Building an app is exciting, but launching one without understanding your market is like throwing darts in the dark. Many aspiring app creators focus solely on features and design, only to discover their app doesn't resonate with users or faces unexpected competition they never saw coming.
The good news is that conducting effective market research doesn't require a massive budget or months of work—especially when you pair smart research with the right building platform. Adalo is a no-code app builder for database-driven web apps and native iOS and Android apps—one version across all three platforms. AI-assisted building and streamlined publishing enable launch to the Apple App Store and Google Play in days rather than months.
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. 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:
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.
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 to crowd for everyone. But without competitors, you’ll have to put in the work to carve out a market.
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”
AIso consider searching through social media platforms and discussion boards like Quora, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, Hacker News, LinkedIn, Product Hunt, etc.
Finally, use these phrases on App Store search and see which apps come up. Use their descriptions as inspiration for your keywords.
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.
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.
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!
FAQ
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Can I easily apply market research insights to build and launch my app? | Yes, with Adalo's No Code App Builder, you can easily apply market research insights to build and launch your app. The platform allows you to quickly iterate on your app based on what you learn about your users and competitive landscape, then publish directly to both major app stores without writing code. |
| Why choose Adalo over other App Builder solutions? | Adalo is a no-code app builder for database-driven web apps and native iOS and Android apps—one version across all three platforms. AI-assisted building and streamlined publishing enable launch to the Apple App Store and Google Play in days rather than months. This ability to publish directly to app stores is crucial because marketing and distribution is often the hardest part of launching a new app or business—Adalo removes that barrier so your market research efforts translate into real results. |
| 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 Adalo's 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. |
| 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. |
