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App Launch Checklist

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Launch Day Can Be Difficult To Prepare For. An app’s most critical time of growth starts on its launch date and continues up until the next three days that proceed it. The initial quantity and velocity of an app’s download count will dictate how highly it’ll rank on both the App Store and the Play Store: The best way to ensure that your downloads will hit some impressive heights at launch is by generating a user base well in advance. First, you’ll need a plan. The goal of the plan is this: create a launch date, and collect as many interested users as you can pre-launch. Start Early The earlier your landing page is developed, the greater your chances for user acquisition will be. This way, if your landing page isn’t promoting enough attention, you’ll still have plenty of time to generate fans. An early start will give you enough room to locate and reformat the least-most inspiring aspects of your app/website. Take Users Behind the Scenes On your landing page, create and maintain a developer’s log. Keep your users in the loop by being transparent about your goals: write blogs about what you’re building, how you’re building it, and about some of the problems you’ve encountered along the way. Blogs are also helpful for post-release: incorporate change logs, announcements, future updates, promotional codes, etc. Beta Testing/Soft Launch The point of a soft launch is to uncover which parts of the app need improvement. Launching your app to a select group of people can offer you insight on where your app is both the weakest and the strongest. Quality testing should be iterated several times throughout development to ensure that the changes made to your app meets user expectations. Delay Your Launch There’s time between when Google and Apple approves your app and when you can actually release it, so time your release wisely and finish any promotions you’ve neglected to deploy – take your time, there’s no rush. Resisting the urge to launch a fully developed app takes willpower, but the end product will be worth it: If your launch doesn’t seem promising, then you should wait. You’ll have nothing to lose, and only more to gain. Most Importantly, Listen to Your Users In the end, your opinion as the developer might be interesting, but it’s actually the least important. You’re building an app for others to use, and its implementations should be driven by both data collected about and from the app’s users – we always suggest turning to App Analytics! Be prepared to take your app in different directions both before and after development, or whenever it’s necessary.

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App Development Cycle: A Complete Overview

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An app’s development cycle can be broken down into these five distinct steps 1. The idea When forming your next big app idea, remember that you are selling a product via a highly saturated market. Statistically speaking, it’s highly unlikely that one, if not multiple app developers have yet to ponder or even publish an app that’s similar to your own. We usually suggest that our clients find an app on the market that’s firmly rooted within your app’s territory, and to make amendments to the original idea in order to avoid recreating an already-successful app. The more knowledgeable you are about the competition, the better you can make your app stand out above the rest. If you wish to compete within a highly competitive territory on the market, gaining an edge on the competition is crucial. Start by addressing the flaws in other yet similar app designs – turn their weaknesses into your strength. 2. Finding a developer UXDLAB specializes in connecting clients with experienced development teams. Conversely, say that you wanted to try your hand at coding yourself: we provide resources here on our website that are tailored to help guide the curious non-coder into the vast world of programming. Development is typically a longer process compared to the rest in an app’s development cycle, and learning to code competently enough to create an app would require an expensive investment of your time; the competition will only grow stronger in your stead, so weigh your priorities wisely. Although you could save money by coding alone, remember that the market’s competition is getting fiercer, and having a knowledgeable team on-board will ensure that your app functions as flawlessly as the other successful apps do. 3. Design and Wireframing When designing an app, we focus less on developing the “right look” and more on achieving the “right feel.” Creating a desired experience will take time, so we tend to leave adequate amounts to ensure that every detail is taken into consideration. Designing an app is like mapping out a novel: typically, authors don’t just sit behind a keyboard and churn out their magnum opus based on whatever comes to mind. Before jumping into the process, you need time to organize your thoughts and determine how your content will be ordered and presented to the user. Wireframing is helpful for doing just that: developers can better determine how an app’s elements will both function and be oriented in relation to one another. The visual component of wireframing also helps to elicit more precise and critical input from the team, which is crucial to making an app feel “just right.” 4. Coding (Development) and Beta Testing This stage includes everything in an app’s development between the end of its wireframing / design stage to the time when the app is considered fully functional. The development process is typically both the longest and the most crucial: no matter how great the app’s idea or how visually appealing it may seem, if the app doesn’t function consistently, then it will not perform well on the market. What’s important isn’t how quickly an app is made, but rather how well and consistently it performs. Part of development includes extensive beta testing. Never assume that an app will work 100% of the time unless you’ve already proven so with ample amounts of evidence.An app that works only seven out of ten attempts will not sell more than an app that functions with higher consistency. That’s why we require all our clients to save time between an app’s launch date and its expected completion to search for any hidden errors or glitches that might impede on your user’s experience. 5. Marketing Pre-launch advertising is just as vital to an app’s success as post-launch marketing is. The objective of pre-launch marketing is to create anticipation for the release of your app. Conversely, the objective of post-launch is to direct user traffic towards your app via Search Engine Optimization (SEO). To ensure that your investments will yield profits, it’s best to start researching advertisement methods as early in development as possible instead of waiting right before the app’s launched. Here’s a bare-bones guide we consider following:

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The Mobile App Business Model Made Simple

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The obscurity behind the term “business model” oftentimes causes uncertainty and confusion. For our purposes, let’s think of it as a birds-eye view of how your business will operate. The complexities which constitute the modern business model typically won’t apply to the relatively simpler institution of appreneurship. In the app world, everything is done electronically and over the internet. So business spaces are even optional, although they’re highly advised. Which begs the question…why even bother deploying a business model? The simplicity of the mobile app business model is what makes it so effective and easy to execute. Since those complexities are irrelevant to appreneurs, app developers can focus primarily on the three core elements which constitute a business model: product, marketing, and finances.  Product Consider the resources it’ll take to create, maintain, and improve the app. What would your app need to compete on the market? Do you have the resources to mold your app accordingly? Marketing Your business’s success depends on how well you can discern and engage your target audience. To maximize your marketing potential, you’ll need to find and maintain a solid grasp of the app’s Unique Selling Point.Before moving on, you should realize the extent of paid exposure you can afford and adjust your numbers accordingly. Finances Now that the necessary facilities for creating a quality app have been measured, ask yourself: Is my plan affordable and profitable? Start off by estimating a final budget and weighing it against both your available expenditures and the revenue that you expect your app to accumulate. The toughest part is accurately gauging your potential daily and monthly download rates in a way that’s realistic. If you can devise a plan that’ll satisfy all three of the above components, then what you’ll have is an immaculate business model. Because hiring or outsourcing app, software or eCommerce development company will be the most expensive commitment, having the capacity to develop an app on your own will drastically change the financial dynamics of your business model. The more app development companies you hire, the less affordable your app will be to both develop and to market. If you’re working within the confines of a strict budget, your business model will suffer. Your marketing resources will likely need to be siphoned away to compensate for development costs. Since monetization rates for apps are typically low, the payment for user acquisition is often valued high across all app categories – it’s tough to grab the attention of potential users, and users seldom pay enough on in-game app purchases to match the costs of advertising. The high cost of users is what puts so many apps below the market’s “poverty line”: reaching tens of thousands of downloads monthly is usually required to make out with a profit. This is why it’s essential that you focus efforts on devising an avenue of marketing that’ll result in the highest conversion rates from potential users into actual users. Every serious appreneur should create a working business model for their app. The goal should be to generate the most downloads as you can monthly, and to focus on achieving a successful monetization strategy – every strong business model is built around one.

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Restaurant Apps – A Closer Look At The Numbers

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As more and more customers plug into the grid, your restaurant’s internet presence becomes that much more crucial. OpenTable an app with a 4.5 star rating and over 50,000+ reviews that lets users make reservations at local restaurants – conducted a survey to help restaurants understand how diners would like their mobile apps to function. Over 6,000 adults were surveyed in different metropolitan areas around the United States and approximately 76% of those surveyed agreed that incorporating technology into their dining experience would be a tremendous improvement. To debunk what restaurants think diners might expect out of the restaurant’s app, a surprising 86% of respondents could not see themselves pre-ordering a meal and an even higher 88% said they probably wouldn’t make a purchase beforehand. So what are some of the things diners seek in mobile apps? The results were surprisingly unanimous: Diners seem to have nothing but great things to say about technology, so why not plug into the grid with an app of your own? If you aren’t already aware, the large majority of restaurants are adapting touch-screen technology into their services to help both improve and expedite the ordering process. On-table touchscreens have been trending the United States in recent times: I recall using one myself at several Applebees across New York State. When respondents were asked about these touchscreens, 55 percent said that they too had used them before, and four out of five seemed to enjoy or at the very least felt neutral about them. A similar study was made two years prior by Telmetrics and xAd; it was found that 89% of users who searched for a restaurant with their smartphone made a purchase within 24 hours and 64% made a transaction within the hour. This 2012 study had already fortified the notion that smartphone users are more likely to make a purchase than desktop users. So why not make their search easier with an app? In fact, 53% of respondents said they had searched for an app for restaurants within their local directory. Research from Telmetrics and xAd’s more recent 2014 campaign on mobile purchasing had substantiated the above demands of diners: Price and location are two big driving points for potential diners. The majority of users just want to know where your restaurant is, and how much their meal is going to cost. Times are changing, and users expect to find what they want by simply reaching for their phone and pulling up information. If your restaurant can be easily found by a quick search on any old smartphone, then your business will be significantly impacted. Out of every other category, restaurant shoppers have the highest rate of conversion from potential consumers into paying customers. An app that’s personalized to your restaurant’s audience will ensure that users will enjoy their browsing experience and share it with friends and family, giving your restaurant that much more publicity. Ads seem to have a big impact on compelling potential diners into choosing a particular restaurant. 3 out of 5 respondents in the 2012 Telmetrics and xAd survey claimed that they seldom know what they wanted to eat before making a search on their mobile device, and 75% reported to have noticed mobile ads, particularly for restaurants. Funneling resources into developing and more importantly marketing and advertising a great, user-friendly app for your restaurant could be a big game-changer for your business. As more and more customers plug into the grid with their smartphones, it’s important that your restaurant’s presence on the web doesn’t get left behind. For more on how developing an app can help the discoverability of your restaurant, check out our article on how to index an app with Google Search.

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3 Easy Ways To Improve Your Restaurant’s App

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Restaurant apps are notorious for frozen payment transactions and horrific user accessibility. It’s a shame because a recent survey shows that 46% of users report that apps/websites with easier navigation would make them feel more comfortable with finishing a payment transaction. In 2015, total app revenue amounted to a total of 89.17 billion dollars. How can your business tap into that wealth? Better yet, if your business has an app, is user accessibility the sole determinant for its poor performance? The truth is, not many restaurant apps are successful, but the most recent statistics pulled from the Jumio 2015 Survey is helping us understand why. Two years prior in 2013, the same study was made, which posited that 66% of respondents had failed to complete a transaction due to issues during the checkout process.  Evidence from the more recent follow-up study in 2015 foreshadows a rising potential for commercial apps, as the number of failed transactions has decreased from 66% to 56% in just two years. Behind general retail, transactions regarding food and travel have been among the most frequently abandoned, but the problem is not necessarily grounded in the nature of food and travel apps. The issue can be broken down into three main causes, ordered below from the most prevalent to the least among users in the survey. Slow loading times “The loading bar’s frozen…What now? Does that mean my order never went through?” 36% of users cited slow loading speeds as the cause for abandoning mobile transactions. Based on the feedback gathered from respondents in the Jumio 2013 Survey, nearly two-thirds (66%) of consumers attempting to make a transaction on their smartphone or tablet were forced to abandon their purchase: The heightened competition across the app store leaves users with more reasons to leave your app than to remain loyal to it. Why should anyone struggle with a slow app when a faster one that promises to match the same function more consistency is available to them at the same price? The same notion applies to use an app over using a desktop: why should someone use an app for a service that’s faster on the web via their desktop? The point of your restaurant’s app should be to provide a faster and more convenient method than calling-in or using your website, which is a good introduction to the next point – user experience. User experience “How do I even place an order on this thing?” Overall, 46% of users agree that apps that are accessible and easier to navigate would make them more likely to complete a payment transaction. The more difficult it is to make a transaction, the less likely users are to convert into paying customers. Your intention should be to mitigate the number of hurdles facing users before they can complete transactions, and the gathered data above affirms this notion. Security concerns “Their app doesn’t seem too official, I mean it’s very unresponsive and navigation isn’t user-friendly whatsoever…Maybe I downloaded the wrong app?” Although security and comfort contributed least to users’ decisions, you can see how both an app’s responsiveness and its ease-of-use contribute to a user’s expectations and their overall sense of trust with the app. During the Jumio 2013 survey, 51% of users that abandoned an online transaction did so because they felt “uncomfortable entering their credit card information.” The ideal app should cater to and be easy-to-use for a sizable margin of users with a wide age group in mind.

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5 Tips to Get Your App Idea Off the Ground

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So you have this awesome app idea that you have been nagging your friends and family about for weeks. The drive is there but your words are no more significant than the air you breathe at this point. It’s time to get the ball rolling, it’s time to make your idea come to life. Creating a worthy app is no easy feat, that’s why it’s important to follow these 5 easy steps to ensure success. Do market research If after conducting research you realize that your idea is still untouched, great, more power to you. But unfortunately, you might shortly realize that this is not the case. There may be an app, sometimes even a few that have been doing what you have intended yours to do. If this is the case, the journey doesn’t necessarily have to end here. After testing potential app competitors you may realize that your idea is indeed better. You may also take the best bits of their app and combine them with your own idea to make an even better app. “Good artists borrow, great artists steal.” – Pablo Picasso If your app is essentially the same as others in the genre, but better, people will choose yours instead of the competitors causing a network effect eventually leading to your triumph. Identify your audience It is important to understand the audience you are targeting through this app. Your users can be from a particular industry, gender, region, age group, income group, specific profession, or any other group. Identifying the demographic(s) you’re catering the app towards will help define the reason this app appeals to a particular group. Your whole project revolves around user engagement, the audience ultimately decides the app’s success. Plan your idea So after you have done the research it’s time to start feeding this brainchild. The first step in this process is to decide what operating system you like to develop for. Here’s a more in-depth article to help you which operating system would best home your app: (Link to Messapps “Which platform to develop for”) After you have chosen the OS the actual planning must commence. You must answer questions such as, what will the app look like? How is the UI going to flow? What core features does the app revolve around? The more detailed answers, the better. You will have to translate these answers in the next step, finding a developer. Seek out a developer Now you can skip this step if you have a particular set of skills or are looking to rack your brain around a foreign language (no, it’s not offered on Rosetta Stone). Even if you have zero programming knowledge, the good news is you can hire a developer. It just so happens that here at Messapps, that’s what we specialize in! Although before you even begin looking for developers, it’s crucial to know the stages of development. Understanding the process will help you understand what you are paying for and potentially cut costs. All you essentially need is an idea and some cash but if you already dreamt up a basic layout for the app to implement, creating the wireframes yourself might be a beneficial experience that does not require a ton of technical expertise and will help you cut costs. Acquire funding No matter what your end goal in developing the app is, you are going to require funding. The amount of funding varies quite largely depending on the complexity of the app and the individual stages. It is important to know that the actual programming of the app is the costliest process. How do you get this money? This all depends on your financial situation. If you’re comfortable you can ride the expense solo, or perhaps combine resources with a friend and get a co-founder on board. A co-founder is extremely beneficial as they are willing to share the cost risk with you. If the development bill is substantial, pitching to an angel investor or venture capitalist (VC) may be the route to go. Many VC firms won’t even consider investing in an idea unless there are two founders so if you have great ambitions for your product, get a co-founder. Conclusion If you have a dream turn it into a reality. If you have a vision, you’d be a fool to steer away from it. There are tons of resources available to familiarize yourself with the app development process. There are tons of people willing to throw money in your direction if you convince them why it’s in their best interest to. If there’s a will, there’s a way……

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3 Biggest Mistakes Companies Fail in When Building Their Enterprise App

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Enterprises have found a way to better engage clients through business apps. According to Gartner, demand for mobile app development services will grow five times faster than internal IT organizations’ capacity to deliver. “We’re seeing demand for mobile apps outstrip available development capacity, making quick creation of apps even more challenging. Mobile strategists must use tools and techniques that match the increase in mobile app needs within their organizations,” said Andrian Leow, principal research analyst for Gartner. The research said that the growing ownership of smartphones, which was predicted to reach 2.1 billion units by 2019, will be the driving force for apps in the business sector. People will continue to look for high performing devices and apps. Based on the data shared by O2, recently released smartphones are featuring processing capabilities two times faster than their predecessors allowing HD and high graphic apps to perform well. Likewise, the demand for reliable and high-quality business apps will also be on the rise. However, developing business apps requires a lot of planning. Often, there are problems brought about by errors from the business-side itself. For successful app development processes, here are three of the biggest mistakes organizations commit when building their enterprise application. Forgetting the customer The rise of eCommerce has led to modern consumers demanding high-tech and convenient ways to shop through their mobile devices. To ensure they will use the app, businesses need to incorporate what their target market needs from it. Mobile app users want personalization, solid performance, and rewards for their loyalty, which they want to be delivered to them intuitively and easily. First, invest in proper user experience (UX) design to ensure the user journey is seamless and straightforward. Second, do not forget to integrate personalization techniques to keep users engaged for long periods of time. Lastly, always utilize updates by correcting bugs to keep the user experience at a good pace. Remember that great experience will get more people talking about the app, and we know how ‘word of mouth’ marketing strategies can be powerful in driving its success. Poor testing Many companies tend to forget that not all consumers are up to speed with the latest tech. Businesses need to take note that a great application must work across a broad spectrum of devices and operating systems to be able to reach as many people as possible. Proper testing should be done to ensure the app is ready before its launch on the app stores. Glitches with its performance can do serious damage to the business or brand’s reputation. It is sensible and efficient to invest in in-depth testing upfront and regular maintenance to ensure the app is working to its optimum performance. Fail to communicate value Even big products have problems gathering enough traction to survive tech’s demanding and fast-paced marketplace. And, this isn’t necessarily because companies couldn’t offer people something they want. Businesses fail due to their inability to communicate effectively to consumers how their product (or for this discussion, the app) could change their lives or make things easier for them. It’s effective to create a message that clearly presents the value or benefits of the app to customers. The message should be simple, catchy, and straight to the point. Answer the questions: Mobile applications are a blessing to businesses, as it offered them a way to better present themselves and connect to their target market easily. Investing time and money isn’t enough to guarantee the success of the app. Companies should be able to avoid focusing on sales and move their attention to how their app can provide better service to customers.

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Creating an App Preview Video that Sells

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Half of all installers gauge whether they’ll install your app within the first 5 seconds of browsing your app’s page. If you’re confident in your app’s abilities, then why not sample it through a video! Your Average, Browsing Visitor Thanks to rising video trends on social media, the average online browser prefers the viewing ease of smooth video editing over wordy descriptions and cluttered screenshots. Increase the likelihood that your visitors will convert into paid users by invoking positive expectations. The theory behind app preview videos is that they cater to the dwindling attention span of the average visitor while also allowing the app’s creator to sample the many innovative aspects of their app. First Impressions – The Graphic/Poster Frame Your  feature graphic  (Google Play) or  poster frame (iOS) acts as the thumbnail for your app’s preview video. Regardless of the app store you’re using, this graphic or poster is the first image users will see on your app’s page. Fittingly so, this image heavily influences your visitors’ first impressions, so make your choice wisely. Demonstrated above, the difference between Google and Apple’s app stores is that your video will push aside your screenshot gallery on iOS devices. This is why we consider poster frames on Apple’s App Store that much more crucial than those on Google’s Play Store. Whether your visitors are impatient or eager to engage, an effective video will increase the likelihood that they’ll commit to your app and convert into a paying user.   Video Content and Length According to a recent study performed by Apptamin, an average of 10% of visitors will leave your video per every 5 seconds. Accordingly, as a general rule of thumb, the most optimized preview videos should run for no longer than 30 seconds.   The more effective your video is at engaging its audience earlier on, the more likely it is to peak user interest and to convert them into a paying user. Although drawing engagement should be your first priority, beware of the danger in over-exaggerating your video content! Misleading your audience in this way will yield expectations that your app cannot meet. Preview videos often backfire in this way, as false expectations tend to yield poor reviews and higher uninstall rates. Storyboard your Video Prioritize the messages in your video! Order those messages based on the importance of the information being conveyed. Since your video can only lose its viewers, the most important message should be saved for the first 5 seconds. The easiest way to prioritize the information in your video is through a storyboard! Lay out the top ten attributes of your app, narrow down that list to about five or six, then rearrange them based on the order of their importance. Sound With whatever music you decide to incorporate, confirm that you have permission to add that track first! For easy access to royalty-free tracks, visit SoundCloud’s many free-to-use playlists As for narration, if you plan to create the voiceover yourself, make sure that your budget affords you access to a quality microphone. However, keep in mind that most app store visitors tend to browse via mobile during their daily commutes, so remember to add subtitles to cater to those who mute their volume for the sake of others. Final Thoughts Like most other avenues of marketing, expect the average visitor to have a short attention span and plan accordingly! Observe other app preview videos, but don’t be afraid to experiment with your own unique ideas. There’s always room for innovation in the app world!

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App Store Optimization Tips

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To make a positive first impression it is important to present yourself as best you can. Whether it be wearing smart clothes, submitting a great resume or even smiling to catch someone’s attention. For mobile apps: the app store is your stage and your app profile and screenshots are your outfit or resume. It is vital to present your app with its best foot forward for downloads and popularity. Steve P. Young, the host of the Mobile App Chat podcast, discusses some of the strategy behind app store optimization – specifically in regard to app screenshots. This post will be summarizing and extending his discussion. App Screen Shots Firstly, it is important to address what you want to achieve with your screenshots. According to Young, the four elements to capture within your app screen shots are: attention, interest, desire and action. These events will lead to an increase in downloads. All good mobile app screenshots should attract the attention of potential users. Some tricks in standing out and grabbing browsers attention include social proof, unique benefit or authority. Don’t be afraid to show off your previous success. If your app has had over a 1000 downloads – say so! If you have developed apps previously that have been a success – let the browser know! Browsers also respond to authority. If the previous example is the case, where you’ve been a successful app developer in the past, or you are an established figure in the category of your app it can be very effective to add credibility to your app through your reputation and photo. Another pull for app screenshots is to be upfront about what makes your app unique and thus better. Potential users will appreciate the time you save them from reading through your entire app description. App Description Young advises that once you’ve caught the browser’s attention it is vital to stir their interest. In the description your app, or the screenshot images, it is important not to get too caught up in the details of the features. Instead, use the screenshot of the feature to highlight how the app gives the user options and increased convenience to their everyday lives. For example, the Seamless app emphasizes the variety of food options they offer through demonstrating the feature to choose through distance or cuisine. Moreover they use a screenshot of simple screens where it is obvious that with one simple and convenient click the user’s food will be on its way. In addition to building browser interest, desire is an important element in convincing the browser to become a user of your app because your service will satisfy their unique need. Therefore, your app store screenshots should represent the voice of your app that users can relate with. In the description make sure to describe your potential user’s problems in detail so they feel as though you have built this app specifically for them. In any sales scenario it is key for you to identify the customer’s needs. Call to Action Finally, you want to lead customers towards taking action and downloading your app. Make sure to give them images of encouragement ‘buy now’ or ‘click to download’. Promotional encouragement has also been very successful in the past and demonstrates that you value every customer who chooses your service which can lead to customer loyalty.

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How to Come Up with an App Idea

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How to find a great app idea and determine if it’s worth pursuing Though seeing your app’s name up in lights on a Times Square billboard may not be the typical endgame of an app in the app store, that doesn’t mean that you can’t create a unique idea that will become a hit. Check out these tips below to see how you can unearth that next big idea! Discover a problem and/or find a market The app market is huge, both financially and in terms of apps/downloads. As of this year, there are a combined 5 Billion apps across the Apple and Android app stores and with 268 Billion downloads, apps are on track to generate $77 Billion in revenue in 2017. So, what does this mean for you? It means that there is a wide open world of unique, differentiated apps that cater to a wide audience. This means that there is a huge margin for success for your app idea, which all starts by discovering a problem and/or finding a market Discovering a problem is sometimes like stubbing your toe on your bed frame in that oftentimes, it just happens randomly. BUT, that doesn’t mean you can’t give the big idea generate AKA your brain, a little push. The first step is looking around you. What kinds of things do people do in their everyday lives? What actions or services are involved in those activities and where is there possibly room for improvement. Or, look at it a different way what service, activity, or action seems to frustrate or complicate daily life? The point is, is that if you think hard enough and observe how people and yourself go through your day-to-day routine, you’ll quickly discover that there is unlimited room for improvement and many of these solutions can be implemented in an app! Similarly, finding a market, is all about identifying if you have an audience in the first place. This is does not exclude tips about identifying a problem, but rather, it is encouraging you to view things in a different perspective. In fact, it is very possible and likely, that a great app idea you may generate will both solve a problem and cater to a large market. However, if you have trouble first identifying a problem that your app could solve, think about the different markets of apps and activities already out there. Look into the different categories in the app stores to get some ideas too and you’ll soon discover that there are all types of people interested in all types of categories. Then, when you think you’ve found a category or audience that you think would make a good candidate, you can then circle back to see how you might solve a problem that would cater to this audience. Research the space! Is there competition? Out of the 5+ Million apps currently on both app stores, you would be surprised by how many apps are very similar to each other. In fact, there are tons of apps, particularly in the game category, that often mirror other games exactly with the exception of a few color changes here and there. The reasoning behind this is because the app market is so large and there are so many people downloading apps that even similar apps can garner attention and downloads. However, if you only copy and app that has already been copied before OR if you try to copy an app that already has a huge following but little competition (i.e. Instagram or Facebook), you are likely to experience difficulty in getting an audience. So, the best course of action is to do some simple research to determine if your idea exists in the app stores already. Search in the different categories where you think an app similar to your idea might reside and you’ll quickly discover if there is anything similar out there on the market. If then during your research, you discover an app similar to yours, DON’T PANIC! While you might think this is the end of the line for you app idea, this actually might be an opportunity to discover how you can make your app better than the current idea. This doesn’t mean you should copy ideas from someone else’s app, but you should look into how you can make your app unique and more successful, which leads to the final tip of this article. Make it unique-cater to your niche and add your own personal flair Some of the most successful apps on the market didn’t become successful without investing in unique features or design, which means that it is more important than ever to make sure your idea stands out. Now, we’re not necessarily talking flashing lights and big bold letters, but by thinking up creative ways to structure your app from its features to its design, you can do wonders for how your app will be perceived by its target audience. If you can, look at apps in the category that your app might reside in. What makes some of them successful and why? Is it their color? Their layout? What can you do to make your own idea stand out on its own? Put another way, think about marketability. How can you structure your app so that people see it as something new and exciting? This doesn’t mean that you have to have your app’s name, logo, and color scheme down pat, but you SHOULD start thinking about ways you can expand your app’s purpose so that it keeps catering to its audience. All in all, the app market is projected to grow by 270% by 2020, which means that apps are certainly here to stay. Use these tips to help generate your own unique idea and you’ll soon discover that you too can be a successful app entrepreneur.

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