Mobile App Development-2003
A complete guide to Mobile App Development
The mobile app development industry is going through a transformative phase. With the advancement in micro-processing technologies, you will be able to run mobile applications on multiple platforms. For example, apps built for mobiles will run seamlessly on desktops in the coming years. Moreover, mobile apps built with Flutter or React Native will work on Android Phones, iPhones, Macs, as well as PCs. But before we get into details, let’s dig into the mobile app usage statistics to understand how users are spending their time using mobile phones, and what are the opportunities in building your own mobile application.
Mobile App Development Lifecycle 2023
There are over 3.5 billion smartph
one users worldwide, so there is no doubt that the industry is healthy and thriving. Stats are growing steadily, without any indications of slowing down. And studies show that an average American checks their phone at least once every twelve minutes, and over 10% of these people check their phone about every four minutes. There are some more statistics to keep in mind.
- People spend over half of the time they spend with digital media on mobile.
- Smartphone users spend 90% of their screen time using mobile apps.
- Over 85% of consumers prefer native apps over mobile cross-websites.
- Revenue from mobile apps is set to cross $613 billion by 2023.
- The average consumer has over 30 apps installed on their device.
- An average user spends about 35 hours per month using mobile apps.
The statistics are motivating for anyone who wishes to build or develop a mobile app. But before we jump to any conclusions, let’s understand the exact process of mobile app development. Although it sounds very lucrative to build a mobile app to get a piece of the billion-dollar pie, the decision needs thought strategy and planning. The fact also states that your app will be competing with over 1.5 million applications on the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store.
What is Mobile App Development?
Mobile app development is a process for building mobile applications that run on mobile devices. These applications can either be pre-installed or downloaded and installed by the user later. They use the network capabilities of the device to work computing resources remotely. Hence, the mobile app development process requires creating software that can be installed on the device, and enabling backend services for data access through APIs, and testing the application on target devices.
To develop scalable mobile apps, you also need to consider screen sizes, hardware requirements, and many other aspects of the app development process. With an increasing number of jobs in the mobile app development industry, it is essential that the process is well defined and understood by entrepreneurs, startups, and especially developers.
What are the different Mobile App Platforms?
Mobile App Development Platforms
The two most important mobile app platforms are iOS from Apple Inc. and Android from Google. iOS is Apple’s proprietary mobile operating system built specifically for iPhones. Android, however, runs on mobile devices manufactured by various OEMs, including Google.
While there are many similarities between the two, they utilize different software development kits (SDKs). Apple uses iOS exclusively for their own devices, while Google has made Android available for other companies that meet specific requirements. Developers have built over 1.5 million applications for both platforms to date.
What are the different alternatives for Developing Mobile Apps?
Development Alternatives for Developing Mobile Apps
You can approach mobile app development in four different ways:
- Build Native Mobile Applications
- Build Cross-Platform Native Mobile Applications
- Build Hybrid Mobile Applications
- Build Progressive Web Applications
There are advantages and disadvantages to building an application, no matter which approach you choose. By choosing an approach that matches your strategy, you can achieve the desired user experience, avail computing resources, and build native features required for your application.
Mobile App Development Process
The app development process is simple when you break it down into different steps. If you want to build apps, follow the formula below:
Refine The Idea And Strategize
Before you start any software development, you must first brainstorm your ideas. Some of you might already have a basic idea or concept. Others might be starting from scratch.
Here are some helpful starter questions that you should be asking yourself:
- What do you want your mobile app to accomplish?
- What are your app goals?
- What problem (or problems) will your app solve for customers?
- What features will your app include?
- How much money are you willing to invest?
- How will you develop the app? (In-house team, agency, app builder, etc.)
It’s easy to get carried away during the brainstorming process. But it’s really important to stick to the app’s core features. Forget about unnecessary add-ons or “nice-to-haves” that deviate from the app’s primary function.
Market Research
Once your idea is finalized, you need to look at similar apps that already exist. It’s rare to have a completely new concept with zero competition.
- Who are your competitors?
- What target audience are you aiming for?
- What’s your differentiation strategy to stand out from the competition?
- What’s the best platform to launch your app on?
- How will you market and promote your app?
Market research is an important step you can’t afford to skip or rush through. You don’t want to spend time and money developing an idea only to realize that there’s no market need for it. So you can save yourself a ton of money by getting this sorted out before you start building anything.
Build Your UX Design
The mobile app design process is another crucial part of the process. Start thinking about how your app will look and feel. Start drawing some sketches and create wireframes to see how the app will work.
Focusing on the user experience must be a top priority. You need to make sure the user interface is seamless and easy to navigate.
- Create a storyboard or roadmap to demonstrate connections between each screen.
- Think about the differences in how people will use your app compared to a mobile website (app development and web development are not the same).
- User experience must be your top priority.
You’ll want to create some prototypes of the app based on your wireframes before you start to build a fully-functional app. From here, you can create an MVP (minimum viable product). This is a bare-bones app that achieves its primary goal without all of the bells and whistles.
App Development
Now it’s time to actually create the app. This includes all of the back-end technology, APIs, and front-end building. Here’s what you need to do:
- Choose your development method.
- Assemble your development team.
- Appoint a project manager.
- Establish a timeline with milestones and goals.
- Be agile, and prepare for changes along the way.
Depending on your development method, you might need to build two separate versions of the app—one for iOS and one for Android. Alternatively, you can use cross-platform development tools to create a single version of the app that works on both operating systems.
This process will look a bit different for everyone. Some apps can be built in a month with a single developer. Others can take six months or a year with multiple developers.
The type of app you’re building and the complexity of its features have a significant impact on the timeline and budget for app development. A simple app with basic features should be quick and affordable to build. But a complex app that needs user authentication servers, GPS capabilities, real-time communication between users, and other similar features will obviously take a bit longer to develop.
Testing
Before your app goes live, you need to make sure that it actually works. App testing is when you’ll find bugs, glitches, and anything else that needs to be cleaned up before it gets put in the hands of your customers.
- Testing your app with QAs throughout the development process is the best approach.
- Make sure you test the app on both platforms.
- Test the app on different devices (smartphones, tablets, etc.).
- Run tests with real users to gather feedback and make improvements.
No app is perfect. The purpose of your testing is to put out a functional app that works without crashing so users can enjoy the experience.
You can also make updates to your app and release new versions later on. But trying to make sure the app is perfect during the testing phase could mean your app never gets to market. So don’t be too hard on yourself, and just try to put out a solid product.