Most businesses understand how important it is to develop apps. It’s not realistic for everyone to wait a year or more for the launch of their mobile app.
In some cases, businesses must launch apps quickly in order to take advantage of opportunities. Businesses are increasingly using their own apps to increase sales or to provide customers with an alternative platform for using their tools and services. In fact, 42% of millennial-owned businesses have their own apps.
However, while a mobile app can generate quite a bit of revenue, quickly launching a successful app is made more challenging by its low barrier to entry.
According to Alex Ahlund, former CEO of AppVee and AndroidApps, the average cost to develop a mobile app is $6,453 – and can go as high as $150,000 depending on its complexity. Furthermore, the average timeline for app development before launch is at least six months. Nevertheless, this guide will show you how to speed up the process.
WHY A SUCCESSFUL MOBILE APP LAUNCH IS SO IMPORTANT
Your mobile app launch can either determine or jeopardize the long- and short-term success of your app.
You risk missing out on some time-sensitive opportunities that directly affect app downloads and usage if you wait too long to launch the app. On the other hand, speeding through app development and releasing a subpar product might result in customers never using the app again due to a negative user experience.
The best method to make sure your app is successful for years to come is to have a smooth app launch with an app that is free of bugs and provides a seamless user experience. By putting the user’s needs first, you can increase the lifetime value of each individual that installs the app and keep them coming back to use it.
If your app doesn’t function as planned, even launching it in a matter of weeks rather than months won’t help. Therefore, you must strike a balance between a quick app launch and a top-notch product.
To be honest, certain apps just cannot be created in a matter of weeks or months. It is impractical to schedule a three-month app development period if you’re trying to build the next Facebook, Uber, or YouTube. App launches for games, augmented reality, and virtual reality applications are often prolonged.
However, the great majority of business applications may be released rapidly without compromising the app’s quality provided the proper technology is used and a tried-and-true success formula is followed (by following the steps in this guide).
Many professional business apps have been developed with Swing2App. We have seen our clients launch apps faster than the typical app development cycle, and we are aware of what it takes to be successful in this field.
5 STEPS FOR FAST APP LAUNCHES
The key to quick and effective app launches is simplicity. The entire procedure may be summed up in just five simple steps:
Step 1: Market Research
According to estimates, the Apple App Store will have 1,800,000 applications overall as of January 2020. And even those figures don’t include Android applications available in the Windows and Google app stores.
How does this affect you, then? There is definitely already plenty of competition for you. In order to genuinely distinguish your app, undertaking an in-depth market analysis is vital.
An app concept may be created by anyone. But before you start creating anything, you really have to confirm your concept through market analysis. Because the app developers ignored this phase, so many mobile apps fall short of expectations.
You may save time and money by taking the time to learn about your target market and target audience. You may discover that features or capabilities you first considered significant aren’t actually required by the app. So, you may skip those features entirely and launch the app quickly.
Consider the case of your small gift store. In order to increase mobile commerce sales during the busy Christmas season, you may want to create an app, that would prove to be a great idea.
You can track customer purchases and award them loyalty points, just like Starbucks and do much more with a business app. But after doing market research, you might find that the majority of your customer doesn’t want, need, or plan to use that feature of your business app.
You will save a lot of time and money by dropping this feature, enabling you to launch the app more quickly and affordably.
You may learn more about your competition, potential users, present and past customers, and comparable apps that are already available in the market by conducting market research.
Your ability to distinguish your application from others on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store will provide you an advantage over others.
Step 2: Pre-plan & organize
After completing the market research phase, you must develop a sound plan. Before you begin creating anything, use the following points as a checklist for the quick launch of your app:
- Select your app launch app stores (iOS, Android or both)
- Code your app or hire mobile app developers or use Swing2App
- Decide your app development budget
- Select tentative launch the app date
- Create a free app or Subscription based app
- Monetize app or not, if yes then how?
You are not yet prepared to develop and release the app if you don’t have the answers to these queries.
I won’t delve too far into any of those questions for the sake of this blog. Instead, we want to concentrate our efforts on quickly launching a high-quality app.
However, we have a lot of helpful articles and tutorials that will help you in organizing and build your app. Here are some articles related to the above-mentioned queries:
IOS Vs Android: Which Is Suitable For Your First App?
No-Code App Development: What Is No Code? & Benefits Of No-Code App Maker.
How To Publish An Android App On Google Play Store: A Step-By-Step Guide
How To Develop A Mobile App For Android & IOS
How To Reduce Your App Development Cost?
How To Submit Your App To The App Store In 2022
Step 3: Focus on the Key Features of your Mobile app
You ought to know exactly how you plan to make an app by this point. It’s time to concentrate on the functionality of the app, regardless of whether you’re going to develop it yourself or contract out the job to an app development firm.
Perhaps the most crucial stage when launching an app quickly is this one.
People often overestimate the usefulness of mobile app features. Instead of the “must-haves,” they place too much emphasis on the “nice-to-haves.”
Begin by making a list of the features that your app users need to solve a problem or achieve a goal.
There may be several distinct ideas on your initial list of features. But it doesn’t always imply you’ll use them all. Start crossing off the items on the list one at a time that doesn’t serve the main goal of the app.
Consider the scenario where you are developing an app for your restaurant. You may put lots of different functions in the app. But what is your real intention for your business app development?
A dine-in restaurant rewards app will appear very different & have different core features than a mobile ordering app for restaurants.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if the app could access the user’s camera and contact list? Some of you might feel this would be a great add-on. But is that genuinely required for the core motive of the app? Most likely not.
Step 4: MVP creation
The term MVP (minimum viable product) is often used in connection with app analysis and beta testing. However, if you’re on a tight app development schedule, you may really use an MVP for your initial launch on the app stores.
By developing an MVP, you’re bringing the key features that were figured out in the previous phase into production.
You won’t be concerned about the excessive features. Just concentrate on the essential features, and you’ll have a functioning app that serves its main goals.
Consider developing an e-commerce app as a complement to your online store. Mobile payment options are the app’s main goal.
Therefore, even though a customer loyalty scheme or a mobile customer referral program sounds like fantastic features, neither would be included in the MVP. Instead, you would just provide an app with the most basic e-commerce purchase features.
Simply make sure the software has a built-in payment gateway (PayPal, Google Pay, etc.) and links with your online business.
Users can later be given the option to personalize their profiles by adding details like their birthdays, favorite goods, and the option to share items with friends. However, the MVP is only for the core app features.
Step 5: Testing, stabilization, & Beta release
At this stage, defects are found and corrected, and the product is stabilized—everything is made completely release-ready. Experts in quality control examine the app’s functionality across a variety of platforms and operating systems using specialized services.
A mistake in launching your mobile app quickly may be quite expensive. Apps are available on Google Play in a matter of hours, and on the App Store in a matter of weeks. Errors trigger strong negative responses from users, who give products terrible ratings and reviews. Due of this, new users decide not to download the app after seeing it. This step of the mobile app launch process is very critical.
We highly recommend giving a limited set of beta testers access to your app’s pre-final version before submitting it to the app stores. To test new apps before they are released to the public, you may either distribute this version to testers or utilize tools that were designed especially for the purpose: Apple’s TestFlight and Google Play’s Play Console. A beta test is used to address any lingering problems a few weeks before the official launch.
Step 6: Prepare for Launch
While the MVP development is still ongoing, you may begin preparing your app for launch by promoting it.
Waiting till the app development is finished to start with this step is just going to add unnecessary length to your launch timeline. Examples of preparations include:
- Make a landing page for the iOS app and the Android app.
- In a blog article, promote your app.
- Create a buzz about the app on your social media pages.
- Create screenshots of the software to be used in promotional materials.
- Utilize app store optimization (ASO) best practices to be ready for app store search
- When launching an app, be aware of the variations between iOS and Android applications.
You may always refer to free and paid mobile applications for inspiration and take ideas from their marketing techniques if you’re stuck on any of these preparation procedures.
This allows you to launch your app quickly, as soon as development is complete.
QUICK APP LAUNCH WITH SWING2APP
Swing2App is the best no-code app builder for those looking to speed up their app development without sacrificing quality.
It is the easiest way for DIY users to make their own apps without writing a single line of code with Swing2App no-code app builder.
Our platform takes care of all the backend app requirements. It’s just a matter of adding your features and customizing the content.
Swing2App’s app maker is the best way to launch iOS and Android apps. With its easy-to-use interface and limitless scalability, it will fit any need.
With just a few clicks, you can get started in seconds. Simply select a template and then you can add features, and menus by adding the required bulletin boards (chat, calendar, Google maps, and much more).
With Swing2App, you can also add custom functionality. So, if you need something that’s highly customized and can’t find it on our platform, we can also create custom features for you.
As soon as the app is built, we will take care of the app launch on both the Apple & Play store. You just need to click “App Creation Request” when the app creation is completed.
Swing2App simplifies the process of launching an app quickly and at a fraction of the cost of traditional development. The app can be maintained post-launch and features can be added later on. It is therefore possible to begin with basic features and then add more advanced functions in months or even years to follow.
Swing2App custom app development
In case you don’t want to be involved in the development process and would rather outsource it, you can look for an app development company that can help launch your mobile app quickly.
There is no better solution than Swing2App’s no-code platform.
On top of Swing2App’s existing no-code app development platform, Swing2App offers custom app development. As a result, our in-house custom development team does not have to start from scratch.
When compared with hiring app developers or assembling an internal product team, this gives you a significant advantage.
As part of the process, we will work with you to ensure that the app meets your business goals, budget, and timeline.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON A SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH FOR MOBILE APPS
For many businesses and entrepreneurs, launching an app quickly is crucial. Ensure the quality of your final product doesn’t suffer due to your development timeline.
By working on your app marketing strategy and promotional materials during app development, you can also save time and prepare for a successful and quick app launch. When you are starting your app, you should focus on its core features and functionality. After the app launches, more features can always be added.