A Step-By-Step Post-Launch Development Process For Long-Term Success

An effective and efficient post-launch app strategy includes a systematic approach for mid to long-term success. Here’s what you need to do 👇

Step 1: Get Ready for Post-Launch Success 

• Precisely Outline Timelines for Evaluation 

As you plan to make incremental improvements to your app, it’s important to establish clear evaluation timelines. But, what’s the best way to do this? 

Simple, create a post-launch calendar that circumscribes the frequency of regular reviews. This well-drafted approach ensures that your app’s performance is constant under the microscope, nurturing a culture of continuous improvement. 

Let’s make it more simple to understand: 

A post-launch calendar consists of monthly check-ins during the initial phase, making sure you keep a close eye on user engagement, feedback and any potential red flags, and resolve them ASAP.  

And, with your app maturing, these check-ins could possibly mirror quarterly assessments, enabling more in-depth dives into performance metrics and user trends. For instance, you launched your gym workout app in Q2 of this year, monthly assessments show that users engage more with workout app features on weekends.

Armored with bespoke features, the team of app developers can prioritize weekend-specific features or content. These can circle around weekend challenges or inspirational stories to share over the weekend workout sessions on social platforms. Thus, by the end of the Q3, you’ll be able to introduce personalized workout sessions, meals and diets considering individual preferences, identified through ongoing assessments. 

• Define the Metrics - Success and Failure 

These defined mobile app metrics should be constantly re-evaluated to synchronize with the changing climate of your mobile app along with the market dynamics it inhibits. Some of the things to keep in mind consist of: 

User Engagement: Keep track of user interaction, active users and sessions duration to evaluate the engagement level within your app. 

App Responsiveness: Analyse how quick your app responds to user actions. This way you can identify the app responsiveness time and address the challenges that lead to frustration and decreased user satisfaction. 

User Feedback and review: Pay focus to user reviews and feedback on app stores, this qualitative data offers insights about user satisfaction and areas for improvement. 

Retention Rate: Evaluating user retention for your app within a time, indicates a loyal user base and effectiveness of your app’s UVP (Unique Value Proposition).

App Load Time: Measure the app loading time. A quicker loading time contributes to a positive user experience and can impact user retention. 

Monetisation Metrics: If your app consists of a monetization model, it’s important to keep track of average revenue per user (ARPU) and other financial metrics. 

Conversion Rates: Keep track of how well your app converts users towards desired actions, like making a purchase or subscribing to a service. 

Crash Rates: Keep a track on app crashes frequency. Plus, ensuring a low crash rat is critical for maintaining a flawless UX. 

App Performance Across Devices: Make sure your app offers consistent performance across different devices and operating systems. Besides, ensure any disparities for a seamless experience.  

In-app Navigation: Understand user navigation patterns within the app and identify rooms where users might bounce back or encounter challenges. 

Step 2: Stay Focused on Your Vision 

• Bring your vision to life 

Outlining “what your app objective to achieve in the long term” and “how easily it fits into the border ecosystem” is the key aspect defining your app’s vision. 

For example you have a beauty salon app. Herein, your vision would likely nurture a climate where beauty services can be easily booked from anywhere, anytime, dissolving the challenges. 

This vision caters as a North star, influencing decision and development choice while ensuring that each feature and update contributes to your app’s overarching success. 

• Implement Your Vision 

To bring your vision to life, it’s a must to translate it into flexible strategies that address the evolving needs of users. For your salon-booking app, your strategies for dedicated post-launch development support can be:  

1. Progressively introducing new features 
2. Integrate AI-driven personalised experiences
3. Establish collaboration with influencers for a good word-of-mouth

• Identify Challenges and Solutions Constantly 

It’s important to know your app’s challenges and solutions. This not only assists with development but also makes sure your app carries a clear picture. 

Getting back to the salon-booking app, you need to constantly keep track of the challenges your users face. These may consist of lack of engagement or challenges in retaining information which can be often solved by: 

1. Establishing gamification elements for user engagement
2. Integrating AI algorithms for personalised recommendations

Recommended Reading - 5 Tips to Shorten App Development Time 

Step 3: Analyse Feature Success and Room for Improvement 

• Identify Successful Features 

Ensuring your app’s undefinable success in the long-term is not anymore about “Whack-a-mole” problem solving. Indeed, you need to analyse and detect which features will add value to your audience. 

After all, making unnecessary changes to them seems like playing a blind shot. For example, in a multi-language learning app, the data reveals the “Tutor personalised learning” feature has very high user engagement. 

Although the gains may be marginal, the feature shouldn’t be altered without thorough consultation and consideration of users.  

• Strategise Steps for Improvement 

On the contrary, a handful of your features might not be shining as bright as you thought. Fortunately, there’s always a way, thanks to dedicated post-launch support. 

In a multi-language learning app, the “notification feature” is doing a great job, but could be enhanced with AI integration. Therefore, to offer users exactly what they want, conduct surveys and make feature updates that address their expectations.  

Step 4: Establish A Continuous Loop for Improvisation 

• Try A/B Testing to See What Works and What Doesn’t 

In the early days of app launch, frequent releases and beta testing help you gather voluminous information from your users. 

Consider a gym workout app, you could:

• Release updates with new workout sessions
• Test a beta feature that tracks healthy sleeping habits

This will help in dedicated post-launch development support and improve user experience. 

• Include Standard Processes 

With your app gaining momentum, it’s worthy thought to adopt quarterly check-ins. For your gym workout app, the quarterly check-ins could possibly mean: 

• Crunching numbers on the most-loved feature 
• Diving deep into user surveys to understand the latest fitness trends

Though, you’ll be making minute tweaks rather than changing it to whole, this aspect in mobile app development journey continuously evolves to cater user needs. 

Step 5: Collect Actionable Feedback 

• Engage in Constant Customer Dialogue 

Interacting with users on social media and support forums provides an unfiltered view of the challenges they face. 

Moreover, beyond creating features that help solve these challenges, you should consider creating guides and troubleshooting steps. As an outcome, you build trust with your target audience and offer quick fixes to recurring challenges. 

• Pay attention to Group Feedback 

A focus group is a status of individuals chosen to give feedback on a specific product or service. 

Primarily, it’s not just gathering feedback, it’s a comprehensive analysis of every nook and cranny in your app.  

For example, in a language learning app, you can consider insights on specific language modules, pronunciation features and engaging learning exercises. This shapes mobile app development through real-world experiences and requirements.

In the language-learning landscape, focus groups should include users of all proficiency levels. They might complement a gamified module or offer beneficial input on pronunciation feedback improvement. 

The outcome? Well-described feedback makes your app more user-friendly and effective, ensuring it synchronizes with your user base.  

• Craft Comprehensive Surveys 

While creating surveys,  ensure your questionnaires dig deep into user problems. After all, dedicated post-launch development support plays a crucial in gathering feedback and improving. 

Let’s consider a performance app. The surveys can consist of questions about the features that users swear by, the challenges they encounter and the room for UI/UX improvement.

Therefore, by incorporating the fundamental questions, you ensure to get the full picture before adding or subtracting any changes. 

​​Finally.. 

We, at Apptunix believe dedicated post-launch development support is the key to a successful release in a detailed manner. 

Use this document as a draft for your launch strategy, customizing it to fit the specific requirements and context of your app. After all, as a reputed app development company, we will be happy if this helps you achieve flawless execution from development to launch and ahead. 

Still, having questions? Our product experts will be happy to answer your questions. Thanks for reading!