Before we start on the technical aspects of creating an application release, there are a few prerequisites to consider. The application name is probably set by now, but do you have a great description for it? Do you know how to articulate the key features of your software in a way that will grab the attention of potential users? Have you (or your design team) created a great app icon that will be memorable and somehow indicative of its functionality?

If you will not be distributing through a managed channel such as an app store, you should consider how the application will be discovered by your target audience. There's a lot of discussion and information online about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and a growing amount about App Store Optimization (ASO), so we will not go into detail here. What's clear in the current software climate is that ease of discovery and memorability are now more important than ever before.