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This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.
Developing an app has become a much more approachable undertaking, which in turn makes things a lot more complicated. Thousands of apps are launched and streamed through the App Store and Google Play every day — how do you stand out?
For starters, it’s important to do your research. Know the common mistakes mobile developers and designers make during the process. Gather the tools you need and use them effectively to give your app the best shot at becoming the next Instapaper or Draw Something. There’s even an app to help you build an app.
We’ve gathered seven useful resources for you to utilize before, during and after you’ve developed a mobile app. What other services do you find useful? Let us know in the comments.
![Apple’s Insanely Great 1986 Clothing Line [PICS]](https://iza-server.uibk.ac.at/pywb/dilimag/20210113092156im_/http://6.mshcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/125,appleclothes_thumbnail-.png)
![Inside Twitter’s New San Francisco Headquarters [PICS]](https://iza-server.uibk.ac.at/pywb/dilimag/20210113092156im_/http://6.mshcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/125,13-Rooftop-Garden_600.jpg)
An important part of the planning process is consumer discovery, a fancy term for how users will find your app or mobile website. Think of this app as the SEO for mobile apps: You can track your rankings and competition, and optimize keywords for search. In short, you'll have a better idea of where your app is going and who is interested.
If you're creating an app for Android, this developer style guide will answer any questions you may have about app development, from wireframing to tracking progress after your app goes to market.
If you're making an app for iOS, Apple also has a set of guidelines available for you to study before getting started.
From the beginning stages of an app's inception to organizing as you go, App Cooker is a great mockup design tool for anyone preparing an iOS app. Pricing ranges from $19.99 to $49.99, so you're not spending a fortune for your ideal structure.
Looking for someone to test your app? This site is a social network specifically for developers and startups to find the right person to try out their product while it's still in beta.
It's inevitable that, while in or out of testing, your app may crash a few times. You can receive real-time crash and error reporting and live analytics with this handy service.
Looking for support or answers to your questions from other developers? Stack Overflow is a forum chock-full of advice, tips and tricks from other developers. The site allows users to vote on questions and answers, so you know which have proven to be more useful than others.
More Small Business Resources From OPEN Forum:
- Should Small Businesses Follow Everyone Back on Twitter?
- Are You Falling into the Pricing Trap?
- How to Take Your PR Pitches to the Next Level
Image courtesy of Flickr, William Hook
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4 ![With Nexus 7, Google Finally Gets Android Tablets Right [REVIEW]](https://iza-server.uibk.ac.at/pywb/dilimag/20210113092156im_/http://8.mshcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/125,Google-nexus7-600.jpg)
5 ![Interactive Furniture Responds to Touch [PICS]](https://iza-server.uibk.ac.at/pywb/dilimag/20210113092156im_/http://6.mshcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/125,Nunoerin.jpg)
For anyone thinking about app development, I highly recommend using a universal development framework such as Marmalade or PhoneGap ( I prefer PhoneGap ). These will let you develop an application in C++ or HTML5 / JS that will run on iOS, Android, and WMobile. I have gotten burned before redeveloping apps for other platforms, LEARN FROM MY PAIN!
Thanks Austin. Doing it right the first time so to speak.
Check out Android Inventor for rapid prototyping. I actually built a really simple API for it that allows you to access an existing MySQL database using conventional PHP 5.
which are the most innovative apps?
Very goog post! View > http://www.loblogue.com/2012/05/como-excluir-conta-do-facebook.html
I am a daily user of App Cooker and I can tell you that it’s absolutely brilliant. When I am with clients they instantly work with me because the tools and the interface are really good! A no brainer for iOS developers and designers with great App ideas!
Our company has a free product, iRise Studio MX, that helps you develop VERY high-fidelity simulations for iPhones and iPads. We also have a high-fidelity, realtime collaboration product that lets you create and revise ultra-realistic simulations that can then “stand in” for requirements docs. Of course, that also means that people might not have to read text-based requirements docs anymore, and of course, that would be a TERRIBLE shame, huh? ;-)
Well Done!
If you’d like to know how an app performs and looks on real devices, my company makes AppThwack (http://www.appthwack.com). It supports Android apps for now, although we’re about to add web and iOS options. It’s in free beta.
Regarding bug reporters like Crittercism, there are quite a few companies offering tools in this space like bugsense and apphance. It’s so easy to add to an app it doesn’t make sense not to use one.
Great list of tools to help people get started – i’d add Appcelerator Titanium to the list as well – (full disclosure, i work there), its a great tool to introduce simplify the management / development of supporting all the major platforms and mobile web.
One of the things that’s left off of the list but that drives a lot of long-term value is the ability to talk to your app customers. Most app developers approach this as an afterthought and as a result, waste 10′s of thousands of their first downloads. If you’re not learning anything about what people like, what doesn’t make sense and what people really love about your app, you’re going to move more slowly than your competition, it’s as simple as that. It can be as simple as implementing an email feedback button or integrating a more robust solution like what we’ve built at http://www.apptentive.com. The important thing is that when you release an app, you have a plan for communicating with your customers.
I think that developing on mobile also has its special implications, such as network use and battery life.
AT&T ARO is a great tool for optimizing these aspects specifically for Android apps: http://bloggeek.me/optimizing-mobile-apps/