There’s an app for almost everything these days.

Whether you’re looking for a tool to simplify shopping or a service that will make you more secure online, there are millions of options to choose from.

As our smartphones and portable devices become more intelligent, the apps available for them continue to expand.

This provides plenty of room for developers to enter the market and start making a profit.

These days, it’s surprisingly easy to create your own app and launch it on the store platform of your choice.

However, just because entering the app market is easy, doesn’t mean that every idea will be a success. Some apps just won’t achieve the same results as others.

So, how do you make sure your mobile app idea is worth pursuing?

Conduct Extensive Market Research

The first step in discovering the value of an idea is getting to know your marketplace.

Begin by considering what kind of problem you want to solve.

For instance, if you’ve noticed that it’s difficult for people to understand what’s being said in a video meeting when they’re working from home on a smartphone, you might decide to create a transcription app.

The best apps respond to real problems that people already have.

Therefore, think about the issues in your life that you could overcome with the right technology. From there, consider the kind of audience that’s most likely to benefit from your app.

What kind of age range are you targeting, what location should the buyers be in?

Finally, think about your competition.

Who already exists in the market and offers something similar to your product?

Extensive competitor research will help you to determine where there are gaps in the industry for you to make your mark.

Consider Your Technical Requirements

Designing an app in an environment filled with software tools and freelance developers is a lot simpler than it used to be.

However, some apps are going to be more complicated than others.

If your idea is to create an app that can use machine learning to recognize the human voice and filter out any other noise when a person is on a video call, you’re going to need to work with a specialist.

Alternatively, if you have a relatively simple idea, like an app that ranks the best pet food and accessories in your area, you won’t have to spend as much time and money on accessing technical skills.

Although a complex app can be successful if you know how to bring it to life properly, it can require a lot more investment and effort from day one.

Make sure that your design isn’t so complicated that you end up scaring customers away.

Think About Costs

We’ve already mentioned one of the key costs that you may need to consider when building a mobile app – getting a professional to help you.

However, there are various other expenses you might need to think about too.

If you’re building a business around your app, do you need a website where people can find out more information about you?

How much are you going to spend on things like advertising, so you can attract new users to your service?

It’s often exceedingly difficult to stand out in today’s thriving app market without a way to appeal to the crowds.

There are ways to reduce costs, like working with freelancers instead of hiring in-house developers and designers.

However, you’ll still need to investigate your options and get a good idea of how much you’re going to need to spend on the project in total. If you don’t have enough cash yet, wait until you do.

Explore Monetization Opportunities

Designing an app that your customers love is a fantastic feeling.

Nevertheless, if you want to keep progressing in the technology landscape, ultimately you need to ensure that the app is generating profit, too.

There are a lot of different ways to monetize a new app.

A common solution is to give your users the ability to upgrade to “premium” accounts on your service so that they can access new features.

If your users love the free or demo experience, they’ll be more likely to upgrade or sign up for a monthly subscription.

You could also use your app as a platform for relevant advertisers.

Promotional companies will pay decent money to any app developer who can give them the opportunity to attract more customers. Just be careful not to add too many ads to your apps, or you could scare users away.

Address Long-Term Maintenance

Finally, once you’ve built your app and published it on your chosen marketplace, your work isn’t necessarily done.

As new smartphone operating systems appear and technology continues to change, you’ll need to keep updating your app to ensure it works perfectly with the products your customers are already using.

To improve your chances of happy users, you may also need to invest in a strategy for ongoing maintenance, which allows you to monitor for any issues with app performance.

The last thing you want is bugs and errors threatening your users—and your brand reputation!

Ask yourself how much time and money you’re going to need to invest to make your app work perfectly in the long run.

Are you committed to putting the work in to delight your users, or do you think that you’ll need to hire someone else to manage this aspect for you?

Designing Your Own Mobile App

The app market is an excellent place to pursue if you’re an entrepreneur with a great idea.

It’s one of the easiest entry points into the technology space, and there are plenty of niches to explore, from gaming to information and entertainment.

Just don’t make the mistake of rushing into app development too fast.

Proper planning is key. Do your research, consider your market and confirm that your app has potential before you spend time and money on it.

Lisa Michaels is a freelance writer, editor, and a thriving content marketing consultant from Portland. Being self-employed, she does her best to stay on top of the current trends in business and tech. Feel free to connect with her on Twitter @LisaBMichaels.

One of the biggest workplace trends to arise in 2020, was the rapid adoption of remote-friendly offices. If you have recently made the switch to remote work, or if you are thinking about adopting remote work, there are plenty of reasons to do so.

While remote work has many benefits, there are also many drawbacks associated with adopting a remote work policy. Being knowledgeable about the problems of the new workplace will only help you better implement remote work policies. Below are some of the unexpected issues that can arise as you move your business operations to a more remote front.

Going Remote Will Be Costly to Implement

One of the biggest benefits of going remote is that your business will save money over time on overhead costs. In fact, the average business will save $11,000 annually per employee that goes remote.

Implementing remote work will come with some long term savings for sure, but a major problem of adopting a remote work policy is that it is usually a costly transition.

Moving from a traditional business model to a remote model will come with a grocery list of up-front purchases that will need to be made to ensure that the transition will be successful. As you move to a more remote workforce some immediate purchases you will need to make are:

● New Software Options

More business processes are already being handled with software offerings and tech solutions. As your company moves more remote, you will likely need to use more business productivity software platforms. While it doesn’t seem like a lot, a few added software subscriptions per employee can add up quickly.

● Home Office Equipment

When employees move home, you cannot assume that they have all the tools at home to do their job. In the office, you knew that they had a stable internet connection, a reliable computer, and a comfortable working environment. As they move home, you will need to ensure that they have all the equipment necessary to do their job.

● Salary Increases

Something to think about as you consider adopting a remote workforce is the impact it will have on salaries within your business. Numerous companies now offer a cost of living stipend. This stipend helps equal out salaries if someone is living somewhere that is more expensive than where the headquarters of the business is.

You likely will not be able to shoulder all of the expenses yourself, nor should you be expected to. Do not let the upfront cost of moving remote stop you from doing so.

A number of businesses have been using business financing solutions to help offset the initial costs of implementing a remote workforce. Your business loan can be used to purchase equipment or increase your company’s working capital.

Before you apply for a loan, make sure that you know some important information about your business such as your credit score and your annual revenue. Lenders will often have strict requirements that must be met before you can qualify for funding. As a rule of thumb, your credit score should be around 650, and your revenue should be at least $50,000 annually.

Tracking Productivity Can Come With Problems

When working in the office, it is easy to walk over to any employee to see if they are doing their job. Now that you and your fellow employees are home, it can be much more difficult to track work and productivity.

We understand that nobody likes a hovering manager, but in times like this, tracking what employees are doing will be necessary when gauging productivity. Investing in remote time tracking software options can help provide the insight needed to optimize productivity.

Using a time tracking tool will help guarantee that all employees are held accountable for their work each and every day. When people know that they are being tracked, they will work harder than if there was no system in place.

Time tracking tools will also help provide valuable insight into how long certain tasks take within your organization, making it easier to assign tasks moving forward. Also, if your business bills outside clients, time tracking will help ensure that you are billing them for the correct amount of time.

Communicating Will Be A Challenge

Humans tend to be bad at communicating. Even when working in person, communication seems to be a struggle for most businesses. Maintaining effective communication with all of your employees is going to be even more difficult now that you are not all in the same place.

If your business tries to get by without investing in a digital communication tool, you may see a decrease in productivity. In the past, businesses would be fine using email as an extension of in-person communication. Now, speed is everything, and emailing is no longer a viable option to maintain communication, at least on its own.

Your business will need to invest in a workplace communication tool that promotes clear and open communication across all departments. Before choosing any old workplace communication tool, make sure to do your research first. Certain communication tools will come with different features and uses, so make sure that the one you choose aligns with your organizational needs.

Maintaining Culture is Difficult

Most of the issues associated with moving remote are productivity based, but there are many other issues that can be caused by adopting a remote workforce. One major issue that many companies face when going remote is maintaining a healthy work culture.

Your business will need to create, and maintain a culture that aligns with the values and morals that you promote in your everyday life.

When working in an office, culture is something that is easily shaped. Workplace events such as luncheons, happy hours, corporate challenges, and other in-office activities all help build culture. Now that employees are home, it can seem like a challenge just to communicate, let alone create and maintain a healthy work culture.

One of the best ways to ensure that your work culture is positive is by creating a culture that promotes open feedback.

Checking in with your employees will show them that you are trying your best to ensure that they are happy in the new environment. In these check-ins, attempt to have an open-conversation, where you and your employees discuss how they would like to be a part of building the remote culture of the workplace, moving forward.

While culture may not be the first thing that comes to mind when moving to a remote workforce, it is an extremely important part of your business. Creating a healthy culture will help promote productivity within your workforce.

At the end of the day, we are all in this together. You, and your employees should expect to go through some growing pains as you transition to this new work environment. If you work together, your business will come out on the other side better than ever!