Starting a business, launching a new venture or making an app will be one of the most exciting and thrilling things you can do. You nurture this awesome idea in your head, get validation from others as to whether it’s worth pursuing and start working on bringing it to life.
We all live in this wonderful, marvellous and adventurous technological world that allows anyone with the right motivation and guidance to start businesses and make a real difference in the world. The question is what you want from this life and if you have decided you want to make an app, it’s quite clear you have chosen the creative route. This path is not for everyone and if you are at the beginning of your journey into this world, brace yourself for a rough ride with ups and downs like you’ve never known before.
The route to success in the app world is riddled with mistakes, pain points and lessons. You’ve got to strap in and become a real student of the game if you want to make this happen and realise your own dreams.
So I’m Making An App, What Do I Need To Know Before Launching It?
Be Prepared For It To Take Time
Success in any sector does not happen overnight and it requires an enormous amount of organisation, dedication and personal commitment to launch an app. They say that patience is a virtue and it’s especially true in the sector given the complexity of the applications and the time it takes to actually build an app, test it and have it signed off ready for wider use by the public.
Real Traction Takes Persistence
Never give up and you will eventually get there. Persistence is a trait that all successful people own, and they never take no for an answer. Become a sponge, take in as much information and believe in the process. Keep reminding yourself that this will eventually happen for you, persevere and persist like you have never done before.
This Is An Ongoing Process That Requires Constant Development
Because you’ve already started down this path you will be more than aware of the ongoing work that is required when making an app. Don’t fall in love with each stage too much, find out what Performance Engineering is as chances are your first ever launch version will end up looking a lot different to the improvements you make down the lines. If there’s anything that the successful apps which have come before us have shown it’s that there will be multiple versions and stages of your app development.
Be Ready To Invest At The Beginning
This doesn’t necessarily just mean the financial side of things, but time, energy and effort. Building something from nothing and actually making a success of it is a product of extreme investment on the front end. Ensure you have your overall business plan ready, along with an idea of the team you want to build and experienced mentors in place to guide you through this whole process. Be ready to invest more time into this than you have any other project.
You Need Exposure In Order To Explode
So it’s all good and well to have a good idea for an app accompanied by the right levels of motivation and a solid plan, but how are you actually going to get your app to the masses? If you are serious about this and want to monetise the app then you need an action plan on how you are going to get real coverage and exposure.
If you are struggling with this aspect of your plan, you could try:
- Researching how the most successful apps build their user base
- Speaking to someone who has done this before, employing them as your mentor to show you the ropes and share both their successes and mistakes with you
- Joining a networking group or finding some sessions to join with other like-minded individuals who could offer you some good ideas or insights
- Reading some books about how to make it happen in these areas
This needs to be one of your overarching goals and be at the forefront of your mind on a daily basis. Yes your app might be amazing and could even be something that the market has never seen before, but if you don’t have engaged users then you essentially have nothing.
This Is A Technical Business
It’s understandable for you to get fully wrapped up in your own little world with your idea and the actual creation of the app. However, you need to be mindful of the fact there is a wider world out there once you have your app ready.
Where Are You Going To Launch It?
There are certain platforms which you need to get your app registered and signed off by before you can start marketing it to potential users. The main and most obvious ones are for iPhone and Android, so starting to look into how this process works will pay dividends down the line. However, your app might not be targeted for mobiles or tablets so do a bit of research into the best platforms to advertise your app on once it’s ready to launch.
Who Is Your Target Audience?
You might have a fairly good idea in mind as to who the ideal person your app would be used by. Once you form and mould this, you can then start to envision the best ways to market the app based on location, demographic, age and copy or visual advertisements.
It’s incredibly exciting that you are looking into or have already started this journey towards making your own app. If done correctly this can be extremely rewarding in a lot of ways, so throw yourself into the process and bear in mind the points we have discussed above. Taking control of your own life, steering the reigns and leading the way in your own destiny is the most fulfilling thing we can do and gives us complete power in life.