Did you know there are an estimated nine million apps in the world?

In February 2024 around 37,000 new mobile apps were released via Apple’s App Store.

So how do you get your app to stand-out in a congested marketplace?

I’ll be talking about this at Indiespring’s new event- ‘Appy Hour – unveiling the power of app’ – on May 21st.

I’ll be delving into what makes a winning formula for apps from concept to three years in.

My aim is to give people the best chance of succeeding in the competitive app space.

It’s easy to have a great idea but it’s a lot tougher to break through in the app space. Believe me!

How to make your app stand out from the crowd

I’ve spent a lot of my career immersed in apps and I’ve come with a four-point plan on what makes a hit app.

During my 20+ year career at the BBC I helped create CBeebies Playtime app amongst a number of other apps and digital products, games and content.

It was launched in 2013 and enabled users to play games featuring many of popular CBeebies brands.

It worked for many reasons. Children’s behaviour was beginning to change but we looked at the data and did exhaustive market research.

It had a strong brand with a clear message.

However, not every BBC app was a success and guaranteed to get cut through.

For example we produced a number of gaming apps for older kids but they didn’t have the same success.

I’ve produced a four-point plan on creating a hit app:

  • Be open-minded. Assume you know nothing at the beginning. You might have a core idea but everything needs to be qualified by market research, including competitor analysis.
  • Clear single-minded product vision statement and audience needs. It’s essential to have clear messaging from the outset and then execute the marketing.
  • Create a roadmap. Launch, learn, review and iterate.  You don’t just launch an app and forget it. You need a roadmap so you can continue to amend it. An app is not just for Christmas.
  • Symbiotic relationship. When I’ve seen things go wrong it’s invariably because politics and egos get in the way. For apps to take-off you need a symbiotic relationship between product-strategy-engineering-marketing etc.
  • Rachel Bardill is the founder of Bar Digital and will be joined at the Appy Hour event by James Renshaw, former CTO of Modern Milkman and now the head of DevOps and UK Development at Parkingeye; Arran Kirkup, director of partnerships at Indiespring; and Martin Hogan, founder and CEO of Safe Citizens. Register here