To build a successful app, it is vital to have a well laid-out concept and structured process on which depends every stage of mobile application development. Pre-planning the app development process can help in avoiding deviations from set goals, which can cause dramatic changes to the final product. However, before you proceed, here are some important things you should know.

Pre-planning starts with clearly laying out the concept of the app – what is it all about? What are your expectations from the app? How will it work? How can it engage and be useful to end users? Thus, the process involves broadly defining the app. Now, why is this important? When your mobile app developers have clear knowledge of what is expected from them, what are the features the app should have, and what are your goals of mobile app development, it aids in building a more relevant and significant app.

Taking this point further, when honest effort and time is spent in pre-planning your app development process, it can go a long way in eliminating delays, minimizing your overhead costs, and delivering the project on time. Planning not only involves defining the app and its functionalities, but also includes setting appropriate goals, timelines, and budget. Thus, when your developers have an effective plan in place, they would know what to achieve and by when. Unnecessary delays and lucidity are eliminated, thus, reducing overhead costs. Accurate cost projection is ready with the development and marketing team so that they can identify deviations and minimize the same.

Pre-planning also helps gain insights into your target audience, competitors, and latest market trends. This can be most fruitful in bringing innovative and interesting turning points in the key features of your app. Thus, with valuable market knowledge at an early phase, you can successfully build an app that is unique and offers somewhat different features than other similar apps. Won’t this give your business a competitive advantage? Adding to this, effective communication of the concept with your development partner will help them clearly identify their roles and responsibilities so that they can deliver better. Planning also helps to streamline your development process, and what it more organized to generate better outcomes.

How to Pre-Plan Your Mobile App Development?

Looking to build a mobile app? Not sure how to go about the pre-planning stage? Here is a comprehensive guide for you:

Describe Your App in a Nutshell – The first step of pre-planning includes preparing a very short description of what your app should be all about. Make it as short as possible, but incorporate the core idea of the app and key features you are expecting.

– The first step of pre-planning includes preparing a very short description of what your app should be all about. Make it as short as possible, but incorporate the core idea of the app and key features you are expecting. Determine the Needs of Your Target Audience – This is one of the most critical stages, but when done right, it can illuminate many factors that can be beneficial in building an appropriate mobile app. For this, it is crucial to identify your target audience and know their ‘buying’ behavior and preferences. You can set up forums and discussions or connect with them socially to take an online survey. This helps determine what they exactly expect from your app, and likewise, integrate the same in your mobile application.

– This is one of the most critical stages, but when done right, it can illuminate many factors that can be beneficial in building an appropriate mobile app. For this, it is crucial to identify your target audience and know their ‘buying’ behavior and preferences. You can set up forums and discussions or connect with them socially to take an online survey. This helps determine what they exactly expect from your app, and likewise, integrate the same in your mobile application. Browse through Similar Apps – Unless your app idea isn’t something in the ‘niche’ category or completely unique, it is easier to find similar apps in the app store. Go through some of these apps, and notice their key features, how they work, technical aspects, customer ratings and reviews, etc. This doesn’t mean you have to replicate something that is already there. This would only help you ideate better.

– Unless your app idea isn’t something in the ‘niche’ category or completely unique, it is easier to find similar apps in the app store. Go through some of these apps, and notice their key features, how they work, technical aspects, customer ratings and reviews, etc. This doesn’t mean you have to replicate something that is already there. This would only help you ideate better. Brainstorm a ‘Powerful’ App Idea – On the contrary to the concept of “Too many cooks spoil the broth,” when you brainstorm with a group of people, you are capable of building more innovative and unique ideas. But for this, it is important to identify people who can add value to your app idea, and not necessarily like-minded people. Brainstorming with people from diverse fields is the best way to generate better results and ground-breaking suggestions. Make sure you are able to brainstorm from customer, marketing and technical point of view.

– On the contrary to the concept of “Too many cooks spoil the broth,” when you brainstorm with a group of people, you are capable of building more innovative and unique ideas. But for this, it is important to identify people who can add value to your app idea, and not necessarily like-minded people. Brainstorming with people from diverse fields is the best way to generate better results and ground-breaking suggestions. Make sure you are able to brainstorm from customer, marketing and technical point of view. Create a Master List of Outputs – This would be different from what you conceptualized in the beginning. Based on your research and findings from the above steps, create a comprehensive list and compare this with the initial concept. In this step, you should also improvise the short description based on the latest changes.

– This would be different from what you conceptualized in the beginning. Based on your research and findings from the above steps, create a comprehensive list and compare this with the initial concept. In this step, you should also improvise the short description based on the latest changes. Translate Your Ideas into a Simple Flowchart – A diagram or flowchart is the best way to communicate your app idea, workflow and functionalities to the development team. But make sure to keep it simple, clear and concise for everyone to understand easily. The flowchart should incorporate the app concept, features and functionalities, development process, roles and responsibilities, QA and testing requirements, deadlines, budget, etc. Keep it as comprehensive as possible, if not in a flowchart then in a PowerPoint presentation or screen-by-screen navigation of the app.

Conclusion

Pre-planning is critical for mobile app development, but not the only secret to building a successful app. We often tend to overlook the need to add new features or frequently update an app throughout its lifecycle. Focus on creating user-centric and bug-free app from its first release, and continue delivering enhanced user experience through further iterations. At the same time, hire an experienced and professional development team who can help build the app of your dream, and within the set time and budget.