How To Build a Mobile Application: Did you know that mobile application sales were forecasted to reach a whopping $99 billion (6,619,973,121.75 INR) in 2019 and more than $120 billion by 2021 according to the experts at Juniper Research?
Is it any wonder why Building Mobile Applications are in huge demand right now?
So, to stay in constant demand and earn a handsome and hefty amount every month building a mobile application isn’t a bad option, right? Let’s dive into what it takes to successfully create a mobile application from scratch
FIRST, LET’S GET OUR BASICS RIGHT
Building a mobile app does require skills, patience, a lot of research and perseverance. But in this Article, all the queries regarding the creation of a mobile application will be cleared.
To begin its very important to jot down the important points as to why we want to build an app and who all it is going to target.
Let’s get down with the essential factors.
WHY DO WE WANT TO BUILD THIS PARTICULAR APP?
The main objective while Building a Mobile Application should be clear from the very beginning.
Whether it will focus on improving the experience of the customers or is it being made to result in additional sales.
Once the main objective behind creating an app is clear, we can focus more on the finer details of the application. For example, if the app is a schedule-organizing app, we have to ask ourselves how we can achieve this and what features do we need to include in the app.
DEFINING THE REACH AND SCOPE OF THE APPLICATION.
Now it’s the time to decide on how we can make this application functional and of great use to the targeted audience. To make this out, one can start giving answers to the basic questions like:
- Will it be combined with e-commerce?
- How will the targeted users link information with their social media?
- How can the users get their queries clarified (contact us feature, FAQ’S, chat directly with the helpline team and so on…)
- How will it be more productive to the users?
- How far will be the reach of the app? (Internationally recognized or locally oriented)
HOW TO BE BETTER THAN OUR COMPETITORS?
Whether the app is developed to be customer engagement oriented or to improve sales or business, it has to be better than the competitors’ apps to stand out in the market.
In order to build a successful mobile application, one has to Analyze the competition and see what can be done better in their app.
One has to think of additional features or functionalities they can include in their app to make it better than any other same type of app already existing.
CREATING WIREFRAMES AND USING CASES TO BUILD AN APP.
We now have to start creating a basic skeletal framework that depicts the flow among the various features and functionalities of the app.
Start by explaining each step and make out the user’s thought process in every task being performed on the app (understanding the use cases).
TESTING THE VARIOUS WIREFRAMES.
It is very essential to test the various wireframes to verify the flow among different features of the app, before the actual build starts.
Finding out whether there is any obstruction to the users’ experience. During the actual process of building the mobile application, companies engage software to help with the testing and understand the facilities the app will provide.
RETESTING THE APP ONCE AGAIN.
Depending on the feedback received from the initial testing, the wireframes should be updated to resolve unnecessary hurdles.
Further testing is recommended to make sure the flow is error-free and that the app is running smoothly. This retesting process should be done quite a few times to ensure the app is completely hassle-free to its users and ready to be developed.
DECIDING ON THE DEVELOPMENT ONE LAST TIME.
It is very crucial to lay out the path for application development.
Scalability should be incorporated at this stage so that it is easier to add additional features at a later stage, according to future demands.
This will prevent the developer from rebuilding the app from scratch again.
Two Major Decisions are needed to be taken at this step: –
- What language should be used for coding? (JAVA, Python, PHP, JavaScript, C++).
- Which mobile app development platform is to be used?
If the app is being built for a specific Operating System, the coding will vary as opposed to building an app that is compatible with various Operating Systems.
~In the case of Native apps, separate development paths are needed to make the app available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
~If a Hybrid Framework is used, the same coding can be used for different OS (Operating Systems).
The cost involved in developing an app also influences the development path. A reputable company will usually outline the pros and cons of each development path and help the developer in creating an app that will have a long-term impression.
BUILDING THE MOBILE APPLICATION.
In this stage the actual building of the mobile app takes place.
This is combined effort of the designers and the developers.
One has to choose a template that is best suited to enhance the display of the application.
In addition to this, Plugins need to be added to improve the features and functionality of the app and make it more user-friendly. And coming to most significant component in this stage, the design of the home screen, which will ensure that the app is easy to be navigated.
REAL-WORLD CHECKING OF THE APP.
Once the app has been successfully developed, it’s time to test it again to check how it performs in a real-world scenario.
It is very important to go through this process even if the app has been tested before, to ensure it is free from bugs and is running smoothly.
Presence of bugs can put off a pleasant user experience.
Each development company insists on carrying out at least ten rounds of testing.
These rounds of testing include both internal and external tests to ensure that the app is up to the expectations of the market.
~INTERNAL TESTS are carried out amongst the design and development teams. ~EXTERNAL TESTS are carried out among a sample set that is unbiased, and these help to mark out the user experience issues, if any.
LAUNCHING THE APP ON THE STORE
Once all the testing is done and all the bugs have been fixed, the mobile app is all set to be submitted to the chosen application stores like Google Play Store and Apple App Store, after the last round of real-world testing.
If the app is Android compatible it is going to be available on Google Play Store, and on Apple App Store if it is iOS compatible.
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So, continuing with our Article, one thing that has to be made sure before the app is submitted is that, all the required consent is in place, whether it is related to security agreements or GDPR regulations.
The launch of the app further requires publicity like Email Marketing and Social Media Marketing, to make the mass aware of the launch.
Promoting the app through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram is a great way to reach out to the targeted users.
IN ADDITION: –
Last, but not least, one has to decide regarding the architecture of the app.
An architecture that is best suited to the requirements and budget of the company.
Hybrid apps can run on both Android and iOS platforms, but their performance is not as trustworthy as Native apps.
An experienced application developer will help by advising one, on both the pros and cons, of different app architectures.
To summarize the entire Content, Mobile application development is one of the most trending and whoppingly increasing jobs out there.
One can grasp the skills required to become a professional app developer through various courses available on various platforms and get to know what it takes to be one by going through this article thoroughly.
Make sure to follow all the steps, one by one, as mentioned in the article, and reach out to the best company to develop an app that caters to its targeted users and gets huge amounts of downloads every single day.
Happy Learning!
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