What Should Be the Main Purpose of My Mobile App?

Starting a mobile app project is both exciting and daunting. Like setting out on an adventure, you might have a destination in mind but feel uncertain about the best path to take. As app development experts who've guided countless projects since 2015, we understand that one question matters more than any other: What should be the main purpose of your mobile app?

The clearer your app's purpose, the stronger its foundation for success will be. Everything else - from features to design - flows naturally from this core mission.

Think about some of your favourite apps for a moment. Whether it's WhatsApp connecting you with loved ones, Spotify soundtrack your daily commute, or Duolingo helping you learn a new language - each has a crystal-clear purpose that drives every aspect of its design and functionality.

Throughout this guide, we'll help you navigate the crucial process of defining your app's primary purpose. We'll explore how to align your vision with real user needs, create genuine value, and build experiences that resonate with your target audience. It's rather like being an architect - before choosing paint colours or furniture, you need to understand exactly what the building is for.

Whether you're a startup founder with a groundbreaking idea or an established business looking to expand into mobile, this guide will help you lay the foundations for an app that truly matters to its users. We'll share insights from our eight years of experience, but more importantly, we'll help you ask the right questions to uncover your app's unique reason for being.

Understanding Your Mobile App's Core Mission

When you're excited about creating a mobile app, it's easy to get caught up in all the shiny features and clever functionalities you could include. It's rather like being a kid in a sweet shop – you want to try everything! However, just as too many sweets aren't good for you, trying to do too many things with your app can dilute its effectiveness.

Defining Your App's North Star

Your app's core mission is its 'North Star' – the guiding principle that shapes every decision you make during development. Think about some of the most successful apps you use daily. WhatsApp's mission is simple: to connect people through messaging. Spotify aims to give everyone access to the world's music. These aren't complicated missions, but they're crystal clear.

Getting to the Heart of Your Purpose

To define your app's core mission, ask yourself these fundamental questions: What inspired you to create this app in the first place? What single problem does it solve better than anything else? If you had to explain your app to your grandmother in one sentence, what would you say?

Having worked with countless app creators over the years, we've noticed that the most successful ones can articulate their core mission in under 10 seconds. It doesn't need to be fancy – it just needs to be clear and meaningful. Remember, your core mission isn't about what your app does; it's about why it exists and how it makes people's lives better.

This clarity of purpose will not only guide your development decisions but also help you communicate your app's value to potential users. After all, if you can't explain why your app matters, how can you expect others to understand its importance?

Solving Real User Problems

When we sit down with clients at Glance, one of the first questions we ask is, "What problem does your app solve?" It's remarkable how often this seemingly simple question leads to deep, thought-provoking discussions. After all, the most successful apps aren't just clever pieces of technology – they're solutions to genuine human needs.

Identifying Pain Points

Think about your own daily routines. Perhaps you've muttered under your breath about how difficult it is to find parking in the city centre, or wished there was an easier way to schedule appointments with your local GP. These moments of frustration are golden opportunities for app development. They're real problems crying out for practical solutions.

Moving Beyond Features

It's tempting to get caught up in exciting features and flashy designs, but the most impactful apps focus on addressing specific challenges. Take WhatsApp, for instance. Its core purpose wasn't to create another messaging app – it was to solve the problem of expensive international communication. Similarly, Deliveroo didn't just create a food app; it solved the problem of limited access to restaurant-quality meals at home.

When defining your app's purpose, start by documenting the specific problems your target users face. Conduct surveys, arrange focus groups, or simply observe people struggling with the issue you aim to solve. The more clearly you understand the problem, the more effectively you can design a solution that truly makes a difference.

Before writing a single line of code, spend at least two weeks talking to potential users about their problems. Their insights will be worth their weight in gold for your app's development.

Creating Value for Your Target Audience

When developing a mobile app, it's essential to understand that value isn't just about fancy features or cutting-edge technology. Think of your app like a favourite local coffee shop - people return not just for the coffee, but for the overall experience and the specific needs it fulfils in their daily lives.

Understanding What Value Means to Your Users

Value can take many forms, from saving time (like how contactless payments shaved precious minutes off our morning commute) to solving specific problems (remember how food delivery apps became literal lifesavers during lockdown?). The key is identifying what matters most to your target audience and delivering it consistently.

Turning Features into Benefits

Rather than focusing solely on what your app can do, consider how these capabilities improve your users' lives. For instance, if you're developing a fitness app, the real value might not be in counting steps, but in helping users feel more confident and energised in their daily routines.

Here at Glance, we've seen countless apps that looked brilliant on paper but failed to resonate with users because they didn't deliver meaningful value. The most successful apps we've helped develop are those that started with a clear understanding of their audience's needs and built everything around meeting those needs.

Remember, value isn't static - it evolves with your users' needs and expectations. Just as Netflix evolved from DVD rentals to streaming to creating original content, your app should be ready to adapt its value proposition as your users' needs change.

Building Meaningful User Experiences

At the heart of every successful mobile app lies a meaningful user experience that resonates with people on an emotional level. Think about your favourite apps - they probably feel intuitive, almost like they're reading your mind. That's no accident; it's the result of careful consideration and understanding of human behaviour.

Creating Emotional Connections

When users interact with your app, they're not just tapping buttons and swiping screens - they're embarking on a journey. Whether they're ordering their morning coffee, tracking their fitness goals, or connecting with loved ones, each interaction should feel natural and rewarding. It's rather like designing a welcoming home where everything is exactly where you'd expect it to be.

The best user experiences don't just solve problems - they create moments of delight that keep people coming back for more

The Elements of Meaningful UX

To build experiences that matter, focus on three key aspects: simplicity, consistency, and feedback. Simplicity means removing unnecessary steps and making navigation crystal clear. Consistency ensures users feel confident moving through your app, like following familiar signposts. Feedback - whether it's a gentle animation or a friendly message - acknowledges user actions and makes them feel heard.

Remember, meaningful experiences aren't about flashy features or trendy designs. They're about understanding your users' daily lives and creating something that fits seamlessly into their routines. Consider how your grandmother might use the app - if she'd struggle, it's time to simplify. This human-centred approach is what transforms good apps into great ones that users genuinely love.

Making Your App Stand Out

In today's bustling app marketplaces, standing out is rather like trying to be noticed at a packed music festival – it takes something truly special to catch people's attention. With millions of apps competing for users' precious screen time, creating a distinctive offering isn't just nice to have; it's essential for survival.

Finding Your Unique Voice

Think about your favourite apps for a moment. Whether it's the satisfying 'ping' of completing a Duolingo lesson or the clever animations in Monzo, these distinctive elements create memorable experiences. Your app needs its own personality – something that makes users feel a connection beyond mere functionality.

Having worked with countless app projects over the years, we've observed that the most successful ones excel in at least one of these key areas:

• Innovative Problem-Solving: Addressing common issues in uniquely effective ways
• Visual Identity: Creating a distinctive look that users instantly recognise
• User Experience: Offering interactions that feel natural yet delightful
• Brand Voice: Communicating with personality and consistency
• Performance: Operating more smoothly or efficiently than alternatives

Remember, standing out doesn't mean implementing every bell and whistle possible. Sometimes, it's about doing one thing exceptionally well. Take WhatsApp's early days – they focused solely on providing reliable messaging when other apps were adding countless features. This laser focus helped them become one of the world's most-used communication tools.

The key is identifying what makes your app special and amplifying that uniqueness in everything you do. Think of it as your app's signature – the thing users will remember and talk about with others.

Balancing User Needs with Business Goals

Finding the sweet spot between what your users want and what your business needs can feel like walking a tightrope. As app creators, we've seen many businesses struggle with this balancing act – rather like trying to make both your cat and dog happy with the same pet toy!

Putting Users First (Without Going Bankrupt)

Your app needs to generate revenue to survive, whether through subscriptions, in-app purchases, or advertising. However, aggressive monetisation can drive users away faster than a queue at the post office on a Monday morning. The key is to align your revenue model with genuine user value.

Think of it like a neighbourhood café. The most successful ones don't just focus on selling coffee; they create a welcoming environment that makes people want to return. Your app should follow the same principle – provide value first, and the business benefits will follow naturally.

Creating Win-Win Scenarios

Consider features that benefit both sides of the equation. For example, a premium subscription tier should offer genuine advantages that users actually want, not just remove artificial restrictions. Netflix's multiple user profiles and Spotify's offline listening are perfect examples of features that serve both user needs and business goals.

Remember, happy users are more likely to become paying customers, recommend your app to others, and stick around for the long term. It's about building a sustainable ecosystem where business success is a natural consequence of solving real user problems.

When introducing new monetisation features, test them with a small group of loyal users first. Their feedback can help you gauge the right balance between user experience and revenue generation.

Planning for Long-term Success

When you're excited about launching your mobile app, it's easy to focus solely on the immediate future. However, just like tending to a garden, creating an app that thrives requires careful planning and ongoing nurturing.

Building a Strong Foundation

Long-term success starts with solid technical foundations. Think of your app like a house - you want the infrastructure to support both current features and future additions. This means choosing the right technology stack, implementing scalable architecture, and ensuring your codebase is clean and well-documented. We've seen many apps struggle to grow simply because they didn't plan for expansion from day one.

Future-proofing Your App

The mobile app landscape changes rapidly - just think about how different apps looked five years ago! To stay relevant, your app needs to be adaptable. This means planning for regular updates, setting aside resources for maintenance, and staying informed about emerging technologies and user expectations.

Consider creating a roadmap that extends at least 18-24 months into the future. Include not just feature releases, but also technical updates, security improvements, and user experience enhancements. Remember to factor in time for gathering and implementing user feedback - some of our most successful clients attribute their longevity to their ability to evolve based on user needs.

Most importantly, don't forget about your team's capacity to maintain and improve the app over time. Whether you're working with in-house developers or an agency like ours, ensuring you have the right support structure in place is crucial for sustainable growth.

Measuring Your App's Impact

Launching your mobile app is just the beginning of an exciting journey. Like watching a child take their first steps, you'll want to keep track of how your app is performing and growing in the real world. We've helped hundreds of businesses track their apps' success, and we know it can feel overwhelming at first.

Key Performance Indicators That Matter

Think of your app's metrics as its vital signs. Just as a doctor checks your heart rate and blood pressure, you'll want to monitor essential indicators like daily active users, session duration, and retention rates. These numbers tell the story of how people are actually using your app in their daily lives.

The true measure of an app's success isn't in its download numbers, but in the positive change it creates in users' lives

Beyond the Numbers

While analytics are important, don't forget about the human side of your app's impact. User reviews, direct feedback, and social media mentions can provide invaluable insights into how your app is making a difference. Remember that time when fitness apps became everyone's lockdown companion during 2020? That's the kind of real-world impact worth measuring.

We've found that the most successful apps regularly track both quantitative and qualitative metrics. This might mean celebrating when you reach 10,000 active users, but also cherishing that heartfelt review from someone who says your app helped them achieve a personal goal. By understanding your app's complete impact, you can make informed decisions about its future development and ensure it continues to serve its core purpose effectively.

Adapting to User Feedback and Market Changes

The mobile app landscape is constantly evolving, much like the British weather - you never quite know what to expect! At Glance, we've learned that successful apps aren't just launched and left; they need to grow and change with their users and the market.

Think of your app as a living, breathing entity that needs regular care and attention. Just as a gardener tends to their plants, you'll need to nurture your app based on what your users tell you and how the market shifts.

Key Areas to Monitor and Adapt

• User reviews and ratings on app stores
• In-app feedback and support tickets
• Usage analytics and user behaviour patterns
• Competitor innovations and market trends
• Technology updates and platform changes

We've seen countless apps struggle because they stuck rigidly to their original vision without considering user needs. Remember Vine? Despite its initial popularity, it failed to adapt to user demands for longer videos and newer features, ultimately leading to its downfall.

The key is finding the sweet spot between maintaining your app's core purpose and evolving with your users' needs. For instance, if you notice users consistently requesting a particular feature or struggling with a specific function, don't be afraid to make changes. Instagram started as a simple photo-sharing app but evolved to include Stories, Reels, and shopping features in response to user behaviour and market trends.

Remember, adaptation doesn't mean losing your app's identity - it means making it even more valuable to your users. Stay curious, keep listening, and be ready to embrace change when it makes sense for your app's purpose and your users' needs.

Conclusion

Throughout this guide, we've explored the fundamental aspects of defining your mobile app's purpose. Just like a well-planned journey, understanding your app's main purpose isn't about reaching a single destination – it's about creating a meaningful path that brings value to your users whilst achieving your business objectives.

Remember, the most successful apps aren't necessarily the ones with the most features or the flashiest designs. Rather, they're the ones that clearly understand their core mission and execute it brilliantly. Think about how WhatsApp revolutionised messaging by focusing solely on providing a simple, reliable communication platform, or how Headspace made meditation accessible to millions by demystifying mindfulness practices.

As you move forward with your app development journey, keep your purpose at the heart of every decision. Whether you're adding new features, updating your interface, or expanding to new markets, always ask yourself: "Does this align with our app's main purpose and enhance our users' experience?"

The mobile app landscape continues to evolve rapidly, and what works today might need adjustment tomorrow. However, by maintaining a clear purpose, staying attuned to your users' needs, and remaining flexible in your approach, you'll be well-equipped to create an app that not only serves its intended purpose but truly resonates with your audience.

Remember, building a successful app is a marathon, not a sprint. Take time to refine your purpose, listen to your users, and adapt when necessary. Your app's purpose isn't just about what it does – it's about the positive change it brings to your users' lives.