Develop Your Own Mobile Apps: Getting-Started Tips

Have you ever had an idea for an app that you think will be successful on the market? Did you act on the idea or did the challenges of creating an app stop you? I know I’ve had a few ideas stuck in my head several times. It’s interesting how ideas for a good app can come at weird times. I could be walking down the street and an idea for a better ride sharing app just streamed into the mind. I’m sure many of you have had the same experience.

In the old days, mobile app development was for the pros. There was a lot of programing to do – and even more learning to do before that – and it wasn’t possible for everyday tech enthusiasts to develop an app. Today, however, different technologies and services are making app development a lot easier. If you still have those ideas you want to try, here are some tips to get started.

Develop the Idea First and the App Later

Deciding when to transform an idea into an actual app is always tricky. You don’t want to jump into the pool too soon with a half-baked idea, because this often lead to the app failing to satisfy users. You also don’t want to take too much time developing the idea, because others may have the same idea and beat you to the launching of a successful app.

There is a simple approach you can use to decide when to start transforming your idea into a working app. You start by getting the idea to an actionable stage. You can work on wireframes and sketches – the things you can do without having to know how to code – while formulating a set of features the app should have.

At this stage, ask yourself a few questions. Does the app solve problems or provide a solution to an existing one? Will it be easy enough to use? At its present state, can the app fulfill its intended purposes? Are there ways to update the app in the future to keep it relevant and interesting?

If the answer to these four questions is “yes”, then you have a fairly mature idea you can take to the next stage. There are still a lot of things to develop before your idea becomes an app that users love to use, but you have a good foundation to get started.

Work on Visuals

You can’t always create an app the way you want it to function, especially when you’re programming experience and knowledge is limited, but there are ways to work on the visuals. You can rely on conventional design apps such as Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop to create a more detailed set of visuals for the app. There are is software and apps designed specifically to help you create mockups and visuals when developing a mobile app.

There are big advantages to be gained from working on the visuals. For starters, software and wireframing tools are now equipped with extra features, which allows you make functional visual demos for the app. This means you can swipe through the interface and use it – albeit in a limited capacity – as if you have an actual mobile app.

The visuals you’ve created will also help you complete the next stage more effectively.

Getting Help and Developing the App

The best thing about making a mobile app today is that you don’t have to be an expert in programming at all. There are ways to get your concept developed into a working app. For starters, you can crowdsource the app through popular platforms. Crowdsourcing allows you to get the help of experienced app programmers and developers. Several programmers will help develop portions of the app and integrate them together. You can also rely on freelancers and manage the entire project yourself.

Alternatively, you can simply find the best mobile app development company to develop the app for you. Since you already have a complete set of visuals and a working mockup of the app, transforming your ideas into a brief or a concept and then getting that concept developed into an iOS or Android app will not be a problem.

Of course, you can rely on framework and other resources if you still want to develop the app yourself. If you know your way around HTML5 and CSS3, for example, you can actually develop a working app using PhoneGap. For the best results – and the highest chance of success – it’s always best to leave the coding and development to professionals.