Key Challenges of Being a Mobile App Startup

There is no doubt that mobile app environment grew amazingly fast and it continues to expand its power all over the globe. Surprisingly, app startup owners still struggle to reach success with their products. This is the paradox of tech industry that trapped appreneurs in a vicious cycle without a visible exit. But that doesn’t mean you have to quit! You need to be strong and to find the best techniques to accomplish your initial goal!

Key Challenges of Being a Mobile App Startup

It is a harsh (mobile) world out there and it seems that you are on your own. Well, you are not! We are here to help you! Moreover, we will enumerate some of your concerns and we will provide solutions for them.

Challenge: Number of Apps

Statista shared the number of mobile apps available in leading markets as of March 2017. We won’t mention that the situation looks more frightening now, after 9 months!

Solution: That is right! There are millions of apps on major markets! (Stop looking at that chart over and over again!) But if there is something we’ve learned from studying successful apps, is that everything started with a brilliant idea. All app owners analyzed the market and found certain issues which required simple and efficient solutions. Those solutions were their apps. What can you do? Think about a problem you can solve and create a Minimum Viable Product to test your idea. If everything works well, then build that powerful app and make a difference in this competitive ecosystem.

Challenge: Going Up Against Big Brands

Again, Statista shows mobile audience reach of leading apps in the United States as of June 2017. It appears that mobile landscape is dominated by big names like Facebook, Google, Twitter and Snapchat.

Solution: That’s true! But not everything in life is about messaging and social (although it seems that way!) People also need other types of apps which help them with their daily tasks or make their lives more interesting. That’s where your startup comes in! In the same time you need to remember that big brands weren’t big at first. Their owners experienced the same struggles but somehow they remained on the battlefield and they succeeded with their perseverance. You can do that, too! Don’t give up!

Challenge: Monetization Issues

Well, money or more specifically, the lack thereof represents a huge barrier in every domain. From building an app to promoting it, everything comes with a cost.

Solution: To make sure that this issue won’t sink your startup you need to make the best decisions and to find the right business model for your app. We won’t tell you that it is best to go with a freemium system or that your app should have a price in the moment users want to download it. This is your call! But we can do something more. We frequently create special contests for helping app owners to reach their goals. In fact, you can join our holiday campaign now if you want to start 2018 with a growth plan for your app.

Challenge: High User Acquisition Costs

Another chart from Statista reveals the average mobile acquisition costs worldwide from September 2016 to August 2017, by user action and operating system in U.S dollars. This is indeed a huge problem. As a startup it is very hard to afford paying that much for a single user.

Solution: Luckily there are plenty of methods which can bring you many customers for free. The downside is that you need a lot of time to choose the right one for your business and to implement it. On the other hand, paid campaigns offer you faster results but we should mention that without a smart tool, your users can churn any time and your efforts were in vain. The worst case scenario is when you base your strategy on clicks which won’t necessarily help you gain more users. For this reason, here at App Samurai we focus on acquiring valuable customers for which app owners pay only if their creation is on those users’ devices. We also have a tutorial that can teach you how to improve mobile user acquisition cost (CAC).

Challenge: Phone Disk Space

With the low disk space offered by mobile phones it is very difficult to build elaborated apps which convince users to pay attention to your business.

Solution: With that idea in mind, Google created Android Instant Apps which allow customers to use parts of your app without installing it on their devices. It means that your creation loads as quickly as a web page and engages users without occupying their precious memory. Moreover, a new button called “Try Now” is available on Google Play Store for those apps that have the Instant feature implemented. It remains to be seen if Apple will consider adopting the same concept for iOS apps.

Challenge: Reaching Customers Expectations

Let’s assume that you found a great app idea, that you built an amazing app and that you created a smart acquisition campaign. This is the moment when you have to face your biggest fear, not disappointing your customers! But how to do that when there are so many categories of users and they all have big demands when it comes to trust new brands.

Solution: At this point there are many channels to connect with your customers. First, you need to keep your eyes on the data and to study their profiles. Secondly you have to segment your audience according to their characteristics. The last but not least is to target your customers and to personalize the message you send.

Final Thoughts

We’ve showed you how to bring your app to life, how to acquire loyal users and how to engage your customers with your creation. So, don’t punish yourself thinking that your statup is not going to make it! With the right mindset and a little planning chances are to succeed on this overcrowded market. If others did it, you can, too!