Questions to ask yourself before taking the plunge.
Q. Is my idea really a good one?
A. Run your idea past as many people as you can. Get feedback from people outside your immediate family and friends circle. You need honest opinions from the intended target audience for your app.
Q. Who am I competing with?
A. Do some research; see what’s available. Every app has competitors, even if they are not exactly the same as your app. To judge who your competitors are, think about which apps are competing against yours for a user’s time. If your idea is a social network, you are competing for the time people usually spend on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc, so they are your competitors, even if your app differs in some way.
Q. How is my app better than what is available?
A. Think about what edge your app has over your competitors and how you will promote it, in order to steal some user time from them. Your app doesn’t necessarily need to be radically different to everything else on the market, but if it isn’t, you’ll need an even better strategy for convincing consumers to switch from another product to yours.
Q. Have I got the time and energy to put into marketing?
A. Like any business (yes, an app is a business), nobody will know your app exists if you don’t promote it. If your app is to be a success, you’ll need to either hire a marketing agency or do a significant amount of promotional work yourself.
Q. How will I fund development of the app?
A. Do you have the funds yourself or will you need to find investors? App development can cost anywhere from ten thousand dollars for very a basic app, up to hundreds of thousands for a complex game or social networking app. If you have the money to fund development yourself, you won’t need to part with any equity in your app business and will be able to retain creative control. If you don’t have the money yourself, you can seek funding from angel investors and venture capital firms. These funding sources will likely take a big cut of your business in exchange for the capital and will require a comprehensive and realistic business plan and designs or a prototype, in order to consider your proposal.
Q. Do you have realistic expectations?
A. Yes, some apps make millions of dollars every week, but these are the exception, not the rule. Some apps make nothing at all, but most fall somewhere in between. In order to make real money from an app you need all of the right ingredients to be combined in just the right way, at just the right time. There is no silver bullet or golden rule when it comes to releasing a successful app, but a good idea, executed well and promoted well are absolutely essential elements.
Q. Still want to make an app?
A. Great! You are now much better prepared for the challenge and adventure that is mobile app development. To get started, contact a reputable app developer with some successful apps under their belt and discuss your concept. You are looking for a partner that will guide you through the app development process and contribute knowledge and experience. Not just a salesman looking to meet a monthly sales quota. As it so happens, you have come to the right place. Here at DreamWalk we have had more iTunes chart success than any other Australian app developer, with No.1 apps in 30 countries. We can guide you through the entire process, from fine tuning your concept, to design, development, finding investors and even point you in the right direction for marketing and PR. Contact us today to discuss how we might assist you in developing your chart-topping app.
