Are you an app entrepreneur hoping to make a mark in the app world? Well, welcome to the A – Z checklist of everything necessary to know in the App development world!
A
- App Store – Platforms where developers can sell apps and users can chose apps to install.
- Analytics – They are any developers’ best friend in understanding how their app is performing. Almost all app stores provide analytics tools that help lessen time spent on administration by developers.
- Advertising – Promoting an app for awareness, traction and eventual buy – in from users that bring in revenue.
B
- Business model – The methodology that a developer chooses to sell or offer their app to bring in revenue streams. Models include free apps with in – app purchases, subscriptions or free apps with loads of advertising space, cross promotion and a few others.
- Budget – The financial outline of how much will be needed/spent to develop, launch and maintain the app. These vary on the type of app developed, business model chosen and purpose of creating the app. Also includes the value of the IP incorporated into the app.
- Battery usage – The amount of battery power that an app consumes when it’s in use. The lesser the battery power, an app consumes, the better it is for the user’s convenience and full satisfaction with the app.
C
- Costs – Amount of monetary or time value spent from the conceptualization of the app idea to its current stage – just launching or going through a third upgrade. Includes operating expenses such as salaries.
- Certification – Confirmation that an app meets the required standards in the industry or the store platform where it will be sold.
- Content – App description, basically all the information and experiences that add value to the user.
- Category – Distinction of the different app classes that an app can fall under.
D
- Discovery – The probability of an app being discovered by first time users. Usually powered by keywords used to describe the app or through recommendations, ratings or suggestions on app stores as well as advertising, promotion or reviews on other platforms that fall outside app stores.
- Design – The look and feel of an app. The aesthetics that make it different from other apps in the same category. Includes the way the app functions entailing components such as its responsiveness.
E
- Evaluation – The process of analysing an app to determine if the goals set when the app was created or launched have been achieved. Helps in addressing an app’s glitches in every way possible and make it better; be at par with the changing needs of the user. Usually results in app upgrades.
F
- Funding – It is also known as investment. The process of putting resources, mostly monetary ones into the development of an app with the expectation of return on investment. Done through exchange of funds for equity or a loan.
G
- Gadget – A technological device that gives a user access to apps, provided it is connected to the Internet.
H
- HTML5 – Hypertext Markup Language used to present content especially in business and productivity apps.
I
- Ideas – Mental impression generated from the process of creativity that is then turned into an app that either creates a demand for a need that users didn’t know existed or meet a need that hadn’t been satisfied in the user’s life.
- In-app purchases – Hidden costs of free apps. Fastest way to generate revenue especially for games.
- Installation – The process of downloading an app onto one’s gadget for trial or regular use.
J
- Jobs – Forms of occupation in the app industry that didn’t exist before the advent of mobiles in the form of tablets.
K
- Kilobyte – Binary system term used to describe the memory size of an app.
L
- Localization – The process of creating an app in a local language, context and content. Also includes the translation of an app from one language to another.
- Launch – The process of taking a fully completed app to the market through app stores.
M
- Marketing – The process of reaching out to target audiences to get their buy –in into an app. Includes promotional and buzz – generating tactics such as publicity, activations and competitions. Can be executed on traditional or new media platforms.
N
- Networks – ICT providing coverage that enables the usage of cellular data to access the internet and apps, enabling purchases and the use of mobile gadgets on the go.
O
- Outsourcing– It is the process in which some of the elements of an app development business be handled by external experts.
- Optimization– The process of improving the visibility of an app in an app store.
P
- Planning – The process of thinking and organizing the path taken to turn an idea into an app.
- Packaging – Includes things such as pricing of the app and how it will be put together as one product before being taken to the market.
Q
- Quality– Superior interpretation of an app both on its own and in comparison to other apps in its category.
R
- Revenue – Income received from the use of an app through installations onto users’ gadgets by users.
- Ratings and reviews – Stars or a score out of 5 given to app and general comments by users who have tried the app.
S
- Storage – The amount of memory space an app will take up when installed on a mobile gadget.
- Security – Measures put into place to protect the app from things such as piracy.
T
- Team – The group of people who work together to develop an app, it’s everyday running and elements that will sustain its existence such as marketing staff.
- Third party applications and permissions – The process of integrating the app to work seamlessly with other third party apps, mostly social media ones. Permissions for the app to access the users approximate location and other elements such as contacts, calendar, photos, etc to enhance the user experience.
- Testing – The process of running an app before launching to ensure that it functions fully as expected.
U
- User interface – The front end of the app that enables a user to use it to satisfy their needs. It as the potential to confuse a user and loose its traction or it could be so well designed and executed that.
- Upgrades – Updates to an app that offer at least one better element than the previous version of the app.
V
- Visibility – Exposure of an app to a huge target audience or customer base.
W
- World market – Global digital space for app selling, distance and time disparities reduced by ICT infrastructure.
X
- Xtra – The factors and elements that will make an app stand out from the clutter of too many apps.
Y
- Yin – yang of apps – It’s the ups and happiness of app developers into channeling their creativity into amazing products and the downs and depressions of waiting patiently for the revenue to come in. Eventually things even themselves out, for the lucky ones.
Z
- Zynga – One of the top performing app developers worldwide and well known for the app Farmville. Studying their business development and marketing strategies might go a long way in helping other developers achieve the same level of success.
Have we missed anything? Let us know if there should be other terms important to app entrepreneurs.