Generating an app idea
There are a few really good techniques to help you with your next big app idea. To make things clear, you should realize that there are no completely new ideas. Most ideas are a combination or a variation of an existing idea. When you accept this fact, it helps you open up your mind and think more creatively.
Here are some techniques to generate an app idea.
Technique 1: Solve your own problem
A lot of times the greatest results are often produced by the simplest ideas. These ideas hardly come from brainstorming sessions but are born out of problems you face yourself. There are huge chances that the problems you have are experienced by other people tooIf this problem can be solved with an app, then it’s a good enough reason to build one.
Put down these ideas and find out if a similar solution already exists. This can come in handy if you want to make a better version of what already exists.
Technique 2: innovation 2.0
Great innovations are sometimes the combination of already available solutions. This is super common. For example, the popular game Zynga is just online Scrabble which offers multiplayer and social features.
Dating apps are also a good example. Today there are variations of dating apps targeting different audiences or offering extra features that are not available on other apps.
Think about the apps you use often. Could you take the most useful features and combine them to build a profitable app with no-code?
Technique 3: Upgrade an existing app
Have you ever used an app and wondered why a feature wasn’t present? If you have then that’s a potential app idea!
Things can always be improved and made better. So with this mindset, you will always find opportunities for improvement. If you think an app is not updated frequently enough and you know that a feature would make all the difference, then that’s an opportunity for a new app as well.
One way to confirm this is to review and check the ratings of the original app. If you find users complaining about the same thing and it hasn’t been fixed yet, then that could be a chance to build something with that requested feature.
Do a competitive market research
After you have written down your app ideas, the next step is to find out if there are existing apps that already fix those problems you want to. Don’t be discouraged if you find an existing solution. Remember that there’s always room for improvement and they’re generally no new ideas.
In fact, this can be a good thing because it confirms the viability of your idea. Our job is to discover how well other apps are solving these problems.
It’s possible that these apps are not regularly updated to meet the mark of what customers need or want.
When you go through the app review on Google or IOS App Store, take note of the following:
- App name
- Features
- Price/monetization strategy
- Last update
- Ratings and reviews
- Downloads
Put this down in a spreadsheet because this research will be your starting point to find the features to add to your app and which ones to prioritize. This ensures that you're on track to building a profitable app with no-code.
App name
This is for identification purposes. Also, look through similar apps to find out if there are certain keywords that keep popping up in the title.Feature
Put down all the features of the competing apps and highlight the following:- Core features that all apps have
- Unique features that set them apart
- Missing features from all competing apps
Price
Find out what monetization model your competitors use.Are they working with a subscription-based model or do they offer a one-time payment?
Do they offer freemiums?
How can the monetization model be tweaked to make it more appealing to users?
Last update
This research helps you find out how well-maintained an app is. If the author hasn’t updated it in a while then it’s an opportunity for you to build a better version. However, if the author is actively updating then it’s a sign that your competition could be tough. It also confirms the activity of the market.Ratings and reviews
Find out how users are rating this app. Are they rating it badly? If yes, why? Is something missing or broken? This will help you find out what the drawbacks are and help you avoid them.However, if this app is rated highly, install it and play with it. Take notes of the user experience and features. This will help you plan, design, and implement yours for optimal user experience.
Read the reviews and find out what users are saying. Are they asking for something and not getting it or are they leaving positive feedback? Let this information guide you in building yours.
Downloads
The App Store doesn’t let you see the number of downloads for an app, but spy tools like SensorTower is a tool that can let you see the number of estimated downloads of an app for free.
Write out the features of your app
Now that you’ve gone through competing apps, analyzed the flaws and strengths, you should have an idea of the features you want to add to yours to make it stand out. Remember your goal is not just to build a profitable app with no-code but to solve problems for people first.
Start by highlighting what the users will be able to accomplish.
For example, if it’s a social networking app, you can highlight uses like:
- Users will be able to create an account with Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
- Users will be able to write a bio, add a profile picture and choose a username.
Design and ship an MVP
MVP stands for Minimum Viable Product. The idea is to create a simple useful version of your product and get it into the hands of the users. You then improve the product based on feedback from the users.
This is so important and useful. This is where no-code development comes into play. Whether you’re a programmer or a non-technical founder, building with no-code saves you time and money.
Typically, we advise early-stage founders and even mature startups to work with no-code experts from WeLoveNoCode. You can get your MVP built within 2 week so you can quickly get user feedback and iterate.
You repeat this iterative process until you arrive at a product that fits what your users want. This is called Product-Market Fit (PMF).
Some Functionalities to Note
Usability
This describes the ease of using your product for its intended purpose. It falls under User Experience (UX) which focuses on how the user feels while using a product.Your app should inspire delight, awe, and satisfy your users. You do this by making your app intuitive to use and hiding unexpected animations to delight your users.
This comes down to how you display elements in each screen, how you organize functionalities, and so on.
Onboarding Sequence
This is basically the process of getting users familiar with the user interface of your app.No-code tools you can consider for designing and prototyping your sequences and app include:
- Sketch
- Figma
- InVision Studio
Create a Marketing Plan for Your App
With over 2 million apps in the iOS App Store, you need a marketing plan to get your app in front of your target audience.
It’s common these days to find marketing activities started even before the app is launched. For example, building a pre-launch email list is becoming popular.
Here are a few strategies to consider.
Build a landing page for your app and collect emails.
You can use no-code tools like Carrd to build a landing page. This is important because people want to learn about your app before and after you launch. No-code platforms like MailChimp can come in handy for emails.Create a media kit for your app
This is the package that contains information about your app for things like logo, mission and vision statement, screenshots, etc. This can be a good resource for journalists who would like to write about your app.Build in Public
Publicly sharing about the progress and milestones that your app has achieved will naturally inspire interest. People like to be part of a growth journey. You’re gaining interest by sharing lessons, stories and progress so when your app launches, you already have an audience that will support you right off the bat.Get Familiar with App Store Optimization
This refers to optimizing your keywords, title and description of your app to get it ranking on the App Store.After launching your app, consider the following:
- Press release for your app to get attention on magazines and online news sites.
- Paid marketing to give your app an initial momentum. Before you do this, research the best paid channels to find your app’s target audience.
- Send an email to your pre-launch email list.
- Reach out to communities in Reddit, Facebook, etc
Consider these no-code tools to build your app.
- Adalo
- Glide
- Appian
- Work with no-code experts
Submitting Your App to the store
Finally, you’re ready to launch your iPhone app for millions to use. There’s just one hurdle to overcome and that's the Apple App Certification Team.
Here’s how to get past in a breeze
- Make sure your app is reviewed against the App Store guidelines.
- Fill in your app metadata on the App Store Connect. Remember to have your screenshots and demo video handy.
- Upload your app from Xcode to the App Store.
- Hi back to App Store Connect and then submit your app for review.
- Get approval. This takes between 2-3 days.
Building a profitable app with no-code may not be a walk in the park. However, with the right information and tools, you can get an MVP to market quickly and affordably thanks to no-code development. When you follow these steps, it gives you an edge and puts you on a path to building a profitable
mobile app.
