The app development market is continuously growing and continuing to take up a significantly important role in the day to day lives of almost everyone on earth. When we need to check a bus line, we can use apps like city mapper, if we want to check that our paycheck has arrived, we use our banking app, and if we’re a little bored and feel like passing the time a little bit, we play Tennis Clash Online. There certainly seems to be an app for every single goal we can think of out there in the market. App development however, can be a lengthy and complex process, in part because of the technical nature of development, and also because of the immense competition that exists in the market today. The estimate is that every day, approximately 8000 apps are launched and of course, a substantial amount of them end up failing, in part because of  technical issues, but also because of the aforementioned competition. It is therefore recommended, unless you have the technical expertise, to reach out to a professional app developer. In case you are thinking of going about it, here are some things to keep in mind. 

Research What Gap in the Market You Want Your App to Fill 

In the beginning of any business journey, you will need to understand thoroughly what already exists in the marketing you will be competing in, as well as the level of that competition. As soon as you have taken time to properly understand this market, you can begin to decide and think of the best and most efficient solution to a gap that exists, so that you can disrupt the market so to speak for a lengthy period of time. This is similar in website building and app development, however when it comes to app development you will need to turn to a professional service as early as the start to see if your idea is technically feasible. 

In addition, you should research your target audience in order to understand whether or not there will be enough consistent interest that will generate a support base for your app, but also to understand that your idea will be economically advantageous. At this stage try to ask yourself the following questions: 

• Who is going to use the app?
• Is the app intended for iOS users, or Android Users? Or both?
• What hours of the day are users most likely to use the app and why
• What is my development budget
• What purpose is the app going to serve?

Is The App Intended for Android, iOS, or Both?

Your work in the previous step will help you significantly in figuring out the answer to this question, seeing as it is intrinsically linked to your target audience and what device they are using, or if it is intended for both. The moment you have chosen the system you intend to develop the app for, you have 3 possible courses of actions when it comes to the development method of the app: 

1. Native – Suits Apps which are intended for gaming or involve the use and production of videos and photos. Development time for Native can be quite slow as well as costly. 
2. Web Apps – Is a Web based system that works with web servers. In contrast with native, this form is a lot more friendly to your pocket and offers a shorter development time. 
3. Hybrid – Has elements of both Native and Web apps which allows for quick development cycles, cheaper costs, and a better user experience. Furthermore these can be used to develop apps for both Android and iOS simultaneously. 

Figure Out Your Time Frame

Before going about launching an App you are going to need to understand the time frame you will be operating in, mainly how long it will take to actually develop the App. When you figure this out, you will also be able to decide when you want to begin a digital marketing campaign in order to generate buzz prior to the App launch. 

Costs

Developing an app can be a costly process, and thus it is important that before commencing the development steps to calculate what is and isn’t possible/recommended from an economic standpoint, especially considering that the costs don’t end with the development process. After your App is launched, it is going to need constant upkeep in order to take care of any bugs, crashes, user problems and any other problems that may arise in the usual usage of the app. 

Security and Privacy

A very important aspect of developing an app is also creating a privacy policy for your users to agree on before opening the app. Within the policy you will need to clearly detail and address the policy for every part of personal information that you may be collecting in order for someone to use the app. For this stage, it is recommended to seek legal counsel to ensure that you are meeting the standards of the privacy policy and operating within the boundaries of the law. Related to this is also the aspect of security within your app. It is important to invest in strong security measures to protect your users and any information that they may give you. 

As you can see, app development is as stated beforehand, a complex process requiring a significant amount of technical, legal, and information security expertise in order to progress within this market. Why not make your lives a little easier? At Methodika we are ready to help you take on this development and create the most professional and responsive app on the market!