5 Mistakes to avoid when developing a mobile app
The mobile app space is massively competitive and crowded, you have not 1 but probably 100s of apps for any need you can think of. In this article we cover some of the fundamentals for mobile app development, which are critical to its success.
It is essential that you have the right strategy, the correct technology, and a good team to build the app you want. Also because of the number of options that users have, you would get only one chance to make an impression, so you got to get it right the first time itself.
The mobile app market is still growing at an alarming rate presenting a bouquet of opportunities. Also, consumers are increasingly spending more time on their smartphone which means eventually every business would need their own mobile app or leverage mobile channels.
Doing the right planning and research, choosing the best platform, running frequent tests, and employing effective marketing strategies are all things you’ll need to learn how to do if you want to launch a great mobile app.
5 Mistakes to avoid when developing a mobile app
- Not strategizing and planning
- Platform selection gone wrong
- Not choosing the right technology
- Not testing enough or not testing at all
- Absence of a marketing strategy
1. Not strategizing and planning
Every product or a solution that you want to release to the public needs to be well thought out, feasibility analyzed and a plan created. At a minimum find answers to the questions as below related to your app
- Who is the target audience?
- What are the preferences of my target audience?
- What problem would the app solve or the value it provides?
- How competitive is the segment and who are your competitors?
- What would be your differentiators from your competition?
- What is the size of the market audience?
- Has the revenue model been worked out?
- What would the KPI’s to measure overall performance and success
A lot of apps fail because they are not thought out and enough research was not done, are mere copycats of popular apps or are unique but not providing any value. It is essential to do proper research and find answers to the questions as above to decide how much money and time to spend on the app, or even if it makes sense to build the app.
2. Platform selection gone wrong
Well, it may seem like a very straight forward decision to launch your app on all platforms available like Android, iOS, Windows, Huawei etc, but doing so without enough market research may be counter-productive. It is essential to analyse if all platforms or selective platforms that house your target segment. Couple this information with the expected ROI vs your expenses to launch & maintain the app on the respective platform.
After-all it would be of no use to develop an app for a platform not used by your target audience.
3. Not choosing the right technology
A wrong choice of technology can come back to haunt you in the long run implicating short-term and long-term costs. When selecting the technology for your app assess –
- Should you go for Native app development or Cross Platform app development?
- Does your app have specific functionalities that warranty the use of a certain technology? E.g. Device Functionality etc
- Does the technology/framework have enough and an active community for support?
- How does it compare with other technologies/frameworks with respect to short-term and long-term costs?
- Is the technology/framework stable and backed by a reputable entity?
Developing your app with a technology or a framework that is not suitable might mean that you end up with an application that cannot scale, becomes a technical debt, app stops working, no support available, security vulnerabilities etc
4. Not testing enough or not testing at all
According to Statista, over 25% of all apps that are downloaded get used only once after which they either get uninstalled or never opened again before eventually being uninstalled. Which is why delivering a good lasting first impression becomes critical for the success of your app.
A number of developers or companies make the mistake of rushing to the market without adequately testing their mobile app. This can have long term repercussions from scathing reviews and bad PR. An app riddled with bugs won’t take long to get buried under a heap of bad reviews.
Ensure your mobile app goes through a series of testing as below, before making it live on the app stores –
- Functional Testing
- Usability Testing
- Compatibility Testing
- Performance & Load Testing
- Security Testing
- Installation Testing
- Manual & Automated Testing
- Mobile Device Testing
These tests are usually a part of the process for experienced app development companies and might make sense for you to go with a seasoned software development company for your needs.
5. Insufficient or Incorrect Marketing Strategies
Not every app that is released on the app stores turn up like Flappy Bird; becoming very popular with little or no marketing. Marketing is no longer an activity that you start after your app is ready, it has to start right from the moment the decision to develop an app is taken. Ask these questions
- What is the right channel/s to market your app?
- What is the App Store Optimization (ASO) strategy?
- Have you assessed the competitors marketing strategy?
- Did you evaluate cost vs benefit of different marketing channels for your mobile app?
- Have you formulated a branding strategy?
- Have you established budgets for marketing?
If you are not a marketing person or lack experience, then it would make sense to partner with or hire a digital marketing agency. It takes careful research, analysis and planning to develop and execute a successful marketing plan. unRFP has a list of leading digital marketing companies to help you find your ideal mobile app marketing agency.
Conclusion
It is evident that it would be very damaging to commit any or all of the 5 mistakes as stated above while developing a mobile application. If generating revenue or monetizing is your goal with launching the mobile app then it is advisable to have a very sound strategy around the development and marketing of the app.
You can either post your project on unRFP to receive offers from renowned mobile app development agencies or you can sift through our list of agencies who might be a good fit for your requirement.
