What is Mobile App Development?

How many of us spend hours and hours each day on our smartphones? A lot, right? And how many of us have felt the frustration that comes with an app that either doesn’t work or doesn’t work the way we want it to? Even more of us, I’m sure! Well, if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re looking to develop your own app. But have you considered what mobile app development actually entails?

Significant Interesting points to Consider Before Developing a Mobile App

The development of a mobile app can be an overwhelming task. Here are a few things to consider before you commit: What will your mobile app do? Who will the target audience be? Will it need a backend database that must be connected to the internet 24/7 in order to store data, like social media apps? Do you want it available on Android and iOS devices or only on one platform? How long will development take? How much time should you budget for maintenance and updates once your app is live? Does your team have all of the skills necessary to create a great app design and user experience as well as the technical knowledge to maintain it? You may also need to think about legal issues such as who owns the copyright for material created by third parties or whether you want international availability.

The Three Main Steps in Creating an Android/iOS Application

If you are thinking about making an Android or iOS app, this guide will walk you through the process. There are three main steps: -creating the mobile application; -building a digital storefront for it on the google play store; and -marketing the game to gain sales. The first step in creating your app is brainstorming what you want it to do, like being able to make in-app purchases or track inventory. Next, hire someone with a technical background to develop the app for you. The developer will either create a prototype of the app, which they can then show you before doing any work, or they may ask you questions to understand more about what you need before beginning work. It’s important that they have experience building apps because if not done correctly, it could end up costing much more money than anticipated. They also might require some funds upfront as part of their contract agreement with their client. Once this has been done and there is something to look at, ask yourself if it's worth pursuing further by asking questions such as Is the developer’s price reasonable for what I am looking for?

Cost and Budget

The average cost of an app ranges from $2,500 to $10,000. Smaller apps that don't use a lot of features and graphics can cost as little as $1,000. This includes the design phase as well as all phases of development. As with anything involving time and talent, the larger and more complex the app is, the higher the cost will be. But it's not just the price tag on your final product. Researching, designing, and developing an app also takes time. A large-scale project could take six months or longer depending on how many people are working on it. 

A popular misconception about mobile app development is that you need to know how to code in order to make one. Fortunately, this isn't true!

The Benefits of Hiring Developers

Hiring professional developers to create an app for you can have a lot of benefits, not the least of which is that you can save yourself time and trouble. Creating an app from scratch will require research and development on your part. You'll need to make sure that your idea will work with mobile operating systems, such as Android or iOS. Most importantly, as soon as you release your game or app in the Google Play store or Apple's App Store, it's out there for people to try and criticize. It takes hours, days, or even weeks to fix bugs and add new features. If you're able to take some shortcuts by hiring professionals to develop your app for you, then you'll be able to spend more time promoting your product instead of dealing with technical issues.

Time Required to Develop a Mobile Application?

Everything relies upon the kind of application you are creating. The time span shifts, from weeks to months. Factors such as the complexity of the application and whether you will hire a freelance app developer or an agency can also impact how long it takes to develop a mobile application. Hiring freelance developers could lead to faster development, but agencies tend to be cheaper for organizations with multiple mobile app projects and ongoing needs.

 

The google play store currently has over three million apps available for download, with new applications added daily. One way to get your mobile app noticed in this vast marketplace is by using search engine optimization (SEO) techniques. SEO includes optimizing content for keyword placement, creating strong page titles and descriptions, adding meta tags, linking social media profiles, and more. You should also consider including user reviews in your content marketing strategy so that customers can share their thoughts about your product/service/app. Reviews typically appear first when customers search the google play store or apple iTunes store, so they have the potential to help drive traffic to your app's listing page.

The Costs Involved in Creating a Successful Application

Thus, you have an extraordinary thought for an application! You've even got the bug to start developing it. The next step is to get the app up and running, but wait: where do you start? Here are some key elements to consider before you start your journey into mobile application development. 

Mobile application development can be expensive as well as time-consuming. Quality developers aren't inexpensive, especially when they specialize in an area of expertise such as gaming apps or kids' games. With this added expense, one must also factor in the cost of a developer's time. Developers typically charge anywhere from $25-$40 per hour (or more) and it may take months to complete a project from scratch.

Common Mistakes When Developing an App

The majority of people who make apps for the google play store make the mistake of spending too much time on the design, rather than making sure that it's practical and optimized for use. Games are a popular option, but when developing game apps, try to focus on making games that have something new to offer. This will help people identify your app from others and you'll have a higher chance of staying on top of the charts for a long period of time. A lot of developers make the mistake of releasing their apps with no functionality, or with only one or two features which can lead to frustration among users. It's important to keep in mind what your users need and what they would want from an app before actually developing it so as not to waste any time implementing useless features or ones that won't be used often.