how to launch an app

By Amber Bowers

Did you know that as of 2022, over half of small businesses had built their own Mobile App? As technology advances and consumers become increasingly connected with businesses on their smartphones and devices, many companies will continue to develop mobile apps to better connect with customers.

With the increasing amount of companies building their own apps, the market has become much more saturated and competitive – it’s difficult to develop an app that will stand out in the crowd! It also takes a lot of time, research, and money to develop a successful app. Building an app can cost anywhere between $5,000 and $500,000 depending on the complexity of the software and its functions. This is why creating a solid launch plan is essential for the success of your app!

Our team at Oak City Labs has spent the last several months building an app of our own – Callisto. We are super proud of the work that has been put into this data science notebook and have spent A LOT of time designing a launch plan. In this post, I’ll share with you some tips on how to prepare a comprehensive launch plan for your app.

Conduct Thorough Market Research

This may seem like a no-brainer, but a lot of entrepreneurs do not spend enough time researching to see if there is a need for their product in the market, and their app fails to launch successfully. In fact, you might be surprised to learn that less than 1% of app launches are considered successful. Conducting thorough market research will make or break your launch!

So how do I conduct thorough market research?

Great question! We suggest you start by asking yourself if your product is viable for the current supply & demand trends. Use the chart below as a point of reference to find if there is a need for your product:

Is Your Product Viable

If you’ve found that your product is viable, it’s time to check out your competition and make sure your app offers solutions to the most common issues reported by users. You want to market your product as the more efficient app that will solve the problems presented.

Good market research isn’t just checking product viability and competition – it also means looking into whether your app would perform best on a Cross or Native platform. This is a big decision to make and we get A LOT of questions on this topic. Read more here to get some insider information from our founders on the pros and cons of Cross and Native platforms.

Build a Strong Media Presence

Once you’ve done your due diligence in market research, it’s time to get your name into the world! Your online presence can (and will) make a HUGE impact on how many people your app will reach. Focus on making profiles on platforms that will reflect the purpose of your product. Our app Callisto is for data scientists, so we are using social media platforms like Reddit, LinkedIn and various Facebook groups. While you can have a presence on as many platforms as you’d like, we suggest focusing your time and energy towards your target audience.

You’ll also want to create a demo or trailer of your app to give your audience a glimpse of its highlights! Showcase your app’s best features and explain why your software is the solution to their problem. Click here for a brief example of a trailer that our marketing team put together for Callisto. Make your trailer quick, fun, and engaging!

Beta Test

Before your app goes live, we highly recommend that you ask a group of beta testers to spend time using your product. For your first round of testing, ask family and friends to try out the app and provide their unbiased feedback. For the next round of beta testing, focus on your target audience and have them provide feedback on a questionnaire. Here’s some example questions that you can ask:

“What is one thing you really liked about the app?”
“What is one feature you wished you had in the app?”
“What would prevent you from using the app in the future”

You can use the feedback you generate as a resource to give potential users a glimpse of what other people think of the app. Customers pay close attention to reviews. In fact, studies show that 79% of consumers check ratings and reviews before downloading an app. Additionally, 90% of consumers consider star ratings to be essential when evaluating a new app – check out some stats below to see why maintaining good reviews is so important!

Why Ratings and Reviews Matter

Measure Your App’s Success

After you launch, it will be important to track a measurable level of success to gauge performance and future changes you’ll need to make in the app. Metrics like the install and retention rate are excellent to monitor, as this data will show you how many people are downloading and keeping your app. Read here for tips on how to get your users to stick around after their free trial. Revenue is another easy way to track your app’s performance. This information will help you adjust course if necessary and give you an idea on how many updates you should make to the software.

Conclusion

Developing a comprehensive launch plan can be an overwhelming process, but trust me – if you put in the time and effort, it will pay off! By spending enough time doing market research, building a strong online presence, beta testing, and measuring your app’s success, you will be positioned in an excellent place to get your app off the bench and into the world.

If you have any questions about your launch, we’d love to talk to you! Please reach out to support@oakcity.io or click here to schedule a call with us.