- March 9, 2022
- Mobile Application, MVP
- Zmitser Hryhoryeu
We have gathered all features that are necessary to keep in mind for creating the best minimum viable product for your startup.
MVP App Development: Explanation of The Main Benefits and Features
To release a new series, first of all, the authors create a pilot episode featuring all “basic settings” of the upcoming show. Audience feedback concerning the plot, characters, and atmosphere helps the crew to figure it out in what direction they should develop the initial ideas to create a prominent show with a huge number of fans who will beg for new seasons and buy the related merchandise.
The IT industry plays by almost the same rules. In this case, building MVP for mobile application has the same importance as a pilot episode.
MVP is essential for most startups, since such a basic software version costs much less than full-scale software, saves much development time, highlights weak points that have been unnoticed, and makes it possible to upgrade the digital product within a short time.
If you are planning to launch iOS or Android software, keep reading to learn:
✔️ Why your business needs an MVP;
✔️ Real advantages of such a solution;
✔️ What mistakes related to the product lead to startup failing;
✔️ How to create an effective MVP and start selling an application before completing the final version.
Why do You Need to Build an MVP for Mobile App Development?
MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is a concept that involves building an application with a basic set of functions. After launching this “light” software version, it becomes possible to test the idea in real-life conditions, get the first rates, learn users’ expectations of future updates, and improve the development strategy.
Note, that an MVP and a prototype are not the same!
An MVP in mobile app development implies a working product that can be used, while a prototype contains just a set of screens and the interaction between them. To put it simply, when a designer provides the drafts of the main screen, feedback form, and other elements, this is a prototype. The abbreviation MVP stands for a basic version of the application without additional features and the final design.
Building a Minimum Viable Product is an essential stage to have a new application developed. Such a version usually allows to avoid many programming mistakes and gives advantages over those who launch the final solution at once.
According to Investopedia, 90% of startups fail in their first year of work due to the following reasons:
✔️ Wrong market;
✔️ Lack of research;
✔️ Money ran out;
✔️ Losing goal.
Other reasons include bad marketing and bad partners, but they need other measures to be taken. In most cases, a business owner can avoid failing with the help of a minimum viable product.
Consider These Reasons for Creating an MVP for Mobile Application
Testing the viability of your application
If it turns out that the target audience does not react to your offer as expected, you will not have to regret overinvesting. Instead, you can easily try another direction without wasting much time and money.
Better understanding of your potential users
You’ll know exactly if people need your product, and if they do, then for what and how they will use it.
Getting “safe” feedback
You will see immediately what changes are needed. Perhaps, some parts of your project need rebuilding. Thus, you will not have to redo the application completely due to negative feedback.
Quicker return on costs
If the launch of the MVP product is successful, you will get the first profit and customers long before the completion of the final version.
Besides, potential users may not need some features that you have planned to introduce. This information helps to reduce costs and time of the developer and for you, in turn, it will be useful to focus on what your audience needs the most.
Benefits of Creating MVP for Mobile Apps
The term MVP was introduced by Frank Robinson, a co-founder of the consulting firm SyncDev. According to his description, a minimum viable product should be well-balanced to generate acceptance, customer satisfaction, and sales, but avoid being too complicated and risky. The preliminary goal of an MVP is to raise interest of initial customers, get feedback, and receive clear guidance for further development.
There are four major benefits of creating an MVP for a mobile application.
Helps to confirm or disprove a hypothesis
Until you do not have a confirmation that a product, service, or feature is in demand, each suggestion is a hypothesis. Exactly launching an MVP answers all questions.
Allows you to draw investors' attention to your product
Investors are rarely interested in the bare idea itself. That is why they need proof that customers not only give positive feedback, but also pay for the product. Besides, be sure that among a dozen startups most investors choose a project with an available MVP.
Reduces financial risks
An MVP helps to learn the target audience better and save money on marketing research. In addition, the basic app version reduces development costs by helping to prioritize the features and functionality.
Promptly generates first users
You will get financial confirmation that customers are interested in your application before launching the final product. An MVP accelerates the process of creating software and helps a company to start making profit sooner.
3 Features to Notice When Creating MVP
The MVP stage determines the entire process of creating software. One should treat it not like a rough draft, but the firm basis of the project. To avoid popular mistakes leading to failing most startups in the first years, please, pay attention to the following features.
Using cross-platform frameworks
A mobile application MVP can be developed natively for specific platforms, such as iOS and Android, or based on a universal framework. Our team can build a minimum viable product for your startup that will work on basic platforms. Such a solution significantly saves the development time. Besides, any changes and improvements will be implemented in all versions at once.
Mobile app integration
Another important point to keep in mind when developing a mobile application is the server part. When launching even the first simplified version, the app receives and sends data. For B2B mobile software it is essential to be integrated with other systems.
For example, many of our clients have their catalogs on 1C and use CRM to process orders or feature a loyalty system that should be available in the app. Instead of developing duplicate solutions, it is meaningful to set up integration and use existing systems.
Further development of the project
After successful planning an MVP for mobile app development, software gradually gains new functions and features. But the most important thing is to carefully work out the prototype and MVP stage, since it takes more time and money to alter already implemented elements than to plan the gradual development of the product and adapt your mobile application to the needs of real users at each stage.
Contact The Experts
Get full tech support on your way to on-market success: Fideware is a custom software development company for startups that will provide you with dedicated resources and solid IT expertise.
First Steps to Start Creating MVP for Mobile App
Eric Ries, an American entrepreneur and the author of the book: ‘Business from scratch. The Lean Startup method for quickly testing ideas and choosing a business model said: “As you consider building your own minimum viable product, let this simple rule suffice: remove any feature, process, or effort that does not contribute directly to the learning you seek.”
If you would like to know how to build minimum viable product for application, do next steps.
Define the problem
Clearly describe the problem of your target clients that your digital product should solve.
Identify your target audience
Do not try to meet the needs of a large circle of people. Create a detailed avatar of your typical buyers to understand better the psychology of the audience which your application is intended for. Identify the gender, age, place of work, hobbies, income level and other characteristics of the target audience.
Conduct competitive research
Do not rely on the exclusivity of the idea itself, carefully study the market. Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of competitors and their communication channels, find out their market share. Review their websites, landing pages, accounts on social networks, comments, etc.
Do a SWOT analysis
It identifies strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for a business.
Prioritize features and map out the customer journey
At this stage, consider what steps a client has to complete to use the service. The journey should be as short, clear, and convenient as possible. Then, make a minimal list of product features and prioritize them. Eliminate redundant steps.
Make an MVP development plan
Check your goals and make sure that there are no excessive steps. We know that making an effective MVP development plan is a difficult task. To avoid mistakes for sure, contact us for consulting services for IT-companies.
Test your MVP
Offer the MVP to a test user group and analyze feedback. Then make the necessary changes and re-test the app. With the help of such cycles, you can effectively manage all issues, improve your services, and get ready to launch the final product.
Schedule a Call
Just book your time and schedule a quick call with The Co-founder & Chief Business Officer of Fideware Irina Bondarchik.
A 25-minute meeting during which you can ask us questions about the company and our work and tell us about your goals and objectives. As a result, after the call, we will be able to provide you with our vision of the solution.
Costs of building MVP for mobile application
The costs of MVP for mobile app are determined by several aspects, including app type, the number of basic features and their complexity, etc. We have experience in developing MVPs in the price range from $3,000 to $50,000. The development time varies from 2 weeks to 2-3 months.
It is almost impossible to speak about the price of a particular product without the details of the project and the business owner’s vision. Please, contact our manager to be consulted on the necessary steps and learn the price of your MVP.
Consider Fideware your trusted partner in developing your Startup
Fideware is a mobile software development company that has a rich experience in developing mobile app MVPs and final versions of software. We specialize in working with startups and know for sure how to avoid common mistakes both at early and late stages to launch your project and make it bring you money as soon as possible.
Our mission is to help businesses grow despite complicated market situations, the number and power of competitors, etc. It does not matter what language you speak. We have experience of cooperation with startups from the USA and a range of European countries.
We will present your idea to the world in the form of a strong, well-balanced, and user-friendly application. Let us start with MVP!
Just get in touch with our specialist to get a roadmap for the intelligent development of your startup.
Final Thoughts
The goal of developing an MVP is to quickly test the major hypotheses about the demand for the application among the target audience. Instead of a long and expensive development of an application with a large set of features and scenarios, it is safer to launch just an MVP that solves just basic user issues and reflects the distinguishing idea of the startup.
Our team is ready to start working on your MVP as soon as you contact us. Do waste your time, let us start today to bring you profit tomorrow.
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FAQ
Can you provide some examples of an MVP for mobile app development?
Almost all mobile applications you have been using started from an MVP. For example, the owner of Uber did not agree with the prices for city taxi trips. He believed that taxi services were overpriced and decided to show this in an unusual way.
The initial idea was to provide limousines for rent only 1.5 times more expensive than a common taxi. The product turned out to be much more in demand than expected, especially taking into account it was offered to a limited audience. After getting the first results, the team of the startup developed the idea and quickly received investments to make Uber work around the world.
Do all startups need an MVP?
Not exactly. In some cases, building MVP for mobile application may be unnecessary. For example, it may be impossible to reduce initial functions that should become the basis of the future product. Anyway, to create an effective plan, it is better to consult an IT specialist.
What should I do first to order the MVP in mobile app development?
Clearly determine and formulate the core idea of your future app. Then, prepare a hypothesis of who your target users are and what issues they need to solve. As a rule, this is enough for our specialist to start working on your MVP.
