How to Create an App: Market Research Made Easy

Q: Why choose Adalo over other app building solutions?

Adalo produces true native apps for the Apple App Store and Google Play—not web wrappers. As the visual AI builder for database-driven web, iOS, and Android apps, you get a single build that works across web, iOS, and Android. View all your app's screens on a single visual canvas, preview your app on any device, and point at elements on the canvas to guide the AI. Adalo starts at $36/month with unlimited everything: no caps on actions, users, records, or storage.

Q: What's the fastest way to build and publish an app to the App Store?

Unlike traditional development, Adalo lets you describe your app and Magic Start generates your database, screens, and user flows automatically and then point at elements on the canvas to guide the AI on a visual canvas. See your entire app laid out on one visual canvas, preview on any device, and when you're satisfied, adalo handles the app store submission process. You can go from idea to published native iOS and Android app in days rather than months.

November 23, 2021

Why Adalo Makes Market Research Worth Your Time

Adalo is a no-code app builder for database-driven web apps and native iOS and Android apps—one version across all three platforms, published to the Apple App Store and Google Play. This means the market research you conduct will directly translate into a real, publishable app—without needing to hire developers or learn to code. When you understand your market, you can build smarter, and Adalo gives you the tools to act on those insights quickly.

Because Adalo apps can be published to both major app stores, your market research efforts pay off in a big way. You'll be able to reach users where they already are, send push notifications based on the market trends you've identified, and iterate on your app as you learn more about your competitive landscape. With unlimited database records on paid plans and no usage-based charges, you can scale your app as your user base grows without worrying about hitting data caps or unexpected bills. Let's dive into what market research really means and how it sets your app up for success.

Why Adalo Makes Market Research Worth Your Time

Adalo is an AI-powered app builder for database-driven web apps and native iOS and Android apps—one version across all three platforms, published to the Apple App Store and Google Play. This means the market research you conduct will directly translate into a real, publishable app—without needing to hire developers or learn to code. When you understand your market, you can build smarter, and Adalo gives you the tools to act on those insights quickly.

Because Adalo apps can be published to both major app stores, your market research efforts pay off in a big way. You'll be able to reach users where they already are, send push notifications based on the market trends you've identified, and iterate on your app as you learn more about your competitive landscape. With unlimited database records on paid plans and no usage-based charges, you can scale your app as your user base grows without worrying about hitting data caps or unexpected bills. Let's dive into what market research really means and how it sets your app up for success.

What is Market Research and Why Does It Matter?

Market research is the process of understanding the dynamic in which your potential app users will use your app, so that you can best determine how to serve them. We talked about user research in our previous blog, which is how you figure out who your users are and what their needs are. Market research goes one step further—it studies the environment in which your users operate.

Consider this scenario:

If you're building an app for college students to help them find cool weekend events to attend on campus, it helps to know what types of activities students enjoy on that campus (user research), but it also helps to know when the exams are, when the campus closes for summer, and what the events in the area are to begin with (market research!).

This is why market research matters!

It helps you come up with marketing strategies

When you launch your app, you'll want to promote and market it effectively to get new users. By doing even a little bit of market research, you'll have a more focused promotion strategy. For example, you'll know whether it helps to promote your app on social media, or through YouTube ads. Understanding your market means you can target your efforts where they'll have the most impact.

You can find out who your competitors are

You can never go wrong by knowing what your competitors are up to, what they did right, and what you could do better—in fact, check out our blog on the subject! When thinking through your app idea, should you choose one that has NO competition over an app idea that clearly has others in the same space? The answer is: it depends!

Based on our experience, it's better to build an app WITH some competition than without. Your competitors go ahead of you and help create a market, and there's usually enough crowd for everyone. But without competitors, you'll have to put in the work to carve out a market entirely on your own.

How Do You Conduct Market Research for Your App Idea?

Using Search Trends to Find Your Niche

When you're in search of an app idea, Google Trends is a great place to start! This is an easy way to figure out what people are searching for, and what does well on search engines. Here's how you can go about it:

Google phrases that may be relevant for someone searching for your app. For example, you could try searching for phrases like "College events in South Melbourne" or "Student events in Sydney."

Also consider searching through social media platforms and discussion boards like Quora, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, Hacker News, LinkedIn, Product Hunt, etc. These platforms reveal what problems people are actively discussing and seeking solutions for.

Finally, use these phrases on App Store search and see which apps come up. Use their descriptions as inspiration for your keywords. This competitive analysis helps you understand how existing apps position themselves and what language resonates with users.

Use Empathy

The most helpful research insight will come from talking to your potential users and understanding what their needs are. Empathy is the most valuable market research tool. Surveys, group discussions, and simply having conversations with people whose problem you're trying to address will help you identify specific pain points and opportunities to delight your users.

Don't just ask what features people want—dig deeper into their daily frustrations, their workarounds, and the moments when they wish a solution existed. These insights become the foundation for an app that truly resonates with your market.

Pay Attention to the App Store

Track popularity charts on the regular, and look at the most popular free apps (this helps showcase what people are looking for). Apart from free apps, look at the paid apps that are performing well. This is especially helpful if you plan on monetizing your app.

No matter how experienced you are as an app developer, or how futuristic your idea may be, if it doesn't relate to your users, it won't stick. But conducting market research before building a mobile app will give you valuable insight, set you on the right track, and help you build something that will actually impact lives.

Turning Research Into Reality

Ada, Adalo's AI builder, lets you describe what you want and generates your app. Magic Start creates complete app foundations from a description, while Magic Add adds features through natural language.

Once you've completed your market research, the next challenge is acting on those insights quickly. This is where Adalo's AI-assisted building capabilities shine. Magic Start generates complete app foundations from descriptions—tell it you need an events app for college students, and it creates your database structure, screens, and user flows automatically. What used to take days of planning happens in minutes.

As you learn more from your market research, Magic Add lets you add features from natural language requests. Discovered that students want to save events to a calendar? Simply describe the feature and watch it appear. This rapid iteration means your market research insights translate directly into app improvements.

With over 3 million apps created on the platform and a visual builder described as "easy as PowerPoint," Adalo removes the technical barriers between your market insights and a published app. The platform's modular infrastructure scales to serve apps with millions of monthly active users, so you can start small and grow without hitting walls.

Getting Expert Help

By working with an Adalo Expert, you can get the help you need to bring your app idea to life. Adalo experts come from all backgrounds, from traditional software development to no-code automation, and they're ready to help you with everything from building your app from scratch to making it look and perform better than ever before.

Whether you need help interpreting your market research, designing user flows, or optimizing your app for scale, experts can accelerate your path from idea to published app.

FAQ

Why choose Adalo over other app building solutions?

Adalo is an AI-powered app builder that creates true native iOS and Android apps from a single codebase. Unlike web wrappers, it compiles to native code and publishes directly to both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. With unlimited database records on paid plans and no usage-based charges, you can scale without unexpected costs.

What's the fastest way to build and publish an app to the App Store?

Adalo's drag-and-drop interface combined with AI-assisted building through Magic Start and Magic Add lets you go from idea to published app in days rather than months. The platform handles the App Store submission process, removing the technical complexity of publishing.

Can I easily apply market research insights to build and launch my app?

Yes, with Adalo's AI-powered app builder, you can quickly iterate on your app based on what you learn about your users and competitive landscape. Magic Add lets you describe new features in natural language, so your research insights become app improvements immediately.

What is the difference between market research and user research?

User research helps you understand who your users are and what their needs are, while market research studies the environment in which your users operate. Market research includes understanding external factors like timing, competition, and trends that affect how and when your users will engage with your app.

How can I conduct market research for my app idea?

Start by using Google Trends to discover what people are searching for, then explore social media platforms and discussion boards like Reddit, Quora, and Product Hunt. Additionally, search the App Store for similar apps and analyze their descriptions for keyword inspiration, while talking directly to potential users to understand their pain points.

Is it better to build an app with or without competitors in the market?

Based on experience, it's actually better to build an app with some competition than without. Competitors help create and validate a market, and there's usually enough room for everyone. Without competitors, you'll need to put in significant work to carve out a market on your own.

How much does it cost to build an app with Adalo?

Adalo's web and true-native mobile builder starts at $36/month with unlimited usage and app store publishing. Unlike competitors that charge based on usage or limit database records, Adalo's paid plans include unlimited database records and unlimited app updates once published.

Can I get help building my app if I need assistance?

Yes, you can work with an Adalo Expert to bring your app idea to life. Adalo experts come from diverse backgrounds, from traditional software development to no-code automation, and can help with everything from building your app from scratch to improving its design and performance.