For a time, businesses generally outsourced mobile app development due to constrained budgets and extended timelines. However, many small businesses are developing mobile apps in-house between helpful development platforms and software programs that do much of the groundwork.

What to identify before developing a mobile app development

There are a few considerations to go over before investing time and resources into creating a Custom Mobile Application Development. While developing an app is pretty straightforward, planning a strategic digital solution can be complicated.

Decide on your operating system currently, and there are two primary operating systems: iOS and Android. Will your app be native, meaning it’s developed specifically for a certain OS? Decisions on software compatibility will directly affect app functionality.

A cross-platform framework or an app for iOS and Android is best for future development goals. It’s a simple way to set your app up for sustained success, as more users will be able to access it. To help you decide, consider your goals for the app’s development.

Know your target audience.

Make sure you have a good understanding of your target persona. Understand who your users are, their goals, their behaviors and preferences, and the platforms and mobile devices they use. This is where your app marketing may come into play. Cater the app to your target audience to help them enjoy using it and continue to do so.

Concept proof your app idea.

Before diving into the nitty-gritty and taking those first actionable development steps, consider whether your app is a solution to an existing problem. If it is, think about how it will help. Or, if your app is specific to your organization, consider how the digital solution strategy will help your company’s goals.

Pausing to reflect at this stage in the development process can enable you to preview your app’s future roadmap. Finalize your highest app priorities, and ensure you and your team agree on the top goals. From there, you’ll know where to start with a strong footing.

Know what’s out there.

Do your research to make sure your idea isn’t already on the market. You don’t want to develop your app only to find that a similar one already exists, rendering yours as less of an original idea than you had hoped.

Ensure your app strategy is unique to you or your company and user-friendly for your target users. For apps that are specific to a business, make sure to check out the competition to grasp an understanding of how your app will stack up against others already on the market.

Plan your app design and security.

Your app design is key to its success. The program design must have a friendly user interface. The easier it is to use, the more inclined users will be to download the app. Content should also be a top design priority, as should security. People have valuable and potentially sensitive information on their phones. Make sure you consider data protection features and privacy settings. The more advanced your app’s security protocols are, the better.

How to Custom Mobile Application Development in 9 Steps

Building an app isn’t something that can happen overnight. There are many steps your development team should take to ensure your app launches properly. Keep reading to explore our easy nine-step guide to get you started on developing a new mobile app

Establish a development team

Developing an app has become easier with the help of various software programs and online tools such as app builders. However, any programming language is just that—another language. The app development process is still a real undertaking that is best done with a group of people. Custom Mobile Application Development has a lot of complicated elements that have to come together.

Conduct competitive research

With more than 2.20 million apps available to Apple users and more than 3.40 million available to Android users, it’s important to fully understand what you’re up against regarding competitor features and customer requirements. Hence, you know how to make your product stand out.

Start by researching the market to find apps produced by your competitors. You can outline what your competitors have done right and where they’ve fallen short. Such research can help you gauge specific insights into what customers like and what you should do differently.

It’s also important to understand the market you’re joining. You should be able to answer why the market needs your app and what you do differently to solve problems. During this step, you may want to consider talking with potential users.

Outline core features

Next, establish core app features. Now that you understand what’s missing from the market and what your target users are searching for, you can develop key features that other development teams have neglected.

Most mobile app professionals create a Custom Mobile Application Development that’s intuitive, easy to navigate, personalizable, and simple to use. In addition to this basic foundation, list potential features to set your app apart from your competitors. Some must-have features include simplicity, speed, and good image resolution. These are all essential features for ensuring a good user experience.

Create mockups

Once requirements have been gathered and key features have been outlined, it’s important to have a user interface (UI) and UX designer develop a mockup, template, and sometimes tutorial of what to expect from the app.

A mockup is a detailed outline of the appearance of the app. Typically, a mockup will follow a cohesive color scheme and typography and includes images, the basic layout, and more. 

Plan great app security.

This next step in building apps is among the most important features your app can have: security. Preventing cybercriminals from stealing user data is paramount. A single breach of the app could cost your company a loss of users and potentially millions of dollars.

Begin coding

There are a few components to consider as you start coding. First, there is both the front end and back end to code. Front-end development refers to the “face” of the app—what the end user will see. Back-end development is about the “behind the scenes” code, which dictates how the app functions.

Suppose you’re coordinating a team of multiple developers (e.g., some working on the front end and others on the back end). You’ll want to coordinate work processes to ensure a cohesive end product. An Agile project management methodology can be useful, allowing for efficient, adaptable, and flexible coding.

Perform multiple tests

Although it’s tempting to skip rigorous testing when the project is on a tight budget, quality assurance (QA) is one of the key pieces in developing a successful app. Since app development is so competitive, performing QA throughout the entire development process is important. This way, your team can identify bugs and quickly improve the app before going live to customers.

Some things the QA team should think about when testing include the following:

• Front-end vs. back-end functionality: For the front end, does the mobile app look like it’s supposed to from the user side of things? For the back end, does the app function as it’s supposed to? For example, if a pop-up message is supposed to disappear when the user clicks on it, does it? Is the little “X” to click it away properly displayed?
• Device compatibility: The app needs testing on whatever operating system it’s meant for (iOS versus Android, or both). Further, the QA team should confirm compatibility with different versions of operating systems (e.g., Android 7.0 versus Android 10.0). There are also device-specific considerations, like if the app display fits the screen size.
• App integration: Is this integration functional if the app’s core function interacts with other features, such as the phone’s camera or another app like Google Maps?

Gather and implement user feedback.

After rigorous testing, the app should pass inspection by a test group user before launching the app. Although the development team should have based features on customer needs, having someone who doesn’t know the app can help provide invaluable user feedback to ensure it is ready for many users with different experience levels.

Testing the app with various users should give your development team a better understanding of what they want and whether the app matches expectations. It should help the team adjust key features to fit a diverse group of users better before the app goes live.

Once the app is live, it’s a good idea to continue receiving feedback so you can make the necessary updates and adjustments. One way you can gain feedback after the launch of the app is by looking at analytics. It can help your development team understand customer behavior and identify any confusing areas for modification. This insight can also help the team adjust the application before the market launch.‍

Launch in the app store.

Lastly comes publication to the app store. The regulations your app needs to follow depend greatly on the app store where you apply. Different app stores have different requirements for apps submitted to them.