Essential Steps for Testing and Launching Your App

Research & Plan:

Planning what needs to be done before beginning any development work is essential. This includes assessing your current resources, researching potential competitors, understanding user needs and preferences, and meeting all legal requirements. All this information will help inform your development process and ensure the app is built to meet user expectations.

• Identify your app’s purpose: Before you start building your app, it is important to take a step back and identify what exactly you are trying to create. Ask yourself why are you creating this app? Are you going to localize your app for a multilingual audience? Think about the end goal for developing the app and determine how it will add value to customers
• Gather feedback from stakeholders: Talk with the stakeholders that will be affected by the development of your app. Get their valuable insight on what features should be included in the final product, as well as other useful resources like data, technology or platforms that may help during the testing and launch phases. 
• Conduct an audience survey: After identifying your user base it is important to gain user feedback on what features they would like to see in the app. Utilize your current customer base and any other similar audiences you can find, to get an understanding of what their needs are from your app.  
• Review competitors & market trends: Check out the apps that are similar to your idea within the same industry; analyze what makes them unique and how it could help develop an even better product for users. Also, look into any market trends or changes that could affect the development of your app. 
• Create a timeline: Establish a timeline for when certain aspects of developing and launching the app should be completed by. This will help keep everybody involved on track while creating milestones throughout the process.
• Set a budget: Determine the overall cost of creating your app by researching and deciding how much money you are willing to invest into the project. Consider all expenses such as development, marketing, technology and testing costs. 
• Design an MVP: Create a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that will include the most important features for users. Start with the core components that are absolutely necessary to ensure function and develop from there; this will help make sure you keep within your timeline and budget goals. 

Design & Develop:

Once you’ve researched and planned the process, it’s time to start designing and developing the app. This includes creating wireframes and prototypes to understand how the final product looks and feels. During development, continually test features to identify any issues early on.

• Define Your Goals: Before you start designing or writing code, you need to define the purpose of your app. Consider who you want to target with your product and what goals they need to accomplish in order to be successful users. Once you have identified these goals, use them as a guide when making decisions throughout the design and development process. 
• Sketch Out Your Design: Now that you know what kind of app you’re trying to create, it’s time to start sketching out your design. Use a whiteboard, paper, or other tools to create detailed sketches of how the app should look and function. Make sure that you are including all of the features and functions that were included in your goal definition. 
• Develop a Prototype: Once you have completed the initial design sketches, it’s time to turn those sketches into an actual prototype of your app. This can be done with various tools depending on what platform you’re targeting (i.e., iOS, Android, etc.). The prototype should contain all of the same elements as the design sketches but should also include some interactive components so that users can test out the functionality of the app before development begins in earnest.  
• Test the Prototype: After you have created a prototype of your app, it’s time to start testing it out. You can use various types of user testing methods to find out what works and what doesn’t work with your design and functionality. This is an important step that should not be skipped as it will help you refine the product before development begins in earnest. 
• Develop the App: Once you are satisfied with the prototype, it’s time to begin developing the actual application. If possible, try to use a platform-specific language like Swift or Objective C for iOS development and Java for Android app development. Make sure that all of the features included in your initial goal definition are implemented correctly and tested extensively throughout the development process. 

Test Across Multiple Devices:

Testing across multiple devices is essential as it helps identify any potential problems with different screen sizes or operating systems. Make sure to use both physical devices and terminal emulator/simulator when testing – this way, you can be confident that your app looks great and works correctly regardless of device.

• Test Early and Often: Start testing early on in the development process and continue doing so until you’re ready to launch. Make sure that you test the most important features of your application first and then move on from there.
• Establish a Test Plan: Before you begin any testing, make sure that you create a comprehensive plan which outlines what tests need to be conducted as well as how they should be conducted. This will help keep everything organized and efficient.
• Choose Devices: Start by selecting the devices that you would like to use for testing. Consider the different operating systems, screen sizes and resolutions, as well as the hardware capabilities of each device.
• Build Test Versions: Create test versions of your app that can be installed on each device so you can easily make changes when necessary. Make sure to keep all versions organized so it’s clear which one is being tested at any given time.
• Perform Usability Tests: Conduct usability tests to make sure that users will be able to interact with your app in an intuitive way. Make sure you consider how easy it is for users to navigate, input data, and access features within the interface design.
• Conduct System Tests: Carry out system tests to check for any bugs or glitches that may occur. Make sure to test the app in different scenarios such as low memory, lack of connectivity, and different API levels.

Prepare for Launch:

Before launching your app, it’s crucial to ensure everything is in place – from marketing materials such as screenshots and videos to setting up user accounts and preparing any content that will be included in the app. Ensure all legal requirements are met before launch, too – this includes ensuring all necessary permissions have been granted.

• Gather Critical Information: Prior to launching your app, you must gather all the necessary information and resources needed for a successful launch. This includes verifying the technical requirements of any mobile stores where you plan to distribute the app and determining what type of promotional material will be used (such as screenshots or videos). Additionally, it is important to consider how updates or new features will be added once the app has been launched. 
• Set Up Your App Development Environment: Next, set up your development environment so that any necessary changes made to the code can be tested and deployed properly. This includes making sure you have the right tools and software installed, as well as establishing a workflow for development and deployment.
• Choose an Appropriate Platform: Depending on the purpose of your app, there may be multiple platforms that it can be made available on. Research which platform is best suited for your particular type of app, taking into account factors such as cost, potential user base, and technical requirements. 
• Develop Launch Content: Now you must create content to promote your app launch that will help draw attention from users and encourage them to download your app. This could include creating engaging videos or graphics, writing detailed descriptions about the features of your app, and so on. 
• Set a Release Date and Notify Users: Once you have gathered all the necessary information and resources for your app launch, you can now set an official date for when users will be able to download it. Additionally, make sure to let your existing user base know about the upcoming release in order to generate hype around the product launch.
• Monitor Performance: After launching your app, be sure to monitor its performance over time to identify any potential bugs or issues that arise. Additionally, keep an eye out for customer feedback and use it as a source of improvement when necessary. 

Finally, before submitting the app to the store, include an End User License Agreement (EULA) in your code. This will ensure you explicitly agree with users about what they can and cannot do with the app and protect your intellectual property. Once complete, it’s time to submit the app for testing and approval from relevant app stores so others can use it.

When your app has been approved and is available in stores, remember to promote it. Create marketing materials such as screenshots and videos, share links via social media, or offer discounts to encourage downloaders – doing this type of promotion is essential if you want to reach a wider audience.

By following these steps, launching your app should be a smooth process – ensuring users have the best possible experience every time they open it.