4 Helpful Pointers for iOS App Development

At first glance, how hard could it really be to develop an iOS app? We’ve all asked ourselves this question before. And based on the apparent simplicity of some of the most popular apps in the App Store, it seems like a logical inquiry.

While developing a successful iOS app doesn’t have to be rocket science, it does require careful planning and skilled execution. So before you dive in headfirst, make sure you have a plan.

The Latest App Store Statistics and Trends

The latest research shows there are 1.91 million mobile apps in the iOS App Store created by 754,000 app publishers. Out of these apps, 86.3 percent are non-gaming apps, while 13.7 percent are gaming apps. Roughly 94 percent of apps are free, while just 6 percent are paid. (However, many free apps have in-app purchases available.)

While games are by far the most popular category, business, education, utilities, and lifestyle aren’t too far behind. Food and drink, shopping, health and fitness, and productivity are next.

An average of 780 apps are published and released to the iOS App Store on a daily basis. This amounts to roughly 26,901 apps per month. In other words, there’s a lot of competition!

4 Tips for Developing Successful iOS Apps

No two iOS apps are the same. However, the process for creating successful mobile apps is surprisingly similar. Here are a few helpful tips to increase your odds for success:

1. Don’t DIY

As tempting as it is to take a mobile app development course or watch a YouTube video, this is not the winning recipe for a successful iOS app. You might be able to create something functional, but it’s impossible for an inexperienced amateur to come in and create a successful app that gets widespread adoption within a specific market.

You’re much better off hiring an iOS development service that works alongside you to bring your idea to life. This is how you leverage skills for maximum gain.

2. Research the Competition

As the ancient biblical scripture says, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” In other words, you probably aren’t going to create an app that’s revolutionary. Chances are, someone somewhere has already attempted a similar app. In fact, there are probably a few of them currently in the App Store. Your goal shouldn’t necessarily be to create a brand new app. Instead, the goal is to develop a better app.

The only way to develop a better app is to become a student of the game. Your most important job is research. Start by making a list of every app that you’ll compete with. Then read every single review there is – paying especially close attention to the one-star and five-star reviews.

One-star reviews will tell you where the competition is falling short. This gives you an opportunity to make a better app. Five-star reviews tell you what the standard is. You’ll need to replicate these elements in some form or fashion.

3. Keep it Simple, Stupid

The old KISS mantra says, “Keep it simple, stupid!” In mobile app development circles, this is called starting with a minimally viable product (MVP).

You don’t need to spend tens of thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours developing the perfect app with a full suite of features. Instead, start with a simple app that has a good user experience and solves one specific problem or need. Then iterate as you go – gradually increasing functionality based on feedback.

4. Don’t Forget About Promotion

In a perfect world, your only concern would be creating an incredible app. But thanks to the oversaturated nature of the app store and all of the noise that exists online, this is not one of those “if you build it, they will come” scenarios. You also have to promote your app.

A good app promotion strategy should include some blend of emailing your list, pushing out social media content, PPC ads, partnerships, and even guest appearances on podcasts.

Adding it All Up

There’s no proven formula or template for developing a successful mobile app that generates millions of downloads. If there were, every single one of the 780 apps published on a daily basis would be a roaring success (and we’d all see our screen time soar). There are, however, some proven principles that increase the likelihood of success. Hopefully, this article has given you some ideas to run with.