Successfully launching a mobile application is a collaborative effort with many challenges. In this era, applications have revolutionized how individuals manage their daily routines. From critical sectors like banking, shopping, weather, travel, enjoying music, improving health, education, etc., there’s an app for every sector, depending on your wants. This increase in demand for mobile applications is because of the ever-growing population of mobile users, offering them a convenient way of fast access to services.
The demand has pushed software companies to plan the release and fight for a spot amongst the 5.1 million applications available through platforms like Amazon, Apple Store, and Google Play Store, per Statista’s data.
This guide will cover different steps teas can take before, during, and after they launch their mobile application.
Follow these 7 steps before launching an app
Table of Contents
When developing an application, there are many strategies that a software team must implement to achieve success. The processes take time; some require a team effort to see the results. The steps to follow before you launch an app are as follows:
1. Perform market research
Do market research, as there are already existing competitors, and find out what you can offer differently from them. Proper research provides you with more information about the functionality, market size, existing applications, features, strengths, and weaknesses of all the existing applications. Develop a list of applications, their platforms, application categories, prices, and ratings, and start working with data.
Some industry-relevant tools can provide you with more data in a go. It gives a better overview using trends and visuals. Proper research will differentiate you from the rest by fixing all the issues current applications face and dealing with other parameters. You can deploy advanced methods of collecting data and doing research, i.e., surveys, interviews, building persona behaviors, etc. It gives you the chance to separate yourself from the rest.
2. Understanding your audience
Audiences are the type of people who will use your application. It will give you a purpose and understand how they will benefit from your application and how it differs from the existing applications. Understand your audience by understanding important metrics like demographics, age, residential city, town and country, goals, income, gender, current issues, and the applications they commonly use.
It will enable you to have an imaginary user who, after the application installation, has the highest chance of being a retainer customer. Understanding the audience will make it easier for you to market your application after the launch. Companies can use other methods to know their target audience, including collecting customer feedback, application testing, surveys, etc.
3. Have a pricing model
The pricing model involves implementing a monetization feature on your application to help you get money and promote value for your users. Software teams must conduct research and decide which mode they will work with. Analyze how your competitors charge, features per the price, how much the company pays for resources like servers, marketing, staff, etc., and how much they can make with a certain number of customers.
Examples of common monetization models that most application developers implement include:
- Freemium model: It happens when you let your users download an app for free and use other methods to generate revenue, i.e., ads or pay a fee to access all the features. Many applications implement in-app purchases where the application is free, but users must pay to access other features.
- Paid Model: You charge your users a certain fee when they want to use your application. You can charge a one-time fee, a subscription fee where users pay monthly or yearly, or a fee when downloading the application.
- Free model. There are no charges for using the application. It is free, and the company can use other methods for monetization, i.e., ads, sponsorships, donations, partnerships, etc.
4. Mobile Application Prototype and Development
Create a wireframe on how the mobile application will look after the whole process of development is over. It is a mockup with all the outlines using tools like Figma, and Adobe XD. After that, you will decide the type of technology used, which you will choose to be native cross-platform or web view.
The development will also include testing to remove all bugs and errors checking the User Experience and interface for good customer experience before rolling out. The team also ensures the application performs well and has a better performance.
5. Develop your KPIs
Have metrics that you will use to gauge if the project was a success or a failure. Some of the common metrics include:
- App installs and uninstalls – Track the number of downloads and uninstalls that will happen for your application.
- Ad spend. Calculate the amount of revenue you got when you ran ads compared to the total spend.
- Reviews.The quality of reviews you get from your customers, i.e., how many two-star, three-star, or four-star reviews you have.
- App retention. The number of users who keep using the application after installation.
6. Improve Your Online Presence
Buy and register a domain name that matches your mobile application name. Create a website on the domain name and provide more information about the application. Some important information includes the app’s features, description and summary, photos, testimonials, and demo videos.
Remember to include an email capturing list to collect free emails from customers who want to get notified on the first release. Email list becomes important when you want to gain your first users, and you will notify them first. Content Management Platforms like Wix, WordPress, or Squarespace can help you create a simple landing page about your application using less time.
Ensure the content on the website is simple, making it easier for the audience to understand and communicate clearly. Navigating the site should be clear to make the audience enjoy the services. Implement a live chat box to offer customer support to those with questions about the mobile application.
7. Create a Social Media Presence
Create social media accounts on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, etc. Post what the application entails and any information related to your application to enable you to reach a larger audience and get more customers and revenue.
The company can also use the chance to interact with the customers, give feedback, and direct customers to the application download page. All social media platforms allow their customers to run paid adverts for specific goals, i.e., get more downloads, more revenue and customers, more page likes and followers, etc. Choose the one that fits your model and implement it.
Follow these 10 steps to launch an app
These are steps you follow when you want to launch an app. The steps focus on building several materials that you will need to promote the application to reach a larger audience.
1. Develop marketing materials
After developing your mobile application, you are in the final preparations to launch. It is now to work on marketing materials like visuals, promo videos, banners, logos, icons, screenshots, etc.
The materials identify your mobile application with the users, giving a unique position and making you different from your competitors, enabling you to get more audience. They also make the whole process of app store optimization easier.
Promo videos contain information about the mobile application, features, advantages, and value in short video form. You can use the video on social media platforms, media channels, press releases, and other adverts.
2. Prepare your press kit
Press kits are materials you will use to promote your application if they get requested by blogs, journalists, media, influencers, and tech reviewers. The materials in the kit include logos, icons, screenshots, links to the website and social media accounts, media coverage, press releases, and promo videos. It provides many materials in one place, making it easier for anyone who wants to have it without wasting time.
3. Reach out to media, influencers, journalists, bloggers, and business network
Use different marketing techniques to enable you to reach new audiences and get more traffic. Pitch them about the application with your press kit and send it to bloggers, industry specialists, business leaders, journalists, and YouTubers. Tell them about your application and how they can help you promote it.
Implement influencer marketing by reaching out to different influencers in the application space. You can use different ways to reach out to them, but sending them direct messages would work. Tell them about your application and ask if they could help you promote it using a shout-out or other method.
Reach out to your colleagues or network and let them know about your coming application, which you will launch. Send them the press kit and encourage them to help you push it. It provides extra marketing for your mobile application.
4. Research the best app publishing platform
The commonly used app stores for mobile app publication are App Store, Amazon, and Google Play Store. Each has its own rules and guidelines that one must follow to have their application published. Some common guidelines between the three include ensuring the application is error-free, has good performance, does not have offensive content, has proper design, and no intellectual property used. Before you publish your software or app, it should be signed and encrypted with a Code Signing certificate for better authenticity and code integrity.
Google Play store charges $25/year, while Apple charges $99/year for publish application. For more information about their guidelines and policies, read and get more details about Apple guidelines and Google Play policy.
5. Perform App Store Optimization
It involves ensuring that your mobile application gets noticed organically by many people. Remember to use the right keywords, all the best visuals, and branding for the application. It works on all the app stores and helps the application rank higher because it has more downloads and reviews. You must optimize the title and description well, align the visuals better, and put your mobile application under the correct category. To make it get noticed easily.
6. Collect early feedback
Release a beta version of the mobile application to collect early user feedback. Use that feedback to correct the bugs and improve the application before the final launch. Working with the first opinion will enable you to release an application that is tested and has most of the issues fixed, which can lead to more downloads and customers.
The beta version is usually a few weeks before the final release. You can use the invite-only method, where a few individuals can access the early version. After that, you work with their feedback to make it better.
7. Engage in communities and build them
There are several online communities where you can participate and let them know about your coming app launch. Many communities exist on Facebook groups, sub-Reddits, Discord, Tumblr, hacker news, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Let them know about the features of the mobile application and its differences from the existing ones. Before posting about your application, remain active and engage with other members before letting them know about your project.
8. Have a launch date
After the process ends, decide when to release the application to everyone. Consider the most critical processes like testing, development, and removing bugs. Be keen to avoid releasing it on a holiday or when your competitor will either be releasing an update or a new product. After agreeing on a launch date, reach out to different individuals and start creating a lot of marketing about the launch date.
9. Run paid adverts
Paid campaigns on social media platforms and search engines enable you to get more application users. The two platforms have large numbers, and if you set proper campaigns with an adequate budget, you have higher chances of getting more users, leading to more downloads and revenue.
10. Implement affiliate marketing
It is where one user invites another user to download, install, and use the application for monetary gain, reduced pricing, or unlock in-app purchases. Using different methods, you can use influencers, bloggers, Youtubers, and business leaders to promote the program. It increases the overall traffic to your application, leading to increased downloads and revenue.
Follow these 5 steps after launching your app
After you launch your mobile app, there are steps that you need to follow. It improves the application, removing all the existing errors and bugs, leading to increased traffic and many downloads. The steps are as follows:
1. Publish on your favorite app store
Ensure you read all the guidelines and policies about the app stores. Ensure you implement them and follow them keenly. If you do not follow the rules, you might get banned, or your app may never get published. You can publish on one or all platforms, depending on your budget and objectives.
2. Inform your email list
The email list you collected on your website or landing page is ready to receive news of your app launch. Let them know you will launch the mobile app and that you need their support by them downloading and reviewing the application. You can entice them with discounts and other coupon codes to encourage them to get your application.
3. Reach Out to influencers, bloggers, business leaders, and journalists
Before launching the app, you pitched the app idea to some influencers, bloggers, YouTubers, business leaders, and journalists. Most agreed to work with you and let their audience know your application is live and they can download and install it. Alert them, let them have a press release about the application, and look for a way to pay them.
4. Analyzing the performance data
When measuring an application’s performance, you can use different metrics to check and take action. Some of the common metrics to look at include:
- The level of user engagement.
- Number of downloads.
- The application store rank and which trends the application performed well.
- Conversion and retention rate, etc.
- Analyze reviews and feedback and fix all the issues raised by the customers. Use the feedback to improve the application and release updates to get better results from the user.
5. Release updates
After collecting reviews, ensure you work on the app to fix any issues. Release new updates that are free from bugs and errors. The users will like it, and you will get more downloads. Ensure the update meets the current app store updates.
Checklist to launch your app
Before launching an application, software teams and developers must ensure several critical factors are in place. This comprehensive checklist guarantees the application adheres to the correct procedures and complies with the necessary development standards and guidelines. They are:
- Application testing ranging from unit, performance, functional, performance, security, usability, etc.
- Create your social media and web presence by designing a website and social media pages.
- Develop a press kit and reach out to several media outlets and individuals to help you promote your app.
- Assign a code-signing certificate to prove to the users that the code is safe, and no one has ever altered it.
- Set up analytics and notifications and ensure it is for the right audience.
- Set up marketing plans and run paid adverts.
Currently, many applications are on the app stores, and the competition is very stiff. Following the steps above before, during, and after the launch makes it easier to have a successful mobile application business. It reaches a large audience, leading to many downloads and higher revenue. A successful launch requires a lot of team effort for everything to go well.
