What is Mobile App Development? It involves a series of activities and processes in creating software for mobile devices. Mobile app building is creating apps for different devices, such as smartphones, tablets, smartwatches and phones. Web developers must consider mobile accessibility and ensure that web pages are mobile-friendly.
When you try to use all of the features modern smartphones have, including near-field communication and GPS, Bluetooth, Bluetooth, and cameras, problems begin. These features offer new opportunities for app developers but also make app development more difficult.
To be competitive in this market, top app developers must squeeze all features into mobile devices with less power to make sure they can compete against web apps. What are some other issues that you might face when developing mobile apps? And how can you make it more efficient?
What Should You Know About The Process Before You Start?
Mobile Apps Failing: Why?
Although the market for mobile app development is expanding rapidly, generating tons of revenue for companies and reaching new clients, more than 80% of apps fail. How can you maximize your chances of success?
Lack Of Unique Value Proposition
Many startups and SMEs fail to find an original way to launch their apps and copy other companies. Your application will be lost among thousands of similar apps if it doesn't offer unique value to customers. We will show you step-by-step the process of developing mobile apps.
Bad User Experience
Intechnic's latest survey found that 80% of users will abandon an application after only three attempts if they find the app difficult to use. Users have a less satisfying experience with mobile apps due to slow page loads, intuitive navigation, feature accessibility and a lengthy registration process.
It Is Impossible To Solve The Real Problem Of The User
Many businesses don't know how to solve a particular problem for their users and fail to identify an apparent user problem. Your app will not succeed if it isn't fully functional and doesn't solve the unique problem users are facing.
An example of a well-defined user problem might look like this: "We are a young specialist who works long hours and is focused on your career. Therefore, We don't have the time or energy to cook healthy meals. We want to eat healthier and better.
There Is No Clear Strategy For Monetization
Companies do extensive research and identify the problems of users. Then they create an app to solve those problems. Yet, they fail to make any money. It is because there is no comprehensive monetization strategy. You can attract users by simply creating an app and then launching it. However, you won't be able to monetize. In the next section, we will discuss monetization strategies in more detail.
Why Create An App?
Mobile app development is a complicated and risky business. What are the positives of mobile app development?
Additional Sales
What can an app do to generate more revenue streams for your company? Customers can use the app to purchase your product or services instead of visiting a physical store. A company can make extra money by promoting other products or generating advertising revenue streams. If your app is well-designed, you may be able to sell subscriptions and other services. You can also sell user data not personally identifiable to data collectors.
Service Costs Reduced
Suppose you include chats or provide essential information. In that case, an application can be used as a call center and technical support. Your customers can now ask questions about your product from your app rather than calling you to inquire about it. This is a better way to provide customer support than hiring an in-house staff.
Marketing Costs Reduced
Although traditional marketing strategies work well, they require significant investment. Push notifications can promote new products or events by installing them on your application.
Building A Relationship With Your Customers
Your app allows users to share their opinions via surveys and other feedback. Mobile apps allow you to connect with customers and build more substantial relationships.
Mobile App Development Guide
You now understand the importance and necessity of creating an application. Where do you begin? How can you create a mobile app development plan? And how do you choose the right technology? This is a brief guide to mobile app development.
Strategy, Goals, And Monetization Models For Mobile Apps
Let's start with the technical part of the question. First, identify your mobile app development strategy and objectives. Next, determine the monetization model.
You can build a mobile app in four steps:
1. Define A Clear, Unique Value Proposition
UVP should be clear, concise, and simple to understand. What unique value will your application bring to your customers' lives? What problem will it solve?
3. Establish The Goals And Performance Standards
Your business goals should be aligned with the application's goals. You might be looking to increase customer satisfaction or unlock new revenue streams. You should also establish clear performance standards and KPIs to help you measure the success and viability of your application. These include load speed, crash reports, and retention rates.
4. Establish a User Profile
What are the problems of your target users? What are they looking for in an app, and what are their pain points and needs?
Define The Features You Want To Use In The App
It is not a good idea to try and solve too many problems with too little information. The complexity, navigation, and features will overwhelm users and cause them to abandon the tool.
Secure Your Data
Your mobile app will store and handle a lot of data, including sensitive customer information. Your reputation is at risk when it comes to security. Exposing customer data could seriously affect how you will secure the data of your users and company.
Decide How To Use The Data Generated
The data is now secure and safe. But what do you do with it? How can you use the vast amount of information to improve your business? The data can be used to gain insight into the market, identify behavioral patterns, engage the audience, and promote new products.
Select The Monetization Model
Monetization refers to turning an asset into a stream of revenue. Your application will fail if the revenue generated is less than the expenses. Your business will be greatly benefited if you acquire new clients worth more than the expenses incurred to acquire them.
A Mobile App Can Be Monetized In A Variety Of Ways:
Advertising
Mobile app developers often offer two options: Customers can either pay a fee to get the app ad-free or download it for free and see ads while they use it. Both options can generate income.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing involves promoting other businesses' products or services in return for a commission. It will work out for both of you if you are interested in a brand compatible with your products. You can partner with a company that customizes phone cases if your products include smartphones.
Lead Generation
Lead generation attracts customers through blog posts, surveys, and coupons. Instead of calling cold, you can reach someone who is already interested in your product or is familiar with your brand.
Strong Code
You can sell your code for reuse if it is strong and reusable. If your code is good enough, you may be able to re-skin it to sell to other companies. Imangi profited from Temple Run by selling the game to Disney and re-skinning it.
Transaction Fees
Some companies offer a platform allowing certain transactions, such as Airbnb and PayPal. They collect fees for each transaction and make a profit.
Freemium
Your application can be offered for free, and users can pay extra for additional features. You can offer a free episode of a game and charge users for each subsequent one. You can also offer the whole game for free, but certain additional features will be expensive.
Subscribe
Subscribership is a monetization model SaaS (Software as a Service), most often chosen. This allows you to draw customers and encourage them to use your app for a long time. The features they use will determine how much they pay.
How Do You Create Software Requirements Specifications?
Once you have defined your goals and strategies, it is time for you to define the key features and tech stack of your project and create a Software Requirements Specifications (SRS) document. An SRS document can be used to get your stakeholders to understand your application idea quickly. This document contains detailed descriptions of the goals, strategies and technologies. Before you begin to create the SRS document, drawing a mind map is a good idea. What is mind mapping? How does it affect the success of your SRS documents?
Mind mapping, in its simplest form, is the visual organization and representation (or visualization) of large quantities of information. To begin, you should hold a brainstorming session to gather the following information:
- Use surveys and interviews to identify your target audience.
- The following questions will be asked: Who will use the application? What will they use it for? What are they going to do with the solution?
- To determine which features most benefit your users, create user stories and develop scenarios.
- Based on user story results, prioritize features and differentiate between functional and nonfunctional features.
- Make an SRS template and note the features in each section.
You should also list the features and determine each function's cost, time and scope. If you have strict deadlines, this will allow your mobile app developers to prioritize features and remove non-essential ones.
The second section is a general description. The template will give you a detailed description of each section. Briefly describe whether the application is new or existing. Also, identify its primary interfaces. Next, discuss the various states and modes of the system and describe dependencies and assumptions.
The third section covers the system's capabilities, conditions, and constraints. This section focuses on the technical requirements, such as integration with third-party software, cross-platform availability, and scaling options, and details about database, frontend, and backend technology.
The system interfaces are covered in part four. This is where you will explain the dependencies among system components. Be sure to explain all four types of interfaces: hardware, software, and communications.
The fifth section of the SRS document, "Requirements Traceability Matrix" (RTM), is the fifth. It's there to ensure that all requirements are tested and to facilitate the development process. RTM is essential because it links requirements to tests and ensures that each requirement will be covered in a test case.
How To Choose The Right Platform And Tech Stack
Before choosing the right technology to develop mobile apps, we must establish the platform. Do you want to build an app for iOS, Android, or both?
Who Are You Targeting?
This is significant because Android won the popular vote in Germany and the UK, while most European countries prefer iPhones. The OS is associated with user buying behavior. On average, iPhone users spend more on their apps if they're willing to purchase additional features and pay for them. Android users prefer not to pay fees and most often choose free apps. However, you should create a cross-platform solution if you wish to reach both markets.
What Features Are You Looking For?
It might seem the easiest way to create mobile apps that work on both iOS and Android. There are only a few features that can be used cross-platform. You should consider your functional features before you choose a platform to allow them to be added to your application. Native applications are more responsive and run faster.
What Devices Would You Like To See Supported?
Remember that Android supports almost 100 devices, while iOS only supports 9. This factor should be considered when choosing the platform for your mobile app development strategy. The market share is another factor: Android holds 72%, while iOS has 26%.
Moderation
Apple Store entry requirements are more stringent than Google Play. To be accepted into Apple's store, iOS apps must follow guidelines. If the application is not of high quality, it will be rejected. However, Android guidelines are only suggestions, and many Android apps don't perform well.
Depending on which platform you choose, you can now think about the best tech stack for mobile app development.
Android Mobile App Development:
Java and Kotlin
Java and Kotlin are the most popular app development languages for Android. Although Kotlin is now the official language for Android app development, many developers still prefer Java technology.
Android Studio & Android Developer Tools (ADT)
Android Studio is Google's official development environment. Android Studio is the official development environment provided by Google. You can also use a graphical UI maker and test automation support.
Android Software Development Kit (SDK)
SDK is a collection of tools and libraries that can be used to develop Android apps. Every time Google releases an update, a team of developers must download the latest version of the kit.
Ios Mobile App Development
Swift or Objective-C
Two main languages are available for iOS mobile app development: Objective-C and Swift. Swift is preferred by more mobile app developers because of its superior functionality and dynamic libraries, which increase performance.
Apple Xcode
Apple Xcode, a MacOS development environment, is commonly used to create mobile apps for iOS. It supports Git repositories and graphical editors, as well as debugging tools.
iOS Software Development Kit (SDK).
The iPhone SDK provides APIs to connect software applications to the platform, enhances your UX design, and supports beta-testing.
React Native & JavaScript/TypeScript
JavaScript is the most used language for cross-platform application development. You can create mobile apps that look and feel native on iOS and Android by combining JavaScript with React Native, one of the most popular mobile app development frameworks.
React Native revolutionized cross-platform app development. It allows you to use the same UI blocks as native apps and allows for cross-platform application development. You can also use TypeScript to create mobile apps. TypeScript is fast for error detection and offers greater security.
Flutter
Flutter allows you to create apps for iOS and Android with the same source code. Flutter and the Dart language can be combined to create native-like apps.
Flutter is a Cross-Platform Mobile Framework used only for mobile applications. This allows you to focus solely on mobile functions without considering web functions. Flutter is well-known for its speed of development and native-like apps.
Mobile App Development Process
Let's break down the complex mobile app development process into seven main steps. How do you create a mobile application?
Research
This is the first step to developing an application idea and refining it into something more concrete. This stage includes market analysis, demographics research and identifying behavior patterns.
Wireframing
Wireframing, a blueprint for an application, will help you understand how it looks and functions.
Prototyping
This is the primary purpose of creating a quick prototype that doesn't waste too much time or resources. This is the first draft of your application. It will allow you to gather user feedback and evaluate the idea's feasibility.
UX/UI Design
UX or UI design refers to the user side. You can create various layouts, buttons and color themes to have more options. This will increase your chances of creating a unique design.
Develop
Top mobile app development companies use agile methodology to develop apps. This breaks down the process into more miniature, more manageable stages. These are known as sprints. They involve designing, developing and usability testing.
Test
It is more costly to fix a bug the further you are in the process. To avoid delays and unnecessary costs, it is essential to begin testing as soon as possible. Most common testing cases include usability, security and compatibility.
Deployment
Although this is the final stage of your work, it does not mean you are done. After the official release, you must gather user feedback and implement new features or remove certain functionalities.
What is PoC, Prototype, or MVP?
Prototyping was discussed earlier. But what about MVP (Proof of Concept)? What are the differences between them? And what are their benefits?
It is important to note that MVP, prototype, and PoC are different. These are different ways to test your idea and are made for different purposes.
The Proof of Concept
PoC tests whether the application is possible to build. To determine if the application can be built, developers test technical assumptions. These are the three key clues to help you decide if you need a PoC for your project.
A High-Risk Feature
A PoC tool will allow you to assess the feasibility of a high-risk feature you have not used before.
A New Type Of Product
PoC is essential if you're creating a product for the first time. To assess the potential of all new functionalities in an application, testing them in real life is crucial.
Implementation Of New Technology
Technologies like AI, AR, and IoT have just arrived. These technologies are new to the market, so you might want to test them before you build your core feature.
Prototype
A prototype shows how an application or feature could be built. A prototype is a kind of draft of the future app. It allows you to feel and see the product. This is an affordable and quick way to test the product and get valuable feedback.
You can either draw a prototype on paper or draft one on a whiteboard. This is a method of prototyping. You can also create a low-fidelity interactive prototype by applying the paper prototype and creating a wireframe. You can use a prototyping program to concentrate on design, colors, images, and other details. You can also build a prototype with high fidelity. This involves creating the UI from scratch and testing it. Prototyping is the closest thing to accurate prototyping.
MVP
MVP, or minimum viable product, is a miniature version of an end product that includes the essential features. MVP is a minimally viable product. It helps you assess user experience and whether it meets your business goals.
You will create assumptions with your team as part of the MVP strategy and then test them. While you can find inspiration from your competitors' applications and work, remember that you must do better than them.
When you're building a new UI, it is even more crucial to build an MVP. Additionally, MVP is an integral part of agile methodology. It allows you to release a new product every iteration, reducing time-to-market.
What Is The Cost Of Developing A Mobile App For Your Business?
There is no one correct answer, as there are many factors. How great the app is, how well it is planned, how many bugs you need to fix, and the length of the project all impact the cost of mobile application development.
What is the Mobile App Development Cost? Let's have a closer look at how much it costs to develop favourite apps:
WhatsApp's core features include contact registration, notifications, chats and geolocation. These features take between 800 and 900 hours to create. The remaining tasks, like UX/UI design and project management, will take 400 to 500 additional hours. The application will therefore be completed in between 1,200 and 1,400 hours.
Uber
What if you wish to create an Uber-like app? These client-side functions include registration, booking, payments, and card information. They also track, notify, and record your ride history. The entire application takes approximately 500 hours. You can also count driver-side features such as a reply to a request or booking history - 300 - and an admin dashboard with UX/UI design - 250 hours. The Uber-like app will take 1,050 hours to create and cost $126,000 in the US. It will cost $36,750 to $47.250 in Eastern Europe.
How Can You Make Custom App Development More Efficient?
Outsourcing
As we have seen, the cost comparison has already been made. This vast discrepancy is why there has been a rise in outsourcing to Asia and Eastern Europe. These countries have a lower cost of living, making developing apps more affordable. Outsourcing saves you money and allows you to access a broader range of talent. You can also delegate the entire mobile app development process to an agency specializing in Android and iOS app development. This allows you to focus on your business goals.
MVP
Your success depends on your proof of concept, prototyping, and, most importantly, MVP. MVP reduces anxiety and makes app design much more efficient. Top app developers won't get distracted by unnecessary features. They will only focus on the essentials to launch MVPs. You also have a better chance of finding and fixing bugs quickly by releasing smaller products every cycle.
This means you will not have any chance of competing in this market if your ideas aren't tested for technical feasibility, get first user feedback, and learn from your mistakes.
Security Testing
Cyberattacks can easily target mobile apps. Do not assume that your app is invulnerable. Mobile app security tools (MAST) are available to help you protect your app from the moment it is developed until it goes live. DataDomes has a detailed list of mobile app security tools you can consider. They're easy to install and don't disrupt the architecture.
As part of your customer's journey with you, offer real-time protection. Avoid stalling, bugging, malware, and theft of information. Your app should offer a safer and better user experience.
How Quickly Is the App Development Market Expanding?
What is the industry's growth outlook for the method of app development? You must first understand each segment to understand the market's growth rate. Let's look at growth reports based on various aspects of the mobile app development industry to understand the market better.
Based upon Downloads
According to Statista's reports, app downloads have been steadily increasing year after year. The 2016 count was approximately 140.7 billion, but it will grow to 230 billion by 2021. This is a 63% increase over the past four to five years. This shows that apps are in high demand and that the industry must meet this demand.
Based Upon Revenue
According to the report, the app market will grow at a CAGR of 13.4% between 2022-2030 and reach an estimated USD 565.40 million by 2030. Mobile apps will generate over 613 billion U.S. Dollars in 2025, and mobile games will contribute the most to all categories of app revenue.
According to some studies, app revenue from stores is expected to reach around USD 80 billion by 2020. This revenue was split between non-gaming and gaming apps. Gaming apps are the most lucrative; if the trends continue, the numbers will only grow over the next few years.
Based Upon O.S. (Operating Systems)
According to Statista's global survey of software developers, Android was the most popular platform for development teams in 2023. 87% of respondents preferred Android development. The Apple iOS system was second in software development, with 60% of respondents indicating it.
Android retained its position in the January 2022 study with close to 70% share. iOS accounted for approximately 25% of the mobile operating systems market.
Notable is the fact that Google Play Store has the largest marketplace and the most apps, while Apple App Store has the highest revenue. This means that iOS apps generate more revenue than Android apps, while Android apps are much more popular in their usage.
Apple Store was responsible for over 62% of global app-based revenue in 2021. Statista reports that the gross app revenue generated by the Google Play Store in the first quarter of 2022 was close to USD 11 billion. On the contrary, the Apple App Store generated USD 1.8 billion in consumer spending for in-app purchases and subscriptions.
Based Upon Location
The largest app development markets are the U.S., China, and Japan. North America holds a significant share of the app development market, accounting for 31.83% of revenue share in 2021.
On the other hand, APAC (Asia Pacific) has some of the most rapidly growing app development markets in the world. It will experience the fastest growth rate, 46%, compared to other regions. China and India are two of the most important mobile app markets.
What's Next?
Your work isn't done once the application has been released. Keep track of crucial input metrics such as funnel analytics, social media sharing, user behavior, and user demographics. This data will allow you to evaluate the performance of your application and make adjustments to it to meet user needs better.
The second reason is that the mobile app market is highly competitive. This is why innovation is so important. Developing new features and functionalities and testing them before implementing them is essential. It would help if you also collected feedback from users. Market saturation and the changing guidelines for platforms make this a constant process.
Market your application to reach the right audience and help you achieve your business goals. Your product will be lost in the sea of other applications.
Cyber Infrastructure Inc., a Mobile App Development Company, has years of experience in both Android and iOS phone application development. We have extensive experience in enterprise mobile app development. We know the best technologies to help you achieve your business goals. We will guide you through the discovery phase, helping to build or update an existing application.
We also offer staff augmentation. This means we have the most skilled mobile app developers who can resolve technical problems. We can provide mobile app developers to hire to augment your team during the project.
