How to create an app in 2024?

AI is personalizing ways how an app works, AR and VR are elevating user engagement, and on-demand apps, coupled with super apps, are the latest platforms, rapidly gaining momentum. For the mobile development industry, 2024 counts as a transformative year.

As spectators, we are marveling at the trends and technologies changing the dynamics of Mobile App Development, reshaping it into a more innovative and dynamic domain.

While the basics on ‘how to create an app’ remain more or less the same, developers must pay attention to the added nuance and niceties in 2024 to ensure their apps have the intended impact.

This guide will help you learn how to create apps in 2024. Everything you come across here applies to making an app in today’s experience-driven world.

So, here’s your sign to bookmark this master guide right away!

Create apps in 2024 with our 9-step guide

The world of mobile apps is a dynamic one - always shifting, adapting, and introducing new realities. In 2024 alone, we see a slew of advancements powered by a line-up of technologies, such as AI, machine learning, and blockchain, changing the way developers create apps.

Our 9-step guide on how to make apps acts as a blueprint for an app development company. By following these steps, app development companies can streamline the process, ensuring efficiency, quality, and compliance to best practices.

Step 1: Define your app’s concept

One of the important stepping stones to building a winning mobile app is defining its core concept. The process sets the right pace for the entire development lifecycle, guiding every decision on features, functionalities, and design.

Perform exhaustive market research, spot avenues of opportunities, identify your target audience, deliberate over what objectives you want to achieve, and how your app can assist you in achieving so. Most importantly, assess your competitors and take insights from their successes and failures to refine your strategy.

While doing all of that, stay adaptable and open-minded. The landscape is ever-changing. See which way the wind is blowing and optimize your concept as many times as needed to hit the mark.

Don’t forget an important rule of thumb: create your app’s concept as a solution to a problem that actually exists. Don’t build a concept without validating its need in the market.

Step 2: Build a monetization strategy

As soon as you’ve nailed down the app’s concept, take some time to think about the monetization strategy. It’s a critical step towards ensuring the continuity and profitability of your app.

While many app development companies consider monetization as an ‘afterthought,’ we believe it should be prioritized early in the process. Decisions made towards this aspect have a direct influence on the UI design.

Three typical ways of minting money from your app includes in-app purchases and upgrades, in-app advertisements from third-parties, and subscriptions.

Step 3: Choose the right development approach

Making an app for mobile devices involves a bewildering array of tasks. It’s an intricate process, demanding considerable skill, expertise, and time. It’s pivotal to choose a development model that aligns with your app’s requirements, while fitting into your budget.

You have three main approaches to pick from for app development: developing it yourself, hiring an app development company or a freelance developer, or using an app builder, offering no-code/low-code development.

While every approach has its merits and demerits - depending on factors like cost, skills, and project complexity - having an app development company onboard solves a laundry list of challenges. Firstly, such a company has comprehensive, market-leading expertise to cater to a diverse range of client needs and industry demands. Secondly, it’s abreast of latest developments in the field and applies advanced practices to build a mobile app. Thirdly, it allows clients to create and distribute mobile apps quickly and affordably.

Step 4: Pick your preferable features

While selecting app features, prioritize simplicity over trying to include everything. Don’t oversaturate your app with features. Separate ‘must-haves’ from ‘nice-to-haves’ and build the first version having necessary features. Conduct an initial testing, and you’ll gain insights into what your users actually desire.

That being said, it’s crucial to create a lineup of potential features that distinguishes your app in the cluttered market. To build a USP into your app, focus on ensuring UI simplicity, navigational ease, quick loading, responsive design, and high-quality media resolution.

Besides, emphasis should be placed on integrating dynamic features based on new technologies like AR and VR. For instance, if you’re building a social media app, adding some AR-powered, unique filters can significantly elevate user experiences and give your brand a market edge.

Ultimately, knowing that having a cohesive, well-curated set of features will not only contribute to ensuring standout user experiences but will also ensure that the app is competitive and future-focused.

Step 5: Design customer journeys and user interface (UI)

Now that you’ve defined the app’s purpose and features, it’s time to decide on what kind of user experience and user interface you want your mobile app to have. Collaborating with a UX designer can help facilitate your vision.

A UX designer will bank on the findings of digital strategists and information architects. He’ll be responsible for carving out user interaction journeys, more like a GPS system that moves customers from the starting point to the main destination within the map. He will prepare low-fidelity wireframes, or architectural drawings, that display the flow and the functionality of the app.

Having a wireframe comes in handy when visualizing the look and feel of the app, gauging engagement levels, and setting coding expectations.

Once the wireframes and user journeys get the green light, it’s time to piece together a user interface that appeals to your target audience. UI designers will experiment with different graphics, colors, and trajectories of hierarchy to bring together a UI that’s not just aesthetically pleasing but also user-friendly.

As you go about finalizing your app’s UI, keep in mind the four key elements that seals the success: 'intuitive,' 'speedy loading,' 'user-friendly,' and 'accessible.'

Step 6: Develop and build an app in a test environment

With everything set up, it’s time for the real grind to start—coding.

Think of coding as the actualization of the plans outlined in the blueprint. App development companies put a considerable amount of effort to code and bring out the intended impact.

Yet, when coding occurs incrementally in a live testing environment, it becomes simpler to determine whether or not a feature is operating as anticipated. Besides, the possibilities of errors and unforeseen issues reduce significantly.

Coding in a live environment necessitates the use of a password management tool, which is recommended to keep remote files secure as developers across the board collaborate and work on such files. App security, on the other hand, should be paid heed to. You can ensure it by safeguarding the source code, conducting penetration testing, and validating input. Also, confirm HTTPS and SSL/TLS implementation.

Step 7: Test for iOS and Android devices

Congratulations, you’re a few steps away from releasing the app. You’ve come a long way since you first started searching for ‘how to create an app.’

However, there’s one crucial step left—testing. Writing an exhaustive list of tests and conducting them one at a time is an indispensable part of creating an app that works seamlessly without any glitch or gaps.

If you’ve partnered with an app development company, they will plan and conduct testing on all versions of the app across various operating systems and browsers. They will even turn to beta-testers to uncover any bugs or issues before the actual release. Having beta-listers onboard provides a valuable opportunity to have an insight into the app’s performance against real-world scenarios.

We suggest testing your app's performance based on the following metrics:

• Speed of the overall app
• Prevention of crashes during any operation
• Performance in low connectivity scenarios
• Alignment of functionality and interaction with intended tasks
• Visual design that is appealing and compatible with all screen sizes
• Navigation that is intuitive and efficient
• Absence of concealed app elements
• Clarity and relevance of the app's name and store description

Step 8: Release the app

Once you’ve reached an ideal first version of the app, the app development company you’ve hired will help you release it on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Every app store has different policies and regulations that you must adhere to.

For instance, submitting an app to the Apple app store requires an overwhelming amount of work due to the platform’s stringent standards for app quality and safety. The company meticulously examines every little detail about the app, and the review takes up a few days.

Speaking of the Google Play Store, you need to furnish all the mandatory information while submitting your application. You’re supposed to add keywords for optimization and ranking in the store. Next, upload your APK file and follow the instructions specified in the Google Play Store Console Guide to publish your app.

The time it takes for Google Play Store to approve an app depends on several factors, leading to varying roll-out times. With new regulations coming in, the review process might take longer. While releasing the app to the Play Store, remember to adhere to the established rules with an eye for detail.

Step 9: Take feedback seriously

User feedback is a crucial determinant of your app’s success. Releasing the app on the app stores isn’t the endgame. The real crux lies in taking into account user feedback, along with oscillating market trends and volatilities, and optimizing the app on a consistent basis for maximum performance.

Keep your eyes peeled for user reviews, comments section in the app store, the forums users regularly land on, social media, and other potential user reviews to hone your app version.

Finally, regarding customer support, the primary rule of online reputation management advises timely and professional responses to any negative feedback, reassuring users that their concerns will be addressed in the upcoming app update.

How to create an app: Important FAQs

1. How much does it cost to develop an app?

The total cost of making an app depends on a host of factors, including the type of the app, the features it has, and the industry segment it caters to. You can read our comprehensive guide to know how much budget you should allocate.

2. Can I create apps by myself?

Absolutely, yes! However, you must upskill yourself. Start watching tutorials on coding and application development. Familiarize yourself with various testing frameworks and resources available. However, if you don’t have enough time in hand, you should rather choose an app builder for low-code development. It's a far simpler and cheaper solution.

3. What kind of apps are gaining popularity in 2024?

As mentioned towards the beginning of this article, on-demand apps and super apps are high in demand. Companies are increasingly collaborating with an on-demand app development company to cash in on the craze and gain a competitive advantage.

4. How much time does it take to make an app?

The time to create an app varies greatly depending on complexity and features. Simple apps may take a few weeks, while complex ones can take several months or more.

Recommended Reading: Mobile App Development: An essential guide for business executives