The Comprehensive Guide to Mobile App Development for Businesses

The Comprehensive Guide to Mobile App Development for Businesses

Reading Time: 12 minutes

In this digital transformation era, mobile app development is massively growing, and many industries have started adopting it for scaling their businesses. Mobile apps powered by the latest technologies are the major reason today’s businesses expand their value proposition to meet user and industry standards in the competitive market. The more you focus and build the mobile app for your end-users will allow your business to benefit from an increase in tech ROI, expand in device type and improve changes in modalities.

Mobile application development has been trending in the tech-driven world for many years. It falls into a wide range of categories, from enterprise apps to healthcare apps with best-in-class features. More than 70% of users’ time is spent accessing digital apps on their smartphones globally. The exploding popularity of smartphones, wearables and tablets has made mobile apps gain more attention from startups, governments, SMEs, and enterprises. 

Mobile phones have become a basic need for everyone, from students to businesses. The major transformation in today’s mobile phone business is creating a huge demand for building mobile apps to serve customers better.

According to a study, the mobile app development market is expected to grow from a CAGR of 9.27% between 2022 to 2026 and a rising market volume of $614.40 billion by 2026

What is Mobile app development?

Mobile app development is all about developing softwares for smartphones and digital assistants, most commonly for Android and iOS. The software is preinstalled on the device, accessed through a mobile web browser or downloaded from a mobile app store. The programming and markup languages used for mobile application development include Java, Swift, C# and HTML5.

Mobile apps rapidly grow in retail, e-commerce, healthcare, telecommunications, insurance, government, and across industries to meet user expectations. It will also help users in real-time, convenient ways to perform transactions and access information. If your organization needs to stay current in the market trend, invest in Android and iOS app development that are on demand today based on customers, employees and partners.

What is the process of making mobile apps?

 

Mobile App Development Process (1)

The mobile app development process includes:

Strategy

The best strategies are knowing what and how to build mobile apps to solve a real-time problem. In this phase, organizations will establish the end goals of mobile apps, analyze the market and the competition, understand customers’ needs and success rate, and determine the quality of apps that will serve better. This strategy will help you to find which mobile app development platforms will work best with their business requirements and goals.   

Planning

In the planning phase, you will get to know the teams, tools, technologies and timelines for your mobile app development project. By now, you will get a rough idea of what type of mobile app is built and on which platform it is used. The product’s roadmap is highlighted for you to understand the project’s milestones, design and release date. Moreover, you can understand what resources, expertise and technologies are used in the iOS and Android app development

Design

The design phase gives you an idea of the mobile app’s appearance, features and function. Teams will concentrate on user experience in this phase to create user interfaces. Developers and engineers will help make prototyping or consulting on UX and UI decisions to keep the teams aware of the requirements and technical specifications of the mobile apps. This way, your enterprise can design apps better to attract customers.    

Development

The full software development life cycle is involved in this phase for creating and releasing the mobile app. You will know what teams have established in the technical architecture and technological stack, including front end, back end and APIs, to set development milestones and determine the app’s code and life cycle.

Testing

In the testing phase, your organization cannot confirm that the mobile app is secured, works the way the users need or expect it to function well. During this phase, teams create test cases to assess the application’s performance, stability, usability and security on all devices the app is intended to run on. This way, the mobile apps are tested properly. 

Release

The release is the final phase in the mobile application development process. After the deployment stage of the app, it provides support to customers and monitors and checks the maintenance of the app to know its performance. Once everything is checked and meets the business requirements, you’re ready to release the app.

What are the types of mobile apps?

Android Apps

The applications are supported by Android OS which is open-source which is specially designed for Android devices. The market for Android apps is huge and it will benefit your business from a wider pool of customers, greater innovative potential, easier installation, easier entry to the market, lower development cost, and compatibility with more devices. 

iOS Apps

iOS application development is the process of making mobile apps for Apple devices. The iOS apps have a great market, allowing you to gain better functionality, and standardization and maintain consistency. iOS apps are supported with native APIs and libraries as Kits that are easy to use, stable, and feature-rich.

types of mobile apps

Hybrid Apps

Hybrid apps are a combination of web apps and native apps that provide you with more access to the features, and hardware of the devices, and run on more types of devices with a single codebase. Hybrid apps have great demand in the mobile app development market for their performance and efficiency. 

Why do Businesses need Mobile Apps?

Mobile apps are a great way to make your business more accessible and engage with customers. They allow you to communicate with them in a way that is convenient, timely, and personal. They are also a cost-effective way to reach a larger audience and promote your products or services. And because they run on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, they’re within the arm’s reach of potential customers who may be interested in what you have to offer.

The need for mobile app development is in high demand since it can be used to improve internal efficiency by allowing you to manage tasks from anywhere at any time, something that isn’t possible with traditional methods like email communications or phone calls. Customer-facing apps on the other hand, can boost your business growth by increasing sales and customer engagement and allow you to connect with customers in new ways.

In addition to increasing your customer base, the importance of mobile apps lies in the ability to build personalized relationships with customers by providing them with customized information about your business or products and also data analytics can help you in enhancing your app development.

Here are a few further reasons for you to think about using mobile apps for your business.

Why do Businesses need Mobile Apps

Stay visible

Many users spend the maximum time on smartphones today, accessing a few apps based on their needs. In this way, the users might have gone through your mobile app on a day when the text or images seen by them would have unconsciously been recorded in their brain. This is advantageous for your business since they will remember your brand name and will use your app based on their interest. This will increase the visibility of your brand among your customers.

Build a Marketing Channel

Mobile apps are the future of online marketing. The days of having a website and hoping that people will find you are long gone. You need to get your app in front of as many people as possible so that they can discover it and download it onto their devices. It’s high time that you know the importance of mobile apps for business and then build a marketing channel to witness your customers starting to make downloads today. You can also send push notifications to your customers and have direct interactions with them about your products and services to build a good relationship.

Add value to your customers

Mobile apps are the perfect solution for your business to add value to your customers. It’s one of the best strategies for you to ensure that your customers have easy access to the information they need. They can also be used as a marketing tool, allowing you to provide offers and discounts that don’t cost you much in terms of money but can help drive more sales.

Boost customer engagement

Mobile apps are the future for various industries, ranging from retail to e-commerce, etc. today. It acts as the best strategy for you to engage with customers on your own terms and in ways end-consumers find most convenient. Many companies are now looking for ways to improve their customer engagement, which is why many of them are turning to mobile apps for help. Also, you can improve customer engagement with mobile apps by offering loyalty programs and discounts, promoting your brand through an app, and receiving customer feedback directly from your app.

Enhance brand awareness

Mobile apps have great potential to help you reach out to customers in new ways, increase brand awareness, and engage with them in a more personal way. Also, it allows you to directly engage with your customers and provide them with information about what you do and how they can benefit from this app. With mobile apps, you can gain the loyalty of new and existing customers for your business.

Encourage customer loyalty

Customer loyalty can be increased by using mobile apps. It can help you provide better service, deliver rewards and incentives, and make more sales. For instance, you can improve customer loyalty by offering customers discounts on future purchases if they download an app that shows them coupons for their favourite products.

What are the top mistakes to avoid while developing apps?

Here are the 8 common mistakes in mobile app development to look out for while you build an app:

  • It is important to have proper communication with your team working on the mobile app development project to have a clear vision of how to get the desired results.
  • Always do your research and understand your customer’s needs to offer better features when you design and develop the mobile app.
  • Plan your budget and have a good set of resources like tools and technologies to build your mobile app development project efficiently. Also, be prepared to handle some unplanned expenses based on the complexity of your project and the features to be included.
  • Focus on providing the best UI/UX design for your customers to improve the app’s interface.
  • Ensure to conduct a proper testing process to fix the mobile app development problems before you plan to launch the product.
  • Put an end to adding unnecessary features and functions to your mobile app. Instead, keep it simple for customers to have a better experience.
  • Make sure you don’t rely on the count of app downloads and come to the conclusion that it is a success; rather try to improve customer retention by offering loyalty programs, push notifications, discounts and offers, etc.
  • You should never disregard user feedback because it is essential to the development of successful mobile applications.

Factors to consider before hiring an app development company

Hiring a mobile app development company is a challenging task for every business today. There are many companies out there, but to find one which is right for your business, you need to assess their reputation and expertise. It’s also important to look at the types of apps they offer and how much experience they have with customizing those apps for various devices. If you’re looking for a mobile app development company that offers a wide range of apps and services, then you might have to consider a few factors.

Mobile apps offer a great future for small-to-large scale businesses today in the market. As a result of this, it has become increasingly popular over time. For different industries, there are many types of mobile apps based on various purposes. Some are designed to help users with their daily tasks, while others are designed to provide them with entertainment. There are even apps that are designed to help people make money by selling products or services directly through their phones.

In this digital transformation era, every company needs a mobile app to connect with their clients wherever they are. So, the size of your company doesn’t matter. This is one of the best chances to interact with your customers in a practical and user-friendly way in the modern world. You can hire a mobile app development company since you won’t regret this decision later. Mobile app development companies are in high demand, and with good reason. They offer a wide range of services, from customizing your existing app to creating an entirely new one from scratch.

What are the factors to consider before choosing a mobile app development company?

Make sure you pick the right mobile app development company that is capable and eager to provide a high-quality app based on your requirements. Additionally, you should check out what latest tools and technologies they offer and how adept they are in handling such technologies to build your mobile app development project. Also, check whether they can meet your project’s deadline and keep you updated on each and every step along the way.

Factors to consider while hiring an App development company

Developing on-demand mobile apps

One of the crucial things to consider before hiring mobile app developers is their experience with developing on-demand mobile apps. Now you have to decide what kind of business you want to run, who your target audience is, and what features need to be included in your mobile app project. So, it’s better for you to do some quick market research and understand your customer’s requirements. Ensure they are aware of current market trends and develop on-demand mobile apps for them because it is essential to your business’s success and the length of time users spend on your mobile app.

Focus on the UI/UX design process

Mobile applications’ effective UI/UX designs have a significant impact on users’ perceptions. As a result, it is better that you plan well for your mobile app design process by hiring top mobile app developers in order to make it interactive and engaging for users, and to have a seamless user experience.

Check the company’s portfolio

Portfolios provide evidence that the company has worked on several mobile app projects. So it’s important for you to check their website, analyze and maintain some mobile app development checklist before making a decision. Also, the portfolio area enables you to determine if they have experience in the industry you are searching for, and client reviews will increase your faith in the mobile app development service they offer. You can find out from the development team what methods and approaches they use to tackle different tasks while working on various mobile app projects.

Prioritize maintenance and testing of the app

You should prioritize checking the maintenance and testing process of the app with the mobile app development company to avoid errors or faults in the project. Also, confirm with the company whether they offer support on maintenance of the project after the launch. All of this, as well as other services provided by the development company, must be reviewed for better results on your desired mobile app project. 

Maintaining the confidentiality of your project

Many businesses have had their worst nightmare come true when their mobile app ideas were leaked or stolen, so having a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) deal with the mobile app development company is critical to maintaining confidentiality over your mobile app idea. In this way, you can secure the ownership of the app by safeguarding your project idea, design, and source code.

Discuss the budget of your mobile app

Your ability to negotiate will determine the budget for your mobile app project. You must set aside and decide on a budget before you start looking for an app development company. By taking this step, you’ll be able to suit the budget you’ve set for your project.

In the past, companies have relied on in-house developers to build their mobile apps. However, this is no longer the case, as a growing number of businesses are turning to mobile app development companies to help them get up and running with their applications.

Final Thoughts

Mobile apps are creating a great future for startups and enterprises to accelerate their business growth in the global market. Android and iOS apps are in demand for their efficiency in improving users’ lives with just a few taps and swipes from their smartphones. Enterprises can connect with the leading mobile app development company to avail cost-effective mobile app solutions to make their business stay ahead in the competitive edge.

FAQs on Mobile Application Development

Developing a mobile app for your business can help to increase customer engagement and loyalty, boost brand visibility, generate more leads, and provide insights into customer behavior. Additionally, mobile apps allow businesses to provide a better customer experience, as customers can access their account, check out products, and make purchases quickly and conveniently.

Mobile apps can be categorized into native apps, hybrid apps, web apps, and progressive web apps. Native apps are installed directly onto a user’s device, hybrid apps are a combination of web and native technology, web apps are accessed through a browser, and progressive web apps are web apps with added features that allow users to use them like a native app.
The mobile app development process typically consists of four stages – planning, designing, development, and testing. During the planning phase, you will define the goals and objectives of the app, create a timeline, and develop a budget. During the design phase, you will create a user experience and user interface for the app. In the development
The cost of developing a mobile app depends on the complexity of the project and the app development team you hire. Generally, the cost can range anywhere between $10,000 and $100,000.
The technologies used in mobile app development depend on the type of mobile app you are building. For native apps, the most popular programming languages are Java and Swift. For hybrid apps, the most popular technologies are HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript. For web apps, the most popular technologies are HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript.
Promoting a mobile app can be done through a variety of channels, including social media, paid advertising, search engine optimization (SEO), and influencer marketing. Additionally, it is important to create engaging content and use analytics to track user engagement, conversion rates, and other key metrics.

 

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Written by

Madhu Kesavan is the Founder & CEO of Way2Smile Solutions, a globally recognized digital transformation company empowering enterprises and governments in their digital journey. With 20+ years in the IT market, he makes his vision for a sustainable future come true by leveraging technology.