Are you thinking of making a Muslim app? Although there are multiple apps available for Muslims on both iOS and Android app stores, there is always room for innovation and advancement. With new and better technologies, there is a broad range of possibilities in app development.
In this article, I will be discussing step-by-step procedures to create a Muslim app. From idea to execution, there are multiple steps involved. You must first also identify the goals that you want to achieve:
- Awareness
- Productivity
- Communication
- Engagement
10 Steps to Create a Muslim App
There are amazing apps for Muslims like Islamic Finder, Muslim Pro, Muslim and Quran, etc. if you are interested in creating a Muslim app, let’s have a brief look at the steps involved in creating an app:
Generate An App Idea
The first step is to think of an idea for your app. You can take inspiration from an existing app or think of a completely new idea. You can also research the apps they are existing and the issues that they have and think of something that solves the problem. You can also take multiple ideas from different apps and combine them into a single app.
Do Competitive Market Research
After your ideation process, now it’s time for some competitive market research. Look for an app similar to your idea on app stores and see the factors that are making those apps popular. Now you will have to give something better than those apps in your app so that it stands out.
While looking for apps, note down the basic information of these apps like:
App Name
- Feature set
- Price
- App publisher
- Last updated
- Ratings and Reviews
- Number of downloads
List Down the Features for Your App
After filtering your research, now is the time to mature your app and think of the features it will have. Think of your app and all the features that it will have to make it perfect. Although the features may change over time after testing or feedback, at this point, you must freely think of what you want in the app to be to make it a success. You must also think of ways to monetize it.
Research for the features and gather ideas as well as information on each aspect. You can think of adding features like
- User profile
- Online contact sync
- Linking with social media, for e.g., Facebook
- Username, profile information, etc.
Make Design Mockups of Your App
Now comes the interesting part, how do you want your app to look like? One thing that you must be careful about is presenting a clean and minimal interface that is easy to navigate. Too often, app developers add too much design and content to apps that make it difficult to navigate.
For this purpose, do as much research as you can and see the apps that you like the most. What are the factors that are making the app look smooth and is easy to use? Focus on the dos and don’ts of the interface.
You can use a pencil and paper to draw the screens and how you want them to look like, the color of the font, placement of buttons and images, and you must draw a rough sketch of it all.
Create Your App’s Graphic Design
Now moving further from a rough sketch to a real one, you would need a graphics designer. A graphic designer will help you visualize your app better and how the design will be on screen.
These designs will be showcasing how your app will appear on a real mobile screen. This design can be used to show it to investors for funding or to the developers so they can replicate it for the final look.
If you know graphic designing, then it won’t be an issue; otherwise, I recommend you take some professional help from a UI designer to help you in detail. You can use platforms like Upwork and Toptal to find a freelancer.
Curate An App Marketing Plan
After you are done with the final look, now comes the crucial part – marketing! There are millions of apps available on app stores currently, which makes it really tough for your app to stand out.
How will anyone know you have an app? What is different about your app from the hundreds of other similar Muslim apps? This is why you need to actively market your product before launching it. You have to create anticipation in the audience through marketing techniques.
A few ways to market your app is by:
- Doing a press release for your app
- Consider paid marketing
- Email your pre-launch email list
- Get the word out
- Promote through events
- Referral programs
Build The App
Now you have to think of creating your app. If you are into app development yourself, then it shouldn’t be a problem, just whip out your corephp skills and you are good to go. It will take you some time but also save you a lot of money. If you think you can learn app development, then Google “how to create an iOS/ Android app” and get started.
Other options include hiring a freelancer through websites like freelance.com or Upwork. You can do that based on your budget and find a good resource online. Another option is to hire an app development company.
Submit Your App to The App Store
Congratulations! Now your app is ready to get launched. You will have to now submit it to the app store to make it available for people. First, you will have to get it reviewed against the App Store guidelines. You will then have to Fill in your app Metadata, upload your app from Xcode and then go to App Store Connect and submit your app to review.
Market Your App for Maximum Exposure
Marketing is essential both pre- and post-app launch, so you must not stop putting your efforts into marketing your app. You can also try to get featured by Apple in the App Store, which can give you a lot of reach and downloads.
Other options include:
- Run a paid-to-free campaign
- Step up your ASO
- Influencer marketing
Improve Your App with User Feedback
Now comes the user feedback and reviews. There is no brainer in the fact that the better your reviews and ranking, the better it is for your app reach. Try to get reviews from users on app stores so more people can reach and download your app.
You must also take the criticism positively and work on improving the user experience based on those reviews.
