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11 App Startup Ideas and How to Get Started

Aamir Qutub
Aamir Qutub
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App startup ideas are the brainchild of a man’s entrepreneurial spirit.

Many app startup ideas bring a revolution to change how things exist and how the fast-evolving technology can be deployed to transform the world we live in.

Every sector, be it, ecommerce, agriculture, finance, education, medical, hospitality, etc has seen a significant involvement of these budding reforms.

Startups do not merely start up with the motive to make money. In fact, they come up with a unique set of solutions to address the real-world problems that no one else could solve.

For example, Zappos, an online shoe and clothing retailer based in Las Vegas, started way back in 1998; when its founder Nick Swinmurn could not find the shoes he was looking for in a shopping mall. The Zappos App started with the sole aim to deliver an effective and efficient customer service. Customer service executives of Zappos go out of the way to cater to the customers.

Another example is Square, a mobile payment company and a financial, merchant services aggregator; started in 2009 when one of its co-founder, Jim McKelvey struggled to accept a credit card for a piece of artifact he created. Since then, Square has revolutionized the way how small businesses received their payments.

While these stories might have rushed adrenaline to your entrepreneurial spirit, we bring you 11 most in-demand and trending app startup ideas.

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Best App Startup Ideas

App Startup Idea 1: Restaurant Reservation App

Some essential features to look out for:

Easy login through email IDs or social IDs, best restaurants from around the country, search by preference: restaurant, cuisines, area, virtual Restaurant Tour, graphical seat selection by party size and time, shareable booking details, earn loyalty points and rewards, easy check-in through OTPs, order from the app, track order and waiting time, in-app payments and POS available Rate and Review.

Competition for Restaurant Reservation Apps:

OpenTable revolutionized the way bookings were done long ago with its Restaurant Reservation Application. Since then, companies have ventured into the domain, but none were so effective in marking a lasting imprint.

With around two-thirds of the restaurateurs still preferring to book a table over calls. There is a void in the hospitality industry which can be filled with newer; better and innovative ideas and technologies that compress waiter time, offer ‘order and pay’ from the table and reduce order delivery time.

OpenTable, Reserve, Table8 are some of the ventures that made a move in this industry.

App Startup Idea 2: Invites App

Some essential features to look out for:

Easy login through email ID or Social IDs or contact number, Contact Synchronization: from all your social media handles for better connectivity, wide range of templates and elements to design invitations, socially shareable invitations via SMS or MMS, in-app gallery, in-app purchases: exclusive templates, collaborate on designs with workmates or friends and monitor RSVPs.

Competition for Invites App:

With the advent of apps that allow you to send tailor-made or pre-defined invites to your family and friends, organizing events had never been that easy. Hobnob and Invitd are some good examples of invitation sending apps; that enable you to send invites via SMS or MMS instantly, track responses and group text using chat rooms.

App Startup Idea 3: Social Connect

Some essential features to look out for:

All major social media channels are supported, push notifications for feeds and messages, comment or reply from within the app and set the password for security.

Competition for Social Connect Apps:

Social Media Management Apps have a demand, for, downloading every social media app, checking feeds, message replies, appears too tiresome. Apps that let you manage all your social media accounts through just one single click are what people are demanding next.

You can develop an app that receives updates and messages from all the linked accounts and lets you reply to them, all in a single app. HootSuite, Buffers and Sprout Social are some apps that let you manage all your social media accounts through one app.

App Startup Idea 4: Parking App

Some essential features to look out for:

Easy login through email ID or contact number, all major parking and metered spots covered, search by preference: locality, marketplace, workplace, paid/free/metered, save car’s location, allotment through OTP and registration number, shareable parking details, in-app payment; and set reminder to remind you when your parking ticket is about to expire.

Competition for Parking Apps:

Searching for parking has been like searching for a needle in a haystack but, with parking industry coming together with the technology, finding a parking spot has become easier.

Apps laced with Navigation maps, reminder system, tracker, that can ease their lives, by reminding them where they parked their car, reminding about expiration time for metered spots; directing routes to the parking, are what consumers are looking forward to.

AwareCar, Parkopedia are some apps working in the parking industry and easing lives.

App Startup Idea 5: Smart Home App

Some essential features to look out for:

Easy login through email ID and contact number, appliances synchronization, Unique Identifier (UID) allotment, set individual appliance password, lock/unlock the device from anywhere, anytime and alarms for suspicious activity.

Competition for Smart Home Apps:

Home Automation has taken the world by storm; Tech giants like Google, Apple, Amazon are progressively working and battling to mark a lasting imprint upon the consumers’ minds. Some of the commendable inventions are voice controlled speakers, Amazon Echo, Google Home and Apple HomePod.

None of the complete smart home solutions can be fostered by an individual company, providing ample of space and room for startups to grow; you can prefer to build an app that supports these AI embedded speakers.

App Startup Idea 6: Interior Designing App

Some essential features to look out for:

Easy login through email ID or Social ID, wide range of products from world’s best brands, search by preference: brands, colors, size, type, category, 360-degree product movement, socially shareable snaps, in-app catalog, easy buy, shareable shopping cart, free delivery in all metropolis, in-app payments and COD available, 30 days return guarantee and 24/7 chat support.

Competition for Interior Designing Apps:

By far, Interior Designing has harnessed the full power of the device camera and Augmented Reality. From seeing how a piece of furniture will compliment your home decor.

To check whether an artifact will blend perfectly with the surrounding or not, or which colors will look best; there’s an app for everything. Some examples are Houzz, Havenly, and Housecraft.

Developing a startup in this domain will mean you need to make sure your app stands at par with these apps. You can begin with markets or regions where Interior Designing apps haven’t created a remarkable impact; and try to overcome all the shortcomings which user have faced in the past. However, even if, they were by your competitors, refrain from making them again.

App Startup Idea 7: Traveller App Guide

Some essential features to look out for:

No login required (optional) [necessary if a user wants to track his past trips and experiences], search by current/preferred location, socially shareable snaps and details, ratings and reviews; and best commuting options via Maps and other travellers’ experiences.

Competition for Traveller App guides

Review-based travel forums are in demand, for people do check reviews and ratings before visiting any eatery or sightseeing destinations. You may consider beginning with those places which are underrated or eateries whose services are exemplary.

While this idea might not appear to give results too soon, it can be a sleeper hit. Yelp, FourSquare, AroundMe are some of the traveller forums, helping users have pleasant visits.

App Startup Idea 8: Multi-Utility App

Some essential features to look out for

Easy login through OTPs, wide range of services, search by service and locality, rates on per hour basis, easy availing and ratings & reviews.

Competition for Multi-Utility Apps

Services industry is a never dying industry with ample of space and room to grow. You can easily target markets and workforce, which pose a significant demand for such apps but have not been covered yet. Some of the successfully operating multi-utility apps are TaskRabbit, Zaarly and Handy.

App Startup Idea 9: Carpooling App

Some essential features to look out for

Easy login through contact number, search by locality/destination/route, socially shareable booking details, fares on per kilometre basis, emergency button; to help in case of mishappenings and 24/7 chat support.

Competition for Carpooling Apps

As the world moves towards sustainable development, reduction of carbon footprints, lesser traffic congestion, carpooling is what environmentalists and riders look forward to as potential reform.

You can begin by targeting consumers who commute to work daily. People commuting towards the same destination can then share rides and contribute significantly to the environment. However, Lyft, GetAround, and Carma are some of the successful ventures working towards this noble cause.

App Startup Idea 10: Tenant Finder App

Some essential features to look out for

Easy login through email ID and contact number, for tenants and landlords, wide range of properties from around the city, search by preference: PG/Hostel/Flat, Room Size, Facilities: Wi-Fi, Parking, Garage, Lawn, save preferences: to get notified as soon as new properties matching your needs are available, virtual home tour, easy Property Registration, in-app payments, chatting interface within the app to contact landlords, verified homes and 24/7 chat support.

Competition for Tenant Finder Apps

Real estate sector has been a bit slow in adopting technologies to streamline itself. Technologies like Virtual Reality enabling users to visit properties from their place of comfort, predictive analytics and geofencing to deliver best property results, e-signing services to reduce tiring paperwork, ACH for transactions, can bring a remarkable volte-face to this domain.

You can begin with one region, listing the properties available for rent, advertising and analysing user response and then expand to other regions gradually. Zillow Rentals, Trulia Rentals are some tenant finding apps easing house-hunting processes.

App Startup Idea 11: Styling App

Some essential features to look out for

Easy login through email ID or Social ID, wide range of products from world’s best brands, search by preference; brands, colors, size, type, category, socially shareable snaps, in-app gallery, easy buy, shareable shopping cart, free delivery in all metropolis, in-app payments and COD available, 30 days return guarantee and 24/7 chat support.

Competition for Styling Apps

According to a study by McKinsey & Co. and Business of Fashion, The State of Fashion, “leading innovators will reveal the possibilities of Artificial Intelligence across all the parts of the fashion value chain”.

According to the same report, 75% of the world’ leading fashion brands have planned to invest in AI in 2018/2019.

Globally, the fashion industry is valued at 3 trillion dollars, 2 per cent of the world’s total GDP. Thus, making technological reforms inevitable for it. The global brand, Gucci raised the bars quite high when it launched its new ad campaign, ‘The Gucci Hallucination’ for its Spring Summer Sale 2018; which combines art, fashion, and tech altogether.

However, with Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, 3D Printing transforming the fashion world, the fashion industry is all set to receive a digital makeover. Burberry Beauty Box, Sephora, and Converse shoes are some out of the box tech combinations of the human mind.

How to Get Started with an App Idea?

Step 1: Validate your idea

How to get started with an app idea?

In contrast, before you hop on to turn your app idea into a reality, it is imperative that you figure out whether your idea holds demands and value in the market; for, no matter how amazing your idea is, launching an app with no demand is futile.

Searching the queries related to your idea will give you the statistical insights into your idea’s domain and will help you design your product in accordance with the consumers’ needs.

Step 2: Design and Document Wireframes

App wireframes

Next comes, designing and documenting wireframes. Start with a Minimum Viable Product, resonating the core features of your idea and refrain from adding ‘nice to include’ features in your list, because it’s futile to develop an overloaded app that fails to create an impact.

However, now that you are familiar with your target audience, their needs, requirements and core features, start designing wireframes for your product,. You can use online tools like Axure and Mockup to document wireframes.

Step 3: Freelancers vs App development Agency: Whom to choose?

Freelancer or app development agency

Complex Hiring Process

Coders are not the only persons you will be needing to give a kickstart to your startup. You will need UI/UX designers for designing seamless user experience, testers to test and review your product, marketing people to design and implement your app’s marketing strategy, quality assurance, and above all, project managers to coordinate with the team and the potential stakeholders.

In an App Development Agency, all the recruitment process is carried out by an experienced team, whereas on the other hand, if you choose to hire freelancers you have to go through all the rigorous hiring processes by yourself, and that might delay the product delivery.

Coordination

With freelancers, it may happen that your team might be dispersed across the globe. Your coders might be working from San Francisco, while your Digital Marketing Executives will be devising marketing strategies from some corner of Europe.

Differences in their respective time zones and personal work hours may pose difficulties for the project manager to maintain an effective and healthy coordination with all of them, eventually affecting the quality of your product.

On the contrary, with app development agencies it is easier to maintain coordination within and among teams; for they are all toil under one roof.

Timely Product Delivery

Well, setup app development agencies stick to their product delivery timelines, while the same cannot be true about freelancers. For, freelancers might fall sick, take long leaves in case of some unforeseen circumstances, affecting the delivery and the quality of your product as there is no alternative to that person.

While it is true that the same might happen with professionals working in an agency. The agency does have people working for it in reserve, so that the unforeseen issues do not cost huge losses to the product and the team.

Regular updates

Mobile Apps are not products which once developed, can last forever; with technologies advancing fast, it is imperative to keep your product at par with the changing technical requirements, they need regular updates to keep up with the changes in the underlying technologies.

While professionals working for an agency can get to work on updates as soon as you make the deposit; with freelancers you might have to go through all the hiring process again, in case the previous team you worked with, isn’t available.

Also, in case you employ new professionals, your team might have to go through all the code; from the scratch all over again, while with an agency, since the product was built in-house, professionals wouldn’t find it difficult to get along with the updated technologies.

Budget

This is one factor where hiring freelancers give an edge over hiring an app development agency. Since freelancers do not have overhead costs, they are likely to charge you less than what agencies charge.

So, if you’re low on budget, you can prefer to go for a team of freelance professionals; and move it in-house once your app gets received appreciatively among the people.

Step 4: Marketing and ASO

Marketing and ASO

Your dream of turning your idea into a successful startup doesn’t conclude with just building the app; for it is merely a piece of code and code doesn’t attract consumers. You have to plan well thought out marketing strategies and make the best use of App Store Optimisation to get visibility among the masses.

App Store Optimisation is the process to get higher rank among keyword searches in the popular app stores. Understanding what goes into ASO, will help your product stand out and make a mark. The higher your app ranks, higher are the chances of getting visibility and hence, app installs and potential consumers.

Summing Up

While ideas are dime a dozen, it is their implementation and underlying business models which make them a success. There have been cases of startups which do not make it big in the first go. However, they changed directions, reformed according to consumer needs, some even started from scratch, again and are now doing wonders.

So, if you have an app idea and above all, an excellent business model for it, no matter what, it will become big, not immediately, but definitely, for even Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Got an app idea? Don’t know where to start?

Get in touch with our expert app makers and we’ll provide you with the best app development experience.

Aamir Qutub
Aamir Qutub
Aamir Qutub is the founder and CEO of Enterprise Monkey, has a sincere passion for innovation and startups. With an experience of around a decade, he is a proud co-founder of 4 technology startups, focusing on real-world problems and their solutions. He also loves to cook and spend time with his onlyborn.
Aamir Qutub
Aamir Qutub
Aamir Qutub is the founder and CEO of Enterprise Monkey, has a sincere passion for innovation and startups. With an experience of around a decade, he is a proud co-founder of 4 technology startups, focusing on real-world problems and their solutions. He also loves to cook and spend time with his onlyborn.

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