How To Create An App In 2022

The iOS store is currently home to over 1.85 million apps, and the Google Play Store features 2.56 million.Even though there are millions of apps for consumers to choose from, there is still plenty of room for you to create an impressive app that appeals to your customers.Are you interested in making app development a priority in 2022? If so, keep reading. Explained below is everything you need to know about how to make an app in the new year.

Why Should You Build an App in 2022?

Before we dive into the process of creating an app in 2022, let’s address some of the top reasons why app development is so important. If you don’t already have an app, here are some of the benefits you’ll enjoy when you build and launch one:

Provide More Value

It doesn’t matter if you run a restaurant or sell business coaching services online. Regardless of the kind of business you have, a well-designed, modern mobile app will help you to provide more value to your target audience.Mobile apps allow you to reach your customers where they already are — on their mobile devices. People already spend an average of 3.25 hours per day on their phones. Why not make it so they can spend some of that time learning about your business, shopping your selection of products, or taking advantage of your services while they’re on the go?If you can start 2022 off by providing a high level of value to your customers, you’ll have an easier time retaining their business throughout the year. You might also gain some referrals when they recommend your company to their friends and family.

Build a Better Brand

The more exposure people have to your brand, the more likely they are to want to invest in your products and services.If your target audience sees your company’s name popping up everywhere, including in the app store’s list of trending apps, they’re going to get curious. They’re also going to have an easier time believing that your business is a reputable one and that your products or services are worth investing in.Creating an app is a great way to build brand recognition and help people to get curious about what you have to offer. This is especially true when your app design features your company’s colors, logo, font, etc.The more consistency there is between your app and other branding elements, the easier it is for people to feel a connection to your brand and want to check out your app.

Improve Customer Engagement

It’s great for people to be exposed to your company name. At the same time, though, it’s also important for them to be engaged and feel a connection to your brand.App development helps you to increase customer engagement and encourages people to interact with your business directly.It doesn’t matter if they’re scrolling through collections of available products on your app or if they’re reading your blog posts to learn more about a particular issue your business helps to address. Either way, they’re spending time on your app (which boosts your search engine ranking and helps more people to find your app through online searches) and building a relationship with your business.You’re even more likely to see improvements in customer engagement rates if you include chat elements that allow people to ask questions and find out more about your company in real-time.

Increase Customer Loyalty

Apps are great tools for improving customer loyalty. This isn’t just the case because they build brand awareness and help you provide more value. Mobile apps can also be used to easily run customer loyalty programs.Not sure what kind of loyalty program you want to run through your business’s app? The following ideas can help you think outside of the box and come up with an idea that will appeal to your customers:

• Instant rewards: Whenever someone makes a purchase through your app, perhaps you can offer them points as a reward. Then, they can use those points to put toward discounts on future purchases.
• Birthday discounts: Encourage people to buy from you during their birthday month by offering them a special discount or reward.
• Referral rewards: When someone refers a friend or family member to your app (you can offer referral codes for easy tracking), offer them a reward, such as a free product or a discount on their next purchase, to encourage them to keep coming back.

Get Ahead of the Competition

Are your competitors using mobile apps? If they are, creating one of your own in 2022 will help you to keep up with them and avoid losing precious customers because they offer better mobile sales options, a better rewards program, etc.If your competitors aren’t using mobile apps, you should also make it a priority to create one in the new year. This will help you get a leg up on your competitors and separate yourself from them. You may even draw some of your competitors’ customers over to your side because you provide value that they can’t.

Improve Customer Service

Developing a mobile app provides you with a new opportunity to provide a higher level of customer service.If you have an easy-to-navigate, professionally built app, you have a new platform that allows you to connect with customers, answer their questions, and address their complaints right away. Your app will be especially useful if it features a well-written list of frequently asked questions, as well as a chatbot that uses AI to answer customers’ questions in real-time.You’ll be amazed at how beneficial chatbots can be when it comes to handling customer service. Not only do they help you save money and time, but they also lead to higher customer satisfaction ratings.In fact, 40 percent of consumers say they don’t care if they work with a chatbot or an actual human. As long as they’re being helped promptly, that’s all that matters.

Gain Valuable Insights

You can gain a lot of valuable insights from your customers when you invest in app development. Some specific metrics that you might want to monitor after your app has been created and launched include:

• User numbers (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.)
• User demographics (age, device type, gender, location, etc.)
• Number of downloads and uninstalls
• User retention rates

With this useful information in mind, you can provide better service to your customers in the long run. You’ll know more about them, what they value, and what they expect from businesses like yours.

Increase Sales

Finally, a mobile app can improve your company’s sales. When you make it easy for people to shop for your products or invest in your services, you’ll see that they respond by making more purchases and staying loyal to your business for years to come.This is great for your bottom line and ensures you’ll see a return on your investment. Yes, it can be expensive to develop an app (the average price ranges from $15k to $35k), but the kinds of results you’ll see after your app is finished and has been launched for a few months will be worth the upfront costs.

How to Make an App for 2022

Now, let’s get into the actual app development process. If you’re going to be creating an app in 2022, these are the steps you’ll need to take to ensure it looks good, works properly, and helps you achieve your new year’s goals:

Set Goals

Speaking of goals, that’s your first job in the app development process. Sit down with your team and think about what you want to get out of your app. Are you hoping to increase sales? Do you want to build brand awareness and boost your online visibility?There’s no one right answer when it comes to setting goals for the new year. However, if you don’t know what you’re working toward, it can be hard to know whether or not you’re actually making progress, seeing good outcomes, and getting a return on your app investment.

Brainstorm

Once you have a clear idea of what you’re trying to accomplish, your next job is to brainstorm and think about what kind of app you want to create.What kinds of features do you want the app to have? How do you want it to look? What problems will it solve for your target audience? How will it provide them with value?During the brainstorming stage, there are no wrong answers or bad ideas. Everything and anything has the potential to be a good app idea at this point, and everyone on your team should feel empowered to make suggestions without fear of being laughed at or shot down.

Learn the Trends

Don’t make an app in 2022 using 2021 or 2020’s top design trends. Take note of what’s trending in 2022 so you can stay ahead of the curve.Plenty of design and development techniques are going to be popular in the new year, but the following are some of the most noteworthy ones:

• Neumorphism: A design trend that uses gradients and shadows to create a minimalistic 3D effect.
• Super Minimalism: Super minimalism is meant to make apps easier to navigate, and it also helps to reduce eye strain, which allows users to spend more time on their devices without sacrificing comfort.
• 3D Geometric Designs: 3D geometric designs allow you to create eye-catching, appealing graphics without spending a fortune on photography.
• Unique Color Schemes: Monochrome color palettes and analogous color schemes are going to be trendy in 2022, as are cool, natural colors.

Conduct Market Research

To gain more insight into what you should or shouldn’t be doing when developing your app in 2022, spend some time researching your competitors and learning about your target market.When it comes to competitor research, check out the apps that other businesses in your industry have released. What kinds of designs are they using? What kind of layout looks the best? Are there any issues you notice that you could correct with your own app?Let the answers to these questions guide you as you start making plans for the future.As for research into your target market, get in touch with your customers and find out what they want to see in an app.To do this research, you can conduct polls on social media or via email to get information straight from the horse’s mouth. You can also pay attention to what people are saying online about your competitors and their apps (are people leaving comments on social media about the app, for example?).

Understand App Development Best Practices

Even if you’re not planning on doing the actual development yourself (that’s right, you don’t need to be a master coder to get a great app), it’s still a good idea to understand app development best practices. This will help you evaluate developers more effectively and know whether or not you’re working with the right one.Here are some best practices to keep in mind:

• Reduce clutter: In general, less is more. A minimalist design will be less confusing to your audience and make it easier for them to find what they’re looking for.
• Prioritize intuitive navigation: It shouldn’t take several minutes for a user to navigate their way through your app to find a specific page or locate a particular product for sale. Make it easy and intuitive for them to get where they need to be.
• Keep it secure: Your app should be secure and keep your customers’ data safe. This is especially true if you’re going to allow in-app transactions.

Choose an App Developer

At this point, it’s time to choose an app developer to help you bring your vision to life. Hiring a developer will save you time and give you peace of mind knowing that a professional is handling the heavy lifting when creating your app.The following are some tips to keep in mind when you’re searching for a developer to ensure they’re the right fit and help you achieve your company’s goals:

• Read reviews: What do past clients have to say about a particular developer or development agency? Do they have a positive reputation? How recent was their last complaint, and did the company do anything to try and resolve it?
• Look at portfolios: What does their previous work look like? Do their past app development projects look like what you’ve envisioned for your app?
• Ask for quotes/estimates: It’s always good to get a quote or estimate to see what you’ll be paying in exchange for the developer’s services. Make sure the quote is detailed and covers all aspects of the development process so you can plan accordingly.
• Review contracts: Always look over the developer’s contract before you agree to partner with them. This helps you see exactly what you’re getting into before you sign on the dotted line.

Design and Test Your App

You won’t be doing the heavy lifting when it comes to designing and developing your app. However, you will likely need to check in regularly and see how the process is coming along. Pay attention to how things are going so you don’t get hit with a surprise later on.Once the app is finished, it’ll be time to test it and ensure all features are working properly. Pay careful attention during the testing stage so that you can feel confident your app functions and looks exactly as you want it.

Market and Launch Your App

After your app has been completed, you’ll be ready to launch it. Before you do this, though, you’ll also need to make a plan for marketing and promotion.Some development agencies offer assistance for marketing apps. Ask about this during the selection process if you think you’ll need help with promotion.Whether you get help from someone else or handle it on your own, get people excited about what your app has to offer. Then, prepare to launch it on the app store and start seeing the downloads roll in.

Seek Feedback and Make Updates

Once the app is launched, the hard work isn’t done. You’ll need to pay attention to what people are saying about your app and how frequently they’re downloading and using it.Monitor your performance metrics and keep an eye on how close you are to achieving your goals. Then, make updates based on the feedback you receive from your audience so you can keep the app working properly and continue seeing great results.

Get Ready to Build an App in 2022

Now that you know more about how to make an app, are you excited to get started? Follow the steps outlined above and you’ll be able to start the new year with a new app that lets you take your business to the next level.If you want to partner with an experienced, award-winning developer to create your app, Alpha Bravo Development is the perfect agency for you. Contact us today for more information on our services or to get a free quote for your app development project.