Got an app idea? Validate it first!

Swarnendu De October 29, 2015

How does app idea validation benefit your product?

Everyone wants their ideas and concepts to be made into an app. The thought that needs to be reflected upon is if the idea is worth investing time and money on. There are lots of products aimed towards quick launch and fame but when it comes to being in the long run, most businesses don’t think their goals through. If your app has less to no active users after the initial 6 months incubation period (post launch), it could end up being a huge risk factor for both your product and business.

If you can follow 3 simple steps of validating your app idea, you could land up with a profitable model for your product and it will still have the same or more amount of active users compared to when you started.

Here are 3 stages of mobile app idea validation.

1.  Ask yourself these questions before building an MVP

There are several questions that you need to ask yourself before building an MVP (Minimum Viable Product). Here are a few questions you might consider asking yourself:

  • Is the idea original?: In a planet consisting of over 7 billion people, you can’t be surprised if your idea has already been pondered upon by another individual. Conduct a thorough research on your concept and the market you are targeting your product on. Your app loses half the credibility if it lacks originality.
  • Does it benefit people?: It’s a business and you’re here to run profits, but is your product benefiting your consumers? Make sure you double check this point, because if you connect with your audience correctly, then the battle is already half won.
  • What cause does it serve?: There should be a valid cause for your product to exist as a long term business. The better your cause, the more trust your consumers are going to shower on you.
  • Do you have a solid business plan?: Have you thought about all possible outcomes to your new business initiative? A new business plan needs to be thoroughly structured and analyzed based on logic, trends and resources. If these things are not accounted for it might cause unnecessary ramifications later.
  • Do you have all the necessary resources?: All the best concepts that the world has seen didn’t just come out of hard work and logic. The most important question to ask yourself before starting a business is whether you have the resources or a strong production plan to survive any outcome.

Not answering these questions have lead to the shutdown of many potential business ventures. So always cover the discussed topics before commencing with the development process.

2.  Build an MVP

Now here comes the toughest task. For an idea to be materialized in a presentable fashion you need to build a quality MVP. Your effort doesn’t end there, as your MVP should be a working product that people can use, understand and relate to. For example, just take a look at this thread. One of the readers correctly points out what seems to be wrong in the concept of creating a landing page without an actual product. Quoting Peter Liepmann, a landing page without MVP is not an MVP. In that case, the only message your landing page is going to send is:

We solve all your problems! Right. Bye

What most people don’t understand is that, it’s alright to be unable to decode the right MVP on your own. It is always safer to hire the right an app development agency to shed a better light in designing the interface and developing a proper MVP.

3.  Ask questions to potential buyers before developing the app

It’s a golden rule to review the opinion of your target audience before developing your product. Reach out to your prospective consumers and ask them for a feedback or basically what they would like to see in your product. Remember, the success of your app solely depends on how well you please your consumers. Check out some of the worthy examples of people who successfully launched their product following this principle.

Let me tell you from personal experience. While working on Barnoparichay, we realized the need for reaching out to Bengali parents with kids belonging to the 4-8 years age group. In order to do so we created a Facebook/ Twitter page for Barnoparichay and invited our friends to join. We sent emails to parents, from our group of friends and acquaintances, requesting them to try the app and send us an honest feedback. We followed up with them regularly to get reviews.

If your app is a paid one, you need to ask users whether they are ready to buy what you are offering. You have to show case and prove the value proposition that makes them want to spend money on your product.

The Verdict

App idea validation is becoming a successful formula for developing quality mobile applications. While you may think highly of your idea, the usability of your product might not be received as well by the target audience. It is always wise to consult with professional mobile app development companies who have prior experience of handling such scenarios successfully.

If you have a genuine query about app validation just drop a comment below.

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