There’s an App in You – 10 Guiding Steps

By Tony Deblauwe

Since launching my business app iPocket Coach for iPhone and iPod I’ve been flooded with inquiries about how I did it (given I’m not a software developer or own a Mac). More than the story of how iPocket Coach came to be is trying to crack the code of the new gold rush which is mobile phone app development. Many people want to cash in, but struggle with the creative side of how to develop an app - especially as an extension of their business.

Some of the questions that typically come up:

-I’m an individual offering services, how can I connect what I’m doing with an app and reach a larger audience?
-How do I show I’m with the times in terms of technology?

-Is this a wise investment strategy for me?

I think everyone has the ability to create an app that supports their business and highlights their talent. I assembled some steps that I learned from my app experience and hopefully that will help you decide if jumping into the mobile device software application market is right for you.

1. Define your experience
Working in corporate life, I coach people everyday on operational and strategic business needs. It could be talent management, leadership, or team development. Regardless of the situation, the need for clear communication always exists. In particular managers have to constantly communicate needs and expectations with people. When managers meet with me to discuss people matters, the conversation often boils down to – what do I say? They want a script in essence.

That’s how I got my ‘ah-ha’ moment. Why not offer words of wisdom for managers across a variety of common scenarios in a mobile format? Once I could visualize the outcome and the user experience of how to offer this information easily accessible on a phone, building the guts of the app was straightforward.

When you first think about your app, analyze the activities you do everyday that impact others. How can you consolidate that experience into an app? How would your user use the app and find it meaningful and valuable? This thought process will help unearth leads into what you could create.

2. Write or draw it out.
I love to brainstorm around creative problem solving. Often we get so tied up in daily tasks that we need to break away from convention in order to let our creative thoughts run wild. Since I am predisposed to creative solution mental states, I installed a whiteboard in my home. Pencil and paper, napkins, or other media are fine, but for me I needed space to walk around and capture every random and outlandish I had. Whatever your preference is, create the creative space that works for you. Also, jot down all the keywords that relate to your app as well.

At this stage you’re not editing or deciding what can or can’t work. You’re building the experience and designing what the user experience might be (and look like on the mobile device). You’re chronicling how the user moves (and what decisions they’re making) from one part of the app to the next. Don’t limit yourself or purge ideas trying to make your app practical. You should feel physically tired after each session of brainstorming to know you’re doing it right. And don’t worry about getting everything out in one session. It took me a few revisits to the whiteboard to feel satisfied that I captured the main elements.

Speaking with other amateur app creators, they used a small notebook to represent each screen. Others were more fancy using a PowerPoint slideshow with embedded hyperlinks to mimic user clicks from one screen to another. Whatever it takes to capture your ideas and help you see a picture of the outcome is what’s important. And don’t forget – the sophistication with today’s mobile-based software allows for audio, video, and a connection back to your server or website. Don’t overlook these elements in your design.

3. Step back and see what you have
After I reviewed what came out of the creative process, I started to think about connections. Connections between the value I felt the app had and what it meant for me (my personal brand) and my business. Essentially once I could get a sense of what the app could be I did a self-check to confirm it made sense against my original premise. I asked myself - had I gone on a tangent and got caught up in all the possibilities without building enough substance? Am I feeling good, or at least trending towards, the ability to explain how the app is helpful and how it reflects my expertise?

I wasn’t trying to completely red ink everything and try to discount my idea, rather step back and understand the intent. This is important because when you build a statement of work, you have to outline very clearly what the app does. If you haven’t spent time flushing out the creative piece against your original idea, you will find yourself in feature overload very quickly and that leads to a derailed project.

4. Create a Statement of Work (SOW)
This doesn’t have to be overly complex. I modified this one available on Elance. What you want to do is walk through the app, one step at a time, and record the functional roadmap of information the user interacts with. Start with the landing screen when users open the app. What do they see? Is it a menu, a picture? Are there directions? Look over your creative notes – what did you draw or write that reflects the first step in the user experience?

Do some research.  If you’re developing an Apple app, you have a wealth of resources that chronicle every app out there. I used AppShopper and AppAdvice. Likewise you can check out AndroidApps or browse the BlackBerry app store and type in your keywords. See what else is out there. Most apps have screenshots so you can get a sense of how the app is arranged.

Your SOW should also include stipulations around number of revisions, cancellation of the project due to dissatisfaction or other reasons, payment (fees) schedule, support, etc.

5. Validate with others
No matter how great you think your app is, even when you are ready to move forward, you need to have others provide feedback. Ideally you pick a focus group of trusted folks that present your target user. Make sure that you can explain the benefits and that it’s clear to the group how they navigate the app features. Take notes, update your SOW or creative pieces as needed, then move to the next step.

6. Hire a developer
For someone unfamiliar with the software development model, this can be a daunting task. Translating your vision into something an engineer can code correctly is anxiety-inducing. Fortunately there are services like Elance, Rentacoder, Guru, oDesk, and ScriptLance that have ratings, portfolios, and profiles of companies and individuals that can help you decide. I chose Elance because I have had success on this site for multiple projects.

When you review the provider descriptions - check out the portfolio – how many apps have they created for this platform? Also:
-Are they cross platform in case you want the app on different environments?
-What are the testimonials and ratings?

-Are they good with creative elements in terms of matching form and function?
-How will you communicate?

-How frequent are the updates?

Sourcing - selecting an individual or firm to build your app is no different than the bidding process you would use with a contractor remodeling your home. You might pay a little bit more for the reputable ones, but you are less likely to run into delays, or worse, they take your idea and run.

Cost – realize that most apps, even if they sell for $1-2 USD take anywhere from a couple of thousand dollars to over ten thousand. And that’s not USA development costs – many countries that have outsourced development like India and Eastern Europe are somewhere in the ball park. My app was not that involved compared to developing games, but I needed graphics, several screens, etc. which still cost money. Because your budget will be limited, you might need to strip your SOW of a few features to make it work. I had to make this tough choice with my app. I had several more interactive pieces I wanted included, but the costs kept mounting so I removed them.

Also if in the future you decide to mirror your app on another platform like Android, even though you have all the files, its different coding. That’s why it’s so important to get a reputable developer who has cross platform experience. They can offer a discount and they already know your app inside and out. If you want an app that runs on the Symbian platform smartphones you’ll pay the most money.

Testing - make sure you have a way to test the app in progress. In my case I had an iPod touch and I synchronized the work in progress I received from the developer through iTunes. In addition, I asked for plenty of screenshots in case I had problems.  You can get through an app development process without going through the trouble of linking one of your devices, but it’s a bit harder. A good developer will walk you through how to do this.

7. Evaluating the final product
Now the fun part. You’ve been working back and forth with the developer, you were excited (or disappointed) with some initial trials, but finally you have what could be the go ahead product. If you submitted a clear SOW and built a good rapport with the developer, the app should be exactly or very close to what you imagined. If you hit a snag, hopefully the modifications are minor (like misspelled words, spacing, or related causes). Functionality, graphics, and the major architecture should be sound.

8. Prepare for upload
Loading your production ready files to Apple, Blackberry, or Google sites is easy or hard depending on your experience. They’re all a bit confusing to the non-developer, but again, your developer should help you with this process if you want to stay hands-free. A couple of things to remember:

Your SOW should include a clause about support and maintenance by the developer so if they take care of loading everything, they will address any questions that come up from the support site. Sometimes a couple of developer files can be missing something (for example an ‘app bundle’ for Apple store) that needs minor tweaking. Your developer can adjust and take care of it directly.

You are giving access to private data. For Apple, your developer ID is typically your existing iTunes account. You may not want a third party developer to have that since it’s connected to your credit card and other personal info. All sites require a social security number and bank info to deposit the earnings from your app.

What I did was familiarize myself with the environment. I created a developer account myself, and I asked my developer to walk me through what I needed to have in each screen. That way I completed it all without exposing sensitive data. It took longer, but I felt more secure. Certainly not a knock on the developer, but I preferred it this way.

Pricing – you can rest assured that if you don’t have an Apple app that does something amazing, more and more you’ll find no takers for apps priced above $2.99 USD (and that’s already pushing it in the Apple store these days). The Apple minimum is $.99 USD (you get a 70% royalty) and Blackberry the minimum is $2.99 USD (you get an 80% royalty).

Many developers continue to argue about lower price points against costs for development, but the attitude around pricing has more to do with what consumers expect to pay for a mobile phone based software versus a regular computer program. For you, it’s about exposure to you and/or your business first and high volume sales second.

Of course – don’t forget to send press releases, blog, Twitter, and all of the normal and customary marketing activities to get the word out about your app. Your app will always be discovered at some point just being out there, but it makes sense to help it along. If you can get reviews from leading or high traffic sites - even better.

9. Set a time and budget for updating
Unless your goal is to throw something out there just to get noticed, you’ll probably want to invest in updates. As the initial interest of the app wanes, or changes to technology or your own business direction occur, keeping your app fresh is an important consideration. Many people solve this problem by tying the app back to a website that is easier to manage versus adding developer costs year after year.

Others create a simple app with embedded advertising and leave it running. Whatever your intent, decide how often you want to update, and why you are updating, then budget accordingly for additional developer costs.

10.  Continue to expand
App development is becoming easier. Already there are sites that allow you to create simple apps and upload them quickly. As your app helps your brand and adds continuity to your existing business, expanding your reach is important. Having multiple apps that tie in to each other produces credibility. The more tools you offer for busy people on the go that bring them back to you and your products and services is critical.

Leveraging technology to bolster your current and future initiatives can keep you in front of your competition. While time and budget are always factors, the more time you spend up front seeing how apps can improve your visibility and bottom line, the more likely you are to benefit from a global customer base eager to consume what you have to offer.  
   

 

Are you looking to develop your app? You can hire Tony to help you with your creative concept and get your app off the ground. Use the contact form for more information