10 Steps You Must Take Before Starting Mobile App Development

Mobile app development is getting popular with each passing day. One of the factors that have worked for such a boost in the number of mobile apps is the increased accessibility of smartphones. And the fuel to the fire was the inception of the coronavirus pandemic. People across the world are coming up with different solutions to help people meet their daily requirements in the comfort of their homes. Today iOS and Android mobile apps are not just about comfort but also about safety from the virus.

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While everyone is coming up with different kinds of solutions, are all able to make a difference? Not really. Only the ones that are able to change people’s lives, add value to their day-to-day routine, or are able to engage them are succeeding. With the above factors, innovation is inevitable. Maybe you got your idea in the middle of the night and you want to execute it there and then, but taking a step-by-step process is always recommended. You can take help from professionals from a mobile app development company.

8 Steps Towards Mobile App Development

Making the app development process right will help you reach your goals faster. It will prove to be an investment that you will never regret. Here is the ultimate checklist for your app development process:

1. Get an Idea or a Problem and Identify the Need:

Your idea is the starting point of any project and so is for mobile app development. You must have a defined goal for the application before you move to the app development process and detailing. Ask yourself questions like, what is the mission of your mobile app? What do you visualize, your customers must like? What is the exact problem you wish to solve in people’s lives? You can also look out for what people are searching for with the help of different tools. Or you can take professional help from an IT outsourcing company in India.

2. Conduct market research

Market research before mobile app development is always the best way to receive a better app. Knowing how to research is more critical than what to research. The primary aim of market research is to determine eccentric ways to position your brand in the market. To research better, answer questions like:

-> What will your USP be?

-> Do people actually need your product?

-> What will be the aspects of your business model?

-> What is the strength of your product?

-> Which companies will you have to compete with?

-> What strategy are other people using to grow?

At first, you may think your idea is great, but it is not always the case. There are millions of apps available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, building something new is nearly impossible. But that does not mean you cannot lead with existing ideas. Here is a list of 20 Android App Development Trends to Watch Out in 2021.

3. Understand your users

If you do not want to fire a shot in the dark, you must research the target audience you wish to reach. Clearly define the purpose of your app and what kind of people will download it. Having ideas and understanding why users will download your mobile app is prime. Ask yourself questions like:

-> What functionalities do you want in your app?

-> Why would people choose your app over all other available ones.?

-> Why do you want this app? What is your business goal behind app development?

-> How will the people benefit from the iOS and Android applications you created?

-> Is there any functionality people are looking forward to viewing in future apps?

Answering all these questions with honesty will make your app development right. If you have an existing offline business, ask your customers questions or ask them to fill a quick survey for you. Inputs from the actual customers are the best way to integrate the right technology into your mobile application. Your app development objectives must be in line with the user requirements.

4. Choose between native, hybrid, and web app

This is one of the crucial decisions to make. These three types of mobile apps, native, hybrid, or web apps, have their own pros and cons. To get a comprehensive difference between all these types of apps, you can read our blog on different types of mobile apps for your business app development. Or you may keep reading for basic features:

=> Native Mobile App: Native apps, as the name suggests, are native to one operating system. You can reach out to an Android mobile app development company or an iOS mobile app development company to get native mobile app development done. The technology stack to be used depends upon the chosen operating system.

=> Hybrid Mobile App: Hybrid apps use software development kits (SDK) that allows app developers to use the same codebase for different apps, iOS, Android, and web. These apps can be quickly built with the help of a hybrid mobile app development company. These apps cost less and reach a greater number of people making them the best choice for small and medium scale enterprises. Although the ultimate choice depends upon business requirements and your choice; you can read why you should choose hybrid mobile apps: overview, native versus hybrid, advantages, and more for better analysis.

=> Web Apps: These apps behave similar to native apps but are accessible with a web browser. These are responsive websites that adapt the user interface according to the device the user is working on. You can hire a web app development company for these kinds of mobile applications. Or you can choose progressive web apps for better user interaction. Read our blog on Web-Based Applications – What are the benefits of Web-Based Applications? For better understanding.

Once you have decided what type of mobile app you would like to have for your business idea, the next steps will become easy to decipher. You can allocate resources and plan accordingly.

5. Create a Wireframe, Storyboard, and Backend of Your App

This phase of your mobile app development will help you clearly see the mobile app as it is. Choosing among some of the best app development companies will provide you with the advantage of approving your application design. A good mobile app development company will always seek your approval to go on with the suggested app design. Here, you can make some changes to align it with your business needs. You can read more about the Mobile UI/UX: Important Things To Know with our blog.

Your app development company will also help you sketch your servers, APIs, and data diagrams. If you do not know these terms, do not worry, most mobile app development firms do not require your technological expertise.

Must Read: 110 Mobile App Ideas That People Are Looking for in 2021

6. Know your monetization options

There are many ways to monetize your mobile application. Learn How do Free Apps Make Money, with our ultimate guide. Businesses aim at generating revenue directly from the mobile application. There are many ways to generate money including subscriptions, in-app purchases, and in-app ads. Here is a brief guide to all the available options:

=> Freemium: These apps are free to download and free to be used for some basic features. If people wish to get advanced functionality they need to pay for it. They can purchase the premium version if they wish.

=> Paid (premium) apps: People need to pay money to download these kinds of mobile apps. The marketing strategy for these kinds of mobile apps is very different.

=> In-app purchases: These apps sell products, digital or physical, to make money. Mobile Commerce allows businesses to earn money with the help of these kinds of mobile applications.

=> Subscriptions: Just like OTT apps(Netflix, prime video), subscriptions work on a monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis. People pay to watch the content they wish to avail of on the iOS and Android mobile applications.

=> In-app ads: Since no customer cost is associated with this model, this is one of the simplest models to use. Remember, while using this, do not sacrifice the user experience by adding not required ads.

=> Sponsorships: When you achieve a strong user base. This model can be integrated with your mobile application. You can partner with brands and advertisers to earn money on your mobile application.

Each of these models has its pros and cons which can be understood with the help of the above-linked blog.

7. Build a Marketing Strategy and Pre-launch Buzz

One of the best ways to attract a loyal group of users to your Android and iOS mobile application is to start marketing your app early. Creating a buzz and making people excited about your app will be the primary aim of this stage. The moment you begin working on the app development you must start marketing your app as well. From earlier steps, you know your target audience and hence this step will become a little easier than anticipated.

There are many ways to market an app some of the ways include:

=> Email Marketing: You can capture the email address of people and build a list of potential users’ email addresses. A broader range of people finds emails appealing. There are many ways of capturing an email address like Twitter cards, landing pages, and comparable tools.

=> Start Blogging: You can start blogging and inform people of the development stage of your Android and iPhone mobile app. Choosing the best mobile app development companies will benefit you from receiving weekly updates from the app developers. Many options for starting a blog include WordPress, Tumblr, and Squarespace.

=> Sneak Peek and Teasers: Appealing people visually is one of the best ways to attract audiences. You can post the screenshots of your app in the email and even in the blog posts.

These are some of the ways to kickstart your marketing strategy. Top 10 Marketing Strategy Examples That Led the Brands to Popularity can help you learn better about marketing strategies.

8. Plan for app store optimization

There are millions of iOS and Android applications in the market. And getting your app discovered is the focus of App Store Optimisation (ASO). Ranking higher in the app store search results is aimed at the process of app store optimization. Higher the rank more visibility to the users.

Factors That Contribute To App Store Optimisation:

=> App name and title: Use the heaviest searched keyword in the title. Changing your app title too often causes harm; therefore, research well before you choose the name of the app.

=> Keywords: Know what your target audience is searching, which keywords they are making use of. You must optimize your keywords regularly.

=> Description: Although the algorithm of the app store ignores description. But describing your app well will always benefit you in attracting loyal users.

=> Subtitle: Limited to 30 characters it must use a keyword and must be compelling to the users. Some people use their main keyword in the subtitles.

=> The total number of downloads: Both the App and Google Play stores make this a criterion to rank your mobile app based on the number of downloads.

=> Ratings and reviews: Another aspect app stores look into is its ratings. Usually, the mobile applications that have higher ratings are shown above the ones not so good rated.

App Store Optimisation can do wonders in making more downloads of your applications. We have blogs on top app store optimization tools and app store optimization: 6 mistakes to avoid by developers while optimizing the app in the app store for you to understand better.

9. Know your resources

Resource allocation is arts and science combined together. You would be expected to analyze and make creative decisions to make sure you use the best of available resources. Some of the challenges you may face include client changes, availability of resources, project dependencies, project uncertainties, and different organizational priorities.

=> Knowledge Of Project And The Team: Having detailed information about your project is required. This will allow you to hire mobile app developers that fit your requirements.

=> Early Risk Detection: Challenges and risks related to app development are measured here. Having detected the risk at an early stage will help you overcome it with ease.

=> Track The Project Continuously: The best iOS mobile app developers and Android app developers will keep you updated on the app progress. This will allow in making real-time changes and aligning the app to your needs.

Preventing emergencies and making the overall process right is the aim of this step.

10. Take Care of Security

Common security issues faced by an iOS and Android mobile application include:

=> Storing an unintentional spread of sensitive user data so that it is available for other applications to be read.

=> Poor authentication methods can be easily bypassed by malicious applications or users.

=> Using encryption methods for the data in a format that can be easily broken.

=> Non-encrypted data transmission over the internet.

The mobile application can be tested by the expert mobile app developers for any security breaches that are in the mobile application uninformed. In the testing process ask your app developer to include:

=> Application interaction to learn how the Android and iPhone mobile application is storing, receiving, and transmitting the data.

=> Application decompilation and result code analysis.

=> Finding pinpoints security weaknesses using static analysis in the decompiled code.

Always choose a trusted iOS and Android mobile app development company to make sure that your app has no shortcomings. Read 10 Best Practices Adopted by Developers for Android App Security to know more about securing your mobile application.

Wrapping Up

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Mobile app development can sound to be a daunting task to many even if you know it is a process worth investing in. Make sure you follow all the steps to make your application right. Choose from the best mobile app development companies. Right iOS and Android app developers will always keep you updated with the project details. Choosing the right people will help you automatically follow all the steps above without extra effort.

Read Next: Top 8 Ways to Speed Up the Development Process of Your Mobile App