Common Challenges Mobile App Startups Face After App Launch And Their Solutions

Launching an app is simple, but solving the many problems that occur after that can become overwhelming for mobile app startups who lack technical expertise.

If you launch your app, this blog will help you know what challenges you will face and how you should prepare to face them.

We at WDI understand that app development is a complex process and most mobile app startups do not have all the information or resources required to make their app successful.

There are so many aspects involved that it makes it impossible for startups to cover them all, especially when their field of expertise is not information technology.

This leads to many setbacks and even absolute failures. We understand how terrible it can feel when you invest your resources in something and it does not deliver on your expectations.

So, this blog will list out the problems you are likely to face after launching your app and what you can do to avoid or solve them.

So, here we go..

The competition is getting crazier out there, with millions of mobile apps existing on the Play Store and App Store.

This means that it is very likely that your app is not as unique as you think it is. The chances of at least one app being built around the same concept as yours are very high.

If that is not the case, then some bigger company can simply copy your concept and make it even better. Just search for any requirement on the App Store and you will find at least 10 clones providing the same services.

Solution: Conduct extensive research on your business and concept to ensure that it stands out in the market.

You need to know what you are providing with your app.
Do those functionalities have any demand in the market?
If so, how will people use your app, and to what extent?
Are there any other apps providing the same features?
How are you going to get ahead of those apps?

Many more factors are involved in business analysis. Most startups skip this part and let their emotions take over, believing that their app is the best out there. This leads to their app not getting the expected downloads and a lot of frustration.

In-depth business analysis is a must if you want your app to become successful.

At WDI, we offer extensive business analysis with our app development. This ensures that the app is doing exactly what it is intended to do.

When you enter an arena, you need to know who you are fighting.

Even before developing an app, you need to know with whom you are competing, what their standards are, and whether you can beat those standards.

“Competitor” here does not mean only startups or businesses. It includes the famous apps in your niche and trending features.

Solution: As of now, features like social login, 120fps animations, and gamification have become the norm. These are the things you should look out for. while doing competitor analysis.

Maybe your app is truly ingenious, but if it does not have social login or fingerprint verification, most people are simply not going to proceed further.

You need to know the ins and outs of the market you are entering. This will give you an idea of what you need to do to defeat your competitors.

At WDI, competitor analysis is a part of the business analysis we provide to our clients. We provide them with a detailed plan of action on how to zoom ahead of their competition.

You can spend all the money you want on developing your app, but if no one knows about it, all that money goes down the drain.

When you thought about creating your app, you must have had a target audience in your mind. You need to take the proper steps to deliver your app to your target audience.

Digital marketing is all about increasing your reach and downloads through digital means like SEO, social media, ad campaigns, etc.

Without marketing, no one is going to download your app.

Solution: Here are some things you can do to increase your app downloads.

Not all promotion starts after the launch of the product. Promoting the product before the launch can help to create hype and generate some pre-sales.

Both the Google Play Store and the App Store now have the option to pre-register for any app or game. The app is automatically downloaded once it is launched.

If you have not launched your app yet, make it available for pre-registration. You get a window of 90 days to launch the app.

Provide some incentive to motivate people to pre-register. Maybe some extra points or freebies could hook them up. It depends on your app.

Social media platforms are the best tools of marketing at your disposal. With the right expertise, you can generate an immense amount of traffic for your app, organically.

You can just start with simple posts announcing your app with a call to action for download. You can ask your employees to like that post and share it on their social media accounts. This is enough to generate some traction at first.

Then, to specifically reach your target audience, you can spend some money on ad campaigns.

This is a way to generate organic leads.

Give some incentives to anyone who shares your app.

For example, the person who shares and the person who downloads from that link both get some points. This gives both parties a reason to share and download.

Find out the reputed social media influencers in your niche. If you have a cooking app, you can make a list of the best chefs or food vloggers on social media.

Reach out to them and ask them to promote your app on their social media platforms. Go back to the previous point and figure out some ways to provide special incentives for anyone who downloads from the influencer’s link, like a discount coupon.

At WDI, we also provide digital marketing services to get your app to the right audience.

A microsite is just another website made especially for your app. Yes, you can also have a separate page on your brand’s website about your app, but creating a new website is even better to increase lead generation. It provides you with many more opportunities to promote your app.

Solution:

Once you host your microsite, you can post blogs describing your app and addressing search queries with a CTA to the app download page. Depending on the quality of your blogs, you can generate tremendous downloads for your app.

You can also post tutorials on how to use your app so that people have the solution directly from the creator of the app instead of third-party forums.

Furthermore, you can attach photos and videos addressing user queries. Even a YouTube channel is a great way to promote your app and showcase its functionalities.

As your site develops, you can collaborate with other bloggers in your niche and ask them to add download links for your app.

Even with the best research team, you can never be 100% sure about your audience.

This is where data collection comes into play to get the information needed for optimizing and marketing your app.

Solution:

Here is some basic data you must collect from your users:

Gender
Age
Nationality
Language
Interests

These are the places where your predictions can go topsy-turvy. For example, you must have predicted that most teenagers would be interested in your app. But, after data collection from existing users, you might find out that even middle-aged people are active on your app.

This data can now help you refine your marketing strategy. You can directly target middle-aged people in your ad campaign and see how that works. Depending on the response, you can decide where to allocate more resources.

Another tool for data collection is the feedback form. You need to know how users are feeling about your app and if they are facing any problems.

This lets you know where your programmers and UX designers have to improve.

Once you collect feedback, taking it constructively and building upon it is equally important.

Many mobile app startups ignore this part and end up losing their existing users.

Solution: Start by responding to the reviews your app gets on the Play Store and the App Store, especially the negative ones.

Understand why people are unhappy with your app. Make the necessary changes and give your users the assurance that they are getting the best service.

Respond to the reviews and inform them that you are working on their issue.

Next, stay updated with all social media platforms. Is anyone reaching out from there?

If so, respond with a solution as soon as possible.

Finally, check the analytics of your app and marketing campaigns. How many people are using the app? How did they find out about it?

Refine your ad campaigns based on the analytics. Research the best ways to get your app to its target audience.

Bugs are the biggest annoyance for any app developer. You create an app after months or years of effort and launch it only to get a bunch of negative reviews for the bugs.

You can’t afford to ignore it, no matter how annoying it is. No app is perfect after launch. All apps require at least a dozen updates before they get anywhere close to perfection. But, there will be some new bugs or glitches popping up after that.

Bug fixing is a never-ending process.

Solution: You need a dedicated maintenance team that will keep checking your app for bugs and fixing them.

At WDI, we have dedicated testers who are proficient at finding bugs and fixing them.

Most mobile app startups just launch their app and forget about it. This is a big rookie mistake as technology is changing every day.

There is a new system update for iOS and Android every year. Algorithm updates, security threats, and viruses emerge on a daily basis.

This makes it mandatory to provide at least monthly updates for your app.

But this increases expenses, which most mobile app startups tend to avoid. Also, it is a never-ending process, meaning you have to hire your mobile app developers forever.

Although the expenses seem overwhelming, it is necessary to regularly update your app for it to be successful and trustworthy.

When people see that the app is receiving updates, they feel that the creators are caring about the app.

Solution:

Here are three updates that you must provide in your mobile app.

Once you get a list of bugs your users are reporting, fix them and launch a new update.

You do not have to update your app for every small bug you fix. People will not entertain daily updates. If they have not enabled auto-updates, they will simply rage quit your app if they keep getting notifications for updates every single day.

You can rest assured that there will be some hackers finding vulnerabilities in your mobile app, regardless of how unpopular it is.

If you do not update your app, it is an open invitation for hackers to come and mess around.

This is why you should release security patches, fixing the vulnerabilities that have been discovered. This is crucial, especially if your app has anything to do with users’ money.

You can never be sure that your app is running perfectly on every single device out there.

Almost every smartphone company has its own UI that tampers with the core Android UI. This creates a lot of compatibility issues. On some devices, the app might not even boot up.

You must find such compatibility issues based on the users’ feedback and update your app accordingly.

Based on the feedback you get, there will be many requirements and suggestions your users have.

Work with your development team regarding it and implement those features in your app.

At WDI, we provide regular updates to our clients, ensuring that everything is sailing smoothly as ever.

Launching your app is one thing; getting it noticed is another. This requires another set of skills.

App Store Optimization is a must to get your app to rank at the top of search results and increase your downloads. It is not an easy task to beat the millions of apps already present there.

Solution:

There are a few things involved in optimizing your app for the App Store:

Both the App Store and the Play Store provide you with the opportunity to write a description for your app. This is the chance for you to tell your audience and the algorithm what your app is about.

Do some keyword research and write a search engine-friendly description of your app.

Also, make it attractive enough to convince the reader to download your app. Showcase the features your app provides, and highlight your USPs. Consider it a sales pitch for your app.

Just the description is not enough; people need visual data to make up their minds.

The App Store allows you to insert one video and five images about your app, while on the Play Store you can upload eight images.

Use this opportunity to the max and upload dazzling images and a video about your app.

Also, do not forget about your app logo. It is what compels people to tap on your app.

At WDI, we provide ASO services to our clients to ensure that their app gets the attention it deserves.

Post-launch optimization and marketing for your app are equally important as development. Yet, most mobile app startups neglect these factors and end up damaging their user base and reach.

At WDI, our mobile app developers will handle your mobile app development from wireframing to launching with the right optimization.

We provide faster app development with our hybrid methodology, delivering the MVP as soon as possible and launching consistent updates every two weeks.

Our dedicated maintenance team ensures that everything is in its place and running smoothly.

Your success is our priority. With our bullseye digital marketing services, we ensure that your app reaches the right audience.

Contact us, discuss your idea, and let us build something incredible together.