Mobile App Development | App Development |
Most people own as well as use mobiles nowadays. They check their emails, make utility payments, read the news, and purchase items using their mobiles. The number of folks using mobiles is only going to rise in the future. Apple App Store and Google Play Store are the two major places where you can obtain free or paid apps. Today mobile apps are not a luxury or unnecessary asset. The market for mobile apps is booming and you cannot afford to miss the bus.
Introduction
Mobile application development involves the development of software that runs on mobiles/smartphones. Apple company’s phones and tablets contain pre-installed apps, a web browser, and the famous Apple App Store. Similarly, Android devices have useful apps and the ubiquitous Google Play Store from where you have the opportunity to download apps on your device and start using and/or exploring them.
If your business does not have a mobile app then it is considered out of date. A well-designed and rigorously tested mobile app is used as the face of organizations by many. Apps offer customers and prospects anytime anywhere access to a company’s products and services. Thanks to mobile apps, customer service is possible in real-time. Nowadays apps leverage AI (Artificial Intelligence) and the Internet of Things. Note that apps are increasingly preferred over traditional websites. If money is a problem there are several apps available in the market that are free to install and use. You cannot imagine a world without apps and the same applies to organizations of different sizes and types.
Kinds of Mobile Applications
These apps can run on only the native platforms such as iOS or Android for which they were designed for. As they leverage native power, they are faster and perform better compared to other types of mobile apps. They also have more and better functionality and features. The developers need to develop separate mobile apps for each platform. As a result, more time and money are spent from the mobile application development perspective. The code of one app can’t be reused and won’t work on other platforms than the one it was specifically designed for. To your knowledge, these apps come with offline capabilities.
Here the same app can run on different platforms. Time and money are saved as you don’t have to develop different apps on different platforms. Flexibility is the main advantage of these kinds of apps. Code can be reused which results in reduced development time and cost. The drawback is these apps have less power and functionality when compared to native apps.
For your information, these types of apps are built using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The code is within a native application wrapper. They appear like native apps but run on different mobile platforms. They come with a lesser development timespan and offer ease of maintenance.
By the way, these are not genuine apps. They are actually websites that mimic the behavior of mobile apps. Users perceive them to be actual mobile apps. They do not have to be installed on your smartphone. All you need is a web browser be it on mobile or some other kind of device. The advantages of PWAs are they are less expensive, offer superior security, and are convenient to create.
Recommended Step by Step process to Build Mobile Apps
Questions to Ask to Get Clarity
Do you have the inhouse-resources or do you need to get developers on board? Which technologies do you seek from potential applicants? Decide on the communication process that will be consistent throughout the development lifecycle. You can communicate via face-to-face meetings, phone, chat, or video conferencing. Identify suitable project management software to communicate, collaborate, monitor progress, and manage the whole mobile application development project.
The navigation should be elegant as well as user-friendly. The proposed app should have a pleasing and superior user interface as well user experience. It should have unique and useful features and functionality. The designs should be easily understood by all members of the development team.
Does the technology exist for creating such a mobile app? Ask your technical specialist or research the web for determining technical feasibility. How much money will it cost to develop the product? Is there a market for the product? How many copies do you need to sell to get ROI (Return on Investment)? A market study is recommended at this stage to verify commercial feasibility.
Create a prototype with some features and functionality. Has it been tested by actual customers/users to get their feedback? Incorporate their respective feedback into the prototype. After multiple iterations, you will get a fair idea of the final and finished deliverable.
Do beta testing and user acceptance testing. Test repeatedly and debug when necessary, till there are no bugs or performance issues. Now your mobile app is ready for submission to respective app stores.
If you do not have employees with knowledge of mobile application development technologies then it makes sense to hire a professional mobile application development firm. Don’t make the common mistake of hiring freelancers. They may not have multiple skills and may have other responsibilities. As such, they may not do justice to your project. A professional mobile app development firm will have people with the requisite skills and will dedicate resources to your deliverables. Do inquire whether the firm has manpower with domain expertise too.
Outsourcing firms do the job of mobile application development much better than other entities. That is because they have been doing this work for years. They are more likely to complete the task better, faster, and with consumption of less money. Quality firms have mature mobile application development processes and practices in place. The process has been refined by learning from mistakes and tweaking the process accordingly. Note that the outsourcing firm will shoulder complete responsibility for the project. So, you can focus on what you do without worrying about what is happening to your project.
If you have no or little experience in the domain of mobile application development it is risky to undertake the task. By opting for experienced entities, you bring down the risk quotient. Seasoned developers know what challenges and problems are likely to crop up in the app development lifecycle. They are adept at anticipating issues and nipping them in the bud.
If you try to undertake the project on your own then you have to recruit the necessary human resources. You need to advertise on job sites/portals, screen the incoming resumes, and shortlist the best applicants. Next is the interview process where you need to have the panel of interviewers ready. You have the option of remotely gauging the applicant or evaluating him/her in a face-to-face interview. The applicant may be theoretically sound but it is very difficult for anyone to predict how he/she will perform in a real-life scenario, particularly a stressful situation in the project. The hiring process will unnecessarily consume your effort, time, and money. On the other hand, by making the decision of outsourcing you get access to a large pool of skilled and experienced professionals who will be productive immediately.
If you desire to have a quality mobile application you will have to buy the necessary hardware and software. You will have to pay new employees’ salaries and other perks that full-time staff is entitled to. When you are outsourcing, the concerned firm will likely already have the necessary software as well as hardware resources at their premises. Also, they charge you only for the quantum of work outsourced. You don’t have to buy/rent extra real estate space to accommodate extra machines and people. Also, if you are outsourcing to a popular location such as India, you can get your app developed at a lower cost than if you got it developed in your country. For your information India based mobile application development outsourcing firms provide quality deliverables at a substantially lower cost than outsourcing firms located in other locations such as Europe or North America.
Conclusion
It is advised that you take adequate time and do your homework diligently before shortlisting potential mobile application development firms. Conduct background checks and evaluate technical as well as domain knowledge of prospective mobile application development organizations. Finally, solicit the opinions of your team members and trust your instinct while making a final call.
About Us
Focaloid is a stellar software development products and services company catering to clients in the US & UK. We have the necessary expertise and experience in quality mobile application development. For your information, Focaloid has a team of talented and seasoned professionals with extensive expertise in mobile application development. Over time we have established a mature outsourcing model which is productive, efficient as well as effective. You can safely rely on us to deliver outstanding software solutions and services within stipulated deadlines. Contact us at your earliest to know how we can help you. We are committed to superior client satisfaction and mutual growth.
Published:26/12/2024
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