When smartphone technology was getting its initial exposure, many software developers saw an opportunity to use their skills to target a demographic that was just starting to gain momentum. While smartphones were being introduced, phone technology was proprietary and software had to be programmed and designed for the many different operating systems and hardware differences, and their uses were extremely limited.
Nowadays, Android and iOS are the main development platforms for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, and their uses have grown exponentially. With easy access to the internet, multi-platform development tools and various distribution methods, almost anyone can turn an idea into a globally used service with the help of app developers and a bit of creativity.
Target a Demographic
Every mobile app needs to have a goal. Who are you providing for? What are you providing? Is it in demand? Is it a niche? These are the types of questions you need to consider when planning your software.
One of the biggest mistakes that people make when developing software is failing to identify their demographic. When you create an application that targets a broad spectrum, you’re bound to fail because you don’t have the necessary backing to create an application with such a wide reach. Companies like Google can create an application and spread it to millions of owners because they have the marketing power and money to pull it off.
Your idea could be something like ‘an alternative to Facebook’, but that’s a huge demographic you’re targeting while giving people almost no reason to switch from Facebook to your software. However, an idea like ‘a social media platform for creative professionals’ targets a specific audience and is more likely to succeed.
Nurture Your Idea
In its initial state, your idea is bad. Unless you’ve spent a couple of days or weeks fleshing it out on paper and researching your competitors, it’s probably an idea that will fail and waste your time and efforts.
Let’s face it, even if your idea is innovative that doesn’t mean your implementation of it will be perfect — especially not the first attempt. You need to do ample amounts of research in the market and look at similar apps before you start development.
Some key points to consider are:
- How is my app different from the competition?
- What niches haven’t been filled?
- Can I use my competitor’s weakness as my strength?
- Is there a demand for my style of app?
Without properly nurturing your idea you might never see it grow to become the globally recognised app you want it to be. Even worse, someone else might see your badly implemented idea and steal it for themselves by improving on what you failed at.
Test Your Software
Make sure to test your app in a variety of situations. The most common mistake is to optimise your software for a specific phone or device and neglect to test it on other devices. Users will turn away in disgust if your application doesn’t’ work out of the box or requires fixes that you should have implemented before release.
Beta test your app, give it to friends and family, hire specialised testers — do everything in your power to resolve every issue you find before it’s released.
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