7 Questions Startups Need to Answer Before Building an App

7 Questions Startups Need to Answer Before Building an App

Our extensive experience as a leading mobile app development company in Singapore has seen us work with a broad range of clients, spanning from emerging startups to established companies and recognized entities in their respective fields.

Working with startups, however, is particularly thrilling. Developing an idea from its early stage to a fully-fledged and well-tailored solution requires a lot of forethought, planning, creativity, management, and whatnot.

One thing we’ve come to realize, however, is that there are a few key things that any startup needs to be prepared for prior to embarking on its adventure. Working with an established app development company can truly enhance your current position in your industry.

Nevertheless, we’ve decided to take the liberty and reveal a few must-ask questions before you start building our app or subscribing for any mobile app development services. So, without any further ado, let’s jump right into it.

Question #1 Why Do You Want to Build a Mobile App In The First Place?

For most parts, it’s true that mobile applications bring about a lot of benefits and there are many reasons for which a business needs a mobile app.

However, you should always remember that you must never start this process without a clearly justified reason for it. You shouldn’t build an app just for the sake of having it or because your competitors have it. If you follow this path, you’re quickly going to become a part of the herd of corporates without even realizing it.

Regardless of whether you’re an entrepreneur or an established business owner, the first step is always the strategy. You should have a clear idea where exactly does the mobile app development fall into your strategy.

Think of it this way – developing a mobile app is just a shell, an outer view. Beneath it, however, there are numerous reasons that need to fall in line in order for it to make sense and to justify the money, energy, and time put into it.

And yes, we do want you to work with us, but it’s our responsibility as a professional company to make sure that your interests are always a priority.

Question #2 How Can You Protect Your Idea Behind Your Mobile App?

Next, before you even get to develop a mobile app, you need to make sure that your idea is well-protected. The broad majority of companies would require a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).

However, this is also a tedious and time-consuming process. Hence, it might be a good idea to initiate talks with a mobile app development company revealing slight, non-proprietary information about your mobile app idea.

For instance, this usually involves the overall focus of your app in a broad and general sense, pointing out comparable applications, pinpointing the platforms that you would be interested in launching your mobile app on, budget range, timeline, and so forth. That’s information that should be shared before signing an NDA just to spare time and effort in case your project doesn’t fit within the mobile app development company’s scope of activity or budget requirements.

Remember, there are mobile app development companies who only work on iOS or Android development projects, as well as companies who wouldn’t work on a project below a certain budget.

Question #3 What’s The Platform You’d Like To Target For Your Mobile App?

That’s a particularly interesting question which is also fairly complex. We, as a company, provide both iOS development and Android development under the scope of our mobile app development services. One thing we’ve also found to be trending recently are platform-agnostic apps which work on both iOS and Android devices.

iOS, for example, works very well for consumer-facing startups as iOS users tend to match a lot of key demographics which are needed for early-stage ventures.

Android, on the other hand, is a good first choice for apps which target audiences who would predominantly use Android devices. As blatantly obvious as this may sound, the thing you’d have to do is research – what audience you want to reach with your mobile app? Once you have the hard data in front of you, the decision becomes so much easier.

Question #4 How Much Will It Cost to Create Your Mobile App?

Budget. A mobile app can cost as little as a few thousand bucks or as much as a few hundred thousands or more.

We’ve managed to identify 3 essential considerations to manage mobile app development costs.

In any case, determining the budget for your app is a rather complex task which would require initial estimations and a whole lot of talking. Be prepared for it.

Question #5 How Can You Raise Money For Your Mobile App?

This question does come naturally after the previous one, doesn’t it? A lot of early-stage ventures are capital intensive. Hence, you may have to rely on investors in order to get the v1.0 app out the door.

Before you approach any investor, however, ensure that you’ve properly honed your elevator pitch. That’s the message you want to convey to the person or company who’s supposedly going to give you cash.

It should be brief and concise. Make sure that you have some well-made marketing materials in place as well.

Keep in mind that investors are very wary. Therefore, putting your own money to back up your app is something that is likely to help them trust you more and consequently invest in your app.

Question #6 How Long Will Your Mobile App Take to Develop?

Mobile application development is a process which is comprised of many different tasks. Hence, the scope of your project is going to determine the development period. A quality app can take anywhere between four and six months to be ready.

Some of the factors that you might want to be aware of when making your time estimates include:

  • Number of features
  • Application platform
  • Complexity of features

Again, this is something that you’ll be able to iron out after having proper talks with the mobile app development company you’ll be working with.

Question #7 How Often Should You Update Your Mobile App?

A lot of the clients we’ve worked with mistakenly believe that when the initial mobile app development process is done, their struggles are over.

That’s far from the truth. You can even think of it as the beginning of a long and, if carried out properly, prosperous process.

Once you have released your mobile app, you should be prepared to release updates, to fix bugs, and to make sure it stays in touch with the current trends. And believe us when we tell you, trends change fast.

The number of updates is usually going to depend on the way your audience perceives your app. Keep track of the feedback and make sure to adapt to it. That’s particularly important to stay successful.

Conclusion

Working with a mobile app development company can definitely help you accomplish your business goals. However, it’s also important to have a lot of things figured out in the beginning.

When you work with Swag Soft, you can rest assured that we will take your project seriously and help you go through all the initial hassle and the following development in a professional, as well as structured manner.

After all, that’s why we’re here for – to make sure your ideas become a successful reality!