So, you've just had a great idea for an app. Great, but now, how do you proceed? Where do you start? Developing a mobile application is a complicated job that requires ideas, technical skills and, above all, time. That’s why we gathered 5 tips, useful for every platform, to guide you through the process of developing a successful mobile application.

1. Relying on a skilled team

The development of a mobile application is not an easy process and consists of several stages, such as concept, prototyping, development, testing and publishing, to name a few. Therefore, relying on a team of competent professionals with multidisciplinary experience, able to create a high-quality product from both a technical and graphical point of view is crucial in order to get the job done.
Since iOS and Android are two totally different programming languages, relying on a single professional to build a native mobile app for both platforms is not recommended at all. So, a heterogeneous team with a dedicated developer for each operating system is the best solution. Find out here the average cost of an App developed by a qualified team.

2. Market analysis and competitors

The analysis of the market and competitors is crucial in a field full of options. Once you have the idea, you need to call it into question from multiple fronts. Why people should download it? Why would they use it daily and why shouldn’t they delete it?
Furthermore, making a detailed analysis of the competition is essential. Can you find something similar out there? What alternative solution would your app potentially offer?
This analysis will be very useful to choose the most appropriate business model and to consequently make a profit from your app.

3. Simplicity

In order to be successful, an app should be simple, both in the choice of the name (which should be catchy as well as easy to remember) and in terms of design. An app that is user friendly is just as important: everything has to be where you would expect it to be and above all it must be accessible with the least number of taps. Again, relying on a visual designer for the User Interface & User Experience for mobile applications can make all the difference.

4. Publication

At the time of the publication of the app, keep in mind that, with the increase of screens’ quality and size, images are becoming more and more important when it comes to creating an app. It is essential to design an appealing icon and take attractive screenshots: many users download an app because they fall in love with its images.
Nor should we underestimate the description in the store, which must be clear and appropriate from the very beginning: there’s no need to write a long description, but a few well-constructed and exhaustive sentences on the main app features are more than enough.

5. Promotion

After the publication, following step by step your project is the key to success: the app cannot generate its own audience by itself.
Social networks are the most common means of communication to promote applications and it’s crucial to take advantage of all available channels: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and Pinterest. Find out here the best times to post on social networks about your product.
Through the app, you can use a very important tool and that is "Push Notifications", which allow you to create a direct line to your end customer.
The success of the project depends as much on the product as from its distribution.