After the world wide web, www., applications are the next most used digital platform in the technological sphere. Probably out of excitement you might ask, Can I develop an App myself? I have also asked that before.
And Yes! You can develop an app by yourself with the right knowledge and tools. It is easier if you are already tech savvy, however it is still possible to develop one on your own as a novice. Let’s get you more enlightened about it.
7 Steps To Develop an App Yourself
The following steps will guide you on how to develop an App yourself
1. Decide on an app idea
Deciding on an app idea is the first step to developing one. Your idea can be drawn from your areas of interest e.g race or football games, diet, fashion, cooking, motivational quotes, etc. Your idea could also be solution driven. As a beginner you don’t have to create a novel app, you could decide to rebrand any high-rating app you’ve come across on the app store.
2. Carry out market research
It’s ok to develop an app just for the fun of it. However, if you want your app to stand competitive in the store, you will need to carry out proper app market research. This can be done by checking out the reviews and ratings of high-rated Apps in the App store. Your research should cover areas like unique features, monetization, latest updates, downloads amongst others
3. Create app design
The aesthetics of your App matter as much, because people are naturally drawn towards beauty and organization. While designing your app you should pay due attention to areas like your App layout, font style, custom color, app icon, screen splash, background, and more.
4. Design the app features
Every creator creates for a purpose and your app is no different. You must have thought of proffering a solution or creating your App for leisure. Whatever the case, the features of your app should be highly beneficial to its users. A general feature that your App should include are user account, profile update, social media handles to share achievements, etc. You should also look into your MVP, minimum viable product.
5. Perform App pre-launch test
Making heads way in life is always exciting, and the experience is no different in your app development process. However, it is necessary to test your work before finally making it accessible to the world. Pre Launch your App by testing it on good devices particularly iOS and Android devices to be sure it is functioning as expected.
6. Publish the App on the App store
This is one of the most fulfilling processes for an App developer, you get to submit your App to the Google play store or Apple store. For Apple, you would be required to get your App approved by the certification team and after that, your App will be launched. You can check out App store guidelines for guidance.
7. Setup App marketing strategy
Finally, for this article, you would need to draw up your App’s marketing strategy, this is if you would want it to compete with the big guys in the App store. You could decide to work on your ASO, App store optimization, get an Apple App store feature, run paid Ads, run short-term free campaigns, or connect with market influencers.
How Much Time is Needed to Develop an App?
All the steps required to develop an App take, on average, 18 weeks to complete. However, the amount of time needed greatly varies on the features of the particular App. The length of time it takes to complete an App depends on how complex its design and functional requirements are.
Also, take into consideration that an app development company typically works on numerous projects at once rather than just one App. At the beginning of the App programming process, it is feasible to estimate how long the App development process will take.
Conclusion
The ease and speed involved in developing an App are dependent on your tech knowledge base. As a novice, developing an App from scratch by yourself will require learning a new programming language. Plus you would also need to build up your coding skills.
However, there are certain no-code software App builder platforms that make it possible to develop an App by yourself without knowing how to code. These platforms make it easy to design and publish Apps without having to write codes yourself. But you should know that some of these template-based platforms are usually on paid plans.
