Today, online communication has become an integral part of our lives. Some of the popular apps like WhatsApp, and Snapchat have made it easier to communicate with friends, colleagues, etc. Now, you do not need to open the social media pages to chat.
You will find a lot of social media apps that enable smooth communication. But, if you are planning to develop your chat app like Snapchat, you need to know a lot of aspects related to the Snapchat App development. This article would elaborate on the important aspects like the development process, cost, features, etc., So, let us begin.
Know about Snapchat
It is a messaging app that allows you to share videos, stories, and pictures. The app also helps you to take videos, and photos and include filters, captions, or sketches to them.
The app has an in-built security system that deletes the videos and photos automatically within a few seconds after you view them. The app is quite popular among teenagers.
Snapchat Statistics
Today, a lot of social media apps are available in the market, but what defines the success of Snapchat? Well, the current statistics speak for this app.
- According to the reports, 187 million users were driven to Snapchat on daily basis.
- With each passing year, the video views increased by almost 400%
- Around 60% of the users in the age group of 13 to 34 years residing in the USA are using Snapchat.
Development Process to follow for creating Messaging App Like Snapchat
After knowing about the interesting stats of Snapchat, if you are planning to build a similar app, then go through the basic steps that you can consider for the development.
Discovery
The main objective at this stage is to list the functional & non-functional project requirements from the future perspective of the project, project budget, and business goals.
Documentation
At this stage, the project managers and business analysts work on the user stories, project specifications, and other elements of the project documents which decide the overall functioning of the app
Prototyping
Now, the development team should create the app prototype to determine the user journey and app screens and check if there is any changes are required.
UI/UX Design
After building the prototype, the app designers would start working on the app design
Development
Once the app design is completed, the app development team would incorporate the essential features into your messaging app. You can also identify additional requirements as the development phase progresses.
Quality Assurance
The QA team would perform the tests using different tools and techniques to identify the errors and resolve them to make sure your app is free of errors and bugs.
App Deployment
After your messaging app similar to Snapchat is completed, you can go ahead and launch your app on preferred platforms.
Monetization models for messaging app like Snapchat
After developing your messaging app like Snapchat, you can adopt different monetization models to earn money through your app. Let us have a look at monetization models used by Snapchat
GeoFilters
Based on the geolocation, the users can get access to exciting AR filters that are active for 30 days. To avail of this feature, the app charges a fee of $5 from businesses for 20,000 square feet of coverage.
In-between Snap Ads
There is a promotional video of 10 seconds shown by Snapchat to the users. The video can be swiped by the users to check in more content like a blog post, app install, lengthy video, etc
Sponsored Lenses
This model is the same as the Geofilters. Here, the businesses promote via custom lenses that are displayed in specific locations. This helps them advertise their events or brands.
Premium access
The users can purchase premium access to use new lenses and app features.
In-app purchases
This model helps app users purchase extra features like Re-play to view a video or picture already seen by them.
Sports Partnerships
Snapchat collaborates with sports organizations to advertise attendance at different sports events. This monetization strategy helps them earn through promotions of the sports products to the fans for companies like Nike, Adidas, etc
Must-have features for messaging app like Snapchat
- Contacts Integration
- Registration
- Location Sharing
- Real-Time Messaging
- Disappearing Messages
- Video/Audio Calls
- Sticker
- Video/Audio Notes
- Lenses
- Discover
- Story
- Geofilter
Costs to develop a messaging app like Snapchat
The Snapchat mobile app comes with plenty of features. If you want to integrate all the features and functionalities the overall costs would be high and it will be a time-consuming task too.
Well, you can consider the different factors that affect the cost of Snapchat like app development
App Size
You can focus on integrating the must-have features in the earliest app version. This will let you deliver an impeccable customer experience at reasonable costs.
App Platform
While creating an app like Snapchat, remember, that the cost for the iOS platform differs from Android mobile application development.
App Design
Go for simple yet attractive designs to launch a successful app like Snapchat. The development costs depend on the app design you choose to opt for.
Team Size
The app development cost also depends on the team size. To create an app you need to have Android, iOS native app developers, a project manager, a QA designer, a copywriter, UX/UI designer, and a marketing expert.
App Launch
Launching an efficient app like Snapchat should have an effective advertising campaign. Certainly, it comes with a considerable investment.
Conclusion
Without any doubt, we can say that Snapchat is one of the popular messaging apps that helps you access several tools for video and photo editing. Building an app like Snapchat would help you reach out to a wider customer base and in turn gain maximum profits.
If you are thinking of creating an app like Snapchat, Q Dev, an expert mobile app development company can help you integrate the right features and functionalities to build an app that offers the same user experience as Snapchat and turns out to be profitable for you.
With the help of our skilled developers having vast experience in building messaging apps, we can assist you to create an appealing app like Snapchat. Connect with us to discuss your app requirements.