Mobile application development is creating software applications that run on a mobile device, and a typical mobile application utilizes a network connection to work with remote computing resources.
Mobile app development is creating software intended to be run on mobile devices.
It stems from the more traditional development of software for desktops and laptops but is focused on optimizing smartphone features such as:
- GPS
- Cameras
- Biometrics
- Gyroscopic
- Sensors
- Accelerometers
- Temperature Sensor
- Bluetooth
- NFC
While mobile app development is similar to desktop software development, it’s important to recognize the key difference between the two. Mobile device hardware does not compare with desktop and laptop hardware. Take gaming, for example. The hardware on mobile devices doesn’t allow for the graphics and functionality that gamers demand from their consoles and PCs. There is still a demand for gaming apps, but developers must find innovative ways to make games appealing within the device’s limitations. The trick is getting the balance right. For all that they’re popular, roughly 1 in 3 apps downloaded is deleted within 30 days because it failed to provide a satisfactory customer experience (CX).
These days CX is the biggest factor in determining customer loyalty and cannot be ignored. Whatever the technical details of your app, it must be visually appealing, user-friendly, and solve a problem. These are the core principles of making a successful mobile app and must be at the heart of the development and design process. The best way to ensure your app ticks all the boxes is to find an expert mobile app developer with previous experience and working knowledge of the type of app you want to create.
Why Is Mobile App Development So Important?
A mobile app keeps your brand relevant. As smartphones and the Internet of Things (IoT) continue taking over many aspects of daily life, users increasingly depend on mobile apps for speed and convenience.
A mobile app can help enhance your business through the following:
- Increased accessibility
- Brand recognition
- Ease of purchase
- Increased sell-through
- Instant feedback
- Social media integration
- Secure payments
- Push notifications
- Improved customer engagement
No doubt you can think of many other ways people use apps, but the point is that they are part of daily life. We use apps for everything from communication and entertainment to mundane tasks such as switching on the heating and shopping. So, whatever product or service your business supplies, there is a fair chance you can enhance your customers’ experience by putting it in app form because that’s the way they want to connect. There are 3.5 million apps available to download on Google Play. And the big hitters have set high standards for how apps should perform. Imagine trying to launch a social media app that is slow and clunky. It wouldn’t stand a chance against the likes of Facebook and Twitter. As with all things marketing, if you’re not a global giant, don’t try competing with global giants. Instead, go back to basics. Think about what your users would want from an app. The key is to identify their pinpoints and create an app that makes their life easy and improves their customer experience.
What Are The Most Common Types Of Mobile Apps?
Before developing a mobile app, you must decide what type of app you want to create.
There are essentially three types of mobile apps:
Native Apps:
An app created specifically for and within a platform – typically iOS or Android. Native apps in iOS are the easiest for a mobile app developer to work on as they use Xcode and Objective-C, which are consistent across all Apple products, so one app will work on an iPhone or iPad. Native apps for Android are not as straightforward, as each manufacturer uses different hardware and runs on a different operating system version. Due to the additional complexities of Android app development, you can expect it to take 40% longer and cost more than an equivalent app on iOS.
HTML5 Apps:
HTML5 apps (sometimes called PWA apps) are based on HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS. These are standard fayre in software development and are compatible with multiple platforms. Creating an HTML5 app is more complicated and time-consuming than developing a native app for mobile and will usually cost more. The obvious advantage, though, is a wider reach. It’s wise to research which operating systems your users typically use, as this will help determine whether the extra investment is worthwhile. It’s worth noting that, globally, iOS users spend around 2.5 times more via apps than Android users, but you will need to check the figures for your industry when considering the best type of mobile app for your business.
Hybrid Apps:
As the name suggests, a hybrid app combines the two. Essentially, it is a native app that has an HTML5 embedded in it, which enables it to be used on different platforms with just minor amendments. Depending on your app’s complexity, it can take months or years to bring it from idea to launch. Along the way, you will need regular testing and tweaking to tackle performance issues as they arise. It should be considered when estimating the project’s time and cost because this is very usual.
How To Create A Mobile App?
There are several steps between the idea and launch:
Idea:
The whole process starts here. At this point, focus on these important inquiries for yourself:
- What is your target audience?
- What do other similar apps not offer?
- How does your app solve a problem?
Developing a successful mobile app can sometimes mean developing a completely new idea. It could be building on an existing app that needs to hit the mark. To evaluate what you want with what is feasible on your budget, this is typically the stage at which you first get in touch with a mobile app developer. Be prepared to make changes, but remember that this is an investment in your business and must first add value to users.
Design:
The user interface (UI) must be visually appealing. Think about how to make it user-friendly and how users will navigate around the app. Attention to detail is crucial. Your choice of colors, icons, and font must link the app to your brand while delivering on CX. When designing your app, you will start with wireframes, essentially the digital equivalent of initial sketches.
Development And Testing:
Your developers will then start working on your project seriously. Make sure you remain in regular contact for progress updates and to discuss any issues that might arise. Testing and developing go hand in hand throughout the early part of the development process. As you test and amend your app, remove any non-core items. Remember, this is about connecting with your users, so make it sharp and ensure everything adds value. Once you have a workable prototype, beta testing will be necessary to try the app in a semi-real situation.
Security Testing:
Data breaches are incredibly damaging to the reputation of your brand. Any app you plan to launch must be thoroughly tested for security before you take the plunge. Logins must be secure, and sessions should be closed down after a period of inactivity.
Promotion And Launch:
A mobile app is a significant investment. How you promote and launch it will be a huge factor in determining its success. Once you have an expected launch date, you can start planning your promotion strategy. Your launch preparation must ensure you have developer accounts and all the right licenses.
Integrate Analytics:
To ensure your mobile app is a success, you will need to analyze its effectiveness in terms of engagement, customer count, and revenue. It’s worthwhile contacting your developer because this is a continuing process.
What Is The Cost Of Developing A Mobile App?
There are huge variations in cost when it comes to mobile app development. The simple apps might only cost around $2,000, but major corporations spend millions. Most small businesses expect to spend around $40,000 – $60,000 to bring an app to market. The location of your developer will influence the cost, too. Self-employed developers in India or Eastern Europe charge considerably less than Silicon Valley developers. Before speaking to your mobile app developer, clearly define your goal. Be realistic but don’t hold back. At this stage, you should present your developer with your best-case scenario. Based on your discussion with the developer, you may temper your plans, start with a more basic app, and add additional functions later. Of course, you need a professional mobile app designer to ensure that the end product delivers on CX and doesn’t become one of the 30% of apps deleted within a month of being installed.
In addition to CX and brand awareness, there are also opportunities to monetize your app through:
- Additional sales
- Loyalty schemes-app purchase crypto coins
- Selling advertising space
Why Do You Need To Hire A Mobile App Developer?
When you look into the best ways to create and launch a mobile app, you may be tempted by one of the numerous sites that advertise that they have templates you can use to create it yourself. While this is true, and it is possible to develop your mobile app using one of these programs, it’s worth remembering the 3.5 million apps available in the Google Play app store. Taking time away from your usual daily activities to create a generic app that gets lost in the mire and fails to grab your audience is not a good use of your time. When you commit to developing and launching a mobile app for your brand, the only way to make it a success is to find a developer that can create a bespoke app that does what you need it to do – and does it well. Mobile app development is a long and complicated pro for which you need more time alongside all your other activities. Working with a mobile app developer and bouncing ideas off each other is a far more practical method of creating an app that will be well thought out and perform as you would like. There is also the fact that developing an app requires the use of software development kits. If you don’t have one, you can’t create an app, and the cost of these can run into $000s. You can keep the project in-house or outsource it when hiring a mobile app developer. If you have an in-house software development team, your first step is considering the talent already at your disposal.
Sometimes, you will be fortunate enough to have the ideal candidate already on your team. If that’s not the case, you can recruit a full-time employee or hire a freelancer. One of the problems of recruiting a full-time mobile app developer is that it generally costs around 25-40% more than hiring a self-employed person, and once the app is established, you don’t need them anymore. Of course, there will be times when you want to add new features or fix a problem with your app, but by remaining in touch with a reliable developer, you need only pay them when you need further work carried out on the app.
What To Look For In A Mobile App Developer?
When hiring a mobile app developer, you know they will tackle unforeseen problems along the journey. You are still determining the problems and how they will manifest themselves.
Things to look for when hiring a mobile app developer are:
Multilingual Experience:
A developer should be able to demonstrate a deep knowledge of modern programming languages. If your app is likely to be feature-rich and complex, you must look for someone with a wealth of experience designing apps for multiple platforms. If you are only looking for a basic app, you can take advantage of lower rates offered by a new freelancer who has yet to establish a reputation. You’ll still want to chat with them about their experience and what skills they can bring to your project. As remote working has grown in popularity, lots of people are looking to set up as self-employed, so you must carry out due diligence to ensure you’re getting together with someone that has the experience and skill set you require and not just someone who is changing their arm at mobile app development.
Knowledge Of Cloud Structure:
Cloud infrastructure is the future of mobile apps, with most of the top-performing ones already deployed, hosted, and managed this way. A developer who doesn’t work with popular cloud services could be obsolete before your anticipated launch date. You may have to update your app after all the effort and resources you put into its development.
Experience In Winning UI Design:
User interface design is one of the most important aspects of the whole process. Ask for a portfolio to see a developer’s previous work and see if they can provide metrics demonstrating how popular their designs have been with real users. When your app goes live and is downloaded, it has roughly 10 seconds to grab the attention, so the success of your launch can live or die by the quality of the design.
Creativity:
Remember that your app must engage your audience and provide their desired service. From design to functionality, your mobile app needs to stand out from your competitors. If your developer doesn’t convey that they can think creatively, there is a strong chance that you will end up with a dull app that fails to attract users.
Teamwork:
Working together will be crucial even if the project is limited to you and a developer. You will need to gauge how well you connect and how keen the developer is when you first speak to them.
Communication:
It’s fundamental in any collaboration, but it becomes even more important when you hire a remote worker. You’ll be able to tell if you feel comfortable dealing with them a lot by how receptive they are initially. If you decide to hire them, it’s important to agree on protocols for communication right off the bat – especially if you are in different time zones.
How To Hire An Expert Mobile App Developer?
If you need to learn how to code, you will need to hire someone to do it for you. So the search begins to find an app developer. Even if you built an app in the past, you might have had a challenging experience with your developer. This guide is perfect for you as well. I’ll tell you exactly what you need to do to find a developer to give you the app you’re looking for. But let me be perfectly honest with you, and it’s not easy. There are lots of factors that go into hiring a developer. So make sure you complete all of the steps and are very thorough. You’re either developing an app for your existing business or launching an app as a new startup company. If this app is an extension of your current business, it must fit within your brand’s image. For those launching a startup company, this app will be the first association customers have with the company. It would help if you made the right impression. You’ve also got to determine if your app is simple or complex. So even if you or your company has $50,000 in the bank, you can still afford to pay a developer $50,000.
Conclusion:
Mobile app development is the process of developing apps on the mobiles that we use daily. It’s important because it’s a part of daily life now. There are different types of mobile app development. You can create a mobile app if you know how to code; otherwise, you must hire someone to develop it. The cost of developing an app is quite high, but you hire a self-employed person so that they only take a little money. Before hiring someone, make sure to deliver to them the nature of your project, ask about them, examine their previous projects, etc.
