What to consider when planning to build a mobile app

Website Design + Development Do you have the next big idea for an app? Great! Now what...? Mobile apps have become THE preferred method for people to do almost anything these days. From banking to games, bill pay to socializing to coupons and dating, there really is an app for whatever suits your tastes! What is even more interesting is how users have become creators of even more applications for ever broadening interests. Do you have an idea that you think could be the next Instagram? Below are some things to consider when getting started. First, you will need to decide what platform you would like for your app. iOS for the iPhone and Android for Google and other licensed devices are the two most popular platforms currently with Windows and Blackberry rounding out your selections. While there are some apps that are available on all platforms, many do not start out that way; If you think your app will better suit one particular user on a certain platform better than another, focus on that first and branch out after. Next, you’ll need to decide if you want to write the app yourself or employ an app developer. This will largely depend on your existing knowledge and the production time you have in mind coupled with your budget. If you want to take the time to learn, the internet is host to many different forms of development resources; from other apps that will help you realize your idea, resource material that teach you to how to code and write to your programming comfort level. If you have no base knowledge and have a little money to start, hiring a professional company to get you started may be the right direction for you. Once you have made those decisions, you’ll want to do your research. Does an app like yours already exist? If so, how popular is it? If it is not so popular, maybe it bears shelving for a time to see if need increases. Or, maybe the existing app is similar, but your idea will really push it to the next level. You also have to decide what the main function of your app will be-- will it pair with an existing idea or business, or is it completely unique? And how much can you spend to produce it-- and how much could it potentially make for you? Publishing varies, but is generally $25-$100 dollars yearly and hosting may have a small monthly cost as well. Mobile Apps are truly the wave of the future, and a good idea can go a long way in the mobile world if you take the steps to do it right.