Wondering how to break into the mobile app market with little cash and no programming skills? Let me tell you that the lack of money, skill, and experience isn’t a formula for success of software. But this doesn’t mean you can’t dream and strive to join the mobile app development world.
Mobile apps gain relevance globally because of their user-friendly interface and ease of use. The best mobile app developers could tell you that getting started is not at all that hard. You could join the vast market with big opportunities to grow and further enhance your skills.
As the applications provide a particular information needed by a user, the apps become the basics for anyone using personal portable devices, like smartphones, laptops, and tablets.
Get Started With the Basics
Sign up as a Mobile app developer
To get access to the app stores you need to sign up as a developer. Once you complete the application, you must submit it to the app store and every company would go through reviewing the design to decide if the app is at par with the basic quality standards, and these standards are unfortunately very low, and ensure that you do not embed malware as well as other unpleasantness in the application.
Once accepted, Android and iOS would list your app and you would receive a selling price percentage. To get into the game, you have to sign up for every app store, which means you have of course to make an initial investment through developer program fees.
Decide on what to create
When you become an official developer, you now have to create an application. There are development tools you could use to build your first app even without any background in programming. Consider exploring these tools in-depth since the capabilities of the tools would help determine what you can and could not build.
Decide on Pricing
Pricing comes next. Keep in mind that apps are cheap compared to Mac desktop applications or a PC. And, almost all of the biggest money producers are applications that could be downloaded for free and offer in-app purchases as well. If you want to make money, begin with the in-app purchase business model. The success of the model could not be denied.
Build your Application
A couple of tools you could use.
The Appery.io tool has a nice data services integration with apps. For beginners, it may be a bit complex, but mostly it’s drag and drop. The free plan enables three-pages maximum and one user, which is all you really need to get started.
Another tool, Good Barber has a 30-day free trial, and a plan that begins at $16/month afterwards. There are some truly nice design elements, a great selection of icons, and Google Font integration to choose from, and some good YouTube webinars and tutorials as well. Moreover, you can always have an option of hiring a good mobile application development company in order to create a robust mobile application.
Build app graphics and icons
Regardless of what kind of app you create, you would need several home screen icons and app graphics. Illustrator and Photoshop are personal favorites, but both could be relatively difficult to begin with and a bit costly.
Consider Canva.com, which is a free or cheap tool. It’s a little nice online design program, which could getty most of the way to the final image.
Build Screenshots
Whatever platform you choose to build; you would need to upload screenshots to the right app store. Android and iOS enable you to press a series of keys, and a screen capture would be deposited to the camera roll.
Make an Introduction video
A video of your app is one of the very best tools that you could offer. Once you have created your application, upload a video to both of the application stores. While Google Play long has supported introduction videos, iOS has just recently introduced the iOS 8 capability.
For Apple, the easiest way of recording a video is QuickTime. Android however has a bunch of options and some great tips and resources.
Test and Test
You need to test, test, and retest your app before submitting it. This isn’t something you could do alone. Let your family and friends check out and try your app.
Furthermore, if you could release an early version of your app to users who have expressed interest in your offering, the better it would be to see if they could break it. Finding bugs is good, and any bug you could find before shipping likely means better sales, and of course, less returns, thus always test, test, and test.
Submit to the App Stores
The big day for you is the day that you finally get to submit your app to the app stores. As long as you do everything correctly, you would receive a confirmation and you could sit back and wait to see if your app is accepted.
The average waiting time could be thirteen days, but varies. The email you get saying that your app is already on the app store could be one of the most exciting mail you receive.
Market Your App
The more notoriety and money you have, the better your app would sell. However, you need not worry even if you have less money and not much programming skills. You’re just starting, thus you could market your app.
Remember that word of mouth, telling friends, a demo, and asking friends to tell friends and friends of friends could get the ball rolling. Social platforms are great places to get started. Use your social networking resources to the max, always be proud of showing off your app, and respond to online app pages.
To Conclude
The explosion of the mobile app development industry could not be denied, and the number of applications saturating the market have reached and continues to reach new heights. If you have a brilliant idea, go ahead and enter the mobile market world even with little money and no programming skills.
Shira Gray is working as a Business Development Executive at Mobile Development Company – eTatvaSoft. She writes about emerging technologies. Being a tech geek, she keeps a close watch over the industry focusing on the latest technology news and gadgets
Mobile app stock photo by Lenka Horavova/Shutterstock
