So You’ve Got An Idea For An App… (Part 2)
We’ve provided you with a rough picture of how much opportunity there is available in the current mobile app market. In this follow-up to our first piece on making your app a reality, we’re furthering the discussion of how to get rolling with your project.
Next week, we’ll cap this series by guiding you through the pivotal decision of who to work with and how to negotiate pricing and the time turnaround on production. But before you start sending emails to development companies, here are a few helpful and essential tips from our team on what to do right now. These are the questions to ask yourself when that great app idea first hits your head.
1. Is it out there?
Check the App Store. Search the market for anything that resembles your idea. More than half of the people that have come to us with their ideas haven’t spent 10 min on Google or the mobile marketplaces to see if someone else had already created their app. It can be a bummer when you see your idea is already for sale by another company, but that doesn’t mean defeat. Apple wasn’t the first company to the mp3 market, but they defined it. If you are passionate about your app and its potential then that might be enough to make yours better than the competitor. Find the market leader in said field and don’t be afraid to pick a fight.
2. Is it possible?
The new smart phones that are coming out are capable of some incredible stuff. So much so that it’s easy to think they can do almost anything. Unfortunately, they have their limits. We’ve, on more than one occasion, had to tell people that their idea might need the power of NASA technology to operate. But don’t toss those ideas when you find out they’re not possible. Tablets and phones just keep getting more impressive with every release. Try thinking if there’s a lighter version of the app that could work, and then when the tech is available you’ll be ready to unveil the whole project.
3. Is there a market?
This might be the hardest question to ask/answer. The majority of apps that people download are used no more than five times. Ask yourself if you would want to use your software. If you have to do mental gymnastics to convince yourself that you’d find continual value in your app, then it might not be the right direction. There have been plenty of moments of inspiration where members of our team have thought of the greatest app idea ever. 24 hours later, the endorphins wear off and we realize we’d be lucky to get 10 downloads for said idea. A great way to get a feel for what sells is to keep tabs on this site.
If you’ve made it through these questions with ease, get excited. Next week we’ll take you through the final process of getting your idea designed, developed, and distributed.
-QFOX
Editor’s note: Quantic Fox does not typically develop apps for clients. There are several reasons why we primarily only work on in-house projects. Mostly we’re excited about what’s coming soon from our team and we want to push all of our manpower into launching a couple new apps in the coming weeks. That being said, we’ve learned some useful lessons about the app market from creating our own products and partnering with other software development companies. A blog is a wonderful vehicle to relay what we’ve learned to you. Let us know your thoughts!
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