Introduction
Mobile app development is not a simple process. There are too many steps involved in the complete process of developing a mobile app. If anything goes wrong at any step the whole process and effort may go in vain. Also, every mobile app development company has a different approach towards the app development process, and hence, one must be prudent in choosing the development partner for their project.
However, if you are new to this app development world or someone who does not know much about getting a mobile app developed, there are high chances of you landing up with the wrong development partner. As said, the success of an app is majorly dependent on the tools and technology used in creating it. If the app developed is not right, it is more likely that users will not love using it, and hence, not only you will lose on to the business but also money.
Today, in this article, we are going to talk about some of the best practices that every app development company must follow. Following these best practices, one can easily create feature-rich, scalable, and powerful apps that are not only capable of attracting users, but also, accommodating all their needs.
Mobile App Development Best Practices to follow in 2023
It takes a lot to develop a mobile app. A lot of complex steps and intricacies are involved. And hence, to ensure that the app created is fully-functional and without any errors, it is vital to hire mobile app developers who follow the best practices of app development. So, let’s begin in knowing some of them:
1. Comprehensive Market Research
Doing comprehensive market research is one of the first steps in the mobile app development process. Not all app development companies include market research in their mobile app development services. Before launching any product into the market, it is very important to understand users’ needs, what exactly do they want, and once you get a hang of all these things only then, you must proceed to the next step. Hence, you must lookout for a company that is not only good with the development process but also in carrying out thorough market research to understand users’ demand.
2. Competitor Research
No matter how unique your app idea is, you will always find someone offering either the same or similar kind of services or products that you are planning to offer. It is always better to see what others are doing and then planning your moves accordingly.
For example, if you are planning to enter into the food delivery business, seeing what apps like Zomato and Swiggy are doing. Food delivery app development is a very competitive market and hence if you are willing to enter into it, you must be prepared and keep an eye on what others are doing. If you are unable to do the research by yourself, you may ask your mobile app development company to do it on your behalf.
3. App Development Platform
While getting an app developed this is an important thing to consider. Whether you want an Android app or an iOS app for your business will help you in searching for the right app development partner. This is because the process of app development differs while creatin apps for both the platform. Choosing the app development platform at an early stage is imperative as based on that you can decide which app development company you may want to go for. You might want to reassure whether or not the company offers iOS and Android app development services.
4. Identifying the Target Users
You must have a clear understanding of the market and your users using the app. Identifying your buyers’ persona and their needs is an added advantage because then you will be able to integrate those features which your users want.
You may want to know their age, demographics, their likes, and dislikes, the need for your app and once you get a hang of all these you will be easily able to explain everything to your mobile app development company. Also, this will help you in determining the app platform. For example, if you are planning to launch your app in the US market, opting for iOS app development services and getting an iOS app developed is a better choice as the majority of people use iPhones. On the other hand, for the Asian market, Android apps are a better option.
5. Choosing Right Technology
As discussed above, one of the main factors in making an app, a success, is the technology used. Every app is different and is developed to serve different purposes, hence, it is very important to choose the right technology that can suffice your purpose and is in sync with business goals. Also, every app development method follows a different process, and hence, it is a must to set guidelines beforehand, to avoid any confusion.
What technology is to be used while developing an app depends on the type of app that is to be built. Whether you want a native, hybrid, or cross-platform mobile app and based on that you can go looking for the right framework. For native apps, you may choose Java, Kotlin, or Objective-C while you may go either with React native app development or Flutter app development for getting a cross-platform app developed. You may also opt for much lighter and faster apps and get a PWA developed for your business.
6. Testing
Talking about the mobile app development best practices we cannot ignore the importance of testing a mobile app before making it available for users to use it. Testing is a way to ensure whether the app developed is running well or not, does it have any errors.
However, there are various ways of testing an app. And also, the testing process for each app is different. So, ensure that your app has gone through enough tests before launching it.
7. App Design
The work of a developer is completely different from that of a designer and hence, to make your app look attractive and well planned you must hire UI/UX designers. These experts help you in planning your app design like navigation, graphics, CTAs, etc. that help enhance the overall user experience. And studies show that app design is equally important as app development.
8. App Security
No user wants to use an app that is not secure enough. Most of the time developers do not give much consideration to this aspect which results in a poor performing app. App security is one of the most important parts of the app development process and no developer must overlook this aspect.
Being an entrepreneur, you must hire app developers that give equal importance to app safety and security and also focus on using a technology that is much safer rather than being just easy to use.
9. App Scalability
Creating an app just for today is not a good option. A good developer is the one that creates an app not only keeping the present needs in mind but also considering the future business goals.
App development is not an easy process and it takes time to develop an app. There is no point in getting an app developed which will not be able to accommodate your future goals and hence, you must focus on getting an app that is easily scalable and does not hang when more users are using it at the same time. Also, if you want to save yourself from bearing that hefty mobile app development cost again in the future, you must use a technology that can be easily upgraded and scalable per your future requirements.
Read Also: How do Free Apps Make Money?
10. Focusing on User Retention
Not all apps have the same effect on users. A user might find your app interesting in the beginning but after some time they may stop using it. Hence, to make an app a success, one must focus on user retention.
According to the statistics, within the first 30 days, not all apps can retain their app users. While comic apps have an impressive 33.8 percent day 1 user retention, the category’s day 30 post-install retention rate drops down to 9.3 percent. News apps, on the other hand, are able to retain approx. 13.3 percent of users still accessing apps in the vertical a month after installation.
11. Focusing on User Experience
If you want to achieve user retention then focusing on user experience is very important. Both of these points are interlinked. You must focus on the needs of your users and try to make your app as simple as possible. This does not mean that you must not focus on app design simplicity in the way of navigation and how easily a user can find a particular element in your app.
Most users do not like using an app that is too complex to use or takes time to load. If you want to enhance the user experience you must focus on the loading speed of your app and the convenience of a user.
12. Follow the Guidelines
The mobile app development company working on your project must be well aware of all the guidelines that must be followed rigorously for getting an app on the Play Store and App Store. Both of these app stores have different guidelines and hence while creating an app one must take care of them if you want to refrain from getting your app rejected.
13. Regular Updates and Maintenance
The work of app development does not end with creating an app. App development is an ongoing process as there are too many things that are to be taken care of. If you are planning to launch an update or willing to add additional features to your app, in the future, it is always advisable to plan them well before executing.
You must also focus on regular maintenance of your app as this can solve a lot many issues like bug fixes or even small changes in the design or something that you would like to do in your app. Most app development companies include update and maintenance service while quoting you the overall mobile app development cost.
14. App Optimization
A good developer will always work on app optimization before making the app live for users to use it. A mobile app must be developed in a way that it can fit different mobile screens perfectly. Mobile apps are different from websites and require more work in terms of optimization as there are various phone sizes and models available. And hence, one must focus on getting all these elements right so that everything seems right and eye-catchy to the users using the app.
15. Including the Analytics Tracker
One must never ignore the importance of analytics as they are really important in measuring the success and even understanding what your users want. Including an analytics tracker in an app is a great option as this will let you know how the app is performing.
Final Words
Getting a fully-functional and feature-rich mobile app developed, that is not only eye-pleasing but also powerful enough to attract users, is not a difficult task. All you need to do is find the right mobile app development partner, who can understand all your needs well and focus on these mobile app development best practices. Having a mobile app is a must if you are planning to expand your business and mark an online presence. So, do not wait much and get your app developed today!!
