Step-by-step guide for building mobile apps.

A Step-by-step guide for building mobile apps.

Step 1. Preparing a blueprint for your app.

Before you do anything, write a detailed document.

1. What kind of app do you want to build?
2. What is the app’s USP?
3. What features will the MVP include?
4. How much will it cost to keep the app running?
5. How will you monetise the app?
6. What problem does your app solve?
7. How will you drive downloads?
8. UI designs and layout of your app.

Once this detailed document is ready, you will have much mental clarity for this project.

Step 2. Building the MVP.

Coding a mobile app takes shit load of time. You can code it yourself or use AI coding to build the basics, then review the code and write the rest of the logic and tests.

If you have a budget laptop/desktop, consider testing the app on a real device instead of using the built-in emulator. You can use USB debugging or wireless debugging to run the app on a real device.

Using a real device reduces load on your computer and gives you a better sense of how users will experience the app.

Step 3. Testing the app.

Test the app yourself on a real device, and if it runs perfectly, consider using RoboTest on Firebase to automatically test the app on multiple devices simultaneously.

Step 4. Implement Analytics and Crashlytics

Using Firebase, you can implement App Analytics and Crashlytics. This will help you identify issues, understand root causes, and debug and push fixes easily.

Step 5. Signing the app

Once testing is done, you can sign the app and safely store a copy of the key on an external SSD or in private cloud storage. If you move to another device or lose the key, you will have a backup to sign updated app code in the future.

Step 6. Publishing the app

Generate a signed Android App Bundle or IPA if you are submitting to the Apple App Store, and submit the app for review along with a proper listing.

If your app requires users to create an account to access certain features, create a test account and submit the login credentials so reviewers can test the features.

The review process usually takes about 1 to 2 weeks; in rare cases, it could take more than 20 days.

During this time, you can start building social media accounts and prepare a marketing blueprint.

Once you receive the confirmation email that your app has been published, download your app from the App Store/Play Store and test it.

Sometimes you will find issues with the app after it is published on the store.

If you are using Firebase for auth, check if auth is working correctly. Usually, a signing key mismatch causes auth to stop working in production.

If the app is functioning as intended, share the app link on social media. Let people test it out.

I highly recommend you share your app on r/SideProject. Users and developers would love to test it and give you an honest review, which is quite useful for improving the app.

Step 7. Validation

The MVP is out; now you need to validate the app. If you have a marketing budget, consider running app install ads on Google Ads. Your goal should be to monitor a few things.

1. Ad Conversion Rate
2. CPI
3. Churn Rate
4. Crash Rate
5. In-app subscription opt-in rate (if applicable)
6. Average user time spent
7. Reviews and ratings

You can use these metrics to improve both the app and your marketing efforts. If all the metrics are poor, I would say you need to reconsider whether it is worth your time and money to work on the app.

Earning potential: The earning potential of the app you build depends on the monetisation method you choose and the user demographic. You can expect to make anywhere between £100 £10,000 a month on average.

Wrapping up.

I hope you understood the steps involved in building and maintaining a mobile app. The step-by-step guide isn’t perfect; I couldn’t cover everything in a si