A Step by Step Guide to Build an App in 2018 Onward

Did you wake up with an app idea that is bound to become a hit? If this is the case, invoke yourself with a question that is,” Is my app idea worth it and distinctive enough that no one has ever thought of?”. Well, you’ll get an absolute no because every idea is thought by hundreds or maybe thousands of people but only a few of them are able to execute it.

According to Statista, in January 2018, the globally mobile population amounted to 3.7 billion unique users and this is the right time to kick-start your app idea. To start with an app idea, you definitely need to know the process of building a chart-topping app.

To ease you out, I have compiled a check-list of 11 steps that are involved in creating viral apps. Delve into the rigorous process of app development and witness your success with your eyes wide open.

The Initial Plan

Your thought process must be loud and defined. Questions like “why do I want to build an app” needs to be answered. The vision, mission, and goal of building an app should be crystal clear. Your app’s target audience and its objective will play a crucial part. Therefore, you need to be well informed about the pros and cons of your target niche.

Start Drawing

Well, you must be thinking what am I talking about? Drawing wireframes is an essential phase of app development. You will be drawing the user interface of your app, actually a rough one. While conceptualization, you would be astonished to experience a rain of design ideas that you’ll get.

Aligned with your app’s target user base, you’ll be making a number of changes in the UI/UX of your app and due to this tedious process, you will reach to the final sketch of your app’s design.

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Start R&D

When you are done with crafting the initial design of the app, conduct a well-versed research about the competitors, case studies and successful apps relating to your niche. Look for various apps that have shades like your app, find relevant data and marketing tactics that would be used to spread the word of your app and most importantly, think over the USP of your app.

With over 2.8 million apps on the Play store and 2.2 million apps on the iOS app store, no one wants to buy an app with commonly offered features. Think before you invest your blood and sweat.

Let the story begin

Storyboarding is the next part of your app development process. Now that you have a clear idea of the design and services offered by your app. Start wireframing your app via various tools available on the web such as Moqups, HotGloo, etc.

Create illustrations and adapt spot-on approach while drawing features of the app. From navigation to user engagement, you would be taking care of each element of your app while wireframing it. After that you are done with storyboarding, your app screens would be ready to get live.

Sketching the backend

Now that you are off to a good start, draw the backend of your app. Start drawing an outline of your information charts, APIs and servers. This won’t only help your designer in understanding the backend system but it will give a general idea to your upcoming app development team. Sketching every tangible and intangible element of your app will greatly help in taking spot-on decisions for your app.

Scrutinize your design

Audit wireframes and sketches by showing it to your companions, partners, specialists, friends, and family. Get their general opinion about your upcoming app and seek their input as users. Ask them for the imperfections and flaws of your app design and adjust UI/UX of the app likewise.

The objective of gathering opinions is to make your app flawless before it goes in the DevOps. After that your wireframes are filtered, it would be easy to adopt a spot-on approach for its development along with the right set of features.

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Start building the backend

Your app is well off to a start and its high time for your engineer to set up all the necessary backend infrastructure of your app. Servers, APIs, databases and storage, all of these necessary elements are now to be set up. Pick the right platform for your apps such as iOS or Android.

Additionally, you would have the options of creating a native or cross-platformed app, choose wisely.  Get ready, you are about to experience the process of app development on the production floor.

Create App screens

Popularly known as app skins, your designer will be creating your app screens individually. They are drawn accordingly with the wireframes and can be tweaked as per the suggestions and need. In this phase, you would be seeing the assembling of your app via building its UI/UX creatively with putting each pixel on its place. Get an ideal and engaging user interface out of this phase.

Test your prototype

After that you’re done with the app screens, test your prototype again to take a concrete thought from the developers and designers. No doubt that the app is built with the provided app screens and backend that are fueled with critic’s opinions, apps are tested again and again to get the math of users right. While testing your app, make sure it is fueled with the right content, features, and designs.

Make changes

Even if you feel the tiniest error in your app’s design, backend or UI/UX, change it at once. Your app should be well prepared for the launch and apps with glitches are destined to rank low in the app stores. Get all the changes right and get on-board with your DevOps and designers to make last minute changes.

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Launch

You are done with developing the app successfully and now is the time to launch it. Start marketing it online and put it on app stores as soon as it gets the hype. Keep your eyes on the comments and reviews given to your app and with all of your blood and sweat chipped in, witness the pride of successfully developing and launching an app in 2018 and beyond.

This article is written by Rameez Ramzan. He is a senior digital marketing executive working with Cubix, the leading software development company which offers a most comprehensive app, game, and other technology solutions. He loves sharing the latest information on digital marketing and technology related information.

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