Mobile app development is a complex process with different important phases to consider. It all starts with planning and preparations and ends with launch. Also, the process consists of QA to find out any inconsistences, or info on what causes insubordination with the elements of your app. But the apps developed with focus at every stage of development are more likely to be successful.
In simple terms, you can divide the phases of the mobile app development process into preparation, execution, and launch. Every phase has its own set of challenges. But segmenting the process into phases can increase productivity and efficiency.
Dig into the simplified process of development of a mobile application in the following:
Preparation
As the name hints, preparation is the phase where you prepare for the tasks necessary for the other phases. It all starts with an idea your app is going to be based around. Since there are more than 3 million apps on Play Store, your idea should have the spark to stand out. Otherwise, it may not get you the response you are looking for. So, it is best to do your research and understand the audience and needs. Create your own unique selling points and conduct market research.
Understanding the audience and competition is just one phase of preparations. Once you are done with that, you have to estimate the costs. Some companies prefer to have a full-time team onboard to do their app development and QA. While businesses with limited resources often outsource their projects to freelancers or development agencies. Whatever path you take, make sure to inform the development team of the objectives and goals you have set your eyes on.
After setting aside a budget and arranging human resources, the next phase is creating a plan for app development. There are many aspects of app development like designing the interface, frontend, backend, and API development. Factor in all these things to have a clear vision of what to plan for. Also, create milestones for the project to ensure maximum productivity and efficiency in implementation.
Execution
Execution is the phase where you follow the carefully created plan. It is when the skills of developers come into play. Mobile apps are developed mainly for iOS and Android. Generally, it is best practice to have your app available on both platforms. Native apps generally have better performance, but they are also more expensive to develop. Hybrid apps on the other hand are slightly behind in performance compared to native ones but are more affordable. Decide on the platform and core functionality so you don’t get carried away with adding additional features to your app.
The interface of your app is of colossal importance. Because it is what your customers or users interact with. Your app UI should be user-friendly and appealing at the same time. Strike the balance in these qualities in the design aspect. Also, be open to modifications and taking suggestions because your app experience fundamentally depends on the design. Another thing to consider is to make that design responsive for different screen sizes. Regardless of the device your users have, they will have a solid experience with the application.
For the actual development part, you need to choose the technology stack. This phase covers the backend, frontend, API, and other requisites to attain the functionality you want. Do know that your app may need updates, redesigns, and tweaks in the future. So, work on the development processes with these things in mind.
Quality Assurance
After developers develop an application, it is forwarded to QA for testing. The testing phase can be quite extensive because it has to cover testing of functionality, UI, performance, compatibility, security, and so much more. To make an app sustainable in the long run, it should pass all these departments. Often companies launch a beta version of their app first. This version generally has minor issues, but it gets valuable feedback from the customers too.
Launch
The launch of an app happens when it is ready functional and ready to use. As mentioned earlier, there are hundreds of thousands of apps already on the app stores. So, you will have to put effort into promoting your applications. You can use practices like SEO, social media marketing, and paid ads. So, you should factor in the marketing expense in your budget. However, a good thing is that you can scale your marketing budget and efforts over time. In other words, you can set the budget based on what suits you the best.
Cover the needs of every phase to have a solid application available for download. All the phases are systematically connected just like a well developed talent acquisition strategy framework but in a more digital sense. Ensure every phase of the process is implemented the right way and your app is more likely to get the response intended for development.
