Understanding the mobile app development process
In an increasingly connected world, mobile applications have become essential for any company engaging in digital transformation. If you’ve never launched an app before, it can seem like a very difficult task. But don’t worry, this article will help you out! We at iTrobes have put together a guide that will take you through the mobile app development steps you should follow. Regardless of whether you are looking to build a customer-focused app or one that is enterprise-focused, having a mobile app development process in place will make your job much easier.
The mobile app development process can be broken down into 7 steps
Strategy
To figure out how your application will work best, you need to put in a lot of background work, while also thinking about the future of your app and business. Here are four things you need to do to build a successful strategy.
Identify your goals
You might already have ideas for the direction of your app, but you must have tangible, measurable goals that you will be able to measure your progress against in the future. Here are a couple of questions you can use as a starting point:
- Who will be the primary users of my application?
- What solutions will my application provide?
Research your competitors
Once your objectives are ready, it is time to start researching the competition. Look for applications that serve the same purpose as yours and look at how they are performing. By doing this you can take note of others’ mistakes and avoid making them yourself. You will also get some ideas about how to differentiate yourself from your competitors.
Select your platform(s)
It is essential to do this before you move to the next stage because the platform (or platforms) you choose will affect your cost and development process. You have to choose between an Android app, iOS app, or cross-platform one.
Decide how you will monetize your app
This part of the mobile app development process is irrelevant if you create an enterprise application. However, if you are designing a customer-facing one, here are some monetization options:
- A paid app
- Subscriptions
- In-app purchases
- In-app advertising
Analysis & planning
Now that you know the general direction of where your app is headed, it is time for you to identify the practical details that you will need. It is crucial that you have a clear picture of what features you want to include in your app. This will make it easier for you at the development stage. You should also build a product roadmap, detailing how you will reach the goals you set in the previous step.
UI/UX design
Design is one of the most critical parts of the mobile app development process. If you want your users to have the best possible experience, you have to ensure that your app’s design is intuitive, user-friendly, and engaging. Some things you need to think about while designing the interface of your app are fonts, colors, buttons, spacing, and positioning. When it comes to designing how your app will function, you have to create wireframes, mockups, and prototypes. Through this, you can simulate the entire workflow of your application and fix anything that might be troublesome for users.
Development
As you might imagine, this is the central stage of any mobile app development process. There are two main stages to the development component: the backend and the front end. In the backend stage, your developers will have to choose the most appropriate programming languages and begin to code your app. They will also have to create databases and objects that will be responsible for the performance of your app. At this stage, you need to think about scalability as well – make sure that you work with experienced developers so that they can build you a system that you can scale up as your user base expands. In the front-end stage, you have to figure out how you want your app to run on different platforms. The three main approaches that you can choose from are:
Platform-specific
This involves creating an exclusive app for each platform. While this will drive up your mobile app development cost, it will allow you to fully optimize the code for each platform, making your app faster and more responsive.
Cross-platform
In this case, you can make your app compatible with different operating systems. This method is cheaper because it allows you to reuse your code.
Hybrid
This approach is appropriate if you want your app to run on multiple platforms but do not have the time to build a cross-platform app. It is quicker to build in this way because you can use standard web technologies to write your code.
Testing
Once you have built your app, you have to run a series of tests to guarantee that your product is secure and bug-free. To do this, you can employ quality assurance specialists who can test your app’s functionality, performance, security, and usability. You also want to ensure that the final user experience is harmonious with what you had envisioned at the start of your project. It is also a good idea to get actual users to test your product before you deploy it.
Deployment
Now your app is ready to go! At this stage, you have to submit your work to the relevant app store (Apple App Store, Google Play, or both). They will review your app to make sure that it follows its guidelines. If your submission is rejected you will receive a notification along with a reason, after which you can correct the issues and resubmit your app.
Support & maintenance
Your app is up and running, but your work does not stop there. This last step in the process of mobile app development is something that will never really end. You have to regularly update your app to ensure that you keep up with all the latest operating system changes and performance standards. You also need to keep track of bugs, crashes, and customer requests. As time goes on, your app will keep getting polished.
Need help with your mobile app development process?
iTrobes is a mobile app development company that employs highly skilled and experienced professionals to offer you end-to-end iOS and Android development. Contact us today to start building your app!
