Mobile apps have not only changed the communication, but it has also subtly disrupted the economy and society in general. In last decade, Mobile app development technology has evolved so exponentially that it is almost impossible for us to survive a day without the use of digital devices. With every smallest requirement being fulfilled by mobile apps, businesses of all scales have an ocean of opportunities to take advantage of these digital solutions used by millions of customers.

Due to its burgeoning use and ubiquitous accessibility, Mobile apps have become the powerful resort for small businesses who wish to enhance customer engagement and acquire new customers. Mobile offers a compact digital platform where small businesses and startups can discover utmost potential to launch their products, display promotional offers and advertise their services.

Considering its endless benefits, here is how a small business can reach more customers and grow revenue gradually.

1) Define and Discover the Competitive idea

It all begins with a lean idea. Mobile app is all about carving your own niche and finding the comfort in the idea you wish to expand. It is therefore important, before you ever start building your app, to discover the bright idea that you want to work out.

The market is already over populated with innumerable successful mobile apps, each having its unique potential to stand out among the crowd. In order to hit the market in its early stage, it is vital for a small business to research through the heap of established mobile app businesses to scavenge the most auspicious one and start testing.

2) Where Does You Audience Fit?

Your customers are going to make a brand out of your small business company. Hence, be religious about finding the target audience, the people who are most likely to fit in your mobile app idea. As users are going to interact with your business through the app, try to know what customers are likely to use your app.

Mobile apps generate unparalleled traffic which is of different grade from the normal web community due to its ability to offer distinctive user experience and immersive features that result in higher engagement. Track down this audience anticipated to devote their interest to your mobile app content.

3) Create an Appeal From the Design

When you are building an app to reach your target market, you must know what message it conveys, what you intend to sell and whether the product contains required appeal for users. The best way to influence the customers is to create the best appeal, and for this create the best design including the right  colors, logo, font and navigation.

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Then comes the content which makes your small business mobile app quite interactive, lively, and above all, real. Be creative about introducing an expressive appeal to your mobile app. For this, the content within your app plays a significant role. To enrich the concept of content, you can integrate it with video contents like YouTube channels or popular trending blogs.

4) Prepare For an MVP

Mobile app development is filled with great challenges from design to launch. To minimize the risks, it is better to first build a Minimum Viable Product, a kind of solution that many companies prefer with limited set of features. MVP is the initial compact version of the mature app purposed around measuring the performance and success prospects of your actual business idea.

Evan Spiegel, the co-owner of Snapchat, first launched the app to allow students to share images and messages that can be automatically deleted in a few seconds. The idea then went on to scale up and became an irresistible brand today for many existing apps.

This goes to say that MVP helps you analyze the potential and worth of your business goal and plants a scalable vision to your future endeavors. Later, you may think of adding more polish and features to interest more users. Bear in mind that you MVP comes out clean, easy-to-navigate and uncluttered so that it can be easily judged and evaluated by users.

5) Find a Developer

To develop an MVP of your conceived design, you need to move from ideation to reality. For that you need a technology partner, a team of specialized mobile app developers who can dedicate their talent and experience. You will stumble across a handful of versatile online marketplaces where businesses seek and meet freelance developers who can help with  your project.

However, such purely virtual model of collaboration does not feel tangible and often turn out to be lethargic, inflexible and uncommunicative. To prevent your projects from suffering unexpected delays, you need to source an established, agile and highly seasoned mobile app development company that owns relevant exposure in mobile app projects.

6) Outsourcing or in-House Development?

Though it is a matter of taste, trust and suitability, the outsourcing model of mobile app development involves a lot of ease and flexibility. Companies that prefer their own in-house team may not be specialized or versed in various technologies used to build a flawless mobile app. They can’t always keep with latest trends and practices.

Therefore, it is advisable to outsource your mobile app projects to a dedicated professional mobile app development firm who is resourceful enough to deal with technical matters involved in the project. Additionally, hiring a team of agile mobile developers is economical and consumes lean time span and always remain accessible.

7) Communication & Testing

Having quick and clean communication is the key to bringing the desired output in minimum time. Using most advanced tools for collaboration can help eliminate any rapport-blocking barriers. To maintain the integrity and consistency, weekly meeting and conducting verbal Q & A sessions can help in  monitoring the ongoing progress.

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When the developers have completed the job, its then time to test the product thoroughly for bugs/other issues using creative use cases. To make sure the app fulfills your expectations, launch it in App Stores only when you are completely satisfied with its performance and functionality.

8) Market and Fund Your App

Now comes the step of marketing the app and generate fund for the job. Small businesses can look to crowdfunding sources as a solution to garner enough funds. You can look up online to find several options for crowd-funding platforms for you.

Having a good support from financial resources helps small businesses resolve budget issues and save a lot for marketing partners. You may invest some of your resources in driving customer acquisition and loyalty through push messages, rewards, influencer marketing, ASO, paid ads, or any other means.

9) Monetize It

When the  app becomes popular enough and receives great response, you can embark on monetizing your small business app. In-app monetization, is the best option to create a consistent revenue stream. To make your app a success you need to try in new features that even include paid ones.

Instead of charging users for downloads, you can also divide your apps in both paid and free versions, which is the approach preferred by many iOS app developers. Alternatively, offer in-app purchases (credits, points, vouchers) that enable users to enjoy more features at a small price. In-app advertisements and promotions also can benefit your business.

Conclusion

To launch the small business via a mobile app requires a lot of research efforts and knowledge about features, impactful design, mobile app marketing, optimization and its perfect launch. To make your dream come alive, you need to hire qualified talents and an experienced mobile app development partner.

Redbytes have a wide set of skills and are equipped to follow above steps of development with fair industry compliance. You may send your query to us if you are looking to build a small business app.

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