Refining Your Android App Idea (Part 1)

We’ve got good news and bad news.  The good news is that the demand for mobile applications is exploding and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.  The bad news is that with hundreds of thousands of mobile apps currently in the various app stores, it’s no longer enough to be the first developer to exploit a platform’s GPS functionality or camera flash.  That’s not going to make you a million dollars over the course of a weekend.  Sorry.

That said, you can still have success in the app world without having to reinvent the wheel.  It’s usually enough just to apply the basic rules of business 101:  exploit demand where it exists and create demand where it does not.  In other words, the key to producing a successful mobile app lies in ferreting out a real, human need that the industry either has yet to satisfy or has yet to satisfy well, and then meet that need with your own mobile app.  The lesson here is simple:  refine, refine, refine.

Here are the questions you need to ask yourself before you speak to an Android app developer:

• Does my Android app already exist?  If not, you may be on to something.  If yes, all is not lost and you don’t necessarily have to give up your idea.  Your goal here is to speak to a specific need, and if you find an Android app that’s a lot like yours, comb through the user reviews, find what users say is lacking in the app, and appropriate the comments into your app idea.  Remember, some of the most successful businesses were not the first to market (does Facebook come to mind?)
• What’s in the Android Market now?  There are an awful lot of apps out there  Like the aspens in this stand outside our home town of Durango, Colorado, it can be hard to see the forest for the trees.  The only way to know if there’s already an app out there that is a lot like your app idea is to sift through the Market.  While one of the benefits of choosing Android as the platform for your mobile app idea is that you aren’t required to satisfy a quality controller to get your app on the market, it may not be in your best interests to develop a copycat app.  A comprehensive guide to search strategies is beyond the scope of this post, but you’ll need to undertake a thorough search of the Android Market and review sites like appvee.com and 148apps.com, as well as the internet for websites and related apps.

Answers to these questions will help you determine if your app idea is worth pursuing.  Next week we’ll expand to others that will assist you in refining your app idea.  If you can’t wait until then to get started on your Android app development, get three free quotes from experienced Android developers.