The mobile app development market is slowly getting crowded with start ups and also big IT companies. As in every other industry, there are those who succeed and those who remain anonymous or worse go bankrupt. Because users are more demanding every day, entrepreneurs must work at high standards and create flawless products.
Now, we know it is not easy to keep up with business’ trends and to always release killer apps. As a consequence, we have gathered and put together several aspects that successful entrepreneurs have insisted on.
1. Visit The App Store Everyday
There are two main reasons for doing this. The first one is to check on your own products and see how they are doing: how many downloads they have, what’s the customers’ rating, what complaints they have and so on.
The second reason is to observe the top apps from several categories and note down the trends. It is always important to know in what direction the sales go and what users love the most.
2. Install Bad Apps and Learn From Others’ Mistakes
Find apps with bad reviews and install them on your phone. Try to make a list with all the weak aspects of the product and think about how you would improve them. Also, use this list as things to avoid when building an app!
3. Expose Yourself to Inspirational Materials
Help the brain come up with impressive ideas by giving it “chewing material”. Purchase books on the subject or listen to motivational speeches. For instance, on TED.com you can find lectures on absolutely every subject. Start the day with one of these videos and boost your inspiration and optimism!
4. Be Aware of Tech Trends
A vital thing to do is to always be in touch with the latest technologies and software. Take a few minutes every day to see what has come up on the market. Whenever a change happens, take the appropriate measures to make sure you stay on the right track.
5. Always Listen to Your Users
Customers are your best friends! (Yeah, even if they criticize the app!) Regardless of the channel they contact you – on the app store, via the e-mail or the customer support center – always take into consideration their feedback. Furthermore, make an effort and reply them all! Users will really appreciate your team and they will feel important contributors to the product.
Promotion is Essential
Another important aspect is marketing. Many app developers tend to ignore this process as they rely purely on the users’ capacity to find the product in the app store. For successful entrepreneurs, marketing is a vital step which is never missing from the process of launching an app. Below you can find top most employed promotion methods:
1. Think About a Target Audience
Before even building the app, think about the target audience. Who will want the product? Who will benefit the most from it? Who will be likely to pay for it?
Depending on the answers to these questions, customize the features and the design. Make it as appealing as possible to the target in mind.
2. Use Keywords Intelligently
Adding lot of keywords to the app description may make pro users roll their eyes. But without keywords we can’t reach the targeted audience. So, use the most relevant key phrases with your content. Thus, the product will pop up on several searches and will catch the users’ eye. The more they see your app’s icon, the higher chances to install it!
3. Bring in the Hard Artillery – Social Media
Employ social media to let people know about your new app. Create separate pages for that certain product and post daily about its features and updates. Also, use these platforms to interact with users and solve their complaints.
The Final Step Towards Success – Permanent Customer Support
Professionals never end their job. They are always willing to respond to users’ further needs and complaints. You cannot predict how the app will run on different devices. That’s why it is important to offer customer support.
1. Provide Essential Information on Company and App
In the app description on the app store, make sure to include basic information like: company’s name, a webpage, email or social media platform where users can contact the team, and of course, technical details about the product. If the situation requires it, also add some essential instructions.
2. Mention the Support Offered
The app store has a special section where companies can put down the type of support they are willing to offer. Can your team help users run the app on certain devices? Do you offer installation or download support? Just state all these things in there.
3. Be Ready for Improvements
Back up plans are needed in every industry. Be prepared to come up with all kind of minor fixes and do this in short periods of time! Users have no patience, they just want a perfectly running application!
These were the exact guidelines provided by several successful entrepreneurs in the mobile app development industry. Take them into account before getting to work and transform them into daily habits. Then, come back and share the results with us! We are always thrilled to hear from our audience!
This article was written by Nasrullah Patel, a Business Author Trainee for The Asian Entrepreneur as well as a co-founder of an eminent app development company PEERBITS.COM. It specializes in agile mobile solutions for iPhone and Android application development. Nasrullah likes to be busy with his team to provide top-notch mobility solutions to enterprises and startups. You can follow Peerbits on LINKEDIN.
