So you have decided to build an app or a digital product. You may be eager to just get started and fire ahead with development. But what are the other considerations you need to prepare before you approach a development team?
We’ve Summarised 7 Key Considerations That We Think You Should Be Aware Of And Start Planning Before You Begin Talking With A Development Partner.

1. Do the research
Ensure you are able to communicate your idea with a development team.  Do your research, have a business model or strategy in place for the app before you speak to them. Also ensure you consider all ongoing costs, including hosting, services and ongoing support and maintenance.
Without a plan it can cause catastrophic issues down the line, wasted development time and a lot of unnecessary stress.

2. Branding
Every platform will have a particular look and feel, and this is usually based on your brand guidelines and current trends. To ensure you have a consistent online presence, we suggest making sure you have a brand in place before you begin any development.
3. Illustrations and Photography
Your development partner will usually work with you to design mocks and interfaces. However, to add more personality you might need to source specific photography, illustrations and animations to bring your digital platform to life.

Stock sites can be used to source photography, but you might want to find a photographer to produce photos that are bespoke to your platform.

4. Legals
It is important for digital platforms to have a privacy policy and terms and conditions, particularly in light of GDPR. This a necessity if you collect user data (via user accounts), use maps, send push notifications or use the camera in any way.

There are templates for these online, but we’d suggest getting these checked over by a lawyer. This can take time and money and should be considered early on.
5. Developer accounts and hosting
You will need to have a hosting provider for any data you store. Apps on the App Store and Google Play will need a developer account on each platform. Your development team should guide you through which accounts to set up, but you will need to make sure you have budgeted for these costs and set aside time to help set these up.

6. Marketing and sales
Once you are ready for launch, you need to have a strategy in place for spreading the word. For mobile apps, you may want to build a sales website alongside the development of your app, and start planning out online campaigns. Running a digital platform should be treated like running a business – to guarantee results you need to have a consistent plan in place.

7. Find the right team
It’s essential you find the right team for your project. Different developers have different approaches – spend time scoping out the project with them and get to know one another before you make any large commitments. Make sure you feel assured that they have the right experience and that you feel comfortable raising any questions or concerns with them.

Image from: https://edubirdie.com/

These 7 key considerations should give you a quick overview of things to research before you start building an app. Once you have considered all of these things and have a plan in place you will be ready to get started!

If you have any questions about how to prepare for a digital project, the GearedApp team would be more than happy to help! Please get in touch today to chat to one of the team.