By , Brian Hughes
Published April 29, 2016
Considering that Apple's App Store generated over $10 billion in revenue for developers in 2014, it's no surprise that everyone's working on an app. However, small businesses looking to cash in big this way face major hurdles. Successfully developing an app is challenging enough, but businesses must also navigate the confusing app approval process.
Related: How This Startup is Making Mobile App Development Easier
And the final hurdle is getting the app to stand out in a crowded marketplace.
That's why, to overcome the challenges, you need to have the right strategy in place, from day one.
Best app makers for small businesses
Outsourcing app development can be tricky, especially if you’re not on the same page as your developers. The market experts at The App Solutions recommend treating your app development like any freelance project -- and, based on my own experience, I certainly agree. Put together a project brief, establish a project timeline and check in regularly to monitor progress. What's more:
Navigating the app approval process
Prepare your app for submission. Review the submission guidelines. For Apple, this includes the iOS Human Interface Guidelines, the Apple Watch Human Interface Guidelines and the App Store Review Guidelines.
For Android, follow the Android launch checklist. Take time to understand Google play policies and agreements, thinking about how to test for quality and how to determine your app’s content rating. Ensure that your app complies with the maximum size requirements; on Google Play, this means 100 MB.
If your app exceeds this max, you can offer a secondary download with APK expansion files, which Google Play will host for free on its server infrastructure. You can use up to two expansion files (up to 2GB in size) for each APK.
Failure to confirm with Apple and Google guidelines will cause unnecessary delays with the approval process.
Standing out in a crowded marketplace
App store optimization (ASO) is the process of optimizing mobile apps to rank higher in an app’s store. Sixty-three percent of apps are discovered through app store searches. And, just like with Google search results, the higher your app ranks in the app store, the greater the chance of a download. Increased visibility translates directly into more traffic for your app’s page in the app store.
ASO requires a clear understanding of your target customer, including which keywords your target customer will be using to search for downloads. For most small businesses, your customer will be searching for terms related directly to your business products or services. If your business name is well known, brand affinity can also help boost your position in search results.
Related: A Step-by-Step Guide To Building Your First Mobile App
There’s no denying that in 2016, we're living in a mobile world. Globally, we spend more time on our smartphones than we do our desktops. Even if your B2B customers are still primarily desktop users, a mobile app can be a huge boon to your business. But the wrong app -- like a bad product -- can also hurt your business' brand credibility.
Related: 5 Development Mistakes That Can Destroy Your Mobile App
So, be clear about development expectations from day one. Understand the rules for app submission and approval. And once your app is approved, don't assume customers will immediately download it; you'll need to optimize the app store listing for maximum visibility. With the right strategy in place from day one, you can overcome these hurdles and help your small business flourish in 2016.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/getting-started-with-small-business-app-development