How to get your 2020 app project into gear 

Everyone is back at work and the first working Monday of the year has passed. We’re all in go mode and ready to get stuck into this new year and new decade. If your plans for 2020 include finally getting an app off the ground, you may be feeling a little lost as to where to start. Breaking the tasks down into easy to manage actions makes the whole process a lot less daunting, so here’s how you can get started…

1.Do your research

Before you can delve into the nitty gritty or features, functionality and design, you need to do a little research. As with any project, it pays to know the landscape and the competition so take a look at other popular apps in your niche. Look at review comments – what do users like or dislike? What features are popular? You could take this further and look at press coverage, any social media presence and suchlike to begin to build a picture of marketing tactics, community management and update schedules.

2.Identify your purpose

Your app should have a purpose or function. Drill down and dertemine what that is exactly. Be specific. Does it solve a specific problem? Does it help with a particular task? This phase can be trickier than you may think but it’s important not to underestimate its importance. After this, you should be able to create an elevator pitch for your app which succinctly details its purpose, mission, perhaps even its USPs in a sentence or two.

3.Decide on non-negotiable features and functionality.

The next step in your journey to app ownership is to put a little meat on the bones. Here, you’ll start to flesh out what your app will actually do, the features it should have and the functionality that you want to offer your users. Refer back to your research and purpose throughout this part of the process to ensure that you remain on track and working in the same direction.

4.Marketing

For your app to be successful, you’ll need to have a considered, actionable plan in place to market it. Thinking about this as early as possible, even before the app is designed, gives you a more realistic idea of what your project is going to cost in terms of time, budget and other resources. You may need to request quotes from specialist agencies, such as social media experts or source advertising rates for key websites or outlets.

5.Design and testing

Now to the exciting part! Design isn’t just a case of physically having the app built, it’s also important that you test, test and test again. Try and rope in volunteers from your target user at this stage and get their feedback on things like usability and the user experience.

6.The launch

The launch is the culmination of the first five stages so you should be felling organised, prepped and ready to go. Your marketing plan should already have been activated so now it’s a case of continuing to build a buzz and of course, listening to user feedback and reviews ready for your first update…