Smartphones have changed the way we live. In today’s life, almost everyone has a mobile phone. It is an ever-growing and ever-expanding market. While it has such a great impact on individuals, it has also impacted the businesses to a great extent. As a result, more and more businesses are moving towards mobile application development to streamline the workflow processes, make communications easier and get access to real-time data from anywhere at any time.
But not every app developed enjoys the same level of success. There are many factors that define the success of any mobile application. In this article, we will discuss certain basic do’s and dont’s that one needs to consider while developing a mobile application.
Do’s
Plan your app properly
It is very necessary that you plan your app properly. Don’t just create an app for the sake of creating it. Define a proper process to develop it and determine what needs to be done, by when and how. Based on this, allocate enough time and cost budget limits for the major stages of your app development cycle. Also, see that you set enough of them after the app has been developed.
Consider the target audience
Once you are ready with your mobile app idea, the next thing you need to do is find out the target audience of your mobile app. The target audience is the range of people who are going to use your application. Designing and developing the application based on their point of view will gain your app many potential users.
Research your competitors
As we all know, mobile application development is a booming field today. There are thousands of apps for every single purpose. And so it is likely that there will be millions of apps developed like your app idea. In order to make your app stand out in the overcrowded app stores, it is necessary to deliver something unique to your users. For that, you need to research your competitors. Check the apps similar to your app idea and think how your app can be different from theirs.
Good UI/UX
It is said that “The first impression is the last impression”. For mobile app users, user interface and user experience is the first impression. No matter how unique your application is, no one will use it if it does not have good UI and UX. Try to keep your app as simple as possible. Design it in such a way that the users can easily use it and can get the required information really fast.
Device independent
A wide range of devices varying in sizes and shapes are now available in the market. So you need to design and develop the app in such a way that it works perfectly on all the devices whether it is a mobile phone or a tablet. Also, see that all the functions should work flawlessly while keeping the look and feel of the app same irrespective of the device used.
Dont’s
Don’t forget marketing
As per a research, it is found that up to 90% of the app developers don’t market their apps enough. This means that most of the app developers don’t get the desired revenue generated from their mobile app business.
Getting an app noticed by your potential users is paramount to success. And what other than marketing can be a great way to do this. By marketing your app you make your target audience aware about the unique and exciting features of your mobile application. This can also be helpful in driving more downloads.
It is advisable that you keep a decent chunk of the monetary budget and time budget aside for marketing and promoting your app in the initial phase of planning your app itself. It might feel unnecessary initially but it will pay off in the longer run.
Developing for all the platforms at once
If you are a big company or a big organization, you can think of developing an app for all the major app stores at once – Google Play Store, Apple App Store, and Windows App Store. However, if you are a small or mid-sized company then it is advisable that you go one after other. Don’t develop the application for all the platforms at once as it will turn out to be a costly affair because you just don’t have to consider the cost of mobile app development but also the cost of marketing and promoting your app. So, select the most appropriate platform and get started with it.
Don’t mix web and mobile app
Don’t try to reduce the cost of mobile app development by taking reference from the websites or the mobile web. It is seen that many app developers and app development companies use the existing web pages for developing a mobile application. However, this is not feasible. One needs to understand that shifting from a browser screen to a mobile screen changes a lot of things – from screen size to user experience. So, never mix web and mobile app. Although the functionalities of both remain same you need to make changes in terms of user interface and user experience.
Don’t stuff too many features and functionalities into a single app
In an attempt of making your app functionally-rich, don’t stuff your app with too many features. It will make it clumsy and complex. Moreover, having too many features in a single app will increase the size of your app and will also slow down its loading time. In addition to this, for adding more features and functionalities you will also need more resources in terms of development, time and investment. Having considered all this, it is advisable that only the features that are really important and relevant should be added.
Don’t copy from other apps
We know that having a 100% unique application is not possible. There will be many features in your app that will be similar to the other apps. Only some features and functionality will be unique. But this does not mean that you copy it from similar apps. You can always take reference from the other apps but don’t copy directly.
