Every new product idea that you come up with needs to go through the complete software development life cycle (SDLC).
This process starts with the discovery stage, where the developers will sit with you to discuss all the requirements for your software. You can talk about all the features that you want to see within your software product and all the functions you want it to perform for users.
Once this is finalized, the developers will design the software, preferably in such a manner that users find it easy and smooth to use. They might offer to draw up some sketches (called wireframes) that visualize what the final product would look like. Check out this Free Wireframe Tool from Visme.
Next comes the development phase, where all the coding happens. This is followed by the testing process: it is important to check all aspects of your software before you launch it to the end-users. To ensure that all bugs and usability issues are fixed and removed, expert testers first test the app on their own, and then offer it to a small batch of users so that they can test it out and share their feedback.
The whole software development process is quite time-consuming and costly. Imagine going through this entire process and launching your app in the market only to realize that the users are not responding positively to it. Perhaps the process took so long that users have already found an alternative app to meet their needs. Maybe they find most of your app’s features irrelevant. To address these problems at an early stage, you must opt for MVP app development.
What Is an MVP?
An MVP (Minimum Viable Product), like its name suggests, is an app’s most basic version that one can launch in the market to gauge how users would respond to a more advanced final version of the app. An MVP contains all the necessary features which you feel your app must-have. With an MVP, you can skip all the embellishments that you would otherwise add to a full-fledged app.
Launching an MVP before investing in an advanced app allows you to launch the app faster, saving you precious time and money. MVP development also helps because you can receive valuable feedback from initial users, based on which you can grow your app in the right direction.
Why You Need MVP Software Development
Let us talk about the benefits of MVP app development and MVP web development in further detail. Here are the top three reasons why it is worthwhile to invest in an MVP, whether you are going for a mobile app or web app.
Gain real actionable feedback
When you launch an MVP, you are making your app available to actual users whose opinion matters. This is one step ahead of internal testing. With so many people viewing your app with fresh perspectives, they might be able to point out certain things that you or the testing team may have missed. You will also be able to find out which features the users love, which ones they find unnecessary, and what more they would like to see in your software product.
You should keep communication lines open between your users and yourself so that their feedback can reach you quickly. Based on this initial response, you can keep improving upon your initial software release until it reaches stability and completion.
Reduce time-to-market
Like we discussed before, software product development is a lengthy process that can take a long time, sometimes even years, to bear the perfect fruit. If you choose to launch an MVP first, you can launch a fully functional version of your app in the market much sooner, without having to wait for such a long time.
With such a tough competitive environment in the market, MVP development can help you win the race against other app owners offering similar software solutions. When your app is the first to reach the masses, it is more likely that your users will grow loyal to your brand and stick with it in the long run too, all the while inadvertently giving you feedback about how you can improve your app further.
Operate within budgetary limitations
Time is just one of the three primary resources that the software development process needs. The other two are money and labor. The more detailed your app is, the more labor it will require to build perfectly, and the more expense it will incur. This means you will have to invest a large chunk of capital into your software.
The MVP development process limits the scope of your initial release to only the bare minimum yet most essential features and functionalities. This means you can hire a minimal number of people to help you with the fairly rapid development process. This will allow you to launch a finished app even with a smaller monetary investment. By correctly gauging the users’ initial response and listening to them, you will also be able to avoid losses – even boost profits – and keep your customers happy.
The MVP App Development Process
The MVP development process can be explained briefly in a few simple steps.
First, you have to find out whether your app idea is financially viable or not. Do you think your idea is amazing and one-of-a-kind and will blow your users’ minds? You need facts and stats to prove it. Thus, market research is very important. It will determine whether users will be open to using your app at all or not.
You also need to look into potential competitors and think about how you can make your offering different and more valuable than theirs. With sufficient market research, you should be able to figure out how your app will address certain needs of your users that your app must meet. What value will your app provide to the intended target audience?
Once you have refined your business idea, you can approach the MVP app development process head-on, with the first step being user flow mapping. Here, you need to walk yourself through your app from the eyes of an average user. Now that you know what goals users will be achieved by using your app, you need to figure out what their thought process will be while achieving said goals. You must figure out the best possible way that a user would naturally navigate through your app. This step is important for making your app user-friendly, prioritizing both design and user experience.
Then comes the crucial phase of shortlisting essential features to include in your MVP, and putting inessential ideas on the back burner for the time being. This can be done by weighing user needs against user wants. Needs come first. However, keep in mind what your personal goal is: what you want your app to be known for.
This is where you can hand over the job to the MVP development experts. Professional UI/UX designers and software developers can now successfully turn your idea into reality. After proper post-coding testing and quality assurance, your MVP will be ready for launch!
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