Nowadays, our entire lives and deepest secrets can all be stored away with the help of nothing but a mere iPhone application.
The versatility provided by an iOS application has made it an essential tool for every businessman and entrepreneur alike.
And did you know that a customized iOS app can also drastically increase your revenue and business presence in the ever-present online world?
Now all this sounds fantastic, but another question remains:
Can you make an iPhone app just for yourself?
To answer that question: You can, and luckily have many options to do so as well!
Resources such as app builders and e-learning platforms are available if you want to create an iPhone app from scratch, and you can also hire a developer skilled in iOS app development from freelancing platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr.
If you are not a computer geek and coding master, you can still use drag-and-drop app builders conveniently to create a successful app.
With even a modicum of a budget and a little knowledge, you can make your ideal iOS app quickly and efficiently!
Whichever method you use, the underlying process of iPhone app development remains the same.
In this article, we will endeavor to provide thorough and concise information on the complete procedures and processes required. So, let’s dive right in!
Why Do You Need An iOS App?
Before making an iOS app, you should be able to clearly define your app idea and what your objectives are.
Every feature of the iPhone app should be made purposefully for the success of your business or personal life.
You should keep in mind both your own personal/business issues and goals, along with any market competition during this process.
However, do keep in mind that simply relying on vague statements will not be enough!
For instance, let’s say you want to “increase the sales of your products”.
This is a very broad goal and does not address the specific barriers and requirements that are needed for its achievement. It is important to be more precise than that at this stage.
An example of a specific goal may be to develop an app that will increase customer engagement.
After this, you can tackle the features needed to solve any underlying problems that your business may be facing.
Your budget is as important as the purpose of your app. You can code the app yourself, use app builders, and/or hire a professional from freelance platforms. During the app development process, each decision should fulfill your ultimate aims.
Do Comprehensive Research
To achieve significant results with a real impact, you must do a comprehensive research of your market competitors on the Apple App Store.
This will help you understand the shortcomings and prominent features of the apps already available to yourself or other potential users.
By having this background knowledge, you can change and modernize your app as needed in the development phase.
The research process is very easy. Just open Google and type in any relevant keywords related to your app idea. In doing so, you should start seeing lots of results.
Open any websites that are closely related to your ideal product and take notes. For a better understanding of what works and what doesn’t, you may also find it helpful to use these apps yourself!
Doing research can be tedious, but it will give you far better insight into any areas of your app that may need improvement.
Reading customer reviews on any competing apps will also make you aware of any customer grievances.
You will then be able to address these specific grievances in your own iOS app, which may help you to build a much more well-rounded product than those already available!
Build Your iPhone App
There are three methods you can use to develop your iOS app.
You can either use an app builder, build an app from scratch, or hire a professional coding master. One by one, we will highlight and elaborate on each process.
Build Your iPhone App By Using An App Builder
App builders are able to do great work for their users.
There are many app builders available on the market, such as AppMachine, AppMakr, iBuildApp, and many more.
Before making a selection, you should make sure they can offer you all the features that you require.
To learn what they can offer, simply take a look at their websites! From there, you can select the templates, features, and designs according to the requirements of your business.
Adding the company logo, pictures, and information are ways in which you can personalize your app.
Most app builders offer the ability to connect your apps to social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
By following a simple, spoon-fed procedure, you can create a unique and efficient iOS app for yourself in no time!
Create The iOS App From Scratch
If you are a computer geek and master coder, then you may be able to build your iOS app from scratch with no external help.
It is time-consuming and lengthy but is by far the cheapest way to develop an app. Unfortunately, most businesses lack the essential coding skills needed, so this option mostly remains unfeasible.
The first step you would need to do is learn the Swift language, as Apple specifically designed this language to build iPhone apps.
Then, you will need to download the Xcode software on which you will build your app.
But Is having the software enough to build your iPhone app? Unfortunately, no. You will need to know or learn advanced-level coding to execute essential operations and commands.
Without knowing how to execute different commands and generate an app, you will inevitably end up with nothing but tears and frustration.
To avoid this dreaded fate, you may find it helpful to take a course dedicated to software coding.
There are many websites that can teach you how to code, such as Coursera, Udemy, and LinkedIn Learning.
Hire A Coding Nerd
If you are skeptical of using app builders and learning the Swift language, your final option is to hire a coding professional.
The least labor-intensive of the three options, all you need to do is tell the coding master all of your requirements- and they should then be able to use your provided information to build the iPhone app of your dreams (if they’re good enough, of course)!
As you might imagine, this avenue has the potential to become an overly pricey project, and for that reason, you should try to hire your coder for part-time work- at least at first.
There are many freelancing websites available for this, such as Upwork, Fiverr, and LinkedIn.
Simply give the ideal candidate the details of your project, and they will execute your requirements to make the iOS App.
Make sure to check the details of the freelancer before hiring to ensure that their profile falls under your budget and meets your requirements!
Does Your iPhone App Work Well?
After you have developed your iOS app, you need to test whether it works well.
There are many ways to analyze your app’s performance before launching, such as using a simulator in Xcode and testing the app internally. Let’s have a brief discussion of each of these:
Testing Your iPhone App Using The Simulator In Xcode
It’s great news that you do not have to launch your iOS app blindly, even if it is just for yourself.
By using a miracle feature known as the ‘simulator’ in Xcode, you will be able to analyze each operation separately.
In an instant, you will see whether everything is running smoothly. This will help you to spot and correct any errors on time with as little delay as possible.
You can also test your application by running the iOS app on iOS devices. To do so, connect your iPhone or iPad to your computer. Then, select the devices using Xcode to see the real-time operation of your freshly-built app.
Testing The iPhone App Internally
An internal test of your iOS can also help you see how the app works. Aside from testing it out yourself, you can also use Apple’s TestFlight to share the app with your family and friends.
There is a very simple procedure to follow when it comes to using TestFlight.
Firstly, upload your iOS app on App Store Connect. Then, add up to 25 members of a team.
Instruct them to use the app on many devices to gauge its real potential. At this stage, you will be able to spot and resolve any of the technical glitches and discrepancies of the app without first exposing it to other users!
The Bottom Line
So, can you make an iPhone app just for yourself?
You most definitely can, and the best part of it is that you don’t even have to get your proverbial hands dirty to do so!
Sure, if you want to DIY it you can use app builders or build from scratch (if you have the requisite skills), but another, much easier option available is to simply hire someone else to build your app for you!
Once the app is built, it’s all about testing it out both in a simulator and hands-on internally to make sure that it’s got more hits than misses.
Once that’s complete, your app is ready to go- and who knows, maybe it’ll be so great to use that you won’t want to keep it to yourself anymore!
Apple has been the dominant pioneer of the mobile tech world for the past two decades. Learn more about what makes their iPhone an icon not just in the present day, but for the ages to come as well!