How to create an app – Make an app in ten steps

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  Build a grocery app & deliver essentials to your customers.
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  Build a convenience store app & sell to your customers directly.
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Pre-launch

What should you do before making an app?

Individuals and companies do not just make an app. Businesses have to make a lot of considerations before taking a call to start the app development process

The following sections highlight the areas that entrepreneurs and companies must cover.

Conduct market research

Is there a market for the app? This simple question will tell you whether the entire venture is worth pursuing.

Not all app ideas have a clear audience. In some cases, the market is already saturated with existing mobile apps. There is no point in making an app for such a market segment.

Finding a good answer to this question requires a considerable amount of market research. Going through engrossing and long market surveys, reading studies and reports, and creating possible user personas is only a fraction of the task. Companies should ideally give serious thought to market research in order to ensure that they understand their audience perfectly

Estimate your app development costs

Next, you need to decide how much your app development budget is going to be. A lot of factors can affect the investment you need to make to build your app. From app features to your development method, every choice you make will affect your budget.

So how can you get an estimate of your budget? The first place to start is to make a list of all the features and services you need for your app. Next, take your list of requirements to a developer or agency. You will get an estimate of your app based on the number of hours that would be required to build an app that meets your requirements. While the estimate may vary, you should expect a quote north of $40-60K.

Alternatively, you can compare your list of requirements with the features offered by no-code app builders. No-code tools like AppMySite are powered by a ton of premium features that allow you to create an app that grows your business. The app development estimate you receive from an agency or developer is likely to be much higher than the fee you need to pay to sign up for a no-code platform like AppMySite.

Select an app development method

The next choice you need to make is deciding which method of development suits your business best. While custom app development was considered the only option for companies to build an app, low-code and no-code app builders are now a viable alternative.

Custom app development is associated with challenges like long timelines and steep budgets. It is also not easy to build an app from scratch given how difficult custom development can be. Low-code and no-code alternatives allow you to overcome these challenges with systematic and automated workflows. You can build powerful mobile apps on platforms like AppMySite without writing a single line of code in minutes.

The cost of signing up for a no-code app solution is generally much lower than the cost of hiring an agency or a development team. It is also far easier to understand the working of app builders compared to the complexities of custom app development. Once you decide on a development method, you can start building an app for your business.

Choose Android, iOS, or both

Android & iOS are the two most popular operating systems for smartphones. Most popular apps you know probably have both Android and iOS versions live on Google Play and Apple App Store. However, some businesses don’t choose to build both Android and iOS apps because of the additional cost involved.

If you’re in a similar situation, you have two options. The first is to choose between Android and iOS. While it may seem obvious to choose Android because it has a greater market share, it’s not that simple. Ideally, you should choose the platform which your audience uses more. If a larger part of your target audience is made up of iPhone users, it’s wiser to choose iOS.

The second option is to choose a no-code app builder like AppMySite. You can simply sign up for an affordable subscription plan that allows you to make both Android & iOS apps. There’s also no need to build Android & iOS apps separately with AppMySite as the process is the same.

Development

Create an app with AppMySite’s app builder in ten steps

Creating an app with AppMySite is easy. You can use simple point-and-click features to design and build your app. When the app is ready, you can test it on live emulators and publish it on Google Play and Apple App Store.

The following steps explain the process of creating an app from scratch with AppMySite.

01.

Create an AppMySite account

The first step is to create an account with AppMySite. You can sign up with your email or your Google & Facebook accounts.

Follow the steps below to create an account and set up your mobile app:

Sign up for AppMySite. Once you sign up, you can get started by setting up your app.
To set up your app, you’ll be required to enter the app name and choose the platform it’s built on. You can choose either WordPress or Other. AppMySite provides deep integration with WordPress-based websites. Some of the features you will get with a WordPress integration may not be available if you choose Other as your platform.
If you choose WordPress, you can also enable the WooCommerce toggle if you’re using it for your website.
Enter your app name.
Click on Create app.

You will then arrive at the Dashboard screen where you can start building your app.

03.

Create your app’s launch screen

A launch screen (also known as the splash screen) is an intermediate screen that loads when you launch a mobile app. You can make an impression on your app users and customers with a well-designed screen. AppMySite allows you to style your launch screen with premium design features. You can also upload your own artwork for the logo and background of the launch screen.

The following steps explain how to design your launch screen:

Add a background for the launch screen. You can either keep a solid color or add an image.
If you choose to add an image background, you can choose one from the stock library or add your own design.
Next, you can upload a logo design for the launch screen. If you don’t have a logo, you can add simple text instead.
There are various ways you can style the text like changing its color, font, and size.
Preview the design on the live preview screen to see the launch screen.

The easy design features available allow you to fully customize your launch screen from scratch.

04.

Design the login & sign-up screens

Almost every app has a sign-up and log-in screen that appears during the onboarding process. You can create these screens for your app with the effortless features available within AppMySite. From adding backgrounds and logos to changing the color scheme of the fields, you can fully customize these screens.

The following steps explain how to design your login and sign-up screens:

Add a background for the login & signup screen. You can either keep a solid color or add an image. If you choose to add an image background, you can choose one from the stock library or add your own design.
Add a logo to the screen. If you wish to add a logo, you’d need to upload your own logo design. Alternatively, you can enter a simple logo text and style its color, size, font, and alignment.
Next, enter the welcome text that greets users on the screen. You can again style the color, size, and font of the text.
Choose a shape for the social login buttons. The shape options available are circle, rectangle, and square.
Select a color theme for the fields that appear on the login and signup screens. Preview the live screen to see your login and signup screens at every step.

The option to customize the login and signup screens is only available if you choose WordPress as your website type. You can next set your app’s color theme and move on to designing the home screen.

05.

Customize your app’s home screen

The home screen is a crucial part of your app. All other important screens of your app should be easily accessible from the home screen. Within AppMySite, you will find many features to customize how your home screen looks and works. From adding banners to customizing different sections, you can take full control of your home screen’s design.

The following steps explain how to design the home screen of your app:

Add text to your home screen header and choose a color theme for the various sections.
Design the main banner. You can either choose a solid color or an image for the backdrop. If you choose to add an image background, you can choose one from the stock library or add your own design. Besides a background, you can also add banner text and customize its color, size, font, and alignment.
Customize how your category sections look. AppMySite enables you to customize both blog and product categories (in case you enable the WooCommerce toggle). You can choose which categories you wish to display, the design of the category tiles, and more.
In order to display a simple webpage on the home screen, you can use the web view feature. Simply enter the URL of the page you wish to show on the home screen. The mobile version of the webpage will be loaded on the home screen.
Select which of your website’s pages you wish to show in the footer of the app. Once this is done, you can manage the visibility and arrangement of the other sections such as recent blogs, recently viewed products, and more. At every step, you can preview how your home screen looks on the live screen.

The sections you see while customizing your home screen will change based on the type of website you have. If you choose WordPress with WooCommerce, you will see additional sections associated related to products, categories, and the cart screen.

06.

Add menus to your app

AppMySite enables you to add a bottom bar and a side menu to the app. These menus make navigation within the app easier. You can easily create and add menus to the app with simple features. While you’re creating the menus, you can preview them on the live screen.

The following steps explain how to create and design your bottom bar and side menu:

Navigate to the bottom bar screen. You will be able to see default items here.
Customize the button name, type, and icon. You can add up to five items in the bottom bar. There are also features to design the bottom bar. The options include customizing your item color, background color, border color, and more.
Next, navigate to the menu screen. You can either create your own menu from scratch or sync your website’s menu.
To create a menu, add items and enter the item name, type, and style.
Alternatively, you can choose to sync your website’s native menu to the app.

As you create both the bottom bar and the side menu, you will be able to preview both on the live screen.

As you create both the bottom bar and the side menu, you will be able to preview both on the live screen.

07.

Connect your website and app

AppMySite enables you to transform your website into a mobile app. Once your website and app are connected, your site’s content will be synced to the native application. You only need to go through the connectivity process if you choose WordPress as your website type. If you don’t choose WordPress, your website’s mobile pages will be rendered in the app automatically.

The following steps explain how to connect your website and app:

Install the AppMySite plugin on your WordPress website. You can then return to your AppMySite plugin and verify the installation.
Generate an application password on your WordPress admin panel. Validate the credentials on your WordPress website.
If the connectivity is established successfully, you will be directed to the Preview screen.
If you’re unable to establish connectivity, run the troubleshooter to diagnose the reason behind the connectivity issues.
You can also schedule connectivity checks to ensure your website and app are connected.

Connectivity ensures that your website’s content is always synced to the app. Any changes you make to your website will be visible on the app in real time.

08.

Preview your mobile app

App testing is a key part of development. AppMySite powers you to see how your app looks and works. You can either preview your app on live smartphone emulators or test them on smartphone devices.

The following steps explain how to preview and test your app:

In the Preview section, run the Android and iOS emulators. You will be able to see how your app looks and functions.
You can also change the device type to see if the app is responsive.
In order to test your app on a smartphone, you would need to install the AppMySite app.
For Android, you would need to install the app via Google Play and for iOS, you would need to do it through TestFlight.
You will be able to find the QR code to install the app on the Preview screen of your AppMySite account.

Any change you make to the app’s appearance or settings would be visible when you’re testing the app.

09.

Configure your app settings

In the Setting section, you can change the design and functionality of your app based on your preferences. There are options to configure the general settings, user onboarding, product & post display, social settings, and more.

In the following steps, you will see the types of app settings you can configure:

Add basic information about your business that will be displayed in the app with General settings.
Manage your app’s onboarding with User settings with features to enable sign-in, social login, and guest browsing.
Customize the display of your app’s page, product, and post screens with options to enable webviews and more.
Configure checkout settings according to your preferences. This option will be visible if you choose WordPress with WooCommerce.
Connect your social media handles and display them in the app. Simply add the link to your social media pages on the Social settings screen.

Once you’ve configured your app settings and tested your app, it’s time to download it from AppMySite and publish it to the app stores.

10.

Download and publish your app

After testing your app, you can proceed to create a build of your app. An app build simply refers to the file that you can submit to the app stores for submission. Google Play accepts AAB files for app submission while Apple App Store accepts IPA files. You can generate both these files on AppMySite.

The following steps explain how to create a build of your app and publish it to the app stores:

Navigate to the Download screen in your AppMySite account and click on Build Android app. Enter the required details to enable features like push notifications, social login, and app monetization. Configure app permissions if required and generate your Android app build.
Similarly, click on Build iOS app to initiate build generation. For iOS, you would need to generate certificates to create a build. You can visit AppMySite’s Help Centre for extensive documentation on how to generate your iOS build.
Once your builds are generated, you can download your app’s AAB and IPA files for app store submission.
Create your Google and Apple developer accounts to submit your app to the app stores. AppMySite explains the entire process of app submission in its Help Centre through detailed articles and videos.
Once your app is live, you can push future iOS app updates to the Apple App Store with the Auto-publish feature.

Any basic change you make within your AppMySite account will be synced to the app. Furthermore, changes to the website content will also be reflected on the live app. However, you will need to rebuild your app in case you change the app icon, launch screen, or app name.

Post launch

What should you do after creating an app?

Now that you know how to create an app, you can focus on ways to make it a success. Marketing is an obvious place to start along with app monetization and analytics. Furthermore, you should also make an effort to improve the app by incorporating user feedback into future app updates.

The following sections explain what you should do once your app is built and launched.

Market your mobile app

The first step is finding ways to market your app. Many businesses with a live mobile app have a dedicated mobile app marketing team. Given how many apps there are on the app stores, you need a strong marketing strategy to ensure your app is a success.

There are many ways you can promote your mobile app. The following points discuss some techniques to do the same:

App store optimization: This is a practice that helps you optimize your app listing to ensure it gets organic visibility on the app stores. Your app can rank higher if you add relevant keywords to your listing’s title and descriptions.
Social media marketing: Social media platforms must be part of your marketing strategy given their popularity. Besides posting content, you can run paid social ads to grow your app’s visibility.
Paid search ads: People also discover apps via search engines. You can run app install ads with search advertising platforms like Google Ads.
Build a landing page for your app: If you create a landing page for your app, you can funnel traffic to it and grow the visitors you receive on your app store listings.

There are other ways to promote your app as well. From publishing content in interactive formats like videos and podcasts to collaborating with influencers, you can find many ways to grow the visibility of your app.

Monetize your app

Finding a way to monetize your app is important because that is the ultimate goal of building an app in the first place. Knowing how to develop an app is only the first step. You must also find a way to monetize the traffic you receive on it. There are a number of mobile app monetization techniques you can use.

Some of them have been covered below:

In-app purchases: Involves the sale of digital products, services, and subscriptions within a mobile app.
Ad monetization: Involves the display of ads within a mobile app. With AppMySite, you can connect your Android and iOS app to Google Admob and display ads in your apps.
Product sales: The most obvious way to make money is to sell physical products in the app. If you don’t have an obvious product in mind or lack the resources to create an inventory, you can dropship products.
Paid apps: Another way to monetize your app is to list it as a paid app. Users will be required to pay a fee to download your app from the app stores.
Affiliate links: If you’re part of an affiliate program, you can promote third-party products and earn commissions by listing them on your mobile app.

As your app traffic grows, you can use these methods to monetize your app. You can choose a method that suits your business best based on your target audience.

Track app usage with analytics

Launching an app is not enough. You also need to know how your customers are using your app. In-depth analytics is essential for optimizing your app’s user experience and managing churn. You can keep track of your app’s essential KPIs and see if the experience being delivered is optimal.

AppMySite has an in-built Analytics feature and the following points highlight the data you can track:

Track app downloads by viewing active Android and iOS installs.
Know your app’s unique users and traffic segmented by Android & iOS.
You can also track app traffic over different preset time ranges.
Analyze your app’s most popular screens and see how many views each type of screen is getting.
Within AppMySite, you’ll be able to see how many views each type of screen is getting.

You can improve user experience by making popular screens more easily accessible within the app. Furthermore, you can correlate marketing campaigns and in-app updates with changes in traffic and find the best ways to bring more people to the app.

Optimize your app with user feedback

One part of managing your app listing is to respond to reviews left by app users. These reviews allow you to get a first-hand account from real app users about how your app works, where it works well, and where it does not. Your app’s development roadmap should ideally lean incorporate user feedback as it’s the easiest way to optimize the user experience.

With user feedback, you can find out the bugs and issues associated with your app. This can help your development team to find issues that were missed in a standard quality check.

What about trying to discover which parts of your app are most popular? You will be able to gauge this from positive reviews. You can then make popular screens or content more easily accessible.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is natural to have questions when learning something as complex as how to create an app. The following questions will help clear the doubts that readers have about the app building process.

How much does it cost to create an app?

The number varies depending on your requirements and choice of development. If you wish to develop an app from scratch with coding, here are the numbers.

A recent study showed the average cost of developing an app is $66,119. The study covered three different types of mobile apps and their development across fifteen countries and a total of fifty-five development teams.

Of course, you don’t need to pay this much to develop an app. App builders like AppMySite make things much easier. You can start creating an app by signing up for a sustainable plan on AppMySite.

How long does it take to create an app?

Traditional app development can take about four and a half months according to recent reports. With AppMySite, you can create an app in minutes and publish your app to Google Play and the Apple App Store.

How to create an Android app without coding?

All the sections above explain how to create an app without coding. There is no need to separately learn how to create an Apple app or an iPhone app. The process to create an Android app and iOS app is the same.

I have created an app. How do I get it to the Google Play Store and Apple App Store?

It is not uncommon to find people asking how to create an app and sell it. Ultimately, the aim is to make people download the app.

To get an app to the Google Play Store, you need to create a Google Play developer account first. Fill out the necessary details and make sure your app follows all the necessary Play Store guidelines.

To publish an app to the Apple App Store, you again need an Apple developer account. You also need other details and certificates. You can visit the AppMySite Help Centre for documentation and videos on how to create and publish your app to the app stores.

How can I monetize my app?

There are many ways you can monetize your app. Mobile app monetization is essential for making your app a viable commodity. You can find a previous section in this guide to and learn how to monetize your app

Why should I create an app for my business?

All trends point up when it comes to smartphone and app usage. Most businesses that wish to enhance their online visibility generally start with a website, but we know from consumer reports that mobile apps are preferred over mobile websites.

In short, smartphones are now the primary device type used to consume content online and mobile apps are the ideal medium.

The most reason you should create an app for your business is that it gives the opportunity to get more visibility and impressions. Whether you’re a blogger or run an online store, apps are ideal for attracting mobile visitors.