Let’s start with the definition of an MVP first. An MVP is the Minimum Viable Product that acts as the Most Valuable Player in building any product or software solution. So that’s my way to put it using wordplay but let’s also look at the formal definition as per Wikipedia;
There are several types of MVPs based upon different industries and business requirements. However, in this blog, we will be focusing on mobile app MVP specifically. Mobile app startups should build their mobile solutions using the build-analyze-improve approach. The initial step is to find out what real-world issues or problems the mobile application can solve by studying the current market. Then, using innovation and technology, businesses should emphasize creating an MVP that showcases the core functionality of their mobile application.
Step I – Market Research & Business Specifications
Even if it is for MVP app development, research and analysis are essential to lay out a strong foundation for the final application. It begins with questioning yourself about the fundamental aspects; what industry you are going to target, what problem the app will solve, who is the target audience, and so on. When you have all the right questions with you, your research will be more refined and specific. From studying your target audience’s preferences, interests, and demographics to analyzing your main competitors to determining the unique selling proposition, you should know everything about your mobile app idea to be able to convert it into a valuable reality.
Step II – Have USP of Your App Idea Figured Out
Every mobile application that is successful either solves a specific problem or offers unmatched entertainment. Apps that don’t do either of these fail in their first year. Therefore, entrepreneurs or appreneurs must spend a significant share of their time in defining the USP. Based on that USP, you can plan to create a scalable and flexible MVP.
Step III – Outlining User Flow & Customer Journey
It is normal to get carried away when building a mobile app startup because you want everything your way as it is your app idea. Agreed! However, you must always remember that you are developing it for your future customers whose interests and preferences might not align with yours. So, the ‘user flow’ definition plays an integral role in mobile app MVP development.
Customer experience and satisfaction should be at the heart of the project. Every user should be able to achieve the goal seamlessly with minimum or no learning curve. User flow should address all crucial pointers like the intuitive interface, design familiarity, user attention, along with others that lead to pleasant and memorable customer experiences. To make it even better and more comprehensive, you can break down the user flow further to identify several touchpoints in the customer journey. The final MVP should focus on simplifying the processes using an interactive and highly usable app interface. Ultimately, the user flow breakdown will help you find your areas of improvement throughout the app development process.
Step IV – Feature Listing of Mobile App MVP
Like we discussed earlier, in the MVP we will be only focusing on the core functionality of the app. That said, fundamental features or features required for the core functionality to run can be included in the app MVP. Therefore, it is essential to prepare a complete feature listing and prioritize the most critical features for the MVP while keeping the rest for the final application and its later versions. Again, since you are going to treat the project as your baby, it is easy to get carried away. But you should keep your business senses active all the time. Only the features that will help in creating a potential market should make it to the MVP development. If the MVP app turns out successful, you will have all the time to add more features.
Step V – MVP App Development
At this stage, the MVP app development begins when you know your market and app idea inside out and have narrowed down the list of features. For this, you will need the right app development company that understands your short-term and long-term goal and helps you scale your MVP later into a full-fledged mobile solution. You can refer to our guide to choosing the right software development company to help you hire the appropriate app development team.
As a mobile app startup, you will also have to choose the best-suited technology and platform for the development of your mobile app MVP. You should pick the technology that you later want to use in the real application. So, if you are using PhoneGap, then you must stick to it when the actual application development begins rather than switching to Objective C or JAVA. It will only add to your costs and increase the timeline. And that is, exactly, what we are trying to save by developing the MVP first.
Step VI – Integrating Feedback In The Final App
Once the MVP is ready, you can release it among the real users to test. While the application undergoes several testing processes, it is also tested by the target audience that offers valuable feedback. Therefore, with responses and reviews from quality assurance engineers and real customers, you can improve your MVP and launch it as a complete application later on. On the other hand, if the users are not interested in using your product, then you might need to rethink the app’s core functionality. Therefore, choosing to develop an MVP app first saves your business from becoming a complete failure.
Conclusion
When creating an MVP, we are actually developing the first and most basic version of the real application. It gives entrepreneurs a chance to evaluate their idea and its scope.
We at The Synergy Works help businesses evaluate their ideas using the most cost-effective and efficient MVP development methods and processes. Our business analysts and consultants assist in refining the feature list and determining the core functionality or the USP of the application. We ensure to analyze relevant markets and competitors to build a solution that will sustain. You can always trust our team to build MVP apps that turn into real apps, always!.
About Author
