What Makes an App Great?

According to the latest survey of the Management Consultancy J’son & Partners the market of mobile apps is showing the most rapid rate of growth among other products of intellectual nature. Undoubtedly, this is an absolutely logical consequence of a set of tendencies: smartphones and tablets are coming up for sale without difficulties, mobile traffic consumption is constantly growing, mobile advertising is gathering pace as people have already immersed into the processes of global mobilization.

In order not to be unfounded, here it is the estimation of the mobile market by IDC analysts – by the end of 2015 the number of released smartphones can easily reach almost a billion! And since people are used to downloading nothing less than two or three apps (and according to the Apple Store statistics an average number of mobile apps in use has reached even more than 20 per device), one can imagine how the market of mobile apps is thriving.

Thus, from day to day the mobile app market is getting more and more compatible and requires more serious approach from new market players than ever before.

However, it doesn’t mean that there is no place for new ideas that have all chances to shoot up the charts. Let’s have a look whether it is unbelievably difficult to become viral in modern conditions of the considered sphere or not and what is necessary to take into consideration to create an eagerly sought product for a mobile.


Figure 1: Worldwide mobile apps market report, bln. USD (2012, 2016)
Source: J’son&Partners Consulting

Obviously, a good app starts from a weighty idea that does not necessarily is super innovative. People recognition and consequential success come to those who care about usefulness of a developing product for potential users. It’s important to create a mobile tool that helps resolve certain problems, makes everyday life easier or, for instance, brings fun and relax. It’s not so easy, isn’t it? However, doing business in mobile industry developing a new app no more difficult than doing business among automobile or retail giants. What should you be initiative for:

Market research – there are always unoccupied business segments or segments where competition isn’t fierce and there is place for strategic victory. Preference should be given to the sphere that will bring satisfaction to the creator since what has been made with passion, as a rule, pretends to be at least well-considered.

Detailed examination of behavioral patterns of mobile users – thinking like potential customers one shortens greatly the length of the way to success. What they do, what they discuss and what challenges they have – everything can contain the answer. Moreover, not necessarily the app should represent something completely new, it can repeat the existing model though providing people with fresh solutions and better functionality.

When the idea has been formed, the goal and objectives have been determined, it comes to consider how the mobile app is going to look like and operate. These are the points that are to be considered in details as people are accustomed to comparing newly-presented programs with the ones they have already used. A competitive analysis, unique functions, user-friendly design and reasonable usability – these are the core points the development of the application should be based on. One’s target audience should understand immediately what the app is created for, how it works and is it convenient or not. Namely:

Simple design which follows the principle “the easier you make it – the better it is perceived”: unduly bright style and complicated patterns distract attention from the essence of the app, leave negative impressions and ten times reduce the number of those who will proceed with the further acquaintance with the product.

Clear interface which is to be developed, firstly, according to the goal and objectives of the app, secondly, in accordance with human being logics. Make sure that the main functions are available from the first screen and contain further logically structured information so that no one will have any difficulties in discovering the great possibilities of the app. Simple navigation rules are extremely important.

Suitability with all the kinds of mobile screens: since not everyone has models of phones with big screens, the app must be adaptive. Bearing it in mind you will prove once more that you care about your audience and strive to create a good available product.

Test the app before you put it into official release: don’t hesitate to gather a group of experts and to organize a close testing with the participation of your potential customers to get constructive critics if there is any and to get the comments which will help improve the product.

Offer your customers to give you feedback on the app – simply, don’t hide the form.

As one can notice, there is a tricky thing in converting a good idea into a great mobile application. The question is whether you are ready to spend hours observing the market of mobile apps and mobile users behavior to replace it by hours spent on the development of the product that is to become attractive and habitual from the first impression.

However, you may have a compelling idea and a detailed brief but, if you’re new to app development, making it real can seem daunting. Millions of good mobile apps are released each year and only one of them becomes indeed great and is in demand among users all over the world. The key factor here to obtain success is a professional software development strategy and partners with software development expertise.

Elinext  mobile app projects:

Mobile App for iOS and Asteroid Market
CanaryVoice
Body Tan Scan
Recipe cost calculator (RCC)

Industries and Technology Areas:

Industries: IT

Technology Areas: mobile application development, software development, iOS, Android

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