As per studies, around 90% of the time people spend on their mobiles, is spent browsing apps. Hence, clearly, there is a great opportunity out there with mobile apps. If you want to create an app for free and make money from it, then you have landed at the right place. This blog will give you a detailed overview of how to build an app without spending anything and generate revenue from it.
There are two ways to create an app:
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With Coding
If you are a programmer, then it will be easy for you to build an app from scratch and customize it in any way that you want to. There are so many programming languages to choose from for creating an app. Some of the most popular languages to do the same are Python, JavaScript, Scala, Ruby, and so on.
In case you want to create an app yourself, then you will have to learn a programming language first. The only thing you’ll have to spend on this method is your effort.
Without Coding
Even if you can’t code, still you can make an app. There are a lot of websites that offer to make a custom app for you without charging anything or maybe a minimal fee. A lot of people are following this approach because let us be honest, not everybody is a developer. Some such services that can create an app for free are Bubble, Mobicube, etc.
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Step-By-Step Method For Creating An App For Free
1. Planning
First things first, you need to have an idea about what you want to build. Think about what purpose this app is going to serve. The plan should be very apt and need to be accurate enough to solve the problem at hand.
Moreover, at this stage, you need to think about the target audience as well. And while doing so you can further think of ways to address the problems they might be facing. This will make the user experience better. Choose a monetization strategy as well based on what other such apps are doing.
2. Research
Once you have an idea ready, now you need to execute proper research in order to know what is happening in the market. You need to check the competition that you might be facing and that would determine the likeliness of your app succeeding.
If the niche of your app is social media, then you need to do a detailed study of other social media platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and so on. Find out the USP of the competitors including their total downloads, ratings, and so on. Once you have all the research data, you will know the points you need to focus on and other things that you can skip.
3. Create the App Layout
Now, you need to list down all the features that should be present in your app as per the research done. After deciding the important aspects about your app like USP, user-interface, look, etc. you need to implement them in code.
4. Focus on the Visual Details of The App
After deciding how your app should be, you need to work on the visual details of your app. This would include your logo, color scheme, graphics, animations, and so on. Now, this step is of utmost importance, since in the current era, visual appeal matters a lot.
5. Work on Back End And Front End of The App
Next up is coding the back end and front end of your app. This is a crucial step because it will decide if your app will work as planned. In case you have limited experience in software development, then you should get it done by a professional app builder. After designing the back-end, you need to design the front-end interface that will be visible to the user.
6. Test Your App
The last step involved in building your app, test the final product. It is important to test the finished app on numerous devices. You need to have it tested via several people who fit in the category of your target audience.
This will give you several opinions and an idea of what works and what doesn’t. Based on that, you can modify the app. Moreover, if you happen to find any bugs, then make sure to fix them.
7. Come Up With a Marketing Strategy
Now that you have developed the app, you need to develop a marketing plan to promote your app. This step might involve a lot of hard work. Moreover, this is also an important step to make sure that your app succeeds.
8. Submit Your App To Play Store/App Store
Follow the steps given below to submit your app to PlayStore:
- a) Make a developer’s account
- b) Via this account, sign up for Google Merchant.
- c) Upload your app
- d) Provide a description and some screenshots of your app
- e) Publish the rating for your content and then set up the pricing (if applicable) for the app
- f) Also, choose the locations where you want your app to be available.
- g) Finally, publish your app.
The steps given below will tell you how to publish your app on App Store:
- a) First, read the guidelines of the App Store and make sure that you don’t violate them
- b) Fill in the metadata for your app via App Store connect
- c) Submit your app for review
- d) Wait for approval
9. App Promotion
After your app is online, you need to make it known to people and that is possible via promoting it. This is done by running advertisements, referral programs, influencer marketing, cold emails, etc. Moreover, you need to keep a lookout for the app ratings as well because that will show how good or bad your app is.
How To Make Money From Your App?
Making money through apps is one of the new sources of revenue that technology has brought to us. Now, there are several ways to make money through your app. While some of these will require you to charge money from your users, others might not.
Keep in mind that no method is the perfect way to make money through apps. There are different methods to suit an individual’s needs. Without further ado, let’s jump into the top 6 ways to make money via apps (without having to spend a single penny):
1. In-App Advertising
This is the most fundamental method of making money via mobile apps and it is quite easy too. After you have built your app, you are left with a decision of whether to allow advertisements or not. If you choose to do so, then you (the app owner) will be paid as per the number of clicks the ads get or the number of impressions they make.
Another thing to keep in mind is that video ads pay you more than a banner ad. However, do consider if the users of your ad will have the patience to watch the video ad or not. The type of ad and the duration of the ad is also important.
Note: One trick here is to not show ads at all! Yes! What you need to do is offer the app users an ad-free premium version of your app if they buy the upgrade. This is a popular strategy that almost all apps are using these days.
2. In-App Purchases
Yet another way to earn money via apps is by not allowing your users to enjoy all the features of your app. What you can do in this revenue model is allow users to unlock a couple of features every time they buy an upgrade. You might have seen this model being used a lot in gaming apps.
The in-app purchases in the game could be anything from features to bonus levels, from any premium item to virtual currency. You must apply this model to your app because around half of the most successful apps do so to earn revenue.
You can call this model a freemium model (free + premium model) because your app would be offered for free. But, the more advanced features and premium stuff can be accessed via a purchase upgrade.
3. Subscription
This is also an effective deal for both the app owner and the consumers. In this model, you put a trial period on your app. This is a specific time-frame (which could be 1 week, 30 days, etc.) when the user can enjoy all the features of your app for free.
Now, once the user starts using your app, they will find certain elements that cater to their needs and others that don’t. So, after the trial period ends, they will have the freedom to choose from a couple of subscription packs that offer different ranges of features and functionalities.
4. Sponsorship
In this method, you need to find a sponsor for your app. This will work only if your target audience and the sponsor’s target audience are one and the same. Once you have found a suitable sponsor, you can design the app as per their brand’s aesthetics and then, chalk out a deal.
You could charge a monthly subscription fee or negotiate a revenue split in this model. You will enjoy the benefit of the pre-existing following of the brand that will lead to more traffic to your app. Moreover, the users are more likely to trust the app based on the sponsor brand’s loyalty.
5. Affiliate Income
Another way to earn money through your app is by becoming a mobile affiliate at a mobile affiliate network. Here, you will meet mobile advertisers who could be mobile app owners or businesses. These people would want to advertise their products or services on your app and will offer you performance-based incentives for the same.
Now, the revenue you generate through this could be in the form of cost-per-click. Else, you could also make a deal where you’ll receive some percentage of the revenue you create for the advertiser.
6. Crowdfunding
You must have come across several websites that would show you a message asking for a donation so that they can continue providing their services. Well, this is a recent method of making money via the internet. There are several platforms available like Kickstarter, Patreon, and so on that allow crowdfunding for mobile apps. In fact, you can also use this method to raise money for charitable causes.
Conclusion
Long gone is the time when people would think twice when someone said that you could money through apps. Technology has advanced vastly and in today’s era, people are building a fortune out of apps. We have thoroughly listed everything that you need to know to build an app for free and make money from it. It is recommended that you research and explore every method before making a sound choice about which way to go.
