You’ve decided to build an App… Great!

Now there are a couple of different ways you can start building your App – App documentation is the first step.

I’m sure some of your friends, colleagues must have advised you to attend a workshop to learn about building apps, take online courses, how to make money from them and what platforms to build them. But if you’re serious about building an app you probably understand the basic concepts as to how to go about it.

Some of your entrepreneur friends might have even advised you to get some investors on board. But you know investors don’t invest money on something which is just an “idea”, they’ll need to see something tangible. Investors are always on the lookout for a well researched, validated app idea that has a product-market fit and scalability.

For example, take the real estate projects, people don’t start the building process unless they have a solid building plan and some documentation on how to build it.

Similarly, with the apps let’s save the time by making the right move. Let’s take the “first step” towards developing the app idea, and that means app documentation.

At Appomate we help you start with documenting the app functions, needs, and scope for your app. We do this for free of charge so that you can show the documentation to investors and get your app idea – a validated cost estimate to built it.

That’s Right, For FREE!

Example of an SOW document for an app project in Melbourne.

Click the image above to download this template and complete your own app documentation.

Proper documentation will allow you to show investors, explain it to business partners, apply for government grants and most importantly in future there won’t be any surprises while you are getting a quote from anywhere because it’s all in the documentation.

Example of a scoping document for an app project built on an iWatch.

So don’t waste your valuable time attending workshops or taking advice from people. Remember investors will be interested in your app idea only if they can see some tangible results.

Get started documenting your app idea today, click here to find out how.

Call us today to find out more 1300 781 794

Recent years have seen a massive uptake of mobile applications by users. Therefore, having a mobile presence either as responsive web or as native apps has become a necessity for businesses rather than it just being a competitive advantage. Any business that does not have a mobile presence stands the risk of losing potential customers/users to its competitors.

In fact, many large companies like Uber adopted a mobile-first approach i.e. Uber developed its mobile app and built a business around it without ever building a website with all the bells and whistles that the app has. Having said that, there are companies like Facebook that start off as responsive web applications and then after generating enough revenue, delve into creating a mobile app to support their business.

However, even with a strong understanding of the need to have a mobile presence, entrepreneurs and businesses may find adapting an entire business to go mobile only – quite a task and often quite confusing.

So when you do decide to build your own mobile app, where do you invest? Do you invest in building a responsive web app or go directly to building a native app? To answer this question, we need to have a clear understanding of what “responsive web apps” and “native apps” are.

Are responsive web apps better than native apps or is it the other way around?

The answer to this question is: It depends.

There are a number of parameters that can help you throw light on what approach is the best for you. A few key factors are:

1. Cost
2. Time
3. Quality
4. Functionality

Let’s explore responsive web vs native apps in greater detail.

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In the current app-economy, where everyone either has or is developing an app that is “the next BIG THING,” it is helpful to understand some of the most common ways to get started in developing your idea into an app.

The following are five different approaches to getting your app idea kick-started.

Learn to code

Yes, you heard it right! Learn the art of coding through platforms like Udemy or Codecademy, and get started with your relatively simple app idea. This is a time-consuming method ideal for those with much time on their hands, but no funds. It can take anywhere from 3 – 10 years to become reasonably good at coding and able to create a good app on your own.

Explore the DIY platforms

Are you looking to build a simple app with no sophisticated features, but don’t want to learn hardcore coding and are hindered by a lack of investment? Do-it-yourself app-building tools like Appmakr, AppInstitute, and AppInventor may just be the right thing for you. These tools make use of pre-built templates to quickly and easily create your app. Even better, many of them don’t even charge for using the service.

Build a virtual team

In this scenario, you build your team of developers, architects, UX designers, and testers through outsourcing platforms.

A number of websites like Upwork.com, Freelancer.com, and Guru.com provide easy access to a large pool of app developers from across the world. Cloudpeeps.com is a good one to find a higher-quality digital team. There is an obvious cost advantage to this approach. However, you had better be a good project manager as the buck stops with you. Coordinating people around the world will take more time and effort than you might originally think—especially if this is your first time doing it.

BYOT: Build Your Own Team

If you are really confident about the success potential of your app idea—say you’re convinced to have the next Uber or Airbnb—and you have secured some good funding, you may build up your own development team and management structure.

This approach is typically for those who have been down this path before building successful businesses, are funded, or know how to raise millions in investment. This approach is probably the most expensive but the quickest and where you have the most control. You can also find good programmers who will build the app for equity in your business. It is not easy though as good programmers often either work on their own idea or get paid really well by tech companies. This is another example where your sales skill can help to sell the value of your app and have someone to quit their job to join you as a partner to build your idea.

Find a development partner

An experienced app development firm can act as your development partner to help you get your app from the idea stage to the profitability stage. Entrepreneurs looking for holistic support must perform due diligence before partnering with an app development firm to obtain the highest level of quality, reliability, and promptness. This approach is for entrepreneurs who have a budget to get the project off the ground, and typically well suited to those who are running another business or performing a “day job” while the app development is happening in parallel.

Entrepreneurs looking for holistic support must perform due diligence before partnering with an app development firm to obtain the highest level of quality, reliability, and promptness. This approach is for entrepreneurs who have a budget to get the project off the ground, and typically well suited to those who are running another business or performing a “day job” while the app development is happening in parallel.

Ultimately, the best app kick-starter approach depends really on the resources you have—time, skills, and money, and how advanced your app is. Building your own team or using a reputable development partner increases your chances of success. Although virtual teams and freelancers may work out as a cheaper option, I am yet to find any success stories using those approaches.

If you are an Entrepreneur looking for resources to build your App business, here’s a step by step guide, Create your App and Grow Rich written by B Kris – Founder, Appomate.