The mobile application development world is dynamic and a popular trend among businesses. Many startup owners have started showing interest in mobile app development.
Building a mobile app is not only getting things done by the developers. Specific potential barriers might hold you back. It is also very crucial that you select the right platform for your app development process.
But what exactly is mobile app development? And what is the process of building a mobile application?
We’ve prepared a detailed guide that will help you answer all these questions. Let’s get started!
What is mobile app development?
Mobile app development is creating software that runs on mobile devices, which can be smartphones or tablets.
The mobile applications can be pre-installed or downloaded and installed later.
There are certain factors to know while developing scalable mobile apps. You need to consider the hardware requirements, screen sizes, and many other aspects.
Today two leading platforms are ruling in the smartphone market. One is Android from Google and the second is iOS from Apple Inc. These two leading platforms rule the app development business worldwide.
Android uses the software developing kit and some development toolchains for building applications. At the same time, Apple uses iOS for its devices.
There are four development approaches for building a mobile app:
1. Native apps
A Native application is a software program built for specific mobile Os such as Android and iOS.
These apps work on only one platform, and users can install them through the App stores.
Native applications can access the hardware of devices like GPS, camera, and microphone.
Native apps have fewer bugs because the code gets compiled in the native language.
The major downside of a native app is building two different apps for the Android and iOS platforms.
2. Cross-platform app
Cross-platform development aims to create a single app that runs on different platforms.
The Cross-platform apps allow many startups to save costs and decrease development time. It also has a native look and feels, which provides a better user experience.
Around one-third of the developers use cross-platform technology for app development. It is one of the most popular software development trends in the market.
3. Hybrid apps
Hybrid mobile apps are build using web technologies such as HTML 5, CSS, and JavaScript. The hybrid app runs inside a native container on a mobile device. These apps are easy to manage and fast to develop.
There is a single code for all platforms, which means you only need to write the code once and then run it anywhere.
4. Progressive web app (PWA)
Progressive web apps (PWA) are web applications designed with modern APIs which deliver an app-like experience to users.
You can turn almost any website into a Progressive web app. It will offer features of native apps like offline support, push notifications, etc.
Steps to consider while developing a mobile app
- Conceptualize the idea
Every idea cannot be successful. We’ve seen some startups that fail before they get off the ground.
The first thing you need to do is identify the problem you want to solve. Then look into some case studies and get feedback from people who might have experienced that problem.
These will help you conceptualize your idea and let you think about the technology and new concepts to address the problem.
- Choose the right platform
Selecting the right platform is an integral part of the whole development process.
Before making a decision, analyze each platform. Its advantages, disadvantages, web application development cost, and then decide the best platform.
The mobile app development market is overfill with creative and innovative tools. Selecting the best platform can be a difficult task. As a result, various factors need to consider before committing.
- Conduct Market research
Market research is a vital element while developing a marketing strategy. It helps to know the audience and the market before investing time and money in the new venture.
Conducting deep market research will help you get valuable insights into the current scenario and let you know more.
- Design simple and intuitive UI/UX
The UI/UX of your app is the most critical component determining whether the app will succeed in the market.
The app’s design should deliver an effortless and seamless user experience and make the app more interactive.
User experience will be the key to the success of your mobile app. The design elements should meet the expectations of the end-user.
Hire an app development team
With the change in software and hardware-based technologies, it can be difficult for the in-house IT team to stay updated.
If you have some tech requirements that your team cannot solve, you can hire dedicated expert developers to do the task.
The team will understand the requirements and deliver a product that meets requirements.
The experienced, dedicated team will deliver secure and guaranteed outcomes. The app developed by this team will help to know your product better and deliver a great user experience.
- Build a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
Minimum Viable Product is a version of the product that contains a set of features that are enough to fulfil the initial users.
MVP is a product management concept used when a new product gets introduced to the market.
MVP aims to provide immediate value minimizing the cost, and gather feedback that helps to improve future iterations of the app.
- Market the app
The last step in mobile app development is increasing the presence of your app in the market.
Promoting your app on various channels will help you grab the attention of potential customers and capture a large part of the market.
Mobile apps are beneficial for promoting your business. If your app increases the brand’s value, there will be better ROI for sales, and it will also generate more traffic to your platform.
What is the cost of developing a mobile app?
The cost to develop an app is one of the first questions that most brands ask when they launch an app project.
No development company will give a cost estimation without knowing the factors. They will first check the requirements and then give the final budget.
App development is a multi-step process that includes ideas, strategies, and launch phases. There is no fixed cost for any app project. The cost will always vary as we add changes to the app during development.
Considering the average cost to develop an app will cost you around $25,000 to $50,000. The cost may change if your requirements are more.
The app development process involves many factors which determine the cost of development. Several factors shape the development cost of the app. As the complexity increases, there will be an increase in the project cost.
Summing up
Building a successful mobile app is an ongoing process. Before you enter the app development phase, there are several decisions you need to make.
If you have a great idea but no development skills, you can hire an app development company to do the task for you. There you will find proper solutions to your app idea and deliver a better product for users.
But on the way to successful project development, there should be an organized process for the development.
Because sometimes, even experienced developers cannot return the desired results for your idea.
There is no particular app development method that is best for everyone. It all depends on your requirements, budget and a lot of other factors. You only need to have a plan and run it according to requirements.
Following all the above app development processes will help to ensure a successful launch of your mobile application.
