It’s no secret that the mobile app market is booming. In fact, a recent study found that there are now more than 4.45 million apps available for download in the App Store and Google Play.
With so much competition, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for developers to create an app that stands out from the rest. That’s why it’s essential to take your time during the discovery phase and make sure you do everything correctly.
This is the phase where you come up with the idea for your app, determine who your target audience is, and figure out what features it will have. If you miss any of these key steps, your app could suffer as a result.
What is the discovery phase?
The discovery phase is the first step in developing a new product or service. It’s during this phase that you come up with the initial idea for your app and start to flesh it out.
This is a crucial step, as it will determine the success of your app. If you don’t take the time to properly develop your idea, your app will likely suffer as a result. Check out this article about the discovery phase at agilie.com to know why it is important to start your project with the discovery case.
The discovery phase will answer important questions, let’s look at the most important ones.
What is the purpose of the mobile application?
Before you can even begin to develop your app, you need to determine its purpose. What problem does it solve? Who is your target audience? What needs does it address?
Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll have a much better understanding of what your app should do and how to go about developing it.
If you’re having trouble coming up with a purpose for your app, consider these three questions:
- What need does my app address?
- Who is my target audience?
- What can my app do that other apps can’t?
Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll have a much better understanding of what your app should do and how to go about developing it.
What are the goals of the mobile application?
After you’ve determined the purpose of your app, you need to set some goals. What do you want your app to achieve? Do you want to increase brand awareness? Drive sales? Generate leads? Once you know what your goals are, you can start to develop a plan for how to achieve them.
Some common goals for mobile apps include:
- Increasing brand awareness
- Driving sales
- Generating leads
- Increasing customer engagement
- Enhancing customer service
- Improving communication
- Boosting productivity
- Saving time and money
Who is the target audience for the mobile application?
Now that you know what your app is supposed to do, you need to determine who your target audience is. This is a crucial step, as it will determine how successful your app is. If you try to appeal to everyone, you’ll likely end up appealing to no one. It’s important to be as specific as possible when determining your target audience.
Some factors to consider when determining your target audience include:
- Age
- Gender
- Location
- Income
- Education level
- Interests
- Hobbies
- Occupation
- Lifestyle
Why is the discovery phase important?
There are several reasons why the discovery phase is so important. First, it’s during this phase that you determine who your target audience is. This is crucial, as you need to make sure you’re creating an app that appeals to your target market. If you don’t take the time to figure out who your target audience is, you could end up with an app that no one wants to use.
Second, you need to determine what features your app will have. This is important, as you don’t want to include too many or too few features. If you include too many features, your app will be difficult to use and may confuse your users. On the other hand, if you include too few features, your app will be less likely to stand out from the competition.
Finally, you need to come up with a marketing plan. This is important, as you need to make sure people know about your app. If you don’t market your app properly, it will be very difficult to attract users.
What are the steps of the discovery phase?
Now that you understand what the discovery phase is and its importance, let’s explore the steps involved.
1. Define the problem
The first step is to define the problem your app will solve. What need does it address? Who is your target audience? What can your app do that other apps can’t? Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll have a much better understanding of what your app should do and how to go about developing it.
2. Research the market
Once you know what problem your app will solve, you need to research the market to see if there’s a demand for it. This can be done by conducting a survey or focus group. You can also look at similar apps to see how successful they are.
3. Develop a solution
After you’ve defined the problem and researched the market, it’s time to develop a solution. This is where you’ll come up with the initial idea for your app and start to flesh it out. This is a crucial step, as it will determine the success of your app. If you don’t take the time to properly develop your idea, your app will likely suffer as a result.
4. Create a prototype
After you’ve developed a solution, you need to create a prototype. This will help you to get feedback from potential users and make sure that your app is heading in the right direction.
5. Test the prototype
Once you’ve created a prototype, it’s time to test it. This can be done by conducting user testing or beta testing. This will help you to iron out any bugs and make sure that your app is ready for launch.
6. Launch the app
After you’ve tested your app and made sure that it’s ready for launch, it’s time to launch it. This is where you’ll make it available to the public.
7. Market the app
After you’ve launched your app, you need to market it. This can be done by creating a website, social media accounts and using paid advertising. You should also consider submitting your app to app store directories and review sites.
8. Evaluate the results
After you’ve launched and marketed your app, it’s time to evaluate the results. This can be done by looking at metrics such as downloads, user engagement and conversion rates. You should also get feedback from users to see what they think of your app.
