An exciting app can get you pumped up. After conception, the next thing you want to do is to go to the drawing board and start with the app development process. If you are like most people who lack a huge budget, you and your partner will pool your money together and even get a loan. But how do you pay back the money you owe people if your app does not do very well?

Developing an app can cost a huge amount of money so how can starters do it without breaking the bank? Here are a few tips for you.

Your apps are investments

Your apps are investments. You spend money on it hoping to make money from it.  Instead of putting all of your money on a single app, what you can do is to diversify and build 5 to 10 solid apps at lower prices. You may believe that your app is going to make it big in the market; there are always risks involved. If you are just starting out with apps, it is best to be on the safe side.

Learn

Most people who enter the app development world are in it for the money and all they want is to get rich quick. They have an idea but they do not want to throw money at it because they are uncertain that everything will come together after the app is published.

For your app to be a success, you have to do more than dream about the money you are going to make. You have to put in time and effort to learn as much as you can about app development. When you are starting watch as many tutorials as you can, read as many article as you can and even enroll in some classes.

Quality and quantity

You might have more than a single app at one time but you have to remember that quality is better than quantity. There is no point creating multiple apps when all of them are below par. This will not leave a good impression on your customers. As a matter of fact, it will turn customers off. However, you have to release your app in a timely manner. Timing is critical because if you spend too much time in the development stage, the landscape will have already changed once you release the app.

Track your apps

Excel is a very good friend when it comes to tracking your apps.  When you have more than a single apps available for download, you might even consider a few software which will the job a lot easier. How much money did your apps make? How many downloads does it have? How much money did you spend developing the app?

Outsource

Outsourcing is an expensive endeavor and this is something which should only be done when you have a method that is already proven to predict exactly how much money your app is going to make. If your app should make $5,000 in its lifetime, you are in a very good position to hire people from offshore.

Working on a mobile app is not as easy as it as t sounds. Yes, it is an exciting process but it can also be daunting. Lots of problems can surface and it is important that you know what these common problems so you know how you can avoid them. Here are some of the most common mistakes and how you can prevent them.

Not establishing a process

Establishing a process, which will guide you the mobile app’s development from ideation to post launch. The process makes it easier for people involved and the process must include market research, details on the resources available and needed, and timeline and milestones.

One must have a thorough understanding of the market, the users, their personas and other detailed demographic facts. The market research can be used to align the company’s goals with the resources available to develop the app. Remember that resources are flexible and can reference to both something intangible and tangible.

Once you understand the resources available, it is time to establish a timeline with milestones. There should be milestones around each stage, ideation, product development, alpha testing, alpha testing analytics, alpha product iteration, beta testing, beta testing analytics, beta product iteration and launch to the target audience. Metrics must be established to measure success.

Not taking the time to find the right person or team

The initial stage of the mobile app development can be very exciting but you have to be very careful. If you do not find the right person or team, all your hard work would have been for naught. Consider all the details of what needs to be built, including the importance of proper, high quality app design and the resources that are available to you. Ask the right questions and when talking to software consultancy firms about other projects which they have done similar to yours, you must ensure that the firm has no problem assigning all the IP of the project to you.

Not thinking about the user

Apps are built in order to sell them to users so it is senseless to not think about the user during the development process. How will the user discover, engage and activate the app? Put yourself in the shoes of the user.

Not getting the target audience among your test users

Whatever you do, you must never, ever include your family and friends as part of your test group. Naturally they will love and support you regardless of how useless is your app so their feedback does not count. You must get back from the correct people, those from your target audience.

Not thinking about app marketing distribution

Building an app does not guarantee success. There are thousands of apps in the market competing for users’ attention and yours could easily get lost if it doesn’t stand out and distinguish itself from the rest. You must know how to market your app. How can you get the audience’s attention? How will you retain them? How much will marketing acquisition cost?

When developing an app, you should research, assess the resources available to you, hire the right people, think about your users, get feedback from the right people, and plan how you can grow your app.