AppsGeyser’s team has found that guide apps, also called how-to apps are in high demand in the Android Market. Good guidance apps are installed as many as 4000 times a day, and for good reason. They help Android users solve a real pain or problem.
Whichever apps you are trying to build, we have come up with some guides on how to get started.
1. SEE A PROBLEM YOU NEED TO SOLVE
This is the first step into selling. You must know that you are trying to solve a problem. When you come up with guidebook apps, you must see it as a means to help solve a challenge, not merely making more money or become popular. People will naturally gravitate towards the direction of their solutions. This will make you see that you are not only creating anything for the fun of it, or trying to be casual. Successful entrepreneurs solve problems in ways that we could not have imagined. Every product and service you use were all created to solve a problem. The difference was probably in the dedication put towards it.
Once you already have an idea to create a mobile guidebook or a guidebook app + study guide app as a solution, see that you do it well.
2. IDENTIFY NEEDS
Google may help you out with what people find most challenging to do. In creating a mobile guidebook, you need to see an area where people frequently request for information about. You could also build a landing page that broadly highlights your app idea and seek user interest through an email signup. After this you may use Google Keyword Planner to look for the number of people seeking out what you’re trying to do.
3. LAY OUT FEATURES
Create a plan for the features that you plan to inculcate in your guidebook. The features would depend on what guide your app is providing. Consider using a wireframing tool if you want to show extra devotion. Also, remember to be as detailed as possible as you put down your plans.
Apart from helping you in narration to potential users, it also helps your developer to clearly understand your expectations.
4. TAKE DESIGN VERY SERIOUSLY
Design is very important to how users see your app. It helps them to decide if you are worth taking seriously. Do not joke with your design or settle for anything basic. Designs are not only how your app look but also how your app works. No one likes to have a hard time using what ought to be a helpful tool so look for a good developer. A solid development team will help you create a great experience for users which will lead to more installs of your app.
5. REGISTER DEVELOPER ACCOUNT
You can’t sell your app on any store without registering for a Developer account so don’t try to evade this. If you have a company, you may register as a company; otherwise, you have the option of registering as an individual.
You may consider choosing a catchy name once your app is built. Try out two or three different names in the Android Market and see which one catches on. Remember that the app’s name has to tell people what the app does. So try to use a name that gives an idea of what your app will do for users even before they move to the features.
6. GET FEEDBACKS AND REVIEWS
Once your app is live, it is important that you take reviews. Positive reviews are a quick way to build the trust and confidence of other prospective users and help you know what to improve upon.
7. GET BETTER FEATURES
From your reviews, you must have known where your travel guide app or study guide app or any other app you decide to build is strongest and where it is weakest. Build on this and have better features. Get more feedback and do even better.
There are a number of types of how-to apps that do well:
1. Android-related Apps
These apps focus on solving technical issues for Android users. They help Android users use Flash, use browsers, solve memory problems, or solve other real Android issues.
2. Universal Problems
These apps focus on problems that anyone could have. They can help people navigate the difficulties of the everyday life. Many have challenges with dating, keeping to diets, and so on. You may also have an app where you explain how to buy or sell a house, how to potty train a toddler, book a light, use a lift, or any other challenge that you think people may need guidance for.
3. Game Guides and Tips
If you’ve played a game and can walk another player through it, or you know some great tips for getting high scores, game guides get downloaded like candy.
4. Any subject where you have expertise and you can offer genuine help
If you can offer help getting out of debt, pruning a rose bush, or ridding your cat and dog of fleas, even a travel guide to a city, people will download the app.
But before you continue with you app development, there are other important factors that must be considered.
1. Platform Support
You are very likely to use iOS and Android considering that these are the two most dominant. Also, if a lot of people will be trying to access your app through their phones and their smartphones, you should consider Progressive Wen Apps which give easier entry to anyone trying to access your product. Also, you give people the opportunity to access your app through a Google search.
A PWA will allow people to enter your app directly from their browser and engage with it, either fully or partially, depending on how it’s built.
2. A Development Team
Having a development team is as important as having an idea for the app you want to build. Whether you are building a travel guide app or a study guide app. If you are building an app for both iOS and Android, you may likely need different developers as these require different languages.
Asides this, you will need a web developer and a host to ensure that your data and that of your users reside in a safe location in the cloud. This is the infrastructure. In considering a hosting service to perform this task for you, you’d need to put into consideration reliability and security.
You might also want to find out if there are existing services similar to what you would need. This is much easier to use and it saves you some time and money.
In addition to leveraging existing services you can also leverage existing mobile app development tools.
Building a guide app is easy. You can use your existing blog or create a new one using a free blogging tool like WordPress or Blogger. If you’re using an existing blog, you can point your app to a single post, or to a number of posts by using categories. If you’re using a new blog, you can add new posts daily or weekly to keep the app interesting and fresh and keep your audience reading on a regular basis.
