How to Create a Mobile App for Non-Developers

Mobile technologies were something more of a mystery about two decades ago, but now they have evolved into a huge marketing machine that drives global markets forward. Today, about 85% of consumers prefer mobile apps to traditional websites and the popularity of mobile apps just keeps on growing. No surprise, we have lots of businesses now integrating their mobile applications into marketing processes.

The greatest thing about mobile applications is the ability to link consumers to the brand, build even stronger bonds, and the brand’s awareness. A customized mobile application gives advantages in the never-ending competitive race. Why? Because it boosts customer loyalty, which will contribute to making more money and providing better service.

Here are more reasons why creating mobile apps for your business is a good idea:

• Bring new revenue streams by boosting sales;
• Engage customers giving them more resources;
• Provide an effective way of connecting employees with customers;
• Diversify your brand’s mobile marketing strategies.

How do you create a mobile app without coding experience?

It’s easy to create a mobile application online now. If you’re not sure which way to go for making an application, read through steps that are important to learn before starting. How much does it cost to create a mobile application? Good news – it’s possible to build mobile applications for free. 

Read this blog article to learn about online programs available, created specifically to serve people with no coding knowledge to get their hands on mobile app development.

Step 1. Determine why to create a mobile app from scratch

Trying to figure out how to create a mobile app from the start? Start with setting a clear perspective of the end result you want to get. Two major goals to determine are a users’ goal and business goal of your own. That’s where you need to connect two dots making sure that these two goals will be reflected in a mobile application you create.

First, try to think and evaluate a mobile application from an angle of your visitors or potential customers. Determine how to set it up to show them benefits right away. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Why would my clients want to use this app?
• How can I address my goals with it?
• What do I want for a final outcome?

If you come up with sufficient answers, it can become core guidelines for the whole process of designing a customized application. The certain areas you might look into for improvements before you jump on this wagon can be ROI, an increase in customer satisfaction and engagement, more returning customers, social proof improvement, and increasing your brand’s awareness.

Step 2. Determine the best features which help to create a mobile app for business

Let’s say, you need to run logistics and have a lot of interactions with consumers. Well, these tasks are exhausting to your company’s resources. As a result, inefficient daily efforts can block the company’s growth and limit the potential. Once you have a mobile app created, these problems can be resolved by certain processes being automated.

Once it is determined what exactly is needed for setting up your mobile app usage,  go ahead – make a scope of functional features for your application.

• An outline of popular blocks used for building mobile apps:
• Contact us form
• Push notifications
• Interactions for YouTube or Vimeo users
• Integrations for social sharing
• eCommerce integrations
• Chat for employees or clients

Brainstorm and write down a layout with a similar outline. Then determine a functionality that will work with particular business ventures. Just think about what particular features can bring more value to an application helping to accomplish business goals. Know your market and competitors to pick those who already built successful mobile applications. Review their apps to see what stands out to you and looks inspirational. Note anything that you think was left out in your own brand.

Step 3. How to start creating your mobile application with wireframing

Basically, a good start in the building process is wireframing. It is one of the most useful tools used for building a skeleton of any mobile app and for representing its layout. Also, you will connect the individual blocks you’ve already outlined. What are the main benefits of using wireframing? Actually, plenty of them. It will let you dive into the actual process and explore your thoughts while linking raw sketches to the final product.

More reasons for utilizing wireframing:

• It will let visualizing the whole process by sketching it. Do a good job sketching with one of the online programs – Fluid UI;
• An easy and clear interface will let you add as many changes as you want saving time spent for development;
• You will be able to dive deeper to explore multiple layout ideas, concepts, workflows;
• It will let you build screen flows in multiple quantities and see which show better usability.

Since wireframe is a super visual aid, it will let you create in both – online, as well as in the offline mode (use SneakPeekIt). With wireframes you’ll build much more functional user-friendly apps skipping through potential distractions that are usual for visual design. Also, you will anticipate obstacles found in graphic elements.

If you decide to create online, look at some useful online tools:

• Go to Adobe Suite to use its templates;
• Use such specialized tools for sketching –  Mockflow, Balsamiq Mockups, or Gliffy.

Skipping wireframing and going straight into the app development is a bad idea. Speaking from other companies’ experience it saved them a whole bucket of money on engineering costs when they used a wireframing method for learning how to create a mobile app.

Step 4. Testing wireframes is another step to take for creating a mobile app

Testing will make your mobile app processes easier helping to avoid frustrations while matching screen flows with the expectations of your consumers. Testing is needed for running the analysis of the use cases and for identifying any friction points generated during this process. There is one effective tool used for testing – Invision, which creates interactive wireframes and links actions to screens.

Also, it will let you add images from the desktop while creating a prototype. Once all is completed, you will be sharing a prototype with peers and colleagues accumulating feedback. Feedback is needed to determine how much further you need to go to reach your goal completely.

Some good questions to ask customers while you request feedback from them:

• Could you easily access the main menu after you’ve opened this application?
• Could you identify all features that you needed?
• Do you think the path was intuitive or did you need to tap “back” instead?
• Noticed any sign of redundancy?

After you collected enough information derived from received feedback, sort and group it in accordance with similarities in responses. After you got everything sorted out, make a list of updates you are going to be adding to wireframes. When you are done with revisions and changes in wireframes, run a new test to see whether new feedback satisfies you better. If you feel like you are happy with new responses from customers, go ahead and proceed to the next step.

Step 5. An easy explanation of how to create a mobile app with choosing a development path

An app development path basically involves picking a programming language and choosing an online platform. When speaking about coding, there are also two major paths:

• Native app – known for providing the most reliable performance and builds an app for the OS that you pick.
• Mobile app framework – means an option available for building a hybrid app evolved on multiple platforms, such as PhoneGap, Ionic, Framework 7.

Step 6. Online platforms and programs needed to create a mobile app

How hard is it to create a mobile app?

When it comes down to using online building platforms, it’s easy. One of the main advantages of mobile app building platforms is that it will let you build many features fast with different plugins (just like in BuildFire). It will let you view any changes without having to change anything in the code itself. 

Here are top 5 mobile apps building platforms offered for beginners:

• Appzio – you’ll learn how to create a mobile app in iOS and Android without any knowledge in coding skills. You’ll get access to media streaming, registration forms, and possibilities for monetization.
• Appsee – provide the same functionality just like in touch heatmaps. It is capable of showing a real-world understanding of how users exactly interact with applications they like to use.
• PhoneGap – made by Adobe that can provide the easiest way for building apps with HTML, JavaScript, or CSS. Using cloud-based services is an additional service. This platform is free, except for the cloud-based service which does require monthly payments.
• Mobilesmith – no prior coding experience is needed and provides good quality and user-friendly end results.
• AppGeyser – a free platform that does not require coding experience. However, don’t expect that you’ll create the greatest app of a lifetime. It does offer options for creating something quickly. It lacks iOS support but still it can be a good starting place for those who never dealt with coding before.

Once you are done with development, don’t forget about the testing of a freshly made app. Go either with internal testing or external, or even both. With an internal testing option you’ll involve your companions to test an app for bugs or for any user experience problems.

External testing means working with somebody who you don’t know to specify and pinpoint any unintuitive steps or user issues uncovered. Try such useful testing tools like TestFairy and UserTesting, or use the Ubertesters testing tool.

After you’re done with a mobile app – spread the word and let everybody know about it! Use social media accounts, your corporate website, email your customers telling them great news about a new app, talk about it in blog posts, etc. Collect information and feedback to make sure they will enjoy the app while making purchases and interacting with your business.