4 Things to Consider When Thinking About Building an App
A good app can be great for your business – you can get customers to engage with your business in new ways, drive sales or even use it internally. But what makes an app great? And where should you start when thinking about one?
As award-winning app developers, we like to think we know a thing or two about what makes an app awesome, so we’re sharing a few of our top tips.
1). START WITH A GREAT IDEA
It goes without saying, but without a great idea, you won’t be able to create a great app. Have a look at what other people are doing and what apps you enjoy using but try to think about the way your app will be unique from others. Consider the ways that your app fits into your business – for example, the ‘Safari Drive’ function on the Knowsley Safari app seamlessly enhances the existing experience.
2). THINK ABOUT YOUR USERS
So, you’ve got a great idea – now you have to consider how you will get people using it. Here, it’s important to think about who you’re targeting your app at – customers, employees etc – and how you want them to use it. Remember, apps take up space on users’ devices, so there’s no guarantee that users will download and keep your app installed.
Apps need to provide a benefit to users – something additional that they can’t get on your website. By providing food ordering and homeowner services in-app, Away Resorts have made their app valuable to holidaymakers, resulting in 10,000s of downloads.
3). CHOOSE THE RIGHT APP DEVELOPMENT TEAM
Once you’ve narrowed down your idea, you need to select the people who will make it a reality. As you’ll be relying on them to execute your vision, they need to be a team you can trust. Start by having a look at their previous work; look at their reviews on both app stores and download their apps to have a play around with. Make sure you like the feel of their previous work, and that it works with your vision of what your own app should look like.
If you have a specific platform you’d like to build your app in (e.g. Xamarin), check to see if they’ve previously built these kinds of apps before. Similarly, if you want your app to integrate with a specific API, ask them if they have experience doing this. It’s much better to find these things out at the beginning of the process, rather than discovering they’re not a great fit 6 weeks into the process!
4). MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A POLISHED DESIGN
With so many different apps available to smartphone users, it goes without saying that poorly designed apps simply won’t see results. The interface needs to be simple and easy to use – remember, users aren’t going to know your app inside out like you do, and an app that isn’t straightforward to use from the get go is going to get deleted pretty quickly!
Graphics are also key to your app’s success – good graphic design is key to ensuring your app stands out when users are browsing in the App Store or Google Play Store. Also think about how sound might feature in your app – for example Marwell Zoo has built an Audio Tour of their park into their app and also a ‘Hear Me’ feature, allowing visitors to listen to various animal sounds.
Creating an awesome app isn’t easy but thinking about these points is a great start. Speak to us today about how we can help you create an award-winning app.