If you are planning your first mobile app, then a guide to help you along the right path is essential. A guided development will ensure success for the businesses in terms of conversions and profits.

Omni-channel, seamless presence is the way to a dynamic and interactive future. You cannot say that your brand is not present on a particular channel, if you want to maximize your reach and improve customer satisfaction. However, most people consider mobile as an option. That should not be the case. In today’s time and age, when you are planning a digital presence for your brand, you should think mobile-first. It will help you reach more people, and improve the swiftness of the conversion.

With the kind of competition facing mobile app development, it is not easy for you to launch a successful mobile app that can maximize engagement and retention.

Here we have come out with a step-by-step guide that will take you through things that you should follow through to deliver a successful and engaging mobile app.

#1 Know the Target Audience

It may sound like we have just reiterated a simple and basic fact but, a lot of businesses tend to ignore the basics. If you don’t know who you are developing the mobile app for, you will not know what to deliver.

The target audience has certain expectations, and they use the mobile app a certain way. For instance, a few people in the target audience may access the app using their thumb alone while a few others might use it in a cradled manner. You may need to study the target audience for the purpose of understanding how to design the mobile app.

There are various other reasons why the users are important. When updating the app, you need to understand the needs of the market. When the market is open ended, then the overall marketing becomes open ended.

Answers to these questions will help define the audience:

• Who are you planning to offer this app?
• What core problem does this app aims to solve?
• Are you offering value in your apps, and what is the core value?

Hence, you should start with this aspect. Once the audience is clear, it is time to move to the next step.

#2 Create a Marketing Positioning

Why should someone download your mobile app? The answer to this question should contain value for the audience you have defined for the app.

In an app store flooded with mobile apps, it is essential that you create an app that differentiating aspect for the users.

There should be a strong and unique value proposition for the users, which will make them want to download the app.

The answer to the question, “what problem does your mobile app solve?” could help you deliver the ultimate value proposition to the users.

It is important that you have a single statement that creates the positioning for the mobile app. Is it a strong leader in some niche or, it is the pioneer of the niche?

When you pass the value proposition message, make sure all the channels you propose to convey it through are on the same page. Your employees and your customers should be on the same page with respect to the value proposition. If that happens, then you have a clear positioning which is sure to attract more people to your mobile app.

#3 State the Objectives

Before launching the mobile app or, even before you begin developing the mobile app, you should plan. During the planning phase, you should state the objective behind developing the app. What is that single vision that you aim to accomplish with this app development? What are your goals for the mobile app? What are the key performance indicators for the mobile app?

For instance, if you want to be the Uber in groceries, there are just too many in the competition. You need to challenge the niche with a singular vision that can also define your goals.

Do you want people to subscribe to your grocery app? Do you want more active users? Do you want to increase profits by getting more people to purchase from your app?

When the goals are set, the objectives fall in line, and you get the vision for your mobile app. The vision will help you understand whether or not the app was successful after launch.

#4 Prepare for the Launch

There are quite a few things that you need to prep for before launching the mobile app.

• Optimize the App Store Page: When the person goes to download the app on the app store, there are a few things they would want to know about your app. For instance, they want to know the distinctive features of your app. Similarly, they want to know what type of screens you have introduced in your app. It is important to optimize the app store page for the launch phase. The right keywords, the perfect description, and the ideal copy will get you more downloads.
• Know the Influencers: You need to promote the mobile application during the pre-launch phase. That’s why you need to collaborate with the key influencers who can talk about your app, and convince people to download your app. Before launching the mobile app, make a list of all the people who you should connect with for the mobile app launch.
• Promotion Design: Plan for the promotional activities for your mobile app launch. What are the different things you will consider when launching the app.? For instance, are you planning to have a blog, a landing page, some social media teasers etc. for the app? The promotions need to be planned, marked in the calendar, and the content for the same should be worked upon before the launch phase. You should be ready with your audience before you introduce the mobile app.
• The Press Kit: A press coverage is important for the launch of the mobile app. You should get a press kit ready which will include description of the app, graphics and creative, as well as links to your social media and other channels. The idea is to get more people to use the app. The press kit would be released among the top bloggers and influencers in your niche.

#5 Launch your Application

Once you are ready with your arms and ammunition, you can launch the mobile app to the world. A lot of mobile apps tend to fail within days of their launch. The reason being these mobile apps don’t adhere to the guidelines mentioned by the app store.

Apple store is very strict about the guidelines. If the quality does not match their standards, your app does not get accepted to their store. If you have too many unresolved bugs, then you might not even be considered at the store.

You should not only adhere to the guidelines, but also optimize the on-boarding process. This will ensure a good first impression on the potential app users.

#6 Post Launch Phase

your work does not end with the launching of the app. In fact, you need to follow-up on the app in the post launch phase. It is important to understand what is the success rate for the mobile app, and measure the key metrics to understand if anything needs to be changed.

• Start with measuring the metrics to understand how good or bad your app is. You should start with the download rates and end with the active users in a month. The abandon rate will give you insights into improvements that you need to introduce into the app.
• Keep listening to the app users. When the users start using the app, they will face a few issues that will provide you with the insights to work upon. The right insights can help you upgrade the app with a  lot of improvements.
• Offer incentives in your mobile app that will increase engagement within the app. It could be in the form of special form of content, or coupons that attract the attention of the users. This will drive continuous engagement, which is essential for the mobile app.
• Strive to work hard to get positive reviews and maintain high ratings. Check out why you are not getting the desired ratings, and work upon them.

Summing Up

A mobile app when nurtured properly will get you maximum success. For this purpose, you need to constantly study the need of the users, the new trends that are coming in, and the changing dynamics of the market. This will help you introduce new perspectives and innovation to the app, which will help increase engagement and retention for your mobile app.

Divide your app development and marketing into pre-launch, launch, and post-launch phases for easier handling of launch and after launch activities. You should ideally hire a good mobile app development company who understands the need for good user experience, and can easily offer incentives and clear the gaps that exist in the modern mobile apps.