Everyone wants to
release apps these days. With the proven success that many app developers have
experienced over recent years, it’s not surprising at all that multiple people
want a slice of this pie.
The trouble is this
pie is already highly saturated, with many fingers pulling and poking for a
bite. That doesn’t mean you can’t release successful apps of course, it just
means you need to be completely prepared before you publish your app to the
relevant app store.
To help make sure you
are ready to release your app, we’ve come up with some things; a checklist of
sorts, that you should consider before you make that final plunge. After all,
the first impression your app makes will leave a lasting impression on all of
the users that encounter it. That means if it isn’t ready and is flawed and
unusable, you’ll find yourself falling victim to bad reviews - and that’s the
death of your app before it’s even began. So, what exactly can you do to put
yourself in the best position for success?
Starting at the beginning
Before you think
about releasing an app, you need to make sure you haven’t wasted your time
creating something that has been done a thousand times already. This step is
something you should do right from the start, before you even write a single
line of code.
Research your idea or
concept and see how many apps already exist that do what you’re offering. If
the answer is quite a few, then perhaps think of ways you can make your app
different, or adapt the idea to something else. Or, worst case scenario - scrap
the idea completely.
If it turns out there
isn’t a single app in existence that resembles your idea then maybe you should
stop and just think why that might be. Is it because nobody has the genius mind
you have to think of the idea? Or is it because the idea just isn’t something
people want?
Monetization Strategy
Before you progress
further, you should decide on the monetization
strategy you’re going to implement. Again, this is something which is best done
during the very early stages of app development.
You could do this
later on, but if you decide right from the off that the best chances of success
lie within a freemium model - implementing these features from the beginning
will help your app grow with this strategy rather than feeling like an
afterthought. The most popular strategies to consider are:
- Free
(With ads)
- Paid
- Freemium
- Subscription
Figure out which one
would suit your app best and then integrate it correctly and efficiently.
Localization
You’ve worked hard
and created this awesome app. You’re about to upload it and then you realize
you’re only offering it to English speakers. Sure, it’s a widely used language,
but what about everyone that doesn’t speak English?
Adding full
localization into your app
design, including graphics, texts, strings etc will seriously benefit you in
the long run. Don’t settle for something like Google Translate for your foreign
translations either (unless it is your only available option). Instead,
offer people a free trial or an ad free experience or a paid version for free
in return for them translating your content for you.
APK Size
The last thing we’ll
look at before we get into the fun stuff is the APK size of your app. The APK
is basically the file which contains all of the information needed to install
your app onto someone’s device. The smaller this file is, the happier your
users will be.
Sure, we live in a
world with 4G data and WiFi everywhere, but people want things quick,
especially for people who are still struggling along with a 2G data connection.
To reduce the size of
your APK, consider ways to shrink the size of your images (without losing
quality) and if need be, host a lot of your content on an external server which
can then be downloaded within the app after installation. This ensures you
don’t lose those users at the first hurdle.
Okay, now onto the
fun stuff…
Screenshots & Video
Your app isn’t
finished just because you’ve polished it, ensured it is suitable for multiple
languages, got a great idea and have the APK ready to upload. In fact, your
store listing is incredibly important and can make or break your app.
The first thing
you’ll want is some really good screenshots. They need to be high quality,
showcase your app and showing off the features and strengths. Half a dozen
really well thought out screenshots can instantly improve your chances of
success.
Add a video too.
Statistically, users are more inclined to watch a video and then go on to
download the app, providing the video is well designed. You’ve done most of the
hard work already, so now you just need to cross the finish line. Invest in a
high quality video.
Icon
Other than your
screenshots, the thing which will draw any potential users in is your app icon.
This will be displayed on the users device after installation and it will be
what catches their eye in the app stores. You don’t want to upload a poorly
designed graphic here else you’ll seriously ruin your chances of success. The
hard work you have put into your app design will benefit with an eye-catching
app icon, trust us.
There is one more
point we haven’t mentioned because it should be something routinely done before
even thinking of uploading your app, and that is testing. Before you launch
your app, you need to test it on multiple devices (or emulate different devices
if you can’t physically use anything else) and make sure it works and there
aren’t any bugs - or at least any glaring bugs which will ruin the app for
people.
You can also do a
soft launch which is restricted to a particular demographic or location, test
the waters and see what feedback you get. You could then implement any
necessary changes and do a worldwide launch to yield stronger results. It all
depends how patient you are.
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