[vc_row][vc_column][blog_single_full_content]The first question here is for you.
Why do you want to develop a mobile app?
Do you have an idea that is unique?
Have you found any solution to an existing problem?
You cannot wake up some random day and decide I want to develop an app. You need to have something that others don’t offer or you want to offer it with a twist. Mobile app development is a lengthy and expensive project. You have to make sure; you are investing your time, efforts, and money into something that can offer you adequate returns.
Of course, mobile app developers can create a roadmap for you describing a step-wise process on how to make an app in 2020. But, the idea has to be yours. The demand for apps has been high than ever. People prefer to order things instead of going to the stores and buying them locally. You can take benefit of this opportunity and launch your application to fill up pockets with astonishing profits.
Before you dive in deep and make any decision, it’s important to know every aspect of this field. Here let us list down the entire process of developing an app.
1. Ideation
The first step in developing any mobile application is getting a unique idea for the app. Then check the practicality of the idea. If the idea is practical and is possible to turn it into a profit-making app, the process will go on the next level.
You will get a better understanding and execution possibilities when you discuss it with the development experts.
Whether the app resolves any existing issue or not?
Does it help in improving work productivity?
If you get yes to any of these questions, you have a green signal to proceed with your idea.
2. Research
Once you are sure that your app development idea, the time for research starts. An idea needs deep research before it goes into execution.
No company can do that research for you. They can definitely suggest things but the ultimate decision lies with you.
Here’s what you need to research:
Who is the target audience for the app?
Every app has a certain target audience for their app.
If it’s a gaming app, the target audience will be between the age group of 13 to 25 years. If it’s an app for home cleaning services, the target audience will mostly of female gender or hostelites.
You check your app and decide which type of audience suits your app best.
What is the targeted platform for the app?
Whether you want to develop your app for Android or iOS is one of the important things to decide. Based on the location and target audience, choose the type of platform. Check the demand for your chosen app category on both platforms and then make the decision.
What is the revenue model for the app?
The main agenda of the app is to make money. So, before you spend money create a plan on how you are going to get that money back from your app and in how much time. Create a revenue model and also a back plan if that model doesn’t work.
What is the best time to launch the app?
Time for the app launch is also an important factor to consider. If you are developing a gift delivery mobile application, launching it around the festival would seem a good time. So, depending on the app idea, choose the proper time for the app launch. It would benefit you in the long run.
Whom do you want to hire for the application development?
This is also an important decision to make impacting your mobile app. You can either hire a freelance developer or a mobile app development company.
If you are working in a shoestring budget, a freelance developer would seem a good fit. If you are looking to give your app a professional touch and want every process in-house with an experienced lead handling it, a company is where your search ends.
Make your choice wisely.
Get these answers clear and then move on to the next step of the process.
3. Mobile App Design
There are various phases in designing as well. Professional mobile app developers will follow the hierarchy for the designing process for ultimate client satisfaction.
Let’s note every process a designer follows:
Designing Questionnaire
The first step of the designing process is to get some answers from the client. The expectation and choice of the client and designing team are different. Hence, every professional team creates a questionnaire asking like colors, choice of flow, any reference app, any specific requirement or things to avoid, and such basic questions.
Wireframe
The second step of designing an app is to create a wireframe. It is like a skeleton of the app. A wireframe shows the flow of the mobile application. The client knows the entire navigation and can suggest any changes needed at the beginning stage of the app. This saves the designer from too many changes. It saves the development time and effort with a wireframe.
Prototype
A prototype is the clickable version of the wireframe. This step is to know the user interface of the app. This is to know that the user interacts nicely with the app. A prototype after the wireframe is a great way to get the client’s approval before it passes on to the actual designing phase.
A limited set of audiences can access the prototype and share their feedback for any improvements. The designing team can redesign the app with the required changes before the final UX.
Final UI/UX
The final prototype is then taken to the implementation phase. The mobile app designers make it ready to pass it on to the development team. Every minute detail counts while building the final design. User interface and user experience both goes to the client for approval before it goes to the developers.
4. Mobile App Development
When an app goes into development, various developers work on the project based on the choice of platform picked by the clients. There is always a PHP developer for the backend, an HTML developer for the front end, an Android developer, and an iPhone developer.
If you want to develop the app in only one platform, then hire the developer of that platform. The choice of platform defines the developer to assign.
The professional developers will iterate the design into a working app. They make the design functional.
5. Mobile Application Testing
It’s very imperative to test the app from every aspect before it goes live into the app stores. Even the best of the developers do something wrong which is not meant for the users to see or experience.
This is what makes testing a very important part of the application development process. There are several types of testing to do on the app before it goes live.
Here let’s note them down:
Compatibility Testing
Compatibility testing includes checking whether the app works well with the different operating systems. It also tests whether the app works on various hardware, devices with different types, and size.
Compatibility testing also includes checking whether the functionality of the app runs well with different memory size, processor speed, and such other factors. The main purpose of this type of testing is to make sure that the developed app is working well in every environment asked by the client.
Installation Testing
There are different types of mobile devices along with different types of apps. Basically, there are native, cross-platform, and web apps and all of them must support targeted devices.
Installation testing is undertaken at the beginning phase of the app’s life. It checks whether the app installs properly and whether it is easy to uninstall it or not. Check whether the app installs in the phone memory or in the SD card.
Also, check whether the app occupies the space as specified or whether it needs more space then decided. Also, check whether it is easy to install the update and the device needs how much space to install the update.
Interruption Testing
Interruption testing is a type of testing used to replicate the interruption to the app. Installation testing knows how the app works under different circumstances before it turns back to its original phase. There are different ways to do that.
Here are some of the common interrupts:
- Device shut down
- OS upgrade
- Loss of network and restoration
- Plugged in or out of the charge
- A call when the app is running in the background
Interruption testing checks whether the app runs well during these scenarios or not.
Localization Testing
In this testing, the mobile app tester checks whether the app adapts to the local settings, making changes in the app based on the target country, their local language, and their linguistic approach. There are several types of localization testing like linguistic testing, cosmetic testing, cultural testing, and functional testing.
Performance Testing
Performance testing tells if it works properly under different load circumstances. If there is any glitch in the performance, this phase of the testing will bring it out. The testers can prepare a list of performance issues in the app and hand it to developers to solve it.
Network Testing
This testing shows the functioning of the app under different network situations. It is very normal to have network fluctuation in different devices. The app should run under various network conditions and function smoothly under every circumstance.
Usability Testing
This testing checks whether the app is user-friendly or not. It checks the navigation, flexible app controls, user experience, and app flow.
6. Mobile App Launch
After the development gets completed, it might feel like a conquered war. Well, that’s not the truth. The app launch is also a very critical step in the mobile application development process. You need to create an account in the Google Play Store and Apple Store.
There are several guidelines laid by both the stores. These guidelines have to be taken into consideration while developing the app. There is also a yearly membership fee paid by the developers before uploading the app. There are chances of the app getting rejected by the stores.
In such circumstance, it is the responsibility of the mobile application development agency to make the suggested changes and submit again until it gets live on the stores.
7. Mobile App Marketing
Marketing goes before and after the app launch. There should be a buzz about the upcoming app and a set of audiences waiting for the app to get live.
There are various ways to market your app:
- Post on different social media channels.
- Write blogs about the app publish it on popular blogging platforms.
- Launch a website to promote the app.
8. Post Launch Maintenance
There are chances that the app might have minor glitch or bug or some performance issue in the app even after it goes live. It might be possible that the client wants any changes in the app. This is why it’s important to hire a mobile app development agency which provides post-launch maintenance services.
9. Roll Out Updates
After the app goes live and if it is successful, it is time to roll a new update with intuitive features. It is important to keep the users engaged with nuances.
If you have launched an MVP app at first, you will have plenty of features left to roll out in an update. Decide which feature is important enough to roll in the first update and which features to keep for the updates later.
How Much Time is Needed to Develop an App?
Without a specific requirement, there is no definite development time. The time differs based on the type of clients and their varied requirements. If the features are complex, it will take more time for development.
If the features are simple and easy, the development time is cut short. Not just the type, the number of features also affect the development time of the app. Also, a client with a fixed requirement gets faster deployment. On the contrary, a client with a fluctuating app requirement will need more time.
On average it takes 3 to 4 months to develop an app. It varies based on the category of the app, features of the app, cost model of the app, and various other factors.
| Resources | Time Needed |
|---|---|
| Designing | 20 days |
| Android development | 30 days |
| iOS development | 30 days |
| Backend development | 30 days |
| Testing | 10 days |
Cost to Develop a Mobile Application
There are numerous factors that affect the cost of developing a mobile application. Without deciding these factors, it’s difficult to give a specific amount.
You need a brief consultation with mobile app development experts, discuss your idea with them, explain to them what exactly you need, and then they can give you a ballpark estimation for the application development.
Number and Types of Features
How many and what type of features you want in your app is a major factor affecting the cost of the application. A higher number of features definitely invites more cost and vice versa.
Also, if you are looking to integrate complex features like online payment which needs extra care for security and privacy, the cost will surge. If you want simple features that take less time to integrate, the cost will be very low.
Experience of the Company
If you hire a company with good experience in the number of years and also in the number of apps, they will charge higher for their expertise and goodwill. If you hire a startup company or a freelancer, they will charge lesser than the experienced one. So, it is another significant factor affecting heavily the cost.
Maintenance and Updates
Well, if you hire a company that bids farewell the moment app goes live in the App Store, they will charge accordingly. But, if you are looking for a development partner that stays post-launch to make changes, look after user reviews and take them into consideration, fix bugs, and stays with you till for launching the update as well, the charge will be accordingly. So, make your choice wisely and keep your budget accordingly.
Choice of Platform
A native app will require two separate codes for Android and iOS and two separate developers to develop and maintain the app. Developing a native app will cost more, consume more time, need more resources. However, it is easy to maintain them and roll new updates when the time comes. The coding will be clean and user experience will be flawless.
If you choose cross-platform to develop your app, it will need a single code that runs on both Android and iOS platforms. This will save time, cost, and resources for development. Maintaining the code will be tricky as one change will affect both the platforms. Also, there are certain limitations in the performance of cross-platform apps.
Hiring Models
The cost of the app depends very much on the hiring model you choose. There are basically three models available for the clients.
Take a look at all three of them:
Fixed Cost Model
If the clients have a certain mindset on what they want in their app, this is the best fit for them. Here the client describes their requirements and the company describes a cost. Both the app requirements and cost remains fixed. There is no room for changes. Hence, if you have your needs defined, this is the model you choose.
Hire Dedicated Resources
In this model, the client can hire a single resource or select multiple resources. Instead of hiring a freelancer, it’s better to hire a dedicated developer from a company.
The developer works solely on the client’s project and for the number of hours the clients ask for. This way the client can save the cost of hiring the entire team. The cost per hour is fixed for the developer and hence the client can control the budget and decide the working hours.
Hourly Based Model
Here in this model, the rate per hour is fixed. Hence, the client has to pay only for the number of hours invested by the company on the project. The project which has fluctuating needs must opt for an hourly based model. This way there is flexibility in the development and the client can ask for as many changes as they need.
Final Words
You have known the entire process of application development, the cost of developing it, and the time needed to develop it. It’s high time you start developing an app. Look for the mobile application development company USA, discuss your idea, and start developing the app.
FAQs
1. How do you make an app step by step?
Here is the basic process of developing an app:
- Idea
- Research
- Design
- Development
- Testing
- Deployment
- Post-launch maintenance
- Updates
2. How do beginners create apps?
Beginners have to enroll themselves at some training institute. They need to watch the tutorial videos, study the best apps, and then start developing the app. They can also hire an app development agency and get the app developed.
3. How hard is it to create an app?
For the experienced development team, it is not much challenging to create an app. For beginners, it might be difficult to integrate complex features and develop a smooth functioning app.
4. How long does it take to create an app?
In general, it takes 3 to 4 months to create an app. It is not fixed, the time might be less or more based on the requirements of the app, the client’s need, and choice of category.
5. How much does it cost to create an app?
The cost of the app is determined by the number and types of features, whom you hire, time to develop and deploy the app, and such other factors.[/blog_single_full_content][/vc_column][/vc_row]
