MOBILE APP DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

 

Do you have a great vision to build a mobile app? or you want to follow other entrepreneurs and ride on the mobile app development wave, did you come across any problem statement that you are willing to resolve through your mobile app? The answer to this question will determine the future of your app success.

The smartphone era has changed the way that we connect. It is tough to imagine our smartphones just for calling or texting. Today’s app stores flooded with on-demand mobile apps where every product or service is available on our fingertips. From food to laundry, from travel to the job, there’s an app for all your needs. The increased smartphone penetration in the world has forced businesses to adopt mobile app development strategy in a big way. It is also considered the main channel of doing business. It is projected that by 2025 above 80 percent of web traffic will be from mobile devices.

Mobile app development is not new. This concept has been around us for quite a considerable time, but entrepreneurs and developers still passionately explore and test their waters. Even now, there are many concepts and tricks to learn and master. This field is continuously evolving, which is why continually educating ourselves is crucial for business success.

Here is a detailed guide to get your app development started. We cover all the fundamental aspects of the app development lifecycle. This guide gives an overview of the types of mobile app development at present, the importance of having a mobile app. We hope that this blog will serve as an excellent reference for beginners and experienced app developers similar to and for anyone interested in mobile app development in general.

Mobile App statistics tell an encouraging story for businesses:

·         According to Statista, by 2021, there will be more than 7.1 billion mobile users worldwide.

·         It is projected that By 2022 annual mobile app downloads are expected to reach 171 billion. As compared to 143 billion downloads in 2020.

·         The average mobile user checks their smartphone 63 times a day.

·         App store consumer spending is expected to increase to reach $157 billion worldwide by 2022.

What is Mobile App Development?

If we go by the book Mobile application development is the set of processes required to write software for wireless mobile devices. Like Web app development, mobile app development has common roots in software development. However, Mobile apps are specifically written to take advantage of the unique features of a mobile device. 

Mobile App Development Checklist

 

Whether you are a well-established brand or a startup who is just beginning their digital transformation journey, several uncertain things appear when you are newbies in the mobile app development domain.

First things first, choose the right platform for your mobile app that would turn your dream into reality and reach the audience. After selecting a platform, you should work on your tentative budget for development so that no mobile app development company rips you off financially in the guise of cutting edge mobile application. With all this, you should also consider your target audience, revenue generation model, and the most important one – how can your mobile app reach your prospective users.

Type of Mobile App Development

 

1) Native App Development

Native app development is one of the most popular app development methodologies. Where mobile apps are built for a specific mobile operating system. Thus, you can have two separate mobile apps, one for Android mobile and other for iOS. The native app is superior to other mobile apps in terms of features and functionality, which is why businesses usually invest in Native App Development

Technology Used: Native apps are developed using a variety of programming languages. Some examples include Java, Kotlin, Python, Swift, Objective-C, C++, and React.

2) Cross-Platform App Development

If you are looking for a quick and economical app development solution, cross-platform app development is the best option. Here you can develop both iOS and Android apps simultaneously and publish them together.

Hybrid apps come with a series of benefits that help businesses make their presence on Android and iOS.

During development, you can reuse the code also. Hybrid apps load rapidly and also work on low internet connection. Most importantly, cross-platform apps give users a native-like user experience with a single code base and less code maintenance

Technology Used: Hybrid apps use various types of web technologies and native APIs. They’re developed using: Ionic, Objective C, Swift, HTML5, and others.

3) Progressive Web App

A Progressive Web App is a kind of Native App which you can access through a web browser on your smartphone. They’re not autonomous apps in the sense you don’t have to download and install code into your device. They are responsive websites that adjust their user interface according to the user’s device. When you come across the option to “install” a web app, it often bookmarks merely the website URL on your device.

4) Minimum Viable Product

Minimal Viable Product develops with limited features and functionality to create initial interest among your potential customers and investors. The idea behind MVP app development is to get feedback on whether your app idea is accepted. Based on that, you can reconsider investing more money into scaling the app for its next level. 

Several brands started as an MVP and have now become top-notch businesses, such as – Twitter, Dropbox, Airbnb, Spotify, and Groupon, amongst others.

Mobile App Development Lifecycle

1) Discovery, Market Research, And Mobile App Development Tech-stack Selection:

 

You may have great app ideas for your startup, which is a good breakthrough for any business. But before moving forward into the design and development stage, your first step should be a deep dive into exploration—into your startup idea and target audience, as well as of your competitors.

2) Set Up Mobile App Business Goals and Objectives:

This is a crucial step in your mobile app’s planning phase. You have to decide your end goal and revenue generation module so that your mobile app will move into the advanced development stage. Here you need to map out how your app will reach a target audience.

3) Wireframing and Prototyping:

 

You should have a pretty good idea about the flow of your app and how it will look and what features and functionalities you are willing to include. It would be best if you also had the scope of work documentation ready with you. Now start sketching out your app and creating a storyboard.

4) Define Backend of your Mobile App: 

Your wireframes and prototype are as crucial as your backend structure because they will serve as a guide for your mobile app. Back-end development is a server and database part of development, connecting a front-end of the mobile app with the data access layer.

5) Mobile App Development:

 

At this phase, your designer will craft the actual screens that are going to be used in your mobile app. These high-resolution renderings of your wireframe represent mobile app UI where your users will interconnect with the app. Make sure your designs involve all the ideas and feedback collected during the research phase. After all, you want to develop an app that your customers and target audience will love.

6) Testing:

It is the last stage of the app development lifecycle. Finally, your concept is coming into reality with cutting edge UI/UX and perfectly placed imagery and texts. Now is the time when you can test your app on various day-to-day criteria to find out and correct bugs and technical flaws.

When you are confident your app is fully functional and satisfied with all features, functionality, and usability of the mobile app, it’s time to make the final preparations to launch your mobile app.

Mistakes To Avoid When Developing A Mobile App

1) Does the app meet user expectations?

“The first impression is the last impression”. Solving users’ problems and attracting new audiences through your app is no easy task because every user has a different set of expectations from a mobile app.

2) Not doing proper research

As a startup owner, you should have to do a lot of research before developing a mobile app. To start the analytical part, you have to understand the mobile app development lifecycle and their different sets of procedures. Before moving forward, you need to think of the primary target audience and competition.  

3) Not Considering MVP for Development

 MVP is the best option to test your mobile app idea. An MVP (Minimum Viable Product) allows you to try out your application in real-time market scenarios with the inclusion of end-users to evaluate your mobile app usability. 

4) Poor Budget Planning

Most of the startup owners and entrepreneurs face budget planning issues. If you want to solve this, you have to hire a mobile app development company and develop, design, and market your custom mobile app within your budget through them.

How much does it cost to develop a mobile app?

The first question the customer asks, “How much would it cost to make my mobile app??” It is human psychology; we all want quality work at a low cost.

The factors that decide the cost of building a mobile app are the size and scope of a mobile app, the platform it is based on, the complexity of the app, and the geolocation of the app development company, among other factors.

How To Make Money From Your Mobile App?

 

After in-depth study and analysis, I come up with several ways to earn money from your mobile app.

1) In-App Advertisement

It is the simplest and most popular way of making money with your app. For the In-App ads module to work, you have to permit a display advertisement on your mobile app. You will get paid based on the total number of impressions the ads make or click they are getting. 

2) In-App Purchase

According to the study, more than 50% of the apps make use of in-app purchases for making money. In this module, you can offer paid In-App services like bonuses, premium content, virtual currency, games, and unlocked upgradation

3) Subscription

This module is a highly effective and presentable money-making tact. The subscription model is a fair deal for both the app owner and the end-user. The app is available for all users. The user can access some portion of the content for free. If they want more, then they need to subscribe.

4) Paid Apps

After spending almost all your savings and efforts on building an app and putting a Paid App tag, it is justifiable. But there is a problem with a paid app, money-making with them is difficult. Because people opt for free apps instead of the paid ones.

Conclusion:

Mobile app development is like an open book. Anyone can get anything from it. Your app idea plays a crucial role in the app development process.

This mobile app development guide gives you a clear plan on how one has to move forward to fulfill your dream. Another factor we discuss in this guide is how to make money from your mobile app.

App development is a continuous process that will continue even after launching the app as you collect user responses and build additional features. Sphinx Solutions is a leading mobile app development company. Over the years, Sphinx has provided mobile app development services to companies across finance, healthcare, construction, retail, consumer products, logistics, industrial engineering, and entertainment industries.