Starting your own business is an attractive idea. It gives you freedom of action, thought, decision … and profits. However, there are many challenges that a startup might face when trying to develop their own application and developing a first Mobile Application for a business is one of them. 

From the novelty of ideas to sleek-edge design, everything matters. These challenges could result in many businesses failing in developing apps that are appealing enough to the user. 

Here are a few problems that start-up face while developing a mobile app for their business.

1. A poorly designed back end – results in glitches in the app and a slower interface. You risk losing customers. 
2. Most startups ignore how each app behaves in different operating systems. An app can function really well in android, but not work well in iOs.
3. Battery drain or slowing down – Battery is everything for this generation. If your app is sucking the life out of the phone, it will be uninstalled sooner rather than later. 
4. Focusing on the wrong target audience – this right here is criminal. It is very essential to focus on the right target audience and create an app that targets them only. 

To counter this problem, here is a list of things you need to consider when considering app development for your startup.

1.  Your Focus: Uniqueness

The mobile application market is quite a competitive one. There are literally thousands of applications out there that are used by thousands of people. 

To make sure your startup’s application is able to penetrate this market, it needs to be unique. 

For instance, a UK retail giant ASDA, set out with an ambitious target to enhance the shopping experience for its users. They build an interesting mobile app that was simple, easy to use. It had a barcode finder, recipe finder. Interestingly enough, the company recorded 90% of its sales through the app owing to its huge success. This is the perfect example of how customer-centric app development is key.

Mobile app development needs to focus on features, aspects, and innovations that will make your app more appealing to the customers. As a start-up, you have the flexibility of changing your direction as a business. This flexibility is not enjoyed by firms that have spent years in the market, as such a large change is difficult for them to implement. 

Take benefit of this flexibility by considering whether your app provides a solution to the users. However, as you might have judged already, there could be many applications in the market that provide the same solution. 

To stand out, think about how effective your product is? For example, many messengers provide images and video sharing services. You can make your product unique by providing animated video making features within the application. Moreover, mobile app development can focus on producing products for untapped niches.

2.  Money Makes The Mare Go

As a business developing an application, you need money. Moreover, you might need loads of it depending on the kind of app development you are pursuing. Mobile app development can cause a huge amount of money for complex applications. Complex applications may be a hassle for a garment company trying to set up an app. However, if the same garment companies outsource all the mobile app management & development to a company that has expertise in the same, it makes life easier for everyone. Not only can this, but outsourcing work also prove to be financially benefitting your start-up as well.

                  Read here about -> Guide to Outsourcing Mobile App

As a start-up, this can create cash-flow problems for you. To avoid this problem, try to find an investor who is ready to put his money to make your dreams come true. One way to make this happen is to have proof of concept or prototyping your mobile app. You might consider taking a loan during the app development phase, or even use crowd-funding from sources like Kick starter. A proof of concept is a great way to luring in funds. Set up a budget for the mobile app, once that is in place, the mobile app can be managed around it.

3.  Make Your Design Centric

Design development is the pinnacle of mobile app development. Just think about this – would you still use WhatsApp or Messenger if the design is too hard to understand? What if the design is not even appropriate? 

Responsiveness of the design matters much more today than ever before, as customers use devices of different sizes and types. You need to consider various design alternatives, ranging from color scheme changes to the actual elements included in the design. 

A good approach is to consider “less is more” policy. Don’t add too much information in the design. Declutter and unclog. 

You can do this by conducting small market research. Consider the apps that are quite similar to the app you are developing. Pick out that application which users have given best reviews to. Now compare the common design features in these applications.

4. Simplicity is the Key to Success

Here is a pro-tip to make your app development and the final product successful: keep it simple. 

Heavy designs require a lot of space and use up a lot of data. This might not be a problem if you are planning on developing a high-end game for X Box for PS4. However, for mobile applications, the lesser the space it takes, the more appealing it shall be to users. 

You should focus on making the User Interface simple and easy to use. 

Remember, the simpler it is, the greater the chances are of senior citizens and children to understand the application, increasing your market base. Here it all starts with first understanding more about who your audience is and what are their pain areas. Developing an easy to use app based on the perfect target audience is the quickest and most effective way to get success. Factors such as what devices your clients generally use, what is their requirement, the app can be managed.

5.  A startup without Marketing Is Like a Train without Engine

You must remember that your applications have much the same requirements as the new startup: they need to get recognized by users. What would be the benefit of developing an excellent application if the user does not know it exists? 

The app market is quite overcrowded to get your product known and make its place. You need to adopt a proper marketing strategy. Consulting trained professional can be an important step in doing so. Moreover, you can use native advertisement platforms to place your mobile ad on. 

Beta Testing is done right!

Just like how preliminary exams are the perfect testers for how well you may or may not score in your finals, Beta testing is the quickest way to get a hands-on feeler on your app. You must test your app before actually releasing it out there. Let your app be tested by your friends, family and colleagues and the data collected here in real-time is an excellent way to know the loopholes for continual improvement.

A proper marketing plan, with a pre-decided budget, is an absolute must. 

6.  The Most Important: Performance

App development is done to make life easier for mobile users. If your application does the opposite, it is already heading towards failure. 

You need to consider whether prototypes that you create are crashing too much, or draining a lot of battery life. Part of this is linked to reducing the RAM and processor requirements for your applications to run properly. 

Another important issue to consider during and after app development is to consider any bugs that the app has. This can be done by performing lab-based tests, pilot-launches and even actual market surveys once the product is launched. 

Regularly update the application to bring in the improvements being demanded by the consumer. Do consider customer complaints too.

Startups need to consider many diverse aspects of the application before the development begins, during development and even after the delivery of the final application. 

Thus, app development, especially those made for mobile devices, is an ongoing process that does not cease to exist once the application has been delivered. Perhaps the most important tip, as the ancient Greeks say, Know thyself! Make sure you have a wholesome view of what you are providing.

7.  Don’t forget the Maintenance:

You can buy the best of the products, but if you do not have a great after service, the product doesn’t count for much then. The difference between a sedan and a luxury car is usually an excellent level of service. Your app may be pristinely perfect, but having a great maintenance facility to makes it a viable option in the long haul. Think long term, think Mobile app development services. Your business could be built for 500 customers today, however, 3 years down the line you may have 50000 installs. Make sure your app can be consistently updated and reworked on, this needs an excellent maintenance team.

Best of luck!

FAQs:

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