{"id":1778,"date":"2025-03-18T07:38:36","date_gmt":"2025-03-18T07:38:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chilliapple.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1778"},"modified":"2026-01-19T09:32:02","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T09:32:02","slug":"6-considerations-before-building-an-app","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chilliapple.co.uk\/blog\/6-considerations-before-building-an-app","title":{"rendered":"6 considerations before building an app"},"content":{"rendered":"

The average person spends a staggering 2 hours per day using mobile apps, from social networking and entertainment through to ecommerce and business. So, it\u2019s little wonder that we\u2019re inundated with enquiries for all manner of innovative app ideas from fledgling startups through to Blue Chips.<\/p>\n

Some concepts start as little more than a scrawl on the back of a beermat, and others arrive in the chilliapple inbox with a 50 page brief attached, and fully formed designs.Whatever stage you\u2019re at, here are six things to consider before you start building any app.<\/p>\n

1.Why do you need an app?
\n<\/strong>Apps are all the rage, but do you actually need one? First, think about what you\u2019re trying to accomplish and whether the requirements could be fulfilled by a good mobile responsive website instead. Second, think about your user base and how much value they\u2019ll get from an app. Are your customers engaged enough to make regular use of it? The space on a smartphone\u2019s home screen is valuable real estate \u2013 you\u2019ll need the app to capture and keep their attention.<\/p>\n

2.How will you attract users?<\/strong>
\n\u201cBuild it and they will come\u201d is rarely a successful philosophy \u2013 once your app is developed you have to market it. Whether you\u2019re creating a services directory, events platform, or social media app you need a critical mass of suppliers, events or people to make it a success. Suppliers won\u2019t be incentivised to register on a platform where there\u2019s no customers, and customers won\u2019t use it if there\u2019s a limited choice of suppliers. Consider offering perks for pre-registration before your app goes live so that you avoid a \u2018chicken and egg\u2019 situation, and get off to a flying start.<\/p>\n

3.How will you generate a return on investment?<\/strong>
\nToo often we see business plans that are little more than \u201cI\u2019ll grow the user base and then allow paid advertising\u201d.\u00a0 The best apps are simple and uncluttered, and deliver inherent value, be it entertainment, education, data capture or time saving. Don\u2019t ruin the user experience and alienate your customers by plastering adverts all over it. Consider creating premium paid features which provide value to your users. If you\u2019re developing a business app which saves time and money, could it be white-labelled to your competitors or other similar businesses in exchange for a monthly licensing fee?<\/p>\n

4.Start small
\n<\/strong>Don\u2019t fall into the trap of thinking you have to replicate all of your competitors\u2019 features. Focus on your unique selling points and niche. Less is sometimes more. Build a Minimum Viable Product<\/a> (MVP) with a good user journey which you can continue to enhance. Users will be more engaged if the app is refreshed with new features and updates on a regular basis, and you can ask them for feedback to help shape its development. If your marketing budget is tight then aim to promote it locally or within one industry, and scale up from there. Very few apps become overnight successes.<\/p>\n

5.Think about the backend<\/strong>
\nThere\u2019s more to an app than what the user sees on their mobile phone or iPad. What information will you, as the owner and adminstrator, need access to on a regular basis? Do you need to verify users and create new accounts?\u00a0 Do you need a Content Management System (CMS) to keep it up to date? Do you need to report on data collected through the app? Do you need to manage Push Notifications? All of these may add to the build cost. Work with your agency to create a development roadmap and anticipate what your future needs might be.<\/p>\n

6.Which devices should it work on?<\/strong>
\nApps can be built for iOS and Android, or both. If you\u2019re building an internal business app for use by a handful of people who all have iPhones, then you\u2019ll only need an iOS app. If you\u2019re creating a mass market product, you\u2019ll likely need both. Consider whether you need it to be compatible with tablet devices and iPads as well as mobile phones. You can find out more on our Mobile App Development<\/a> page.<\/p>\n

Planning to Build an App? Connect with Our Expert Team<\/p>\n

By considering these above-listed six essentials before development begins, you\u2019ll avoid costly missteps and set your app up for long-term success. But, if you still fail to do so, don\u2019t worry! Our experts will help you turn confusion into clarity and your app idea into a winning product.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The average person spends a staggering 2 hours per day using mobile apps, from social networking and entertainment through to ecommerce and business. So, it\u2019s little wonder that we\u2019re inundated with enquiries for all manner of innovative app ideas from…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1780,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mobile-app"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n6 considerations before building a mobile app<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The average person spends a staggering 2 hours per day using mobile apps, from social networking and entertainment through to ecommerce and business.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.chilliapple.co.uk\/blog\/6-considerations-before-building-an-app\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"6 considerations before building a mobile app\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The average person spends a staggering 2 hours per day using mobile apps, from social networking and entertainment through to ecommerce and business.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.chilliapple.co.uk\/blog\/6-considerations-before-building-an-app\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Blog & Updates - 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