Best 24 Informative Questions To Create An Effective Mobile App
When we speak with busy mobile app development companies, they tell us that one of their biggest issues is correctly scoping the mobile app construction project. Too many projects become too organic, with new requirements emerging throughout the project's lifespan. It might be more challenging at times owing to the proliferation of ideas on what to build.
Instead of dealing with all of these issues, we've compiled a list of the top questions that a mobile app development business should ask their clients. It normally begins with one of your new clients approaching you with a fantastic concept for a mobile app that will assist change their business and reach out to existing consumers as well as a large number of new ones.
Let's look at some of the questions that a mobile app development business should ask their clients before constructing their app.
#1. Why Do You Need An App?
Every successful product addresses a problem and meets a consumer requirement. It is advisable to think large when it comes to mobile strategy. Consider what problem your app will address for consumers and how it will make their lives easier. It is critical that your app is either unique or improves on the concept of a competing app.
Your app must have a function and suit the demands of your customers. Don't squander your money on shoddy knockoffs that will never succeed. Instead, strive to establish a clear vision of what you want to accomplish with your app.
#2. How Will Your App Help Users Conveniently Accomplish A Task Or Provide Something Beneficial To Them Within The Context Of Their Lives?
The finest applications usually just do one thing, but they do it really well. Users prefer simple, focused apps since they do not want additional features to obstruct their experience. Apps with a single focus can maximize resources to offer the one thing your consumers require the most flawlessly.
The most successful applications are those that outperform or vary from the competition in some way. More features can be added to the app as updates in later versions if users request them. This technique helps you to release quality software more quickly and indicates your commitment to constantly improve your app.
#3. AUDIENCE: Who are your target users? Current customers?
What problem will your software address for them? Why is a mobile app the best solution? Could a mobile-friendly website be just as good, if not better, at solving the problem? What devices or platforms are the most likely to use? There are significant demographic disparities between the Android and iOS platforms that must be considered. This is also your opportunity to describe how you can assist with app store optimization (ASO).
#4. This Might Seem Basic But What Os(S) And Device(S) Are You Targeting, And Will You Require Connectivity?
The way a mobile app is developed has just as much of an influence on its success as how it operates. If you want to create a successful application, you must first select the appropriate technology. There are three primary possibilities from which to pick.
Option 1: Native App for a Specific Platform
Native applications are designed for a single mobile platform, such as iOS or Android. The programming language used to create these apps is only supported by the platforms' operating systems. A native software may make extensive use of your device's hardware and capability, improving the user experience.
Option 2: Native Cross-Platform App
Apps created in this manner use shared SDKs (Software Development Kits), but they still operate natively. React Native and Flutter are two popular cross-platform native app development frameworks. While certain native benefits are lost, this is still the most cost-effective method if you have a small budget yet want an app built, optimized, and formatted for more than one type of device.
Option 3: Hybrid Application
A hybrid app works on all devices and operating systems. The cost-effectiveness, mobility, and speedy deployment are three primary drivers of the hybrid mobile app development approach's appeal. However, bear in mind that you lose the benefits of native components and native interaction patterns, which means you compromise some of the app's user experience.
#5. How Will You Utilize The Features?
In terms of functionality, there are an endless amount of combinations imaginable (sharing on social networks, geolocation, access to contacts, NFC, electronic signature). But are they all truly necessary? Will your target consumer want to use these features?
If you have any doubts, you should design an application that works but lacks all of its functionality. The MVP application is neither a "minimum application" nor one that has all of the functionalities. The MVP application will also help you to deploy your mobile application sooner and at a lower cost, allowing you to learn from your users' input and thereby develop your mobile application.
#6. Are You Working With Your It Team From The Beginning?
It cannot be overstated: Marketers offer themselves the best chance of success by facilitating a firm handshake with I.T. Unfortunately, we've seen programs come to a standstill because I.T. was not consulted from the start and didn't have the bandwidth or buy-in when the time came to launch. Make IT your best friend, marketers!
#7. How Are You Protecting User Information?
An unsecured mobile application poses a significant risk to the entire system. And it is on our devices that we store and work with vital data such as payments, financial information, access keys, medical and personal information, and so on.
There are several approaches to resolving security challenges. However, securing mobile security is a difficult procedure, especially when you must identify a hazard in a certain app and set its security level yourself. The majority of common solutions adhere to basic security practices, while some are tailored to mobile app development.
#8. Can Your App Become Even More Valuable With Other Apps?
It is critical to consider your app as a means of providing distinct value. Users are pressed for time, and all they want is speed and ease. As a result, in order to generate and foster loyalty, your app must provide genuine consumer value at every stage. This value might manifest itself as usefulness, entertainment, convenience, or a variety of other factors. An app with seamless functionality that may be utilized in a range of settings is often the most enticing.
Personalization helps to humanize the mobile experience by allowing for the creation of truly tailored app experiences that boost brand engagement and conversion. According to Epsilon, more than 80% of people demand customized interactions with companies with whom they interact. App users want interactions that are personalized to their choices, location, and user behavior.
#9. How Are People Discovering Your App?
Consumers expect businesses to understand their preferences with personalized marketing and content in the mobile age. It is critical for the success of your app that your messaging be relevant and personalized to your consumers. Utilize app analytics to determine what content is most engaging to users and use this information to shape your message approach. Use geolocation technologies on mobile devices to send personalized and relevant messages to people based on their location.
#10. Can You Describe The Mobile App In A Few Sentences?
This is not to take the consumer off guard; rather, it is to determine how well they comprehend the "essence" of the software. Is it planned, for example, to leverage app analytics to provide segmented push notifications? The more they understand it, the more certain you can bet that they will be extremely specific and focused on what the app needs to accomplish, who it is aimed at, how they will use it, and so on. This is also your opportunity to demonstrate how you can incorporate crash reporting and API endpoint monitoring to keep the program functioning smoothly.
#11. What’s The Budget?
You should also agree on an ongoing budget for the app after it is online. Hosting expenses, continuous app optimization, on-boarding, and in-app use, discovery optimization, push notification services and managing scaling out back-end systems as app user growth are all likely. Knowing how much continuous labor the app will necessitate may also affect how much you charge throughout the initial development process. You might opt to cut costs on the first construction in order to get the app to market faster, then collaborate with the app owner to continuously enhance the app over time.
#12. Who Are The Key Stakeholders?
Is this who you're dealing with, or are there others you should be aware of? Who is in charge of the budget? Who is in charge of the project? Someone else, or your contact. What are the phases of decision-making? Who should be consulted at what level of the process, from ideation through prototype, build, test, and release? Who will you collaborate with after the launch? Is there a formal procedure here (you should hope so), or is this a more organic process, and if so, it should be point 1 on your Risk Register, in large, strong, black ink letters.
#13. What Does Success Look Like At Each Stage Of The Process?
Is this who you're dealing with, or are there others you should be aware of? Who is in charge of the budget? Who is in charge of the project? Someone else, or your contact. What are the phases of decision-making? Who should be consulted at what level of the process, from ideation through prototype, build, test, and release? Who will you collaborate with after the launch? Is there a formal procedure here (you should hope so), or is this a more organic process, and if so, it should be point 1 on your Risk Register, in large, strong, black ink capitals.
#14. What Are The Business Objectives For The Mobile App?
Is the mobile app intended to improve staff efficiency? Is it there to introduce the product or service to a new user profile? Will it result in more sales from existing customers? All of these are valid reasons to create an app. The answers to this question will have a significant impact on how you construct the app, what its primary features and functions are, what platforms it must operate on, and what analytics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) you must measure once the app is live.
#15. Who Will The App Compete With?
Has the customer conducted a thorough analysis of rivals in the space on which you may base your work? Refuse to accept the statement, "We don't have any competition here, we're the first to do this?" It's a frequent answer, but it's generally false. There may be no direct rivals doing EXACTLY the same thing, but that doesn't imply there aren't alternative solutions for individuals to solve their problems. This should not be a side-by-side comparison.
#16. What Design To Consider For The Mobile App?
Is there a set of business rules that the mobile app layout and screen designs must follow? Will this be available in a mobile format? Will this inform you how the app store icons should look? Will this have an impact on how the app appears to customers browsing the store? What room do you have to argue with the branding police in order to acquire some design leeway that will allow you to execute an amazing job?
#17. Is There Scope To Have Multiple Releases?
This applies to both the native platforms on which you must develop and the functionality. Is it possible to concentrate on a minimal viable product (MVP) as the first release, with a feature roadmap? Is it necessary to launch with all features on all platforms on the first day? This may be desirable, but is it truly necessary? Even if you must go Big Bang, it is still beneficial to collaborate with the customer to identify and agree on the minimum viable product (MVP). This will assist to concentrate conversations about the launch budget and timeline.
#18. What Is The Backlog Of Functions For The App?
Even if you're not utilizing an agile software development strategy to construct the app, asking your clients to create a backlog of (non-MVP features) is a highly effective technique to encourage them to prioritize between the app's key functions and those that are non-core for the version 1 release. This also helps you plan future app releases, which is critical for App Store discovery optimization (ASO) and managing your future project work (and cash flow).
#19. How Is It Going To Be Hosted?
Is there an existing infrastructure that it must connect to? What are the security precautions? Are there any upstream microservices that must (or would be beneficial to) be integrated into the app? Is there going to be a website (of course mobile friendly) that will coexist with the app and exchange user profile information, etc.? Is it necessary for the app to interface with any additional vendors? (Salesforce, SharePoint, etc). How will you manage user-generated content, and what is the intended upload/download format of that content? With an industry-leading mBaaS platform, you can remove the burden of designing and managing the server-side of your service.
#20. What Are The Data Points That Your Client Will Need To Get From The App?
Baking the measurements, metrics, and benchmark targets into the mobile app at the design stage will assist ensure that the mobile app construction phase delivers on the key success metrics. How will you focus on MVP features if you don't establish the fundamental metrics that drive the app's concrete measurements of success from the start? Also, sketching out the analytics and metrics throughout the construction saves the misery of attempting to retrofit these late in the day, or worse, being tricked into measuring the performance of the app based on what's simple to measure, rather than what are the genuine measurements of success. Measures of recency, frequency, length, and lifetime should be central to this.
Clients want to know:
- How many downloads? On what platforms?
- The ratio of push notifications activated?
- How many of that download is actually fully installed?
- What features are being used the most?
- How frequently is the app being used?
#21. What Is The Monetization Strategy For The App?
If it's a B2E software that solves internal difficulties for a company to increase employee efficiency, there's still a monetary element and a Return on Investment business case. How will it boost revenue for the company if it is intended to do so? Will features be accessible through in-app purchases or a subscription model? Is it a real or virtual product that will be delivered after payment (and hence do you want logistic tracking)? Will there be in-app advertising to monetize app traffic? Knowing this and designing the app with the business purpose in mind will keep the customer motivated.
#22. How Is The App Going To Be Found When It’s Ready To Go Live?
If it's a B2E app, this may not be as vital, but for B2B and B2C apps, being noticed in GooglePlay and the AppStore is critical to attracting consumers. Don't dismiss it as an afterthought. It isn't. This must be considered during the design and development phases. Make sure it follows the design criteria of each store it's listing in; if it doesn't, getting it listed will be difficult. To ensure you're targeting the proper keywords, you'll also need a solid app store optimization tool. Consider future releases carefully, as they have a significant impact on discovery. Apps that are constantly being developed will rank higher in the marketplace.
#23. What About Post Launch? What’s The Ongoing Plan To Learn & Improve?
You're not going to get everything perfect the first time, no matter how great you are as a mobile app development agency. You're also unlikely to be able to supply all of the features your customer desires within the money and timeframe you've been given. The clients will be laser-focused on the first delivery point, which will be the launch of the mobile app. That's understandable. However, it is your responsibility to train them to think in the long run. Getting them to consider the MVP and generate the backlog establishes the mindset that this is a continuous endeavor.
#24. What Dependencies Are There, That We Need To Consider Before We Can Get Started With Your New App?
It's preferable if you can get the customer to explicitly state what needs to be done before they sign the work order and begin the job. Is it necessary to have an ideation workshop (to ensure that an app is truly what they require)? Is it necessary for the budget holder to sign off on a purchase order? Are you both protected by a Non-Disclosure and Confidentiality Agreement? In a nutshell, what are the impediments to commencing this project within the next hour?
Benefits with Expert App Devs:
Building a successful app is no longer limited to a select group of skilled engineers. Designers, inventive businesses, and creative marketers, in fact, are dominating the mobile application and web application markets. If you have a brilliant concept but lack software development abilities, you may simply locate a partner like Expert App Devs who can provide a world-class product.
Second, you don't have to be technologically savvy while developing an app business. There are several tutorials on "how to design an iOS app," "which programming language is the future," and "which framework is the final answer." These are all critical questions.
Conclusion
It is critical to remember that app success necessitates strategy, understanding, and constant commitment. Finally, success is frequently discovered through providing value to your consumers and concentrating on creating an outstanding user experience.
At Expert App Devs, we understand the significance of incorporating business app software into company strategy. Our technology enables enterprises to create native code-free apps for a wide range of business operations. Contact us today to learn more about what Expert App Devs can accomplish for your company.
Jignen Pandya
Vice President at Expert App Devs
Responsible for creating a sales funnel, attracting top-of-the-funnel customers, and converting the target market.
