you do not have to download from the app store, but can simply be found via the Google search engine. A good example of a web app is de lerende ambtenaar. 

If you want to develop your webshop app to sell coffee, you can choose between one of these three programming forms. If you want a downloadable app with only a login function and an order button, it is smart to have a hybrid app developed. But if you want users to be able to scan coffee using a QR code or trace their package in the app, it is wise to have a native app made.

After we have developed the app, we will try to demolish the app! Literally, we employ employees who are specialized to find all the bugs in an app. Your app is checked from A to Z with an eye for detail and utmost concentration. 

We do this because we want to be 100% sure of a good app release. It would be a shame if we launch your app while there are still a few errors in it. If our app testers find errors, we will solve them for you immediately! 

Back to the coffee webshop app. Of course you don't want visitors to find a mistake in the webshop. This may come across as unprofessional and negatively impact the user experience. An example could be when visitors, when they pay with iPhone, cannot access the discount code, while this is possible on Android. This problem should have been resolved during the test phase.

Are you completely satisfied with the design, are all functions in the app and has the app been tested more than 100 times by our testers? Then it's time for the release! The moment we've all been waiting for. We provide carefree operation, support and of course a good bottle of champagne. 

Before your app goes live, we use an extensive app release checklist. We do this because this is the most important moment in the process. Of course you do not want to find out that, for example, content is missing, functions do not work or images are not sharp.

Once the app is live, you want the app to stay live. After all, this is an important source of income for your company. We have created the SLA (service level agreement) for this. On the basis of this contract you can outsource application management. You take care of the business, we take care of the rest.

As an app administrator it is important to keep your app secure and up to date. You do this by updating the app once every six months. A software update ensures that the app continues to work properly, but can also lead to errors or bugs. With an SLA we will actively monitor and resolve these errors immediately. Our app testers will also check your app after every software update. This ensures that the app works 100% optimally.

When you outsource your management, we can also choose to secure your data. We ensure that all data is stored securely and that everything is encrypted when sending data. 

In addition, it is also possible to further develop your app on a fixed hourly basis. We can do this based on user data or new functions that you as an app manager want to add.

De app maintenance costs this depends entirely on the complexity of the app, the number of hours desired and whether you want to outsource everything or just a part. Together we look for the best balance so that we can draw up a good SLA for optimal results.

After your app is live and well maintained, it is not unimportant to have good app marketing campaign(s) to be carried out. Let's take the developed coffee app again. Now that this app has gone through the entire process, you naturally want a lot of new customers so that you can earn back the app quickly. We do this by in-store app promotion, online and offline promotion and by continuing to optimize. The terms are explained below.

We can promote your app within the app store. We do this by A/B testing your page or implementing an ASO (app store optimization) strategy. With ASO marketing, the intention is to send more visitors to your app page with keywords. We then want the visitors to convert optimally. We do this with A/B testing where we see which images, texts or titles convert best.

We can also promote your application outside the app store with various marketing campaigns. Online you can use a website, Google Ads, Youtube ads and much more. We can also promote your app offline by using billboards, flyers or at fairs. This completely depends on the purpose of your app and what the ROI (return on investment) is. 

When you have a quality app with a clear USP, you have a chance that you will be promoted in the App Store. The featured section of Apple App Store is a good example of this. The secret: keep optimizing; from the quality of your app to the various marketing campaigns.

A good app is therefore not just developed. In addition to the complex technology, there is also an entire business plan behind the app. Fortunately, you are not alone. Our go-getters are ready to translate your complex problem into an intuitive solution! Do you have an idea for a new app? Then take it without obligation with us..