Delivering a great MVP

We have been providing complete end-to-end web and mobile app development solutions for our clients  for over a decade. Lately, an increasing number of clients have been enlisting our mobile app development services for their niche business, often driven exclusively by the application themselves. In this competitive market scenario, there is always a concern among clients about their mobile app performance. Fortunately, the concept of MVP can enable developers to safely and accurately develop and test mobile applications.

So what is an MVP? It stands for Minimum Viable Product – basically a stripped down version of the final version of the app. Only the key functional aspects of the app are retained after which the client can choose to ascertain from selected users their valuable feedback. What it effectively does is bring down the risks and costs significantly by working on initial prototype feedback. Not only that, MVP also allows clients to focus on what customers want which can be implemented in subsequent iterations, thereby providing value constantly. In this blogpost, we will see on how to prioritise the most important features for an MVP. And before we forget, the concept of MVP is universal, be it Android or iOS or any other mobile platform.
 

Establishing App Vision

For any business, formulating a vision statement will help in steering it in the right direction. By vision, we mean what the business wants to achieve, who it wants to target and how it seeks to satisfy those customers and so on. For clients with business models tied to the apps, the vision is demonstrated through the MVP and app’s core functions in extension. Therefore, it makes sense for clients to be clear in their vision and goals and communicate exact requirements to the developer. It also helps developers to work on future iterations.

 

Prioritising App Features

Under MVP, the app is programmed to function at a nominal level, meaning it has the only basic functions. Surely clients would want to add more features, it is important restrict them and work on the essentials. To make this task easier, developers can prioritise the features with the help of a 4×4 matrix having urgency and impact (low and high) in the x and y axis respectively. The features can be mapped onto the matrix after discussing with the client. This matrix helps prevent scope creep, which has the potential to drain resources – both time and money.
 

Gathering Feedback 

After launching the MVP, the developer must take measures to establish channels to get user feedback. These channels are great reservoirs of information that can be used to work on changes. Not only changes, it gives a quick snapshot of where the app is headed in the future – whether the current version is good enough with minor changes or the app functionality must change completely. Suppose a client wants to hire an android developer for designing her cake ordering app. Developers would do well to chart out the right metrics for measuring the MVP performance, especially if the client is just starting out – like in this case revenue, conversions, retention and churn. These metrics must be actionable, in the sense that it drives the business.

 

Final Thoughts

Developers must understand that an MVP works on the premise of delivering on needs rather than wants. This need based MVP must have a clear roadmap that has ample room for future modifications – in other words, flexibility. To further enhance the MVP, clients and developers can analyse the competition, like for instance browsing through blogs and customer feedback.

Are you looking to hire an iOS developer or android developer for building an MVP? Look no further and get in touch with our developer team today.