We all want to be able to build mobile apps and make money off them. We get intrigued with how mobile apps work, and get fascinated with how they make digital life easier for us. But smartphone apps do not build themselves; people build them. You can design, build and publish your own apps too and even make a continuous stream of income from them. Users in India, Kenya, Ukraine, Ireland, Bangladesh, France and anywhere in the world can download and use your mobile app even though you never left your local village somewhere in Ogun State, Nigeria.
But first, what are mobile apps?
An app refers to a mobile application or software designed to run on your smartphones, tablet computer or other mobile devices. They are similar to web software accessible on your PCs. With millions of apps available for smartphone users to choose from, the integrated software provides isolated functions that enhance the daily lives or technology use experience of the user. Anyone can use apps so long they can use smartphones, but not everyone can build one.
Designing a mobile app
Designing and building mobile apps is a skilled profession. But gone were the days when designers built from the ground up – today designers use tools and themes that make the work faster. Some of the tools used by mobile app designers to get their work done include Sketch, Adobe Experience Design (XD), Axure RP, Marvel, Proto.io, Origami Studio, OmniGraffle, Balsamiq, JustInMind, HotGloo, UI Stencil Kit, Flinto, FramerJS, InVision, Zeplin, UXPin, Iconjar, Fluid UI and Buildfire among several others.
With the above, designers can access the best prototypes and wireframes to design, customize, publish and also manage their apps from time to time.
Building your mobile app
While you can use specialized online tools to design the prototype and UI of your mobile apps among other things, it is essential that you put more thoughts into the building process. To start with, you must conduct deep research into the type of app you have in mind, how best to get the job done and why you must build it at all from the perspectives of the potential users. You may also want to check out similar apps already published by competitors so that you may improve upon their work.
Having chosen your template or design type, you must put your mind to details such as navigatioon, typography, colour scheme, lightness and functionality among others. Do not forget to test your app over and over again to see how it performs before you decide to publish it for the use of others.
You can read the most comprehensive guide to mobile app design here for detailed instructions
Publish your app for money
You may design mobile apps for pleasure, but the ultimate aim might be to make money in one form or the other. There are hundreds of apps that help users to make money online, but here are some of the ways you can make money off your published app as a dedicated app designer and marketer.
- In-app advertising
- In-app purchases
- Subscriptions
- Paid apps
- Sponsorships
- Affiliate programs
There may be other avenues to make money with your app, but the system is still evolving and the market large enough for everyone. You can add your ideas on app design and publishing in the comments below.