Creating A Successful Mobile App

It’s good to have an out-of-the-box mobile app idea. It is still better if you want to transition from website to mobile app to serve your customers better. It’s best when you execute your mobile app idea flawlessly.

Thousands of businesses are taking the first step towards mobile commerce or m-commerce. Maybe, even you are one among them. But to create your own mobile app for the convenience of shoppers is not a piece of cake. With so many apps available, only some make it to the user’s mobile devices, and only a few stay on the device for over a month.

To create your e-commerce store on mobile is half the work done. It is challenging to lure shoppers to download your app and use it. App branding is by far the most difficult subject to decipher. Your app has to entice users with innovative features, amazing functionality, and the best design.

So, what does it take to create a successful mobile application? Let us see it here.

We divide the entire mobile app creation into four important steps.

Now, let’s look at all of them one step at a time.

1. Business

Understand your app idea from a business perspective. Because more than the idea, you sell its value to the users.

Your idea is great, but is it meant for your target audience?

You are excited! You have a great app idea. Write it down on a piece of paper and ask yourself one question, “what purpose will it serve?” Are you ready to create your own mobile app to enhance the shopping experience of the users? Will it solve a problem? Will it help the user in any way? If it does not, go back to your paper and brainstorm your app idea until it effectively solves a problem.

Note: Your app idea need not be highly innovative or crazy. Instead, focus on better execution and problem-solving.

What audience is your app targeting?

Before you create your e-commerce store, you have to do the crucial task of identifying your target audience. Why? Because you are building the app for a specific target audience. You have to know their interests, preferences, and problems. Narrowing down the audience helps in making better apps. For instance, if you want to create a fitness app that has easy 5-minute workout videos for working women, you will select an audience accordingly. It will be working women residing in urban areas. It makes no sense to target men or people who do not go out to work or people living in villages because they will hardly be interested in such workouts.

Identify risks as early as possible

For this, take the example of Facebook. It was first introduced for Harvard students in 2004 as a networking site. Gradually it expanded to other universities and then finally rolled out to the public in 2006. Building an app for a select target audience gets better interactions and feedback helping you to quickly understand the value of your app and its feasibility.One of the common problems of a mobile app failure is to think that your idea will surely attract users. It is good to be optimistic, but it is another thing to be too optimistic about the product. Be realistic on the risks and issues and the sooner you get to know of them and try to solve them, the better it will help you during the later stages of the app lifecycle.

Prepare the app from a marketing perspective

There is no need to shout that your app idea is great. You need to communicate how the app will fulfill or help to solve a problem. App branding is to make sure that your app is easy to find in the crowd. Be flexible and react quickly to the changing needs of your target customers. Redefine the problem and see how much your app can solve the problem and add value to the customers.

2. UI app design

Attract customers from the word go

Create your own mobile app with the best design, animations, illustrations, and visual content. Leave no stone unturned to grab the attention of consumers. Remember, your app has to stand out from the millions and one of the ways to do it is to increase its aesthetic appeal.

Make the user interface usable

Have you heard of minimal yet beautiful? Your app has to be that. Create your e-commerce store with a focus on achieving the right balance of different visual elements. The main features should seamlessly gel with the user experience and should not distract the users from the desired action or flow.

App navigation should be spot on

Your app navigation should take the users to the final destination in a step-by-step process. The process should not be hurried or forced. It has to be natural and the flow has to have the tendency to make the users complete the desired action on their own.

3. UX mobile app design

Define your audience

Foremost, define the problem your mobile application intends to solve. The next part is to translate this into the app design. Here, every element and interaction in the app pages should be shaped in a way to solve the problem as smoothly as possible. When you make all the app pages focus on solving a common goal, you provide a value proposition to the user. Identifying and defining your audience helps to create a streamlined user flow process in the mobile app directing them to your goal. Also, it will help you offset costs that you would spend later on fixes.

Ensure easy usability

When you create your own mobile app, make sure that users find it clear and easy to use. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel and create something unique in the mobile app that will confuse the users. Use common themes, elements, fonts, colors, icons, and navigation. Users may appreciate unique ideas or subtle changes initially, but they find it confusing to adjust their minds to the new norm and it may eat up on your conversions.

Keep building trust from the start to finish

Users have downloaded the app. Now, it is time for them to use the app to make a purchase. How will you ensure that the users stay on your app from start to the finish? Build trust and credibility so that they feel safe at every step of the purchase. Some of the ways you can build trust are-

User feedback counts

Always keep a close watch on your target audience’s feedback. The intention to create your e-commerce store is to get your audience to use the app and take the desired action. Listening to their suggestions gives you inputs on how to make your app and its UX better. After all, isn’t it why you have built your app?

4. Technology & Marketing

As we have mentioned earlier, entrepreneurs and e-commerce store owners should definitely try to build an app without coding. It is much better than spending time, money, and effort on building an app from scratch. But, if you want to create a gaming app or an advanced app with AR and VR, we would suggest you go with app coding. These advanced categories need special effects and niche features that a mobile app builder cannot provide.

Creating a mobile from scratch

You can create your own app from scratch for a native platform or a cross-platform. For this, you need to hire mobile app developers or take the service of a reliable app development company. Depending on the technology stack you use, your app may take a few days to a few months to build. Also, the costs involved in hiring skilled and reliable developers are high.

Building an MVP

A better idea than creating your app from scratch is to build an MVP (minimum viable product) first. What it means is that your app will have basic functionalities so that you can release it to certain users and get their feedback. You gradually introduce changes and make improvements based on their suggestions. You create your e-commerce store only when you are ready with what your target audience wants.

Converting your website into a mobile app with Swipecart

If you already have an e-commerce website, why create your own app from scratch when you can just convert the website into an app? Swipecart uses a powerful e-commerce app builder tool to help you to easily transform your website into an engaging mobile commerce app. You don’t have to go through the hassle of creating an MVP or a new mobile app. You don’t even need the knowledge of coding. You have to just drag and drop elements in place in the layout to complete designing the app. With this, you can focus on both the UI and UX aspects as per the needs of the end-users.

App branding before launch

Start marketing your app as and when it is getting readied. Build up the momentum so that people know what the app is all about and what they can expect from it. App branding should start before launching the app and not after that. Think of ways to monetize the app. And do your app marketing in line with the purpose of your business. Entice users to download the app and use it with referral programs and offers. If your app UI/UX is great there is nothing that will stop them from doing the desired action.

Summing it up

To create your own app is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Don’t rush into things. Decide what you want to achieve with the app and then go about its design and implementation.Try Swipecart. to convert your website into an app. It will make things much easier and allow you to design an app with the best UI/UX. If you want assistance in creating a successful mobile app, we are here to help. Feel free to reach out to us today.