How to create a low-cost mobile application to test an idea?

Creating a low-cost mobile application for your business is an exciting process, but it can also be intimidating.

As a small business owner, you may not have the resources to hire developers or designers to create an app from scratch. In fact, it’s likely that you have no idea how to even begin building one yourself. 

That’s okay!

Not every entrepreneur needs to know how to code to build their own mobile app; there are plenty of other ways that you can get started creating your own software product on the cheap.

In this article we are explaining you how to create a low-cost mobile application to test an idea.

Talk to users and validate your idea

To validate your idea, you need to talk to your target audience and understand what are their needs. Talk to as many people as possible and ask them questions like:

• What are the problems they face?
• How did they solve these problems so far?
• How much do they pay for solving them (including time spent)?

Create a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

As a start-up, you might not have the resources to build a high-quality product. This is where Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) come in. An MVP is a product with just enough features to satisfy early adopters and development of an MVP can be done quickly and cheaply.

To successfully create your own low-cost mobile application, here’s how you can do it:

• Create a prototype using Paper or InVision
• Send out surveys to potential customers and ask them which features they would like your application to have
• Create an online survey form or Facebook ad campaign that asks users what they would expect from this type of application (features, price point etc.)
• Start building the app using tools like AppyPie

This is a great way to build your first mobile application. It’s quick, cheap and easy to do.

If you don’t have the resources or time to build an MVP yourself, there are companies out there that can help you with this process. 

 

Define the essential features

Now that you’ve done the research, it’s time to define the essential features of your app. This is an important step in the process because it helps ensure that every feature you build is absolutely necessary for users and not just nice to have.

 

Here are a few questions to ask yourself that will help you to create a low-cost mobile application to test an idea: 

• What are my users’ main goals? What do they want to accomplish? How do I know this? There are two ways:
  • ask them directly (you can even create a survey or write a short questionnaire),
    •  
    • or look at how other apps solve similar problems for their users. If your product doesn’t address something important for people, then why would they use it? You need to understand what motivates them before building anything else!
• Is there any way we could get rid of some features without impacting our overall vision of what this product should be? Not all ideas are worth executing on just because they came up during brainstorming sessions. The key here isn’t quantity but quality; if everyone agrees that something isn’t necessary then don’t force yourself into doing more than what’s required by necessity alone!

Prototype and test with users

You’ve done your homework, and now it’s time to create a prototype that you can test with real users. This will help you understand if the problem is worth solving, how people are struggling with it, and whether or not your solution is viable.

It’s important for you to go out and get feedback from potential users on this MVP—the earlier in the process you do this, the better. You’ll learn more about their pain points than if they were asked about them later in development since many of these issues may be resolved before launch anyway.

 

Get feedback, iterate and add features

Once you have a prototype, it’s time to get feedback from users. This step will help you understand what people like and dislike about your app.

The more that you can learn from this process, the better your final product will be.

Getting feedback from users can be difficult, especially if the product is still in its early stages. You will probably want to get friends and family involved in this process. However, it’s important to remember that they may not be the best people to give you feedback on your product.

 

It’s important to remember that your friends and family can’t be objective about your product, especially if they know you. They may not tell you something because they don’t want to hurt your feelings or make you feel bad. In addition, people who are close to you tend to give more positive feedback than negative feedback.

If you’re having trouble getting feedback from users, consider hiring a professional. There are many companies that can help you with user testing of your product.

These services will send out people who are not familiar with your app to get first-hand feedback.

 

How can we help you to launch your app faster, cheaper, and better?

Like most start-ups, you are probably running on a shoestring budget. You likely need to launch your mobile app quickly and cheaply. Your business model is not yet proven and there is no money to spend on expensive software tools or outsourced developers.

If this sounds like you, then you are in the right place. I am going to show you how to create a basic mobile app with just one tool and no coding knowledge whatsoever. When creating a mobile application, it’s important to remember that you don’t need to invest too much upfront.  Creating an MVP can give you the opportunity to test your idea with customers before spending more money on it. 

Takeaways:

• Designing an MVP (minimum viable product) is a good way of testing an idea before launching it on the market. It allows users to try out new features while also helping developers learn what works well or not in their product.

• There are several tools available today which make it easy for anyone with no coding knowledge whatsoever to build mobile apps quickly. If you need a professional to take care of your project and assistance in the realization of your MVP, contact us.

Now we hope you understand better how to create a low-cost mobile application to test an idea.