Why Owning an App is Important
Tags: android, ios, appdevelopment
Published: 2021-02-23 15:01:16

With an increasing number of mobile users every day, having a mobile app should be part of most companies’ key strategy [Statista](https://www.statista.com/statistics/274774/forecast-of-mobile-phone-users-worldwide/) forecasts 7.44 billion users worldwide in 2023, which is pretty close to one phone per person on the planet currently populated by 7.8 billion people.

Planning the right strategy before even starting on app development is important for the success of your app. In addition, you also have to define your app goals, decide whether you want a native or cross-platform app, finding an [awesome mobile development company](https://www.inspirevisual.com/mobile-application-development/) and market your app.

But before continue, did you know that a study found 67% of people reach for their phone within 5 minutes of waking up? Mobile users also in average spend [5.4 hours a day](https://techjury.net/blog/how-much-time-does-the-average-american-spend-on-their-phone/) on their phone. And no, they aren’t using their phones just to talk, actually apps are taking up most of their time.

![Happy kids playing with the mobile phones](https://i.ibb.co/gvN1h10/Happy-parent-watching-little-kids-lying-on-floor-in-living-room-and-using-digital-gadgets-together-I.jpg)

##How Your App Get Their Attention
If you can make an app that can make a person’s daily routine easier or provide entertainment you’re already on the right path. When you are planning the key offering of your app, you have to think about what you can offer that is not already on the market. Look in the app stores at competitor’s apps and check their reviews. Is there anything their users are asking for or annoyed about. This can give you valuable feedback for your planning.

##Find Out if You Want to Target Android or iOS

The [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps?hl=en_US&gl=US) and [iOS market](https://www.apple.com/app-store/) is close to equally shared between Google and Apple so there is no clear winner. However, the good news is that the days of the past where you would have to develop one app for each platform are long gone. Nowadays you can make one source code targeted both platforms.  These kinds of apps are called cross-platform or hybrid apps.

It should be noted that even though you create one source code for both devices, you still have to tweak the source code somewhat to take full advantage of the features offered by Google and Apple.
There are also some features offered on one device not available on the other. For example, Apple is known the have tight restrictions limiting access to certain privacy related features such as wifi sniffing, so depending on your app’s functionality, you may only be able to target one device. Having said that, except for privacy and security, both devices share access to almost all common features.

![adults using smart phones on a couch](https://i.ibb.co/BZrX5H1/Young-people-are-using-smartphone-and-smiling-while-sitting-on-free-time-technology-concept.jpg)

##Where to Look for a Great App Development Company

Of course, you can use a contractor, but they are rarely able to take the whole development cycle from start to finish. You need a team consisting of a project manager, designer(s), developer(s), quality assurance team at the least.

The difficult task is finding the right company for your needs. If you enter “app development company” in a search engine, you’ll get thousands of options. They are listed by their SEO efforts rather than their ability to produce a great app.
So, what do you do?

Fortunately, directories of app companies do exist. Three of the most popular are [UpCity](https://upcity.com/), Clutch.co and GoodFirms.

They all offer company synopsis, portfolio examples, reviews and ratings. The reviews and ratings have to pass a rigorous test to avoid fake reviews being put up, so they tend to be trustworthy.
Also consider their location. Surprisingly many of the companies will seem like they are US based, while they are actually a store front for a company in Ukraine, India or the like. So even though they have a US address and phone number, dig a little deeper to find out if they are just a store front.

##Time to Get Started on Developing that App of Yours

There’s no reason to postpone your idea further. The longer you wait, the more risk there is someone gets the same idea and starts cranking it out. But just in case you want to be more knowledgeable before starting, I’d recommend you [read this article](https://www.inspirevisual.com/how-to-launch-an-app-the-definitive-guide/) about how to launch an app. It has useful information for each step of the app development process.

Best of luck with your endeavor!