With businesses adopting a mobile-first approach and the growing number of mobile apps, successful mobile app development seems like a quest. But it’s the process that determines the end result. We come across many clients who have questions regarding the process we follow for developing mobile apps. Therefore, we decided to answer some of those common queries through this blog.
In this blog,
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Mobile App Development For Your Business
We are living in the digital era where businesses have to deal with a tech-savvy audience that likes to have everything moving at their fingertips. Today, mobile applications, along with other resources, can do a lot more for business growth than you think. Now, take a look at some of these facts.
Do you still want to ask why you need a mobile app for your business? Reaching out to potential customers is now even more difficult with growing competitors. However, a well-planned, excellently developed mobile app can make it easier. Not to mention, it’s also one of the best ways to stay connected with your existing customers.
When we say mobile app development is a complex affair, we also mention that tactful practices, planning, and analysis on various levels offer reliable results. So, what makes a mobile app development process relevant and result-oriented? Let’s understand.
Key Steps in Mobile App Development Process
You would probably find various mobile app development process steps explained by different companies. However, based on the best practices, we have tried to narrow down the entire process into
1. Communicating the App Idea and Other Development Requirements
The first and most important step of the app development process is communicating your requirements and app ideas to the developers. As a mobile app development company, we understand the impact of miscommunication better than anyone. Above everything else, we will only be able to fulfill your requirements if we know what you exactly want.
Therefore, make sure you are clear with the end results you expect and communicate the details properly and clearly to your development partner.
There are some important questions you should be able to answer during this phase.
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Based on the details you provide, we will get back to you with a suitable proposal. Generally, this is the most common procedure to follow before moving on to the next steps.
2. Business Analysis and Cost Estimation
Once you communicate requirements from your end, the experts work on analyzing your business environment, study similar apps and prepare a plan. It’s very important to set standards and guidelines in the beginning to ensure regularity and high quality. Based on the level of work and resources required, we assign specific team members for your project.
Later, summing up the project schedule, involvement of developers and other experts, testing standards, etc, the approximate cost of development is estimated. As we often say, there are various factors that determine the overall cost of app development. Since these aspects vary for each project and fluctuate through the different phases, it’s difficult to tell the exact amount.
3. Signing the NDA or Other Contracts
While this may vary for many development companies, signing an NDA for your project has notable perks. It is one of the best ways to avoid any misconceptions and misunderstandings between both parties. The NDA clearly states the project deliverables, legal clauses, and any references for the app idea.
Generally, the NDA is signed before any actual work on the app idea begins. It also mentions the suitable communication methods that will be used, how often should developers report, etc.
4. Wireframing the App
Once you are clear about the app idea, it’s time to see and plan how it would look like an app. Wireframing is a pillar of the mobile app development process. It emphasizes the flow of app development and ensures that nothing is left out. It helps to bridge the gap between the app idea and the final product.
Wireframing lists down all the important features and helps to set them in correct flow and order. This further helps in better designing and developing an application. There are various tools that can be used to make wireframing easier and let the stakeholders get an idea about the app’s working.
5. UI/UX Design
Good design practice is crucial for a successful mobile app. Based on your preferences and the references you suggest, your partnered mobile app development company prepares several screen samples. Later, when a sample is finalized, all screens for the app are designed.
This determines how your app would appear throughout the user’s journey. Since you want your application to be user-centric, it’s important to make sure that the app design is compatible with different mobile devices and their varying screen sizes.
At Narola Infotech, we often suggest our clients go for a minimum viable product model (MVP) first. This helps in getting early feedback from customers and analyzing app performance. Thus it becomes easier to rectify any glitch or error before launching the actual product.
6. Mobile App Development from Scratch
Once the designing part is done, it’s time to bring everything into action. This is where the actual programming for app development begins. According to the languages and frameworks decided for both frontend and backend, respective tasks are assigned to suitable developers and QA experts. There are various components of mobile app development. In general, these include frontend development, backend development, and API integration.
Frontend development focuses on creating an interactive user interface and making the app usable. At the same time, backend development is concerned with the core functionalities and server-side programming for the app. Only a great combination of frontend and backend technologies leads to successful application development. Another important aspect is API development and integration which makes sure that everything works smoothly across applications and devices.
If you’ve been juggling between getting a customized mobile app and a generic app,
Read Our Blog: 7 Advantages of Custom Mobile App Development For Your Business
7. Q/A and Testing
When you decide to develop a mobile app for your business, know that it requires a lot of testing at different stages. Testing and Quality Analysis are key to building high-quality apps. Therefore, make sure that the services you seek are following best practices for the same. Irrespective of the type of mobile application you want, there are several test cases that the QA team performs to deliver a flawless app.
8. App Launch
Launching an app on respective app stores can be a bit daunting, but your mobile application development company will help you with it. Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store both have some rigid policies and standards that need to be met in order to get permission for release on these platforms.
However, unlike iOS, Android apps do not need to go through the review process. Thus, launching Android apps is a bit easier. Although your development partner will help you with a successful app launch, you should be well aware of the various stages and essentials for the same.
9. Post-Development Updates and Support
While most people think that app development ends with its launch, the truth is different. Gradually, you would realize that continuous support and updates post-development are crucial to ensure the good conditions of the app.
Moreover, app users will definitely have some feedback that you should implement later on. There will be various trends, new features, or services you might introduce in the future which need to be implemented within your app. Thus, post-development support is significant.
Make sure you talk to your development partners regarding how they manage post-launch activities. It’s not something you should compromise.
Strengthen Your Business With a Robust Mobile App
Whether you have a startup or a well-established enterprise, it’s crucial to have a robust mobile application to support it within the online markets. We hope that the information we shared above gives you clarity about the basic mobile app development process. Although this may vary for various development companies, we have tried to mention the most important steps according to the industry’s best practices.