Metaphorically speaking, the mobile apps pool is filling up quickly and the mobile app development industry is also enjoying a great boom. It might sound surprising as to why then, must one venture into an already competitive field, to begin with?
Well, the answer is simple. The industry although immensely populated, it is not saturated at all. With the right mobile app idea and user-friendly development, you can be the owner of a very successful app that yields great returns and revenue. Now, speaking of investing in a social media app like Facebook, it can be slightly tricky.
Facebook has nearly 2.85 billion monthly active users. That’s a huge number. And, for anyone who is stepping into the world of social media apps as an investor/owner, you can definitely draw a lot of inspiration from Facebook.
Yes, you need a very strong strategy, idea, and a knowledgeable team to implement your ideas into your Facebook clone app. In this blog, we will cover the various aspects that need to be taken note of and deliberated on before you start the development of an app like Facebook.
A Checklist for Facebook Clone App Development
For a Facebook clone specifically, we can segregate the pointers into 3 main aspects: Market Research, Finance, and Technicalities. Each of these holds a lot of weight in the decision-making process and will ultimately influence the outcome or success of your project.
Thorough Market Research:
A careful survey of whether your Facebook clone app has some solid ground to grow or not needs to be assessed. A few things to deserve a spot on your checklist would be:
- Identifying your Audience:
This means knowing the age group, gender, profession, etc. that you expect the most to be actively using your platform. While there is no guarantee that things might turn out as you expect, it’s always good to have a plan.
For example, Instagram started out only as a photo/image-sharing platform. And, what it has grown to become today was highly unprecedented. In short, frame your Facebook clone in a way that a certain crowd relates the most with it.
- Native/Web/Hybrid:
A very important decision to make for your front-end, as well as back-end development, is what kind of app do you want? Whether it should be a native app that works dedicatedly for a particular operating system or the mobile phones, or the web where they are mobile-optimized webpages that look like an app.
Alternatively, you can avoid choosing and opt for a mid-way of developing a hybrid Facebook clone app. The only drawback might be a minor difference in performance. Native apps have immensely impressive performance.
- A time limit:
Working under strict deadlines is extremely important for you as an investor as well as for the Facebook clone app development company that you are joining hands with. It keeps you on track of development and you do not get carried away or drifted in making too many additions and delaying the launch.
With a fixed time limit, everyone remains invested mentally and physically to achieve the target and work relentlessly towards delivering the product on time. You save massively budget-wise as the resources are used as planned.
It may occur that by the time your Facebook clone app reaches from its inception to launch on the play store, there is already a new competitor with the same concept and all your efforts go in vain.
The Financial Aspects:
Mapping out the investment v/s expenditure is super important. It will help you allocate the money in resources including employees, hardware & software infrastructure, licensing, etc. Here are some things that need your attention for an app like Facebook.
- Revenue Model
Generating revenue is the primary concern of almost any business. You cannot expect to launch a Facebook clone app, wait for its success and then formulate a strategy to earn from it. Having a revenue model in place not only helps you during development but also gives you an idea of the “How?” your app is going to function in its initial phase that is critical.
It can be anything like a paid advertisement, sponsorship, premium membership, freemium Facebook clone app, etc. Other than this, one can also come up with a unique revenue model that can act as your USP and help you offer the best social media engagement across all your user-base without having to ask them to spend a single penny.
- Development Team
Are you capable of hiring an entire team of Facebook clone app developers and sustain them for a long time? Is that a part of your business plan? Is it required? Or can you opt for the easiest and most sought-after method used currently of outsourcing the project to a reliable Facebook clone app development company?
Well, whatever is that suits you, remember that this decision is going to be a deciding factor of when, how, and at what cost your Facebook clone is ready to be in the market. It will also impact the quality of your app based on the experience, knowledge, and skill of your resources.
- Emphasize MVP development
MVP- Minimum Viable Product. The one that includes all the basic features of your Facebook clone that you have in your mind. It is good enough to be launched on the app store, requires lesser time and money. Nowadays most Facebook clone app development companies also support the creation of an MVP.
It gives them an idea of what is working, the loopholes, and also the room for improvement. On the other hand, investors with a lower cost, are able to identify whether their product will sustain the market and if not, then what is it that needs to be changed.
The Technical Aspects:
Once everything else is in place, you can arrange for a meeting with your Facebook clone app development company or your team of experts & developers to ascertain the technicalities involved and freeze the roadmap.
A few things that must be finalized are:
- Will the Facebook clone app be for Android, iOS, or both i.e.cross platform development.
- Choice of programming language and frameworks.
- Whether you will be opting for custom backend, i.e. building from scratch or using mBaas i.e. the Facebook clone script.
- Selection of APIs.
- Based on your revenue model, payment gateways integration, collaboration with other platforms, and asserting a seamless interaction.
- How will you ensure the highest level of security for the admin and users of your Facebook clone? Eg. Firewall, cloud services, etc.
In Conclusion:
If you are a stakeholder looking to put your next big step in an app like Facebook, then with the right plan and team, you are likely to ascend the ladder of success. All you have to do is keep all the aforementioned points in check.
Also, remember that you need to keep upgrading quickly from time to time as social media is a volatile space. One day you are in and the other day some new feature can bring a competitor to the top.
It is definitely something that will always keep you on your feet, but it is also one that has great returns on investment and unprecedented scope to succeed.
If you are looking for a company that will be your partner and understand s the nuances of developing an app like Facebook, then contact our team at Narola Infotech today and get ready to sail through the entire process.
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