First steps to a successful app

More and more companies and freelances are choosing to promote their business via apps for smartphones and tablets. In order to obtain satisfactory results, it is essential to follow certain specific steps and begin with the planning phase.

During that phase, it is best to start by gathering together your favourite apps from among those linked to the field of business you want to promote, identify their strong points and prepare a draft sketch to present to the developer. Those who lack the necessary skills for this task can enlist the services of a professional.

The right budget

Another aspect to take into account when considering the design of apps for smartphones regards the budget. It is fundamental that a realistic budget is set. It is a good idea to bear in mind, in order to clarify this point, that behind the success of the finished product lies much more than its mere development.

The required ‘ingredients’ for a successful application do include that phase of course, but careful attention to marketing and updates is also necessary. If you decide to entrust the creation of your company app to a freelance developer or a specialised firm, it is essential to allow for the cost of these when setting the budget.

Simplicity and cross platform approach

If we consider really useful and user friendly apps, we certainly do not envisage a myriad of functions which are accessible directly from the homepage. Anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of the digital world will know that this approach does not work.

The key word in the design process of a successful app has to be simplicity. This aspect is the gateway to user involvement as well as the secret to maximising the project’s profitability.

The developer’s job

Once aspects relating to the objectives and budget have been clarified, it is time to look for a development partner. Companies who already have this kind of figure on their team will not face any problems, considering that they will be able to take care of every aspect of the project without needing to outsource. In any case, the organisational and checking phases remain fundamental. It is also extremely important to set an internal deadline and carry out regular checks on the state of the project.

If a company does not have any developers on their team, this work can be entrusted to an individual expert or better, to a team of professionals who are experts in the field of the development of applications for companies or freelances.

This is a crucial step. During this phase in fact, many businesses make the mistake of entrusting the development to an ordinary graphic designer or an advertising graphics company. Nothing could be more wrong! The correct choice is the one mentioned above, in other words commissioning the work to someone with vertical experience specific to the creation of apps.

Promotion, monitoring and updates

As previously mentioned, the creation process does not end with the conclusion of the developmental phase. Smartphone apps must be promoted. Advertising on social networks and via other channels is very useful, but the importance of starting with internal and local promotion, by explaining the features of the new app and how it works to your team members and most loyal clients should not be underestimated.

In conclusion, it is important to emphasise the need to invest in monitoring systems and in updates. The latter are essential for the correct functioning of the app and may be dictated by factors such as security requirements and the need to adapt to various operating systems.

During the update phase, it is of course very important to consider feedback left by users in the marketplaces as well as internal considerations regarding the development of products or services.

Traslated by Joanne Beckwith