Ever since mobile phones had crossed the threshold for becoming the most used gadgets in the year 2014, the number of phones have been rapidly growing making mobile users a substantial part of the economy. No doubt, with the growth in the IoT industry, the number and functions of mobile phones will continue to grow for a long time still. So if there could ever be a perfect time for launching a mobile app, it would be now. So if you have a mobile app idea that you think would be beneficial for a group of people, forget all the worries and get started with its development.

1. Clarify the Idea
2. Set Goals
3. Design Your App
4. Create a Storyboard
5. Create a Prototype
6. Beta Testing
7. Upgrade

Step 1 – Clarify the Idea

Often great ideas come to you when you least expect. So if your Eureka moment has come to you at a point of time where you had no access to the material on which you can write it down, chances are high that by now your idea has scattered itself in the faraway neurons of your brain making little to no sense anymore. Therefore, before launching into the full-scale development mode, you’ll find it’s more productive to first write down your app idea in one place so that both you and the development team can have a better view of the expectant results.

Step 2 – Set Goals

Regardless of how good your app idea is, you can’t reap its maximum potential unless you decide its precise goals. So after creating a clear draft of your idea, you should proceed to set exact goals for it, considering the following

• Target Users
  You must have a clear picture of the audience demographics that your app is going to serve. This should include information like the age group, the specific platform they use, and the adjacent things they would be interested in.
• Revenue Model
  Is your app going to include in-app purchases or will it solely rely on the ad revenues? Revenue goals must always be defined beforehand if you are expecting any ROI from your mobile app. The different ways through which you can monetise your idea include advertisements, subscription fees, pay per use, in-app purchases in freemium, and completely paid apps.

Step 3 – Design your App

You can begin this step by creating a rough sketch of your app to decide on the common theme that your app will have. Doing so will ease you into its progress without worrying you about the magnitude of the entire task. You may also opt to hire a mobile app development company for the task. With their assistance, you would not be required to do market research or study the expectation of your target audience in order to create an interface that could be conducive for the achievement of your app goals. However, if you want to create the design all by yourself and wish to hand-over just the actual development part to the development company, you can begin by researching through the apps that follow a common storyline. That way you will get an idea about the various interface screens, which brings us to the next step of the guide.

Step 4 – Create a Storyboard

Building a clear storyboard of the app will create a more precise outlook of your app. You will get a better understanding of the overall and the different navigation paths that your users would take to explore the app. This step will also give you more detail on the investment area. You will know more clearly, how each screen of your app will look like and how it is going to help the user to navigate through to the next screen.

Step 5 – Create a Prototype

Once you have a clear picture of the common theme and the varied navigation screens, it would be really easy for you to move into the phase of prototype designing. In fact, if you have completed all of the above steps without any assistance from experts, this stage will only require you to use one of many online prototype tools that are available online for free use. Then with simple drag and drop exercises, which the tool will most likely guide you through, you will be able to put together the entire prototype of your app, all set and ready for the actual development, for which there isn’t much that you can do. Unless you are going to do the coding part yourself, from this stage onwards you can take mobile app development services to complete the remaining tasks for you. Then you ‘ll only have to be involved in the business and investment part of the app.

Step 6 – Beta Testing

Once your first version of the app is ready to launch, you should put it up for beta testing. This will allow you to remain honest in your correspondence with your prospective users who would not expect too much from your app, yet will be able to make use of it to enjoy, test and validate its features and navigation. You may also open the app for just beta testers who would give you unbiased feedback for the improvement of your application before you deploy it for common users.

Step 7 – Upgrade

So now you have tested your app, added the missing features, and have deployed it for the users who are now loving it and are perhaps sharing it with their friends. So does that mean that the journey of your app has achieved its destination? Definitely not. The advancement of technology has made it easy for not just you but also for others to manifest and monetise their ideas through mobile apps. Therefore, the competition, as well as the potential, is on the all-time high, and if you want to thrive with your app for a long time, you have to invest time and money in upgrading it. You will have to keep yourself and your app updated with the growing technologies so that it keeps offering the best value to your users. In any case, the rapid changes in the platform will give you the cue to update your app, but you should not wait for it. You should ensure, form your end, your users are served the best mobile experience at all times.

The journey of a successful mobile app is an enduring one, but so are the rewards. So if you do have an app idea that you know carries immense value, it is crucial to give enough time to each and every step mentioned above. In the end, the result you will get by faithfully following all these steps will be enough to make you reflect that you have given it your best shot.