Now that the MVP of your killer app has been built, it’s time to think about how to launch it onto the market. This is arguably the most difficult part of the process — the Google Play and Apple app stores are filled with the corpses of great apps that just couldn’t catch the attention of the public. This unfortunate situation is the reality for most apps, and can be down to a number of factors, most of them outside your control. To the extent that you can, you should try to shift the odds of success in your favor as much as possible, and a good rollout can help. Here are three steps to a successful app release.
If you have built an app for iOS and/or Android devices, you need to go through the formalities of submitting your app to the relevant app stores. You may have to pay a relatively small fee to get your app listed. If you have built an iPhone app, Apple recommends running a few beta tests with TestFlight before submitting your app for review.
Apps become popular for many reasons — some spread because of unplanned viral memes, and others yet become ubiquitous only thanks to methodical planning. The specifics for how you should launch should depend on the target audience for your app and the resources at your disposal. At the very least, though, you should set up a well designed landing page which tells the story of your app in as few words as possible, and as many pictures as is tasteful.
Remember, at this point, you’ve only built the first version of your app. Chances are if your app has any sort of longevity, you will make plenty of tweaks and add many new features. In order to do this in as non-random a manner as possible, you will need to monitor the feedback you get from your app users very closely and continue to actively think of how your app is going to evolve. However, resist the temptation to make upgrades that aren’t absolutely necessary — think of all the apps you’ve stopped using because a single cosmetic change had rendered them virtually unusable.
The process for building a killer app doesn’t stop once you’ve gotten your app onto the market — you have to continually evolve your marketing and outreach plans, and also continue to develop your app and make bug fixes as quickly as possible. In order to get this done well, it helps to get with the right partners.