This guide can be used by anyone interested in creating a mobile application, regardless of whether you are looking to build the next big thing or develop an app to help your company. This resource is for non-technical users and first builders. It will also help anyone who still needs to develop an app.
The Step-by-Step Guide to Making an App (2023)
The entire guide is best read from beginning to end. However, you can click to jump to the sections most pertinent to your requirements. You might start from scratch, while others may be more advanced.
In 11 Easy Steps, How to Make an App
This is where you start your app-building journey. Follow the steps below to create an app.
1. You Must Define Your Goals
It is essential to have clear goals when you start app development. Which destinations are you aiming to reach? Which problems do you want to address? These goals are the foundation of your development efforts. It's easy for developers to lose sight of these goals if they aren't clear from the start. Do not just aim for any purpose; set measurable goals.
This is your north star. It will help you keep on track. You will only use your resources and time effectively if you do. App development can be almost endless, so it may seem tempting to include features, bells, and whistles that don't directly support your mission.
Understanding the differences between an objective and a goal is critical to achieving your App Development Goals. A plan is the result you desire. These are your steps to reach those goals.
These objectives can be broken down into "SMART" or goals:
- Particular
- Measurable
- It is possible
- Realistic
- It's essential to do so promptly.
People make the standard error of defining their goals as monetary. For example, "Make more money." This doesn't mean you are different from every business in the world. Your purpose and mission should be noticed.
Each goal must have KPIs (key performance indicators) that are clearly defined. To achieve success, ensure that your KPIs are predefined. Numbers are the best way to make KPIs useful.
Let's take, for example, the goal of creating an app to help your ecommerce store decrease abandonment rates from mobile devices. You will need to be able to measure your abandonment rates to compare your numbers with the ones when you launch your app.
2. Do Market Research
After you have established your goals, ensuring that the market needs your app is essential. While every app idea is appealing in principle, you must validate it before you move forward.
Market research is a great way to save time and money:
- Create surveys
- Interviews
- Run a focus group
- Find out about your competitors.
- Find out how you can create an app that enhances customer experience.
Your existing customers can be used to research your new app if it is part of an extended business. You must find potential users if the app is for something completely different.
3. Decide Your App Features
Consider the core functionality of your app. Those are the core functions of your app. Many people feel tempted to include unnecessary and extra features in an app. Some parts can distract from the primary function of your app. Every feature addition adds cost to your app and delays development.
Some examples of app features that are popular include:
- Push notifications
- Wall of community
- GPS capability
- Questionnaires and surveys
- Audio, video, and image hubs
- Book Capabilities
- Integration of calendars
- Carts for Ecommerce
- Ordering menu system
- Customer loyalty
- User directory
In these initial stages of development, simplicity is vital. You can remove the GPS function if your primary function does not require a precise location.
4. Make a Wireframe
The wireframe represents a sketch of the layout for your app. You don't need to make it too formal. A wireframe can be created on paper, whiteboard, or napkin. You also have the option to use a digital wireframing program. Wireframes are used to illustrate the features of an app and lay out the plans. Do not worry about app design elements within a wireframe. The wireframe is not meant to show you how your final app will look. Your wireframe should focus on flow and structure.
The user's journey can be mapped. Draw what will happen if users click on one particular button. How will the next page appear? How will the next page look if a user chooses between Option A and Option B? Wireframes can help you get all your teams on the same page about your vision of how your app should work.
5. Select the Development Method You Choose
You have many options for building an app. It would help if you decided which approach is best for you before you begin to develop an app. Many options are available, from using an app builder that doesn't require code to outsourcing software development.
There are generally five ways you can build a mobile application. Below, We will explain each option in more detail so you can choose the right one for your app.
6. Research Existing Solutions
It would help if you also researched existing solutions as the final step in pre-development. Exploring existing solutions before you try to figure out how to create an app or other parts from scratch is a brilliant idea. Many services can be used to build apps. These services include solutions such as infrastructure, hosting, and design. Analytics, push notifications, and analytics are all included.
If you can rent server space from an existing solution, why would you want to create an app yourself? Pre-built solutions are always more affordable than building them from scratch. These services can often be modified in a few ways.
It is difficult enough to learn how an app should be made. This should be made simple enough. It would help if you only built the things you need. Reusable tools are already in use for everything else.
You can save time and money while getting your app on the market quicker. It will also make your life easier. After completing the pre-development work, it is possible to start creating an app. You have already tested your ideas and researched extensively to understand how an app works.
7. Technical Specification
You can use the wireframes you made during pre-development to make a "tech specification." This is the information that no one sees. Making logistical changes that will help you save time and money is possible.
App developers must examine your wireframe, not just the visual aspects. The tech specification can help you find other ways to reach your goals. If you can find these alternatives, you could save yourself thousands of dollars and months of effort. Get the facts so you can weigh all your options.
User experience matters more than building more efficiently and cutting costs. The tech specification process remains a critical part of software development. Do it now rather than wait three to six months to think about what could have been done differently. This could have saved so much time.
8. Establish Measurable Milestones
You and your team can stay on the right track by setting milestones during app development. You won't be able to monitor your progress without benchmarks. This is the idea behind breaking down a large development project into manageable chunks. It is easier to break down large projects into smaller pieces than to view one big project from beginning to end.
This foundation is the backbone of agile, a well-known approach for Mobile App Development. Every small project must be finished within the given time frame. This timeframe can vary depending on how complex the task is. It could take anywhere between a few days and a few months. This timeline can measure progress and ensure your team meets deadlines.
Software developers will benefit from a sound project management system. Scrum development or agile development can be great options. No matter your choice, it is essential to have an easy way to monitor your progress. You can plan your time by knowing when you can go on the market with the app.
9. Make an MVP
When you begin building your app, developing an MVP (minimum viable product) is essential. An MVP allows you to focus on the most critical features of your app. This is a necessary aspect of creating a successful app.
How does your app need to work? Then, focus on those features and then move on to the rest. The possibilities for app development are virtually endless. You can easily get lost in building apps and forget your goal. It's common to get distracted during the building process and say, "Let's add that feature." Or "Wouldn't it just be awesome if this app could do this?"
These ideas will not only increase the time and cost of your project, but they can also be costly. These ideas can also take out the essential functions of your app. It is possible to add additional features at a later date. We will address this in our guide at the end of the app-making process.
Your MVP represents the core functionality of your app. You can create an app using only the essential components. The app has only enough core functionality to fulfill the most basic functionalities. Stay calm about beautiful designs or other distracting features. It's irrelevant right now. Let's take, for example, the building of a messaging application.
An MVP is an app that allows users to exchange messages with each other. It would not be possible to create a video chat function, modify settings to upload photos or change an app's background.
Referring to the analogy of a house, let's go back. A house's MVP would have four walls, an exterior, and a roof. The house would not be a tent, and the kitchen wouldn't exist. Converting a tent into a home is impossible, but a kitchen may be possible later. An MVP does not represent a fully functioning app but a testing app.
10. Quality Assurance
After completing your MVP, it is time to deploy the app. You must test the app on all existing mobile platforms. Your app may be used in many ways, and the quality assurance team will need to try it all.
You have much to do between iPhones, iPads, and Android devices. You need to ensure that the app is available online and offline. Different software versions and screen sizes may have problems that you need help finding elsewhere. Only assume it works correctly if you test the app on one device.
If you are a new app developer, you might be skeptical about the quality assurance process. Is it essential to hire someone to test your application? An app developer shouldn't be able to create apps without worrying about bugs. In utopia, apps are built flawlessly and do not need to be tested. Developers write bugs in real life and are notoriously terrible at finding bugs.
Don't interfere with the QA process. Before your application goes on the market, a quality assurance specialist will be able to identify any problems. These problems can be identified earlier than users realize. Bugs can cause problems in the long term for an app.
You can test your app not only with a QA expert but also with real users. Share the app with your family and friends. You don't have to make your app perfect before you release it. You should eliminate any bugs or errors as much as possible. You can create user experience or interface modifications later.
11. Install
Now it's time for your app to go live so users can use it. Visibility and uptime should be your primary concern right now. You must ensure that your application works for end-users. Your servers shouldn't crash or anything like that.
You must submit your app to all the app stores to get it on the market. You must meet specific requirements for your app to be accepted by Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Before starting this process, you must be familiar with all submission requirements.
Your choice of development method will affect your app's deployment process. We discussed this earlier in the Pre-development section. App-building services that are the best will help you with deployment. Cyber Infrastructure Inc. will help you create and publish your app. It would help if you let us know that your app is ready, and then we will take care of the rest for Android and iOS. Our team will do the heavy lifting so you can concentrate on developing. If you decide to hire a developer team or make your app yourself, you must complete additional steps during deployment.
Here are some Post-Launch Tips and Best Practices
You've now learned how to create an app. The mobile app development process continues once your app is deployed. After your app is launched, there's much more work ahead. Plan accordingly to cover the steps after launch and ensure you spend only a little on development.
Market Your App
Treat your app as a business. How would you promote a brand-new company? It's not possible. Whether you have the most popular app in the world doesn't matter. You must market your app correctly to get people to notice your app and spark interest. Begin by driving people to your app and website. Visitors make app installs. Visitors become app installs and paid members.
You should ensure that your digital presence is present on as many platforms and marketing channels as possible. It is essential to prioritize the platforms where users spend the most time. You can promote your app via social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You can also promote your app via TikTok and Snapchat if you are targeting younger generations.
Make video promos and demos of apps. These videos can be uploaded to YouTube. These videos can be repurposed on any number of distribution channels. Your mobile app marketing strategy should be focused on new users. Broaden your audience and mix inbound and outside marketing strategies.
Your Mobile App Marketing Strategy will change as your business goals evolve. ASO (app store optimization) is an integral part of traditional marketing. This will ensure that your app is well-known in the app store.
Your app's future success will depend on how well you market your app in the early stages. App marketing strategies should be implemented before the app's launch. The app can be promoted early to build momentum before it is released. An app landing page can be made with a headline that says "coming soon."
Keep Track of KPIs
Are you a successful app? KPIs, or key performance indicators, are the only way to find out. App analytics and key performance indicators (KPIs) must go far beyond speed and uptime, which are both critical for reliability and performance.
You can track and measure key performance indicators based on how users adapt to the app. Is the app being downloaded? What is the number? How many users keep the app? What percentage of people use the app again?
It is essential to have an app that allows you to see metrics such as new and repeat users, time spent on the app, time spent, and where most of the time is spent. It isn't easy to gauge the app's success without analytics. It's impossible to run a successful business by relying on guesswork. You need concrete numbers to support your ideas.
You can track KPIs within your App Connect account to see which parts of your app generate the most results and which need improvement.
Let's take, for example, the fact that many people are using a feature in your app you did not consider a key component. This information can be used to decide how you want that feature to be more easily accessible on all screens. Add it to your homepage or make it a top-level menu item.
Ask For User Feedback
Get feedback from users. Before you launched your product, you did research and consulted friends. Most of your study was guided by intuition.
Once you have it deployed for the first instance, real customers will be using the app. Ask your customers what their thoughts are. Regardless of how much you dislike hearing it, the bottom line is that your opinions don't matter. It's all about the customers and the users. Customers love to be asked questions. If they don't feel like weighing in, they won't mind if you ask. They will ignore your request. They won't be bothered.
Users who participate in your app's success will be invested and provide genuine feedback. You can still ask customers honest questions. You can use the user's responses to help prioritize which features are needed next.
Perhaps you knew something you wanted to do and planned to get there quickly. If your customers aren't willing to say it, you can save money. You can keep them happy with your software if you spend that money on what they want. You will stop them churning.
Keep Improving your Mobile App
There is no perfect app. Every app is constantly improving. We discussed user feedback in step 1. You should use the same steps as during the development team to make any changes in the app. Before the app is released to the general public, ensure it passes quality control.
Regression testing is another thing you should be aware of when updating apps. Subsequent updates or key features could cause problems not present in the past. An update can cause something to stop working that was compatible with your prior release.
You must re-evaluate the quality assurance process whenever you make any app changes. It is essential to ensure no regression occurs and causes no new failures in your app. Releasing new apps regularly is necessary. Your users are providing feedback and expecting changes. People may only use your app if you improve it.
Maintenance and Support
Your app will require ongoing maintenance. It is crucial to retain your developer's team. Mobile device operating systems also get updates, so your app may be updated. It is essential to ensure that your app works with both the Android and Apple software versions.
Regulations and compliance levels can also change. You must ensure your app complies with data laws such as GDPR in Europe and CCPA (California). PCI compliance is required if you are processing credit card payments. HIPAA compliance is necessary for any app that handles medical data. This list could go on.
It would help if you planned to provide customer support as your app grows. How will you handle a user's question? You can manage it all on your own in the initial stages. However, the scale of your task will mean that you will need more than thousands or hundreds of messages.
This all falls under the "support" category after launch. These are the elements that mobile app development companies will always need to deal with. Make sure to budget and plan accordingly.
What Apps Can You Use to Make Money?
An app can be used in many different ways. You could use a mobile application to generate additional revenue for your company. You can make money in many ways, including mobile commerce, loyalty programs, and referral programs.
App users can pay a once-off fee for downloading your app. You can also profit from your app by charging users for content upgrades or coins. Another option is to charge app users for subscriptions on an annual or monthly basis. This will generate regular revenue. You can also sell advertising space to make your app monetizable. This is the same idea as running advertisements on your website.
Some apps can help you save money even though they don't make any money. This is a great example. Your company can reduce productivity expenses by creating an app for field workers, remote employees, and internal communication.
Final Thoughts on Creating Mobile Apps
It can be challenging to build apps. Whether you make your first app or a series of apps over the years doesn't matter. There is always more to learn. Instead of choosing an app development company blindly and expecting the best, it's a brilliant idea to know more.
Make the most of all available technology. You don't need to know any programming skills today to create an app. Cyber Infrastructure Inc. can help you publish your app on the Apple and Google Play store.
Cyber Infrastructure Inc. offers a comprehensive guide to developing apps. Some of you may have more specific questions regarding how to create an app for your company.
You might be interested in learning how to create an app for your ecommerce website. You may be looking for a way to create an internal app to communicate with employees. Both of these are possible with our guides. You can even find resources to help you develop apps for universities and schools. With our tutorials, you can learn how to create an app for podcasts and events.
Do you need help building an app for your business? Cyber Infrastructure Inc. has you covered. If you have additional questions, please get in touch with Cyber Infrastructure Inc.'s team of experts. If you have any questions, we are happy to assist and direct you in the right direction.
