In July of 2008, Apple premiered 500 mobile apps as part of the initial launch of their App Store. Today, there are nearly 6 million apps in the Apple and Android Stores combined. Needless to say, the mobile app field is quite crowded. If you show up to an investor’s table with just an “idea”, it’s not going to cut it. App investors and VC’s are constantly bombarded with pitches for the next big thing. Scoring their attention and peaking their interest is crucial in the conception and visualization of your mobile app. A mobile app prototype will give you the competitive advantage against the masses to obtain success.
What is an app prototype?
An app prototype is a simulation of what your app will be capable of. It displays the design, layout, functionality, and user experience without having it actually work. Think of an app prototype as a beautifully designed car without an engine. It is the blueprint for your mobile app. You can use this prototype as an effective tool in garnering investor interest.
Mobile app prototyping is essential in delivering a functional and better user experience, plus it helps capture investors. Continue reading to discover the power of building an app prototype, and check out 5 essential steps in creating an app prototype for your mobile app idea in order to engage investors.
5 Steps for How to Engage App Investors with an App Prototype
#1- Identify the problem
Before spending countless hours and assets, you must first establish the problem that your mobile app will solve. This first step is arguably the most important.
Ask yourself these two questions:
- What problem does your app solve that isn’t already addressed in another app?
- How is your mobile app going to help the user?
Doing extensive research and investigation is key when developing the necessity of your mobile app.
#2- What functions are needed for your app to execute its purpose?
You have now found the problem. And your app is the solution. So now you need to implement the “how” it will work. This is the outline of your app’s brain.
Brainstorm function ideas, use your favorite apps as examples and list all the parts that will make the whole. Some examples of functional requirements: photo capture, social account integration, search capability, advertising, and more.
#3- Wireframes for App Prototypes
Wireframes are skeletal blueprints that show you the visual guide and framework of your app. Like an architect sketches the plans for a building, a wireframe prototype app brings a two-dimensional storyboard to start work from. This gives you an open floor-plan to see all of your app’s pages laid out, making it easy for the structure and sensibility of the app to be pieced together.
#4- Request An App Prototype
This is the vehicle you will be sharing with friends, peers, and target audience for critical feedback and suggestions so align with a software that you can relate to and makes the creation the easiest for your skill set.
Here at SolutionBuilt, we create realistic app prototypes that look and work just like your app should. Need an app prototype? Let’s chat.
There are many softwares available for mobile app prototyping build outs. Adobe XD and the Adobe Creative Suite are a great place to start.
#5- Pitch Your App Prototype to App Investors
Your app prototype is now ready. You have shared it with trusted friends and peers. Now it is time to fund your mobile app. So, how do you get investors to, well, invest?
Elizabeth Yin, co-founder at Hustle Fund lays out 7 Key Tips for cold emailing investors:
- Keep your email short
- Use bullet points to highlight the best parts of your company
- Make the email scannable
- Don’t attach a deck in the first email
- Use an email tracker
- Your call to action is to land a meeting
- Don’t be afraid to follow up
Our Tips for Pitching to App Investors:
- Landing a meeting is great, but coming in prepared and confident will help seal the deal for your app investors.
- Know your product backwards and forwards.
- Clearly present the problem and the solution that your app helps solve.
- Be ready to explain why this app matters in the mobile landscape and the benefits it will bring to its users.
- Have a one page sheet printed that you can leave with the investor team.
Keep in mind that investors and VC’s care more about just the investment. Investors want to be a part of something fresh, cutting-edge, and engaging to the masses.
Start Building Your Mobile App Prototype With Us Today!
Mobile app prototype building can be a very painstaking task to do on your own. There are tools and skill sets needed to make your mobile app go from an idea to a reality. Here at SolutionBuilt, we have the team, experience, and vision to execute your mobile app prototype and help bring your idea to life.
Got an app idea? Let’s make a prototype. Get started today— call us at 404-835-7730, or contact us online.