When you’ve been in business for any amount of time, you know that every success story starts with a great idea. And you also know that ideas can be a dime a dozen. Some are exceptional. Some are ok. Some are like platform shoes; they seem like a good idea at the time, but… no. And some are just plain no-go’s from the get-go. When it comes to apps, ideas may be easy enough to come by – but taking the next step can be more challenging. How do you know it’s a good idea (or possibly a great idea)? How do you know people will respond to it? Is it feasible? Am I just wasting my time? Fear not: we have some tips for evaluating app ideas.
5 Tips for Evaluating App Ideas
You don’t have to be a coder or programmer to take your idea to the next level and begin to figure out if it is feasible:
1. Talk to your targets.
One of the best ways to determine if your app idea will land in your market is to talk to your target audience. How big is the problem/challenge that you are going to help solve? How often do they face this issue? Do they have a current solution, and are they happy with it? Would they be willing to pay for your solution?
Use social media ads, social media posts, websites like Quora and Reddit, and surveys to find your answers.
2. Do some browsing.
Hit the app stores (App Store and Play Store) to get a sense of the competitive landscape. There is an app for nearly everything, so you need to conduct an analysis of similar apps and their features. Enter the category name in the search box and check out what apps are out there. Use keywords that your target audience might use and, again, see what pops up.
Make a list of the top 10 or so apps and mark down their key features. Which are common? Which are uncommon or unique? Are there any gaps? Take a look at their ratings and reviews. What do customers have to say about these apps – and where is your opportunity?
3. Plug in those keywords.
Make a list of 15-20 keywords that people might search for related to the problem you are trying to solve with your app. Use a tool like Moz keyword explorer or Google AdWords to see how much traffic each term generates. Is there a good deal of buzz? If so, it tells you that people are looking for solutions like yours. If not…. Either check your keywords and try again or consider whether your solution isn’t really a solution at all.
4. Create a landing page.
Make a landing page devoted to your app and share it with people you spoke with in your market research phase (including friends, family, coworkers, colleagues, and other connections). This will help you see who is interacting with your landing page and app. Include a description of your app (with targeted keywords), screenshots or mockups, and an email subscription form. Then use a tool like Google Analytics to track clicks.
5. Test it out.
You can submit a rough version of your app to a platform like AngelList or ProductHunt to see how folks in your target audience interact with and react to it. If you don’t have a prototype, you can use these solutions to enter your app description and list of features you will offer.
Not sure if your idea is a winner – or what to do if it is? Get experienced web and mobile app developers on your team. They can build the app, of course, but they can also provide critical input in terms of feasibility. Ready to start? Contact MVP.dev today.
