There’s an app for that! Or maybe there isn’t and you’re ready to do something about it. You’ve set out on the journey of becoming an Appreneur but this lingering question is still unanswered – is my mobile app idea good? We’re here to answer that for you with a few simple things you should consider before jumping head first into development.
Have you determined your niche?
Just like any business, your app needs to target a specific niche in order to stand out from the millions of other applications on the App Store. To help determine your niche look at your passions and interests and ensure your idea lies within those so you’re knowledgeable in the market you’re entering. Once you’ve determined your niche you can assess your competition and target market. Someone else has the same niche you do? Don’t worry! Just because you’re not first to market doesn’t mean you can’t compete (i.e. Uber vs. Lyft).
Do you know your target market?
First, does a target market for your idea exist? If so, not only should you know who your target market is but you should understand them. The more you understand who you’re trying to reach, the better you can relate to them and determine what they’d be looking for in the app. You want to be confident and comfortable with the idea you’re turning into a business. A working mother is going to be more confident creating an app to help other working mothers live a more organized life versus creating a platform to connect agents to professional athletes.
Does your app solve a problem?
What is the overall purpose of your app idea? Surely, there is a pain point you want to resolve with your idea so take some time and outline the app’s purpose. Doing so will help you establish goals, analyze your competitors, and develop a business plan. Society is looking for apps that improve their lives, add ease to their hectic schedules, and revolutionize their daily tasks. Or they’re looking for something to keep them occupied while they wait at their doctor appointment.
Will your app have personalized content?
What do your favorite, everyday apps all have common? The content is personalized to you. Personalizing the content of your app is going to give your users a reason to open it every day and keep them coming back for more. When they’re given content unique to them it’s more valuable and relevant. Depending on your idea some ways personalized content is attained is allowing users to filter categories, connecting to social medias, recommending items based on recently purchased or searched, sending notifications based on location, etc.
What is the engagement style?
How will the user engage with the app? Will they open it once and delete it or is it an app they will open regularly? Will users have a short and simple experience or spend more time browsing, reading, and engaging? How will you retain customers and keep them coming back for more? As mentioned above personalized content is one way to accomplish retention. An app is nothing without users so engagement is critical to the success of your app.
Do you have a solution to monetizing?
Monetizing a free mobile app can seem challenging but there are quite a few ways you can accomplish this. Ads, freemium, in-app purchases, subscriptions, and white labeling are the most common ways to monetize within an app. The most popular avenue you see frequently is advertisements. Before videos on YouTube, in your Facebook and Instagram feeds, in your Google searches, and the list goes on. However, this option might not be everyone so we encourage you to think about what fits best within the functionality of your app.
Is your idea technically possible?
Not every idea is going to be possible from a technical standpoint due to legal rights, data protection, and more. It’s important that you gather information in this area and have confidence in your idea and the app’s functionalities before diving into development. Finding a development company that helps you in the research and planning stage of your app is highly recommended. We, at FarShore, take this stage in the process very seriously providing you with a team full of technical and strategic knowledge to ensure you’re on solid ground moving forward with your idea.
Is your idea easy to understand?
Will your target market be able understand the overall concept of the app? If it complicates the problem more or is difficult to use, chances are users won’t spend the time learning. Remember when Snapchat changed their user interface and created a poor user experience? Loyal users responded with negative feedback that Snapchat reverted the changes. You want to give your users a great user experience and one way to do that is working with a knowledgeable and experienced design team.
Is your idea scalable?
Building a business around the concept of scalability and adaptability is one important key to success. Similar to a house, starting with a firm foundation sets the tone moving forward and provides a secure structure for the future. Take some time to define and establish your business plan, goals, mission, and vision. As your business grows, continuing to focus on long-term and short-term goals with a strategic mindset and plan will guide you in the right direction. Remember to have patience, a house isn’t built in a day.
Have you tested the validity of your idea?
We’ve seen much success come to our clients who take the time to test the target market, gather feedback, gain insight from potential investors, fundraise, and so on. We’ve helped many of our clients create a clickable prototype to place in the hands of potential users and investors. The prototype contributes to the validation of their idea and allows them to hear feedback straight from their target market. If you’ve made it this far through the questions then it’s time to take the next step on your Appreneur journey.
Not all areas covered in this post need to be 100% true to your app but these are major components that make up an app that’s sure to stand out. Our team has worked with many entrepreneurs who came to us asking the exact same question, “Is my app idea good?” We’re here to help research, advise, plan, design, develop, launch, and support your app. We’ve done this hundreds of times, your turn is next!
Rachel is the team lead of Client Services at FarShore. She works closely with her team members to ensure every project is a success by overseeing the day-to-day operations of the project and managing the relationship between our team and the client. When she’s not working you can find her playing with her daughter or reading a good book!
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