Despite what Jefferson wrote inside the Declaration of Independence not all people are created equal. OK, that’s not meant to be a political statement. The fact is, we all have our unique talents. If we were all equal we’d all be able to ball like Michael Jordan or bat like Babe Ruth. Some of us have greater natural skills than others; some of us have the ability to learn and promote those skills. As with sports, not all app developers are created equal, but unlike sports, you can become a world class developer by understanding what makes better developers more successful.
Some app developers are creating bonanza apps bringing in wads of cash for themselves and their teams while other app developers are just scraping by despite the fact that the app market is booming. What is the difference between the have and the have not app developers? Here are five things that every successful app developer does well.
Create Value
The number one defining aspect of a successful app developer is their apps create value for users. One of the key aspects is that they are not re-inventing the wheel. More than likely they are building on an existing successful app niche. Their apps are fresh takes on old issues. No one is going to build the ultimate battery saving app but if you can build an app that has all of the cool stuff of previous battery saving apps and add a fresh take or solve an additional issue that has been bugging people then chances are your app is going to be a winner. In essence, the most important aspect of a top app developer is that they are solving people’s problems in a way they haven’t been solved before.
Make It Different
Really different. So different it doesn’t look feel or act like the other twenty apps in the same category. If your app is a better mousetrap in a familiar category push the difference between yourself and the other apps. Make sure people understand why your app is different and worth downloading. This doesn’t mean putting in funny faces and silly sounds. Make sure the app’s performance is different. It is a value proposition that you are offering in the market. This app will add value in a way that other apps are not able or unwilling to offer, therefore this app is the only choice for at least the best choice for this issue.
Keep It Specific
Top app developers are not Swiss Army Knife developers. They do one thing and they do it really well. In addition they are clearly able to state what their app does really well and define it for the rest of us. They clearly define the one single benefit that will solve a problem in the users’ digital life.
Mash It Together
Pablo Picasso once said “ Good artists borrow, great artists steal” what he meant by that is that great artists lift techniques and incorporate them into their own artwork. The same is often true with app developers who will take one feature of the smart phone and combine it in an imaginative way with another feature. Location based pictures? Find a date near you? Combine social media with location. Got it? In short , take the capabilities inside the device and combine them in a new way.
Go Slow
Hey, no one said you’ve got to build in every single feature you’ve ever wanted inside the beta. Get the useful beta out and get it stable. Then slowly build out the capabilities of the app through multiple releases and updates. This shows the people that the app taking up space on the home screen is getting cooler and cooler so they have every reason to keep it there.
Daniel Palmer is a professional blogger that provides advice and information on mobile apps for businesses and small businesses. He writes for AppExpress, the top mobile app designers for small businesses.
