How Frequent Updates Can Make an App Great
Tuesday, September 6th, 2011
Every app comes from an idea. Sometimes the idea is brilliant. Sometimes the idea is to help people. Sometimes the idea is a silly idea to entertain people. But always, before the app, there’s an idea.
Then there’s the creation process. It can take a short time or a long time, depending upon the complexity of the app. Once the app is created, it can be put in the Android Market. That’s when things start to get interesting. No app should be considered a finished product. It should always be considered a work in progress.
As Android apps get downloaded and rated, they accumulate comments. Some will be glowing reviews that say that the app has healed all of the world’s problems. These should be treasured. Some comments will be scathing remarks calling the app a piece of garbage. These should be ignored. The best comments, though, are the ones that ask for something more. These will tell you that your app almost solved a problem. They’ll tell you that your app could be great if only it did that a little better. When you get a comment like that, it’s time to take stock.
Ask yourself if the feature they’re asking for makes sense.
Sometimes, users ask for a feature that doesn’t make sense. You’ve created a club juggling app and they’re asking for videos on hula hoops.
If the app feature does make sense, ask if it’s feasible.
If you’ve created a club juggling app and they want twenty more tricks in the next version, it’s not feasible. If it’s not feasible, is a part of it possible? Can you add three more tricks? Can you add three tricks a month? Decide what you can reasonably do and do it. If there are a lot of different requests, look for ones that repeat, and look for ones that you can do easily. Keep a list of all of the requests, and set a goal to meet every sensible and feasible request. If possible, set yourself a deadline for each request.
Expect to update your app every 4-6 weeks.
Expect each update to give customers a real improvement in their user experience. Over time, the app will become truly excellent.
We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter,
If you’re interested in making your own Android apps, start creating apps here.
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