essay on mobile app development

Mobile application development is the process of making software for smartphones, tablets and digital assistants, most commonly for the Android and iOS operating systems.

The software can be preinstalled on the device, downloaded from a mobile app store or accessed through a mobile web browser. The programming and markup languages used for this kind of software development include Java, Swift, C# and HTML5.

Mobile app development is rapidly growing. From retail, telecommunications and e-commerce to insurance, healthcare and government, organizations across industries must meet user expectations for real-time, convenient ways to conduct transactions and access information. Today, mobile devices and the mobile applications that unlock their value are the most popular way for people and businesses to connect to the internet. To stay relevant, responsive and successful, organizations need to develop the mobile applications that their customers, partners and employees demand.

Yet mobile application development might seem daunting. Once you’ve selected the OS platform or platforms, you need to overcome the limitations of mobile devices and usher your app all the way past the potential hurdles of distribution. Fortunately, by following a few basic guidelines and best practices, you can streamline your application development journey.

To learn more about the specifics of mobile application development on either platform, read our articles on iOS app development  and Android app development .

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Many independent application development teams choose to build their apps for Android first. Why? The vast majority, around 70 percent, of smartphones run Android, and the Google Play Store has fewer restrictions than the Apple App Store. On the other hand, mobile applications developed for iOS have far fewer devices that need support, making optimization simpler. And user retention is typically higher for iOS applications.

Depending on the intended use case and target audience for the mobile application you are developing, you might have other considerations. For example, if you’re designing an app for your organization’s employees, you’ll need to support the platforms they use, which might mean developing cross-platform apps that work for both Android and iOS. Or if you’re building a mobile application for your customers and you know most of them use iPhones, then developing iOS applications should be a top priority. Other considerations when developing your mobile applications include monetization strategies and anticipated user behavior, which can be influenced by geographical and cultural factors.

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Let’s say you need to do mobile application development for both the Android operating system and iOS. What is the best software development approach?

You might develop two native applications. Taking advantage of native APIs and OS-specific programming languages can help you build a powerful app. Most enterprise apps, especially ones that require substantial application programming interface (API) traffic, benefit from native development.

If you decide to develop native applications one at a time, you’ll likely want to begin with Android, for some of the same reasons that independent app developers often focus on Android. You’ll probably have better luck developing the full application as an MVP on Android and then converting and optimizing it to iOS after release.

You will still need to debug and rewrite the code for the native language and redesign the front-end user interface, because the two operating systems function differently, making cross-platform operation impossible.

So why not start completely from scratch? While you can’t translate the code into a new programming language, much of the back end can be replicated cross-platform. Frameworks, libraries and third-party extensions often function identically in both environments, allowing you to avoid costly reworking. You can also use a prebuilt mobile cloud service, such as IBM Mobile Foundation , to manage the web back end.

Another option is to go hybrid, taking a write-once-run-anywhere approach. Hybrid apps use a single codebase that can function on either platform. They’re typically coded in a programming language that’s universally recognized, such as Java, JavaScript, HTML or CSS. Because you’re denied access to the operating system’s native APIs, hybrid mobile application development works best for simple web applications, three- or four-page mobile applications with limited functions.

Whether you choose native or hybrid mobile application development, one of the first hurdles you’ll need to overcome is the relatively limited resources on mobile devices. Your target mobile device has much less processing power and memory than desktop computers or enterprise servers. These constraints might seem like a significant challenge, especially if you’re more familiar with the comparatively boundless resources for conventional software development for web apps.

Limited mobile platform resources mean you need to adjust your goals for your app design.

Throughout the mobile application development process, developers must work to help ensure that their mobile app is less resource intensive than a typical desktop application.

Delivering a great user experience is vital. That starts with understanding that your user interface for a mobile app should be simpler than a desktop application interface. By creating a straightforward UX design that is focused on critical functions, you can provide a better user experience while consuming fewer resources.

Your mobile app interface should be designed for touch. Mobile users must be able to navigate your app easily and provide input without excessive typing.

Fortunately, these requirements for efficient, simple touch-based apps map well to user expectations. Mobile users generally want to accomplish tasks easily, with just a few taps. They want apps that are above all fast, convenient and simple to use on their mobile devices.

What if your mobile application requires more processing than a typical mobile platform can support? Consider offloading that processing to the cloud.

Through the judicious use of APIs, you can connect your app to cloud-based services and databases to provide advanced functions without slowing your application or straining the device it is running on. You can even offload data storage and caching to a cloud-based server , leaving little data on the device.

Extend your app with advanced cloud services

The cloud can offer other advantages beyond performance boosts. Connect your mobile application to powerful cloud services to add features and improve usability. Employ APIs to integrate new features, such as advanced cloud-based services that can help you enhance your mobile apps. These include push notifications, IBM Watson®, powered AI analytics, Internet of Things (IoT) smart device integration and more.

Neither Android nor iOS is an open environment. Before your application can be officially distributed, you’ll need to join the appropriate developer program.

The Android mobile application development program lets you use your existing Google account to create a developer account, pay the USD 25 fee and submit your application. Google Play, the official Android store, does have quality standards that must be met before publication, but they’re more guidelines than actual rules. As part of your app development process, you can also distribute your applications outside the Google Play store and allow users to directly download and install them.

By contrast, the Apple mobile application development program sets a high barrier to entry. You need to pay a program fee of USD 99 per year and adhere to high standards. When you’re a member of the program, you get early access to beta versions of the operating systems and proprietary frameworks or APIs. Meeting the high standards for the App Store also signifies to the world that you’ve developed a high-quality app.

Use IBM Cloud® to quickly architect, prototype and bring apps to market.

Help your employees do their best work and enrich your customers’ daily interactions with the power of IBM iX mobile experience strategy and design.

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Developing an iOS app can be simple with proper planning and the right resources.

Learn the advantages of Android development and key resources that can improve your results.

The Mobile App Development Platform from IBM makes it easy to architect, prototype and bring apps to market. With IBM Cloud offerings behind the scenes, you can build, launch and maintain native, hybrid or web-based mobile apps.

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Home > Open Access Dissertations > 625

Open Access Dissertations

Three essays on mobile application developers’ product offering strategies.

Degan Yu , University of Rhode Island Follow

Date of Award

Degree type.

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration

Specialization

Operations and Supply Chain Management

Interdepartmental Program

First Advisor

In the recent years, mobile applications (apps) have been immensely changing the way of communication, socialization, work, and recreation through mobile devices. Mobile app developers usually face challenges in product offering decisions. In the dissertation I study app developers’ product offering decisions when facing the setting of multiple platforms, in-app purchase (IAP), and in-app advertisement (IADV). In specific, I construct various analytical models in order to capture different conditions faced by app developers. In the first essay, I develop an analytical framework to address a product offering problem for an app developer that introduces paid or free apps in a two-platform market. When offering a paid app, I find that the developer should launch the product in the more profitable platform that has relative advantages in user base and willingness to pay; whether the developer should launch the same app in a second platform depends on the app launching cost. I find that launching free apps in both platforms is a better choice as long as users are tolerant to advertisements in the app. If users are not tolerant to advertisements, the developer should launch the app in the more profitable platform. Furthermore, I find that if users’ disutility sensitivity to advertisement is very small, it is better to introduce the free app rather than the paid app. In the second essay, I consider mobile app developers’ product versioning decisions by focusing on IAP. Should a developer provide consumers an app (free or paid) with IAP option in one platform (e.g., Android or iOS), and how should it design and price the basic app and IAP? I find that the answer to the former question is “it depends”, although in most situations offering IAP is a better choice. I also compare forward-looking and myopic strategies and show that the former always outperforms the latter. In the third essay, I focus on app developers’ decision on the frequency of displaying ads to current users; also, I examine app developers’ revenue model selection. From app developers’ perspective, I show that under information asymmetry condition it is possible to figure out the optimal ad frequency. Furthermore, “trial and then free without ads” (TF) is always suboptimal. “Trial and then paid” (TP) strategy is dominant if market size is small; otherwise, “trial and then free with ads” (TFA) strategy is dominant. The welfare analysis suggests that any of the above three strategies can result in the highest total welfare depending on market size and users’ attributes.

Recommended Citation

Yu, Degan, "Three Essays on Mobile Application Developers’ Product Offering Strategies" (2017). Open Access Dissertations. Paper 625. https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/oa_diss/625

Since August 11, 2017

https://doi.org/10.23860/diss-yu-degan-2017

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Principles of Mobile App Design: Introduction

Apps are now a mainstream, trusted way to deliver content and services. But in a crowded market, how does a mobile app become useful, relevant, and valued so it delights and retains users? Google's UX Research Lead Jenny Gove details 25 principles for building a great mobile app.

Mobile apps: Users can't get enough of them. Want proof? An estimated 200 billion apps are expected to be downloaded in 2017 . 1 (That's billion with a "b.") Marketers are experimenting with their own app experiences and investing to ensure that they're discovered; they spent around $3 billion on app install advertising  in 2015, an increase of 80% from 2014. 2

Given this massive shift in consumer behavior, it is no surprise that marketers are keen to continuously improve the app experiences that they create. Apps provide opportunities to build around user needs and grow long-term and profitable relationships with loyal customers. It's become tougher for developers and brand marketers to get people to find and download their apps , and once they do, stay engaged. As many as 25% of app users open an app once and never return. 3

More than ever, people are engaging with their phones in crucial moments and for shorter periods of time. Their experiences need to be efficient and delightful. Plus, a well-designed app that provides utility has the power to cut through the clutter. It can deliver on people's many I-want-to-know , I-want-to-go , I-want-to-buy , and I-want-to-do moments.

As many as 25% of app users open an app once and never return.

We know that following a simple, powerful set of principles helps. That was what we learned from our prior work on mobile site design. It led brands to make changes and remove barriers so they could give their customers truly helpful experiences. As with mobile websites, mobile apps need to help users complete their tasks and make it easy to convert.

With that in mind, we sought to uncover the key ingredients of a great mobile app. We partnered with AnswerLab to conduct a user study of more than 100 people on 100 different apps across a variety of verticals including e-commerce, insurance, travel, food ordering, ticket sales and services, and financial management. (Gaming apps, social networking apps and music services were not included in the study.)

Guide app users seamlessly through task completion

We looked at conversion-focused tasks, such as making a purchase, booking a reservation, and researching plans and prices, among other tasks.

We are excited to share insights to help you build brand engagement by providing guidance on useful and usable functionality—essential for creating an experience that delights. Apps can seamlessly guide users through task completion by providing great e-commerce facilities and integrating effective ordering and payment systems. Ultimately, the creation of an engaging app begins with attention to usability.

Many more useful insights were uncovered by the study. We've collated them to deliver the top 25 across six categories: app navigation and exploration, in-app search, commerce and conversions, registration, form entry, and usability and comprehension. Let’s get started with Chapter 1, App Navigation and Exploration .

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Principles of Mobile App Design: Engage Users and Drive Conversions

Chapter 2: in-app search, chapter 3: commerce and conversions, chapter 4: registration, tools to take action, optimize your mobile site or app, sources (3).

1 eMarketer “App Downloads Will Double in Next Four Years,” February 3, 2014. 2 eMarketer “App Install Ads Help Marketers Cut Through the Clutter,” July 17, 2015. 3 eMarketer “App Marketing 2015: Fighting for Downloads and Attention in a Crowded Market,” July 2015.

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“Mobile is the future of everything.” - Forbes

Forbes is right on the money. Mobile is indeed the future of everything, from business and healthcare app development to gaming and all-things good in between. And industry by industry insights and overall usage numbers agree.

Mobile internet access has overtaken desktop internet usage big time. In 2018, more than 70 percent of all web traffic originated from mobile devices, up from 57 percent in 2017. Quartz estimated a jump of 80 percent in 2021.

Not just that, American adults are now spending an average of 3+ hours each day on their mobile gizmos browsing internet, and only 2.2 hours on a desktop computer.

100+ companies trust us with their mobile app development needs. Watch the video below to learn why.

Mobile app development refers to the process of writing software that works on a mobile device (smartphones, tables, wearable). But app development is not only about coding a native, HTML5 or hybrid app. It is about the strategic process of defining, designing, building and launching a successful mobile product.

In this article, based on our experience in building mobile apps for over ten years, you will learn everything we know about mobile app development.

Product development

Create an exceptional digital experience.

We take you through every step of building a great mobile product: from ideation to market validation, persona definition to creating beautiful designs, creating a robust development architecture and writing clean code, followed by how you build a marketing plan to hit the ground running the day your app is published on the App Store.

But most importantly, read this article to learn from the mistakes of many app builders, investors and entrepreneurs. Building a great app isn’t cheap. We’ve seen people waste millions, literally, on building bad products or launching poorly designed apps. Don’t be that person.

Take the time to read this article, beginning to end, to make sure you build the best possible app that will do justice to your amazing idea.

Mobile app usage prove the business case for building a mobile app

In 2019, there were more than 5.11 billion unique mobile users, accounting for over 90 percent of all global internet users.

According to the State of Mobile 2019 report by App Annie, global app downloads reached 194 billion in 2018, with consumers spending a whopping $101 billion on app stores. In fact, companies leveraging mobile capabilities enjoyed a staggering 360 % higher IPO valuation in 2018.

The worldwide mobile app economy hit $6.3 trillion in 2021, and app revenue is expected to experience an uptick of 113 percent to reach $188 billion .

These numbers are loud and clear: it’s time you join the mobile app development train. After all, most likely, your competitors are already doing it.

On the other hand, research from Gartner estimates that fewer than 0.01% of apps were considered a financial success in 2018.

With an average investment of $270,000 to design, build and launch an app, it's not a small project by anyone's standards.

But the stark reality is that most mobile apps fail. So, it is very important to be clear about the strategy, plan and execution before committing time, money and resources to building an app.

The Harsh Reality - Why Mobile Apps Fail

This might be a hard pill to swallow, but it’s true, nonetheless. Out of every 10,000 mobile apps developed, only 1 will triumph while the other 9,999 will go puff into oblivion. As an entrepreneur, this means that the odds are greatly stacked against you.

But don’t let this big number bog you down. It is only ill-planned and ill-executed apps that are set to fail from the first day. That’s why you need to learn why apps fail in the first place. After all, why not learn from failures of others so you do not repeat the same mistakes?

No matter how you look at it, mobile app development is all about arming yourself with industry knowledge and having a solid go-to-market plan & strategy. It’s a prudent way to safeguard your app from becoming part of the 99.99 percent.

With that being said, here are the four key areas that make mobile apps fail. As a forward-thinking entrepreneur, it is critical to consider these pitfall areas as a wake-up call. And, more importantly, you need to find ways to turn them into positives.

1) You must have a robust mobile app strategy

Every successful product - no matter what it does, whom it is designed for or who created it - begins with a great strategy.

The same goes for a mobile app.

Mobile App Strategy refers to the creative effort required to translate consumers’ needs into an app that can be used seamlessly to accomplish a specific task. The goal of a mobile strategy is simple: to help a user 'do something', quickly and effectively, every time a mobile app can fulfill that user's need.  

Without a well-designed, researched and implemented strategy at every level of development, your app is poised to go down the drain. This is especially true if you are trying to get your feet wet in a new or an upcoming niche/industry.

That’s why it comes as no big surprise that a poor move at the strategy level is one of the key areas where most apps fail. Of course, there are more specific reasons why mobile apps fail at this planning phase:

     a. Bad or lack of market research

How much do you know about your target market and the end user of your mobile app?

If your app does not address a market need or problem, then it will not get downloaded and, if it does end up on a user’s phone, it might not be used.

According to a report by SAP , close to 80 percent of mobile apps end up being abandoned just after their first use. Why? You guessed it right: they aren’t a good fit for the user, and lack a stellar mobile app strategy.

Considering the big bets everyone is placing on mobile, poor market research can quickly turn into a nightmare and lead to disappointment.

That’s why you need to kick off your app development journey with a thorough user/market research.

In other words, what solution will your app provide that your specific target audience needs?

Market research makes it imperative that you clearly define your target audience, and investigate further about them. What’s their core problems, needs, interests, and pain-points? By learning the ins and outs of the market, as well as getting an in-depth understanding of your specific users, you will most likely create an app that is tailored to what they are actually looking for.

But your market research doesn’t have to stop there.

Due diligence on your closest rivals can also come in handy. Do a win-loss juxtapositioning, and comprehensive competitor analysis to better inform your mobile strategy.

When all is said and done, your market research should act as a means of connecting your app idea with your target audience. And this should be your step #1 and an overarching aspect of your mobile app development at all stages.

     b. Improper planning of app marketing activities

This one is a no-brainer, and yet it is still one of the most common reasons why mobile apps fail at the strategy level. If you don’t plan the execution stages in detail, your app will most likely flop.

For instance, how are you planning to let your target users know about your new app? Do you have plans in place for app-install campaigns?

Proper planning includes marketing and ranking factors like ASO, SEO, PR push, and so forth.

If you neglect them until the last minute, you will be caught in the motions of trying to execute an app that has low to zero buzz.

Even worse, you’ll have no avenue of getting preliminary user feedback and therefore can’t get your app truly ready for the market.

We’ve actually written the playbook on adequate app launching techniques.

Read: The 2021 Mobile App Marketing Guide with 25 Pro Tips

     c. Lack of clearly defined goals

Goal-setting is a paramount step in the strategy and planning phase of your app creation. If you don’t hammer out clearly defined objectives, your app is set up to fail right from the outset. They are important in the grand scheme of things, especially when it comes to marketing your mobile.

With clearly defined goals on hand, you will easily map out your strategy on how to get there. When working on defining your goals, you need to ask yourself the following tough and important questions:

• What issue(s) will my app hope to solve for target market?
• What will be my app’s selling point or appeal?
• What features should I incorporate into my app?
• What benefits should my app offer the user?

2) You must invest in breath-taking designs

App developers are also faced with myriads of pitfalls during the design and software development phase. These failures and design issues can stall your mobile strategy even before your app makes it to launch date. They include but not limited to:

     a. Bad design = bad business

Mobile app design refers to the process of ideating, defining, planning and building the user experience seen by a smartphone user while interacting with a mobile app. Mobile app design combines visual (colors, photography, animations) and graphical elements (topography, font, writing) into a unified user experience.

When executed correctly, a user will NEVER thing of the mobile design of an app. They would only think about how easy it is to accomplish a certain task on a specific app. Great design = happy customers.

When done poorly, users have only jarring things to say about apps with bad design. They will ditch your poorly designed app in the first crucial 8 seconds, and you’ll never see them again. That’s the harsh reality of app design.

While there are many elements that make for a pleasant user experience, at the very minimum, your app should be easy and intuitive to use. If users have a hard time finding or using some of the fundamental features/functions of your app, you have little to no chance of keeping them.

The design is what the user sees when interacting with your app. But overall poor app usability can result from a number of other things like tediously long and complex sign-up process; lagging, slow or buggy features that affect the overall performance of the app; inaccessible features, and painfully long load times. When one or more of these issues come together, your mobile app will fail.

You need to take care of user experience issues during the design and software development stage. Another trick is to have the app tested for usability right from its infancy so that you can go back to the drawing board as many times as you can, make necessary refinements, and by the launch date, your app will optimally user-friendly.

     b. Bad technology or improperly implemented technology will lead to epic failures

Not all mobile app development agencies are created equal. If your team isn’t up to date with the latest development standards, your app might not see the light of the day, or worse, it may be launched and never get any active users.

The same goes for developers who use substandard coding methods. The bottom line is that bad technology  has no room in app creation. That’s why you need to work with a team that stays on top of the latest app development best practices.

     c. Lack of proper QA will ruin your app

Conducting several QA tests throughout the creation of your app will help you deliver a product that’s bug-free and user-friendly. Unfortunately, it’s hard to tell right from day 1 how much time you will require to test your app for quality, and what the QA test itself will entail.

Smart mobile developers usually take plenty of time to thoroughly QA test the app, which might end up costing more and consuming more time. However, not QA-testing your mobile app comes with dire consequences. And skipping the testing altogether is often the reason why some apps go to rack and ruin.

3) How to execute correctly on building a great mobile app

So you have come up with a great mobile app strategy and plan. It’s now time to execute the plan. Before we show you how to do it successfully,  there are still some potential app-killing problems and failures lurking around the corner. These include:

     a. Too much competition or many similar products

There are over 2.2 million app s in the App Store alone, with another 2.6 million  populating Google Play. There are thousands more entering the fray on a daily basis, not to mention that some apps are not listed on these two app marketplaces.

No matter how you look at it, you have some serious competition up ahead. If you don’t have an original idea or offer something appealing to your target audience, your app won’t cut it.

And so we are clear, a mobile app can succeed even if there’s a lot of other players in the field. You just need to have a unique value proposition, even if the core functionality of your digital product is similar to others.

Here's an example:

LivingSocial was launched in 2007 and became the biggest deals website in the world, once worth 6 billion dollars and considering an IPO. In November 2008, Groupon was launched with an identical business model. Even the two competitor websites did not truly differentiate themselves that much, outside of basic visual elements like colors and topography.

Yet, what Groupon understood better than anyone else was the power of compelling content.

They double-down and invested heavily in professional copywriters, recruiting every gifted writer they could find to provide deals listings that were compelling, funny, and long.

They were the first e-commerce site to understand, even before Amazon, the power of long-form copy. Fast forward to 2016 - Groupon buys LivingSocial for pennies on the dollar. Today, Groupon leads the market despite competing with other 600 daily deals sites .

Moral of the story. You can absolutely disrupt a crowded market. But you need to do one thing better than everyone else. And that comes from thoroughly studying your competitors.

     b. Team issues & conflicting priorities

There’s a good chance that you are building your app with a partner or with the help of a team. Either, you should expect some sort of conflicting priorities from some key members. If your team of developers breaks down, the road ahead will be a tough one and your will app will likely flop.

When you move forward with building a mobile app, you need to make sure you do it with people you can trust. Because there will be conflicts. And you need to be able to work well with those you choose to build an app with.

At Digital Authority Partners, the most successful app we’ve ever worked was led by two brothers with incredibly complementary personalities. There were many issues along the way, by they sorted them all out and the app is now worth a bit over $50 million (and we continue to work with them!).

This isn’t to say you should only build an app with members of your family. It simply means you need to build it with people you can trust and who will be there when times are tough or when you’re dealing with a lot of uncertainty.

     c. No idea how to monetize your app

Monetization woes cause most apps to fail.

After all, if you don’t have a well-defined road to profitability, your mobile app will sooner or later fail. Good thing, there are plenty of ways to monetize your creation.

You can run paid ads, offer paid subscriptions, provide in-app purchases/features or drive users to your e-commerce store/website.

Whatever it is, make sure to have a definite road-to-profitability strategy right from the outset. This will make your execution-level progress without any hitch.

     d. Cash shortages to take the app to the next stage

Your app will cost money to plan, design, develop, launch, market … the whole shebang.

If you run out of cash at the beginning, in the middle or even near the end, you are in for a big surprise.

Even after building and launching your app, you still need some money to tide your company over until profitability. That’s why it is important to have a conservative budget that’s well planned and generously funded.

Here’s a real life example. A client of ours spend 1 million on building an app. Then they came to us to market it. But they completely missed the market. He tried riding on the hype of mobile app development, without proper market research. In his industry, the majority of people using an app, did so to research the topic at hand, NOT to buy. The client went against our advice and launched the app. It tanked.

He then scrambled to find money to build a website. Eventually he did. But then he ran out of money to market the product.

The rule of thumb any investor will tell you is this: whatever your budget is, reserve 30% of it to marketing and growing your app. I would say 90% of our clients fail to do that and then they launch a great product but fail to market it adequately. The lucky ones secure funding from investors and they course correct the ship. The unlucky ones abandon the project. Always plan for a robust marketing budget or you won’t be able to take an app to the next stage.

4) Let’s talk about mobile app marketing

You have built an incredible app that’s capable of raking in money.

That’s all good and dandy, but if you don’t market it rigorously and offer effective support, it might still fail.

Typical app marketing failures that you need to avoid include:

      a. No clear cut marketing message

You should have a crystal-clear marketing message for your app.

Your marketing message, most notably the description copy, should tell your app story, highlight its best features, and how it stands out from the crowd.

If your marketing message isn’t clear enough, users will move on to the next app, leaving you high and dry. How to keep your marketing message on the up-and-up?

• Aim the message directly at your target customers
• Keep your message clear, concise and to the point
• Focus on the solution that your app offers.
• What’s in it for the target user?

If you are interested in mobile app marketing, you may also want to check out our comprehensive guide titled: A Step by Step Guide for Driving Android App Downloads

     b. Lack of reviews and ratings

It is customary for users to dig into reviews and check out user ratings before downloading a mobile app.

It makes sense because why would you want to download an app that hasn’t been tried, tested, and rated?

This can be particularly painful if your app is competing with other apps with lots of ratings and reviews.

Having many poor reviews and bad ratings can do you more harm than good.

It is not even uncommon for some apps to fail just because they could not garner enough ratings quick enough. To avoid this, start your app-install campaigns on a high gear and don’t be afraid to ask for reviews/ratings and make sure you have features that encourage users to share the app with their friends and family, rate your app in the app store and more.

      c. Unclear branding and differentiation from competitors

Your app needs to pop up in a crowd. It needs to differentiate itself from those of your rivals. If it is just another run-of-the-mill app on the market, you will be put in the back burner.

The same is true for unclear branding.

If you don’t have a well-defined and stand-out brand, your app will be at risk of failure. As such, you need to polish your app’s brand by defining your core values and principles that differentiate you from your rivals.

Why Build An App? - Top Reasons

Now that we’ve walked you through the main reasons why mobile apps fail, you may even be inclined to ask yourself: should I even build an app?

If you just look at the high costs and low success rates you may feel discouraged. So, why even build an app? There are plenty of reasons. Here are some of the top ones:

1) Improve & increase sales through mobile app development

In the digital age and era of instant-everything, the case for developing an app for your business is strong, but knowing that it will help you increase sales makes it even more appealing.

Developing a well-designed and user-friendly mobile app allows businesses to digitize their services and make them readily available on any mobile device.

If you own a brick-and-mortar or e-commerce store, for instance; it is a no-brainer to build a mobile store app. The app will provide you with yet another direct marketing channel. It would allows allow you to run geo-location based campaigns. Check out Sephora for example. They’ve built a companion app which users can take advantage off while inside the store. The app shows them past purchase history, provides product recommendations, limited offers only available on the mobile app and a lot more.

Other companies use mobile apps to show in-store price information, product descriptions, user accounts, feedback functionality, search filters, and so much more. However, nothing beats the fact that you can make your app a great place for users to find sales, promos, discounts, and other exciting offers. They’ll all be right there at their fingertips.

When it comes to using a mobile app to improve sales, numbers don’t lie: a mobile app is a great sales tool.

The number of unique mobile users has increased from 122.9 million in 2013 to close to 200 million at the end of 2018. Even better, mobile apps enjoy a 3x and 1.5x higher conversion rates than mobile websites and desktop respectively.

Mobile app users tend to view 4.6x more products than browsers of mobile websites. Talking of sales value, the average order value of mobile apps is 140 percent higher than mobile sites and 130 percent higher than desktop websites.

That being said, not having a mobile app could be hurting your sales. Given that mobile app users spend 2x as shoppers who make their shopping on mobile or desktop websites, this provides you with yet another chance to make more sales.

And you don't want to ignore the fact that 19 percent of all online retail sales in the United States are made on a mobile device.

2) Improve customer experience

Customers are now interested in immersive experiences more than ever before, especially when they are shopping.

They want to feel valued and appreciated. More importantly, they want to know that the brand behind a service or product is worthy of their money and attention. That’s where a well-defined mobile app strategy can come into the picture.

There are a ton of reasons why mobile apps do a bang-up job when it comes to enhancing overall customer experience. Let’s look at a few ways mobile redefines how brands provide added-value to their users through amazing mobile app strategies.

A mobile app makes it possible to provide the customer with a seamless shopping experience . The purchasing process can be made effortless by using one-click payment options, SMS confirmations, push notifications, and other mobile elements that will deliver a best-in-class customer experience.

Mobile apps allow for next-level personalization . Delivering a top-notch customer experience is all about personalization. This can be achieved by engaging the user throughout the purchasing process.

Loyalty perks : loyalty benefits like cash back, discounts, freebies, special promo codes, and flash sales are what make for great customer experience. All of these can be achieved with greater outcomes on a mobile app, encouraging the customer to keep coming back. Running a loyalty program easy and hassle-free on an app.

Leverage p ush notifications to the fullest extent allowed : this is the little-known secret to boosting user and customer experience using mobile apps.

However, you don’t want to bombard the user with constant pop-ups and push notifications. They can be annoying and might coerce the user to uninstall your app. Relevant push notifications can revolutionize how engaged users are with your brand. And don’t forget - push notifications are clicked on (technically tapped on) more than ANY other channel. The click through rate for push notifications is 7.9% according to a recent study based on notifications sent to 900 million users.

3) Become competitive in the market

65% of all small businesses (including your competitors) have already built a mobile app.

Why would you want to be left behind in an increasingly competitive business environment?

Mobile app development gives you a chance to either stay ahead of the curve (read: your slow-to-mobile competitors) or catch up with those who already have an app.

4) Create a direct marketing channel

It is always an excellent idea to have every potential strategy in your marketing toolkit - and having a mobile app is a good addition.

The odds are that you are struggling to show ROI for your email marketing, paid ads, TV ads, print, and other digital marketing channels.

Building an app helps you create a direct marketing channel. It’s, therefore, a strategy that will pay for itself sooner than later.

5) Engage customers better

Having a mobile-ready site used to be enough to keep mobile users engaged.

That’s no longer the case.

You need a mobile app to provide users with better engagement and communication avenues.

It doesn’t matter what you are products or services are, your customers must have an effective way of getting in touch with you. That’s exactly what a mobile app can offer.

Incorporate a help desk, feedback or live chat feature within your mobile app.

These features can make a huge difference in the way your business interacts, connects and communicates with the customer.

A customer-centric mobile app is a phone, text messaging app, email, and chat box, all rolled into one.

6) Boost brand awareness and recognition

If done right, an app can do wonders for your company’s brand awareness.

Remember that your app is much akin to an empty billboard sign. You can perk it up with educative content, make it stylish or engaging.

Whatever the case, you want your app to be something that users will love and cherish. But, more crucially, make sure that your mobile app is superbly designed, stunning-looking, and well branded.

A good app can also take your recognition to a whole new and exciting level.

The more your app gets used and downloaded, the more familiar your brand/products/services will become among your ideal customers. In the ad world, this what is known as “effective frequency.” As a rule of thumb, if the users can see your product or interact with your brand more than 20x, they will become easily recognizable to them.

How To Build a Successful App. A 12-step Process

So far in this article, we’ve talked about why apps fail and why you should build a mobile app. We chose this structure because I am a firm believer that this is how you should approach building an app.

First - understand why others have failed. When the knowledge on what causes failure, you are more likely to avoid it. I’ve built Digital Authority Partners from scratch with only two people around the dinner table. Along the way, I’ve made a lot of mistakes. Many of these mistakes would have been avoidable if I had known the pitfalls of running an agency. I didn’t know them - very few agency owners talk about lessons learned - so i had to make these mistakes on my own and then learn from it.

The first section of this article is nothing more than a collection of failures we have seen first-hand with many of our clients. Learn from them - and avoid them if you can.

Second - I walked you through the benefits of building an app. How an app can improve your bottom line is critical to your success. You don’t build an app just because everyone else does it. You build an app because mobile is a channel that can attract new customers, improve your relationship with your current customers  or it improves your operational efficiency.

Before you build an app - you need to answer that for yourself: which customer-centric key performance indicator will my app address? What is my desired reach in terms of current and potential customers? And will my app be better than the apps of all my competitors?

Armed with this knowledge, you can now begin the process of really immersing yourself in the twelve steps outlined below which all successful apps have in common!

Let’s get to them.

Section A: The fundamentals of an expert mobile app strategy

Step 1: Value proposition

Your app shouldn’t be an exact copy of your website or e-commerce store.

It should offer much more than information and run-of-the-mill features to the user. That’s because of a simple reality. Downloading an app is, dare I say, an intimate act. As a user, you take the time to download an app on your most personal device in hopes it can produce value to yourself in the long term. There’s nothing more personal than that!

Because getting an app download isn’t easy, you need to create a unique, simple and compelling value proposition for your new digital product.

A well-executed value proposition is what makes your app stand out in a sea of choice.

How is your app different from other similar apps?

What are the benefits that your app will bring to users?

How will the app make the lives of the user better, more enjoyable, etc?

You need to hold a brainstorming session with your partners or strategic consulting team to come up with your unique value proposition.

Not just that, you should write down exactly how your app will solve a specific problem, then move on to brainstorm about what makes your brand unique, who your target market is, and how you will position your app in the market to maximize downloads and engagement rates. Your value proposition statement should also touch on your niche and how you stack up against competitors.

While it might sound like it, your Unique Value Proposition (UVP) is not a statement, a catchphrase or a catchy slogan for your app.

The UVP must clearly and concisely describe what customers get out of using your app that they won’t get through any other channels. There are 4 core attributes of an amazing unique value proposition:

• Clear - it should be free of corporate jargon
• Benefits-focused - it should tell your app’s benefits
• Unique - clearly lay out what makes your app different from your competitors’
• Concise - a user should understand your app’s value prop in an explanation that takes no more than 10-15 seconds to present.

Still a little hazy? Here are some of the UVPs that will drive the point and truly inspire yours:

Let’s start with coffeeshop giant, Starbucks.

Their customers can use the Starbucks app to pay in the store, earn stars or even order ahead of getting to the store. This way, they can skip the line (phew! Have you seen Starbucks line in the morning?) This is an incredible value to the customer because the app helps them save at least 15  minutes of their busy mornings. Wouldn’t you install such a time-saving app? The benefit to Starbucks is two-prong : (1) it encourages more app installs, and (2) increases foot traffic to their locations.

Another wonderful example is Uber.

“Tap the app, get a ride”. The value proposition here is providing customers with extreme convenience. The name of the app -  uber - in and of itself communicates much of their value proposition. Why does it win? First, the app makes it possible for a user to get a rideshare with one tap. Second, payment for the ride is cashless and only takes one tap. And, thirdly, the driver already knows where you are heading two. That’s like killing three birds with one stone!

"On Bumble, ladies always go first"  is a real class act. Why? It proposes a fresh approach to online dating, away from the popular “swipe right” or “swipe left.” Secondly, the app empowers its target customer, the millennial lady. Most importantly, it touches on the app user’s pain point, which in this case, is an online dating world that’s dominated by men.

Step 2: Market research and SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats) analysis to determine viability

SWOT analysis is a strategic planning session designed to help any company or entrepreneur identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats tied to a specific business idea. The goal of a SWOT analysis is to uncover “unexpected” surprises tied to a project before you invest lots of time and money in it.

Performing a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats) before creating a mobile app is a crucial step. Unfortunately, 99% of app makers never bother with this.

SWOT helps you validate the concept first - before you spend money, effort and time on it. As such it is the most important step to prevent that big ‘Only if I had known earlier’ moment later.

How does SWOT analysis help you achieve better mobile app development outcomes?

It should be noted that a SWOT analysis doesn’t actually offer a true solution to what app exactly you should build. Nonetheless, it helps you find and analyze the overarching problems affecting your mobile strategy or idea.

Strengths - By understanding the strengths of your mobile app idea, you can answer important questions about your strategy. What are the key benefits that your app will deliver to your ideal users? Will it eventually lead to a sale or an action that will improve your bottom-line? How is your app better than your competitors? What your app’s unique appeal?

Weaknesses - This encompasses limitations and hurdles that put your app at a disadvantage on the market. However, the analysis should help you identify these weak points so you can devise ways of turning them into advantages. By engaging in this step, you can anticipate failures and plan how to avoid them accordingly.

Opportunities - Take a close look and your strengths and weaknesses, and think how you can transform them into improvements and new opportunities. The good news is that opportunities in the mobile app development are a dime a dozen.

Think about: what are your competitor's weaknesses that you can exploit? What's trending in another niche that you can duplicate the success in your own niche?

Threats - When developing a successful app, you must be able to deter any threat. That’s why this phase of the SWOT analysis is all-important. To identify your potential threats, ask yourself these crucial questions: How do your rivals deter their threats? Is your app prepared to take on challenges brought about by technology changes, market shifts, and changes in consumer behavior?

You must also invest in market research before spending a large amount of time and money in building an app. Is the market ready? Who are the top competitors? What are the threats?

Great market research not only educates one about the state of the market but also sheds light on hidden opportunities that others may not have looked at. Once the market data is in, start planning a course of action

Step 3: Outlining the goals of your mobile app

Setting well-defined goals is an indispensable part of the mobile app development journey.

It is at this point that you will set your priorities and determine a clear course of action for the next several weeks or months. These goals will tell you where you are currently, where you want to be and how to get there.

What are the primary goals of your mobile app? How do you know if the goals you are setting are the right ones?

Here are a few tips that might come in handy when outlining your mobile app development goals.

First, list the three or four most important ways your ideal users will interact with your app. Make sure these goals are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound) and in line with your overall  business objectives.

Second, spend half a day brainstorming the actions that users will perform within the app at launch. Through this exercise, your goal is to map out what the user journey is within the app, the primary use-cases and what you want your ideal users to achieve when they interact with your product.

Examples of these actions would be defining the registration process (or lack of!), the primary action you want the user to take within the app, high level notifications strategy, whether a user will use a geolocation feature or not etc.

Next up, you have to define the KPIs to measure the success of these goals.

I n simple terms, what actions will users take within the app that you will consider a success? This could be things like making a purchase, completing a task, returning to the app X times during a specific time period, engage with your content. Here’s a simple formula to follow: ‘My ideal customer will do this task, so many times during the week. If that happens, this app is a success.”

In addition, you need to define specific metrics you need to track. Let’s take a specific example. Say you are an online shop and have launched a mobile app. Yes, you’ll want to track conversion rates (how many purchases are made through the app).

But there’s a LOT of other metrics out there you should also track.

Things like:

How often do people use the app?

How many app visits until a purchase is made?

When do people abandon your app?

How many people download the app but don’t register?

What’s my app churn rate (people who don’t use the app over a period of time)?

There’s an endless supply of questions - and analytics - you need to track users’ actions and collect data about their behavior inside your app.

Other standard KPIs include app open rate, uninstalls, session rates, monthly active users (MAU), daily active users (DAU), number of unique new users, daily/monthly downloads, session length, and so forth.

Lastly but not least, take a peek over the fence. Take a closer look at the great mobile app in the market (preferably within your niche), and learn what and how they do things well.

Here’s a simple example of a task we do during the discovery process at Digital Authority Partners when we get a new customer who wants to build an app.

We simply identify the main competitors and then have an analysts review 50-100 app reviews for each competitor.

We then create a report which shows what competitors do well, what they don’t do at all and what they can improve on. That report is then used to define the set of features our client should include in their new app.

Step 4: Brainstorm the primary app use cases and ideal user types

Once you have documented the primary goals of your app, start defining the primary use cases for your new app. Use cases are great for user engagement and overall usability.

Don’t try to define EVERY single use case imaginable. Start with the primary goals only.

Let’s take the Starbucks mobile app as an example. The primary use cases for the Starbucks app are the following:

• Starbucks users can quickly pay using their app in store.
• Starbucks users can order on their app and pick up in store.
• Starbucks users can monitor & redeem rewards using the app.
• Starbucks users can be notified of upcoming deals and discounts via the app.

Of course, the Starbucks app does a LOT more than this (see purchase history, listen to Spotify playlists curated by Starbucks, see rewards history, learn about new Starbucks drinks, add money to their app, manage gift cards, find stores, receive/ buy Starbucks cards as gifts etc).

But what’s important to realize is that the primary use cases outlined above are clear, actionable, easy to understand. And all other features are built to support the primary purchasing experience.

That said, do not clutter the app with everything for everyone. Rather, build it for a specific set of use cases meant for a specific group of people and perfect those.

Here’s the holy grail behind expert mobile app development initiatives. You build an app which your ideal users can make a mental connection to, a connection that is simple and memorable. Practically, you want a user to think this: ‘I go to this app to do this one thing, any time I need it.’  

The most successful apps ALL do this. I go to Candy Crash to decompress for a few minutes. I go to Uber to get a ride. I go to Amazon to buy stuff. I go to Snapseed to quickly edit my photos. I go to Grubhub to order good. I go to Facebook to see what my friends are up to. I go to TikTok to see some super short videos and have fun.

Do you see how a mental connection is made, in my mind, in relation to the apps mentioned above? And guess what - all these apps have tens of millions of users. Because they’ve successfully created a mental association between one task and their app. And everything else builds on top of that primary use case!

So, apply this recipe to your own mobile app. Determine which users will be your primary audience and solve one primary problem they may have.

Additionally, invest time in creating app user segmentation. In other words, various users will do different things within your app based on their motivation, frequency of using the app and a LOT of other factors.  

How To Segment Your App Users (High Level Ideas)

A unique article can be created only on the topic of app user segmentation. That’s not the point of the current article. So look at the various user app segmentation as being just a quick way to look at users and by no means, a comprehensive list.

App segmentation is one of the primary strategies tied to mobile app analytics. If you are interested in the topic of app analytics, you can also check out the other resources we’ve put together over time.

User Experience Optimization Through A/B and Multivariate Testing The 2021 Mobile App Marketing Guide with 25 Pro Tips

And you can also check out the Analytics Services Page from Digital Authority Partners . It must also be noted that app segmentation is not something that can ‘happen’ overnight or something that is typically an out of the box functionality. Instead, companies and entrepreneurs need to leverage analytics solutions that can collect and report on these metrics. Digital Authority Partners is a certified partner for analytics solutions like Mixpanel (see our joint press release here ) and Amplitude.

In the meantime, here are four standard metrics tied to app user segmentation you should keep a close eye on:

1. By device info

You can segment users based on device details such as the type (tablet, smartphone, etc), OS version (iOS, Android or Windows), and the type of hardware (Samsung S10, iPhone XS, etc.) This is a crucial segmentation criteria because user experience and app engagement rates typically vary from device to device.

2. By geographical location

This is a no-brainer segmentation approach.

You’d want to drill down on your users’ behavior based on their geographical information like country, city, town, zip code area, state, and so forth. This is will be especially useful if you intend to offer location-specific features and functionalities.

3. By user info

Who's your app's audience?  How'd you categorize them on available information?  Are they attendees, visitors, employees, consumers, members, fans, leads, partners, B2B clients, B2C customers, etc.

Don't just stop there.

Specific app usage information like language setting, use frequency, if they have enable push notification, etc can come in handy when segmenting  global audience.

4. By user behavior

How users interact with your app should be at the core of your mobile app strategy.

What is the average session duration for your users?

How many days does the user take between opening, making a purchase, etc.?

What do users tap on within your app?

How long does it take until a user converts?

How do users react when you release updates to your app?

Better user segmentation translates into a better app and better marketing strategy. Think of this section as planning how to engage users. There will be another section on how to actually engage them.

The questions above, by no means exhaustive when it comes to app analytics, related to specific tangible behaviors user can exhibit within an app. Asking these - and many other questions - upfront and setting us the right tracking to turn data into insights is absolutely mandatory if you want your app to succeed.

Step 5: Have a clear grasp on your app’s monetization model

An app cannot succeed unless it becomes self-sustaining. And to become self-sustaining, it needs to make money.

So, the bigger question is: how will you monetize your app when most users are used to free apps?

A proper monetization model is critical to ensure the long term longevity of the app.

When all is said and done, however, your monetization strategy should take two things into consideration:

• User intent
• Your users' journey using your app

Here at Digital Authority Partners, we rarely advise clients to force users to pay to download the app. This model MAY work for some games, but it rarely works for everyone else.

Creating a sound monetization strategy is a fine balancing act to ensure the app makes optimal revenue while not pushing away potential users by becoming too expensive.

With that said, there  are several different monetization models you can adopt. The most common and revenue-generating models include:

Model #1. Pay per download

Let’s face it; paid downloads is a monetization approach that only works for highly sought-after mobile apps.

The idea behind this model is pretty simple and straightforward: whenever a user downloads your app, they will part with a fee which is often upfront or paid after a free trial period ends.

This is the easiest and the least complicated way to earn from your sweat.

After all, the higher the fee and the more the paid downloads made, the more your app revenue.

Needless to say, pricing the app wrongly can impact negatively on the number of downloads and hence revenue.

Check out this report regarding revenue from Candy Crush ,  one of the top freemium apps in the world. Candy Crush is free for all to play but they charge for upgrades and special powers. They made $2.16 billion in 2020.

To put this in perspective, in the paid app report above, all Android developers in 2013 made a combined 900 million in revenue. Last year, one single app, Candy Crush, made more money through a freemium model than ALL Android developers.

Freemium model is ALWAYS preferred.

Model #2. Ad revenue

This is the go-to monetization model for most app developers, and with good reason.

In-app ad revenue is a great way to keep your app free for the users and still remain afloat.

You just to be careful about what types of ads you run in your app. Generally, there are 3 types of in-app ads for generating revenue: (1) Cost per Action (CPA), Cost per Click (CPC) and Cost per Thousand Impression (CPM).

If you are looking for UX-friendly ad type, go for CPM.

While the revenue tends to be on the lower end, CPM ads are usually less intrusive and not annoying, offering a better user experience.

You can choose to run native ads, banner ads, interstitials or list ads. Whatever your choice, stay away from lewd, irrelevant or low-quality ads that will paint your app in a bad light.

Here’s an example of an app which has implemented an ad revenue model BETTER than any app I currently use.

It is a puzzle game called Two Dots . Two dots, in many ways is similar to Candy Crush and all Candy Crush wannabes. Occasionally (definitely not every time!) before the beginning of a specific level I get this message: I’m referring to the message which says: ‘watch a video for a free Booster Box!’

If I tap on that button, I have to watch an annoying ad, usually less than 30 seconds, but I get a power-up. I’ve probably watch hundreds of these short ads so far. As a user, I get something tangible out of this. As a company, Two Dots likely makes 5-10 cents of me. It’s not huge revenue, but they are making money. According to one estimate , Two Dots makes ~700k / month through this model and through the in-app purchase options.

Model #3. Freemium features - upgrade to use premium feature or to remove ads

An ad seen on the app called Browser which allows users to surf the internet in private mode and download any video from youtube and other video storage websites. Every time a user returns to the app, an ad is played as seen in this screenshot.

This monetization model usually goes hand in hand with the in-app ad model.

The freemium model is simple.

A user can download a mobile app for free but the user would see ads interrupting their experience from time to time. You can happily get rid of the ads in their apps for a small fee. If you intend to go down this road, you will have to create at least two versions of your app. First one will feature ads and free to use. The other one will be a paid version that’s free of ads (this is what developers call a premium app).

Model #4. In-app purchases

Above, a screenshot of in-app purchase options for Candy Crush Saga

In-app purchases account for the biggest portion of app revenue.  In fact, it accounts for around 47 percent of the worldwide revenue generated from apps.

The good thing is that the in-app purchase feature can be incorporated with other monetization models like paid downloads, in-app ads, etc.

Model #5. Affiliate programs

Joining an affiliate program to promote network products, services or solutions is yet another great way to monetize your app.

There are plenty of credible app affiliate programs run by companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Google.

These are usually the ones that’ll pay you handsome money to promote an array of apps, but there are smaller affiliate programs you can join and rake in some income too.

The idea behind this monetization model is that you’ll earn a recurring commission when the user takes an action.

Model #6. Hybrid

If one or more monetization approaches deliver good results, why not combine the best of their worlds?

That’s right; you can create a hybrid monetization strategy that may bring revenue- generating ways like in-app purchases, mobile marketing automation, freemium features, affiliation and so forth under one roof.

Parting Shot: building a free app might be an amazing idea because the long-term ROI would be incredibly high. That said, you need to plan to stay afloat before the app becomes profitable and it is equally  important that you have a strong marketing strategy and budget right from day one.

Section B: Getting to business - planning

Once you’ve decided your ideal target audience, outlined the overall mobile app strategy and decided on a robust monetization model and analytics framework, the real fun is about to begin. You are now in a position to make tactical yet incredibly powerful decisions around actually building the app.

Step 6: Determine the framework of the app

When you are ready to get down to business, you ought to plan for the quickest turnaround possible.

That’s why determining the framework and planning your app make for the most important steps in the mobile app development process. There are several basic steps to doing so:

     a. Decide which platform is right for you

Right from the start, you have to decide if you are going to build an Android app only, iOS app only, Windows app only, two or all three. Hint, virtually no one build a Windows app anymore.

The kind of platform you are building the app for will determine several elements of your final product, including features to include, how to optimize user experiences, how to monetize, and how to structure your pre-launch marketing campaigns.

Your use cases will also determine which kind of app you will need to build.

For example, what if you are an e-commerce store?

It’s a smart move to build apps for at least iOS and Android to cater to the largest percentage of the smartphone user population.

     b. Native or hybrid?

You’ll also have to decide if your app will be native, 3rd-party, carrier-specific or hybrid. This decision will have a huge bearing on the number and the type of functionality you will eventually incorporate into your app.

Hybrid versus native is a discussion for another time and it fully deserves its own article. However, high level, here’s the main differences.

Native apps are faster (better performance) and easier to discover in the app store. They can fully leverage a smartphone’s native features (geo-location, camera, address book etc) and easily work in an offline mode (when you lose reception). That said, they’re more expensive because they have completely different code bases between iOS and Android. They have better security and better user experience.

Hybrid apps are cheaper to build, leverage one code base across iOS and Android but continue to have difficulties fully leveraging native components on a smartphone. On the other hand, the time to market is significantly faster to make.

There’s a lot of pros and cons to both approaches and it all comes down to one thing: what’s the most important key performance indicator when you’re launching the app to market. That should drive the decision on what kind of app to build.

     c. Plan your technology stack

At this stage, you should brainstorm with your team on the array of mobile app development technologies that will be leveraged to build your app.

This way, you can plan the technology stack that will ensure maximum return on investment while an eye on the future.

While SDK tools offered by app stores might come in handy, they can be a little restrictive which is why you need to think about a set of scalable technology that will allow you to build a seamless app for all target devices and platforms.

How will they help integrate your app with both public and private cloud servers?

But most importantly, the technology stack is the backbone of your entire app because everything else you will build for this app will fall on the decisions made when choosing the tech stack.

Having a great team here cannot be underestimated. This is actually where we see most issues with clients who come to us asking for a ‘quick fix’ for their app. Code codes that look like spaghetti code, complex and unsustainable APIs. Great technology stacks and app architectures are neatly organized, well built and modular. Horrible tech stacks are convoluted, make no sense and have no documentation you can reference when trying to make sense of it.

So take the time and work with a development team that understand app architecture well. Trust me, if you don’t, you will pay tenfold later.  

     d. Plan your app data strategy

What sets of data do you plan to collect when the app hits the App Store?

Remember, no app can be a do-all solution.

That’s why you need to know which data will be made available through your app right off the bat.

After all, including too much data into a single app can be a huge mistake in terms of sustenance, functionality, and user experience. They can be especially hard to navigate and security a diversity of user-provided data can also become quite tricky.

In addition, it’s not enough to know which data will be available on your app, you will have to decide how you will protect and leverage this information in your crucial business decisions and app improvement.

Have a data handling strategy planned right out of the block.

Step 7: Working with the right team

When it comes to mobile app development, you are only  as good as the team around you. That’s why it is very important to round up a team of top-notch app designers, developers, strategists, and other key experts who will ensure your product will not only stand out but also take the market by storm.

The right team can make, while the wrong team will break it.

Remember that people are key to mobile app development.

Most importantly, you need to collaborate and hire people who know what they are doing.

Who to include in your team?

There are some positions that are indispensable when it comes to developing a killer app.

At a minimum, your team should include talented mobile developers to code, product managers to lead the way for the team and drive the vision/strategy of the app into reality, and designers to create the app's UI and spruce up the UX.

That being said, here are some factors that will help you zero in on team members who will certainly do a bang-up job:

Start with the skill set that’s right for your app and target market

Choose the people with the right skills that will position the app for a long time success.

While there are myriads of skills that make for a great app development team, here are the topmost ones to keep in mind:

UX/UI - User experience and user interface are two key elements will wow and amaze your users or disappoint them - usually, there’s very little in between.

If the UI and UX of your app are shoddy, you will definitely have a tough time finding or retaining users.

That's why you need team members who are UX/UI-focused. The people who know what it takes to craft a truly user-friendly app.

Product management - This is a skill that will help transform your ideas into an incredibly lovable app. This member will act as a liaison between all the stakeholders involved in building the app, the proverbial jack of all traders. A development team without a product manager will falter along the way when issues like conflicts of interest, changing priorities, lack of direction and strategy.

Scrum management - any agile team needs a scrum manager. This is especially important for situations where there's a lot of back and forth between various team members and the development team. The scrum master also acts as your default project manager, shepherding the project along the way and making sure everything is done on time and on budget.

Design - Your app will be going up against remarkable beautiful and easy to use apps on the app market. That's why you need A-level designers to take care of the feel and look of the app.

Business analysis - Creating an actionable mobile app strategy requires great business analysis skills. This person will put the app vision into perspective and help map your objectives into development roadmap for the development team. This team member will also spend a lot of his or her time on market research, competitive analysis, feature set documentation and much more.

QA testing - Testing your app several times during the development and final phase will help deliver a truly market-ready product. That's why you need experts who are conversant with industry standards of QA testing.

Technical app development skills - these are the most important ones to take into consideration. After all, it is a team of developers/coders who will actually hammer out the app. Good developers are well versed in modern coding languages, cloud infrastructure, cross-platform skills, data integration, cloud integration, security integration, and much more.

Who will build your app?

Decide if the app is to be built in-house or by working with an external vendor. Whichever road you choose, be sure to do due diligence before putting together your team or contracting an external vendor.

Step 8: Define the product roadmap and detailed requirements

A strategically built product lasts forever.

And a mobile app will only be successful if it has a well-planned product roadmap.

This is a plan which maps out both the short term and long term goals of your app.

More specifically, your product roadmap will help define your app vision, as well as act as a blueprint for the execution of your mobile app development strategy.

In most cases, the roadmap will help clarify the overall app development strategy to vendors, investors, clients, and other key stakeholders.

Once you have your goals set, you can easily create a product roadmap. Ensure that your goals are clearly defined and easily measurable, which means that you need to have some metrics and KPIs in place.

Let’s quickly talk about minimum viable product

What is the minimum viable product (MVP)? Is it good enough to pique users’ interest? That’s exactly what a good product would help you achieve.

A minimum viable product refers to a set of features and functionalities that are enough to make your app successful at launch. An MVP is manageable, realistic and only covers features you simply cannot go to production without.

In other words, the MVP should be structured in such a way that it helps you build only the app features most closely aligned with your primary objectives and goals.

In addition, your definition of MVP should be data-centric.

An app-driven MVP roadmap delivers better outcomes. Implementing the right data analytics will help you establish your team’s success right from the outset.

For your MVP, it would be wise to focus on a small set of essential metrics.

Your final product, however, should encompass metrics like UX, featured usage, customer churn, user retention, UX, adoption rates, and product quality, just to mention a few.

Section C: Bringing the concept to life - and executing it

If you have reached this point, and done everything we covered in this article so far, then you’re in an amazing shape.

I will let you in on a little secret.

The eight steps above are the single most difficult and nerve-wrenching part of building an app. And by default, the most important.

Everything else we talk about below is a breeze to execute if the previous eight steps were done correctly.

Let’s carry on with the ‘fun part’ of building an app

Step 9: Mobile app designs that wow users

The usability and design of the app will either make users come back to your app or make them uninstall the app right after the first use.

There are many things to keep in mind when designing an app that’ll resonate well with the end user.

Great apps are not complex to use. In fact, far from it.

They are easy and simple to use.

But simple design is the toughest form of design. Nonetheless, that should be your goal first and foremost.

Try to imagine why you want to design the app and why you are looking to achieve.

What exactly do you want your app to look like and do?

How will you ensure that your app will pique the user's interest?

What's the solution do you want to offer with your app?

How will your app stand out in terms of design?

Determine the style of your app. Work with your creative team on the design guidelines that fully align with goal of your app.  Go for a style that will help your app set itself apart from the rest.

In addition, keep cognitive loads to a minimum. Remember that the user’s brain has a limited processing power and you shouldn’t subject them to cognitive or information overload (by which you mean your users will become easily frustrated if they can’t figure out, at a glance, how to use your app).

This is an area of design that you need to get a handle on to prevent users from being overwhelmed. If they do, they will most likely abandon your app.

Create and test multiple design ideas until there is one that is the right concept. Then build on it. The design process should be all about feedback, refining, and repeat. If you leave your users hanging, you will likely design an app that will be a pain to use.

Step 10: Develop the app

Your app designs is looking great and you’re rocking that invision prototype. Now what? Of course, the next step is to build the actual app.

Start with a prototype to ensure that the app is indeed what was planned. Build the flow that will be most used and test it. Ensure that it is an embodiment of the concept. Once the prototype is successfully tested, move ahead with the full development process.

Be ready to make adjustments quickly as the app starts taking shape.

The later in the development stage, the more complex it becomes to make changes. So, design an app architecture that is flexible, while still being scalable (this goes back to the point above regarding choosing the right technology stack).

Of course, there are a few key mistakes that you need to avoid at all costs to ensure that your app building process is hitch-free:

     a. Not keeping security top of mind

In today's digital world plagued with data security breaches, you need to build your app with security at the heart of everything. It is a fact of life that hackers and other ill-reputed cyber-criminals will go above and beyond to crack your app.

Does your app have the necessary security framework to be impenetrable? Have TLS, SSL and AES encryption technology in place to keep your mobile app hacker-proof.

     b. Not building your app with expansion top of mind

The chances are that you are building your app with specific users in mind.

That's all good, but the actual architecture of your app should be crafted with global audiences in mind. Remember that your app should be built in a way that it easy to scale in order to accommodate growth and expansion.

Step 11: Test, test, then test your app again

Test, test, and test should be your mobile app development mantra.

And let’s be candid - after putting in countless hours of effort and hard work into building a great app, the last thing you want to see is a barrage of negative user reviews and ratings.

You need to come up with a proper app testing strategy and follow it to the dot.

What makes a solid app testing strategy?

Your QA testing strategy should align with a number of your goals, including customer expectations, business goals, the user experience, as well as industry best practices.

It should take care of all aspects of the app, including data requirements battery usage, app speed, memory usage and so forth.

Be religious about testing the app at every opportunity.

Bugs are one of the top reasons why customers choose to delete apps, or not use them any longer.

In addition, consider all target user personas. Drill your app tests down to the last user. There are several different app user personas, and you need to test for all of them. You will also have to think about technical users, those who speak different languages, different age groups, those with accessibility issues, and so forth.

Keep your tests fresh and data-driven. More importantly, keep updating the text plan to include new test cases and modify older ones as the app keeps evolving.

Furthermore,  as a rule of thumb, a great app test should take into account every possible way the user will use the app.

It should also consider unusual use cases. What happens when they swipe with two fingers instead of one, or vice versa? What if a user exits the app by mistake? It is crucial to map your entire mobile app to test every use case/scenario.

In addition, conduct tests on every relevant device.

Once the app is launched, start with alpha and beta testing to ensure the expert users are good with the end product, before launching to the masses.

By the way, there are at least two approaches to after-launch app testing: manual or automated.

Automated app testing is ideal when your app is still in development. However, it can be costly. If that’s an issue for you, manual testing might appeal to your lean budget.

Usability testing - The fundamental functionalities of your app are tested at this point. Usability tests include UI testing, compatibility testing, external factors testing, and ADA compliance testing.

Performance testing is another crucial component of the QA process that you need to conduct to establish how your app stacks in terms of power management, memory use, and scalability.

Finally, don't forget to perform compliance and security testing. If you are building a telehealth app, for instance; you need to be compliant with a series of industry regulations like HIPAA, HITRUST , ISO, etc. You should also test the security readiness of your app.

Once all the tests are over, you should have a comprehensive and highly detailed report that entails:

• Quality of testing report
• Important info revealed by the tests
• App quality
• Incident report stats
• All types of testing done and time each took

At this point, you should have plenty of insights and information to leverage to improve your app before launch or for the next iteration.

Step 12: Launch, learn and optimize. Have proper support in place

The final step of the mobile app development process is finally here. You are finally ready to deploy it.

This  step will ensure that your launch will be a breeze and hassle-free.

Your launch date is not just for building buzz and getting your app on the store. It should provide you with an opportunity to carry out user a plethora of interviews, collect feedback, and get ready for the next step: iteration.

You’ll need a good post-launch strategy and plan. Yes, life after launching your app should be bliss, but that isn’t always the case.

Here’s a checklist for creating an awesome post-launch plan:

     a. Obtain user feedback

The user is king. So, listen carefully to what users are saying, especially about the first impression and use of your app. At this stage, you should ramp up your user ratings and reviews - they are the most valuable and reliable sources of user feedback to help inform your next step.

     b. Gather app data

Churn rate, user satisfaction rate, sales, revenue, the average duration of a user session, daily active users, monthly active users, and the number of installs are some of the data metrics that you need to analyze to get a better understanding of your app usage and acceptance.

     c. Invest in a comprehensive analytics tool

Great analytics tools will allow for the complete monitoring of your app and give a clear picture of how well the app is doing with the target audiences. More crucially, look at and understand the numbers and then take the right steps to optimize the app.

     d. Market, market, market your mobile app

Let everyone know that you have launched a fantastic app. Use all marketing channels and resources your marketing dollars can afford. Strategies like content, SEO, and ASO will cost you virtually nothing yet they deliver great results. If you got to this point, read out comprehensive article on The 2021 Mobile App Marketing Guide with 25 Pro Tips .

     e. Get award-worthy mobile app support

Another pitfall of many apps is minimal or zero support.

Invest in mobile app support.

The better the experience users have after they download your app, the more likely they will be to recommend the app to others.

And support plays a big role in that experience. You should provide users will great support 24/7. This way, you can get your app off the ground on the right foot with the users.

Round Up: Why Quality App Building Matters

It is not an impossible task to translate a great idea into a great app. There’s a ton to be said about developing a great app. It’s a very precise job.

There are several pitfalls between an initial concept and when an app becoming successful. But with a proper strategy, the right people, the correct processes, and a clear plan to grow, these pitfalls can be avoided.

These pitfalls that can happen at any stage or level of mobile app development, including these top four:

Strategy level: bad/lack of market research, improper planning of execution stages, and lack of clearly defined goals are a few reasons why your app is set to fail right from the strategy level.

Design and software development level: Lack of a robust QA testing strategy, bad app design, back tech stack or improperly implemented technology, and poor execution could kill your app before it is built.

Execution level: You mobile app can fail at the stage due to a number of reasons, including teams issues when there are conflicting priorities, too much competition/heat from similar apps on the app, cash shortages that make it hard to take your app to the next level, and if you have no clue on how to monetize your app.

Support and marketing level - Having no crystal-clear marketing message, lack or no user ratings/reviews, unclear branding, and lack of differentiation from competitors can plague your app at the support and marketing level.

So, why build an app when the above reasons can be so deterrent? As we have seen in this guide, there are plenty of reasons to build a mobile app. These include the following:

An app can help you increase sales - with 19 percent of retail sales coming from

mobile, an app can help you tap into this increasingly important consumer base. After all, mobile apps deliver 3x more conversions than mobile sites.

Improve customer experiences (UX) - a well-defined app can help you meet your customers where they need you most: mobile. Building a user-friendly app will also improve your customers shopping and purchasing experiences.

Become competitive on the market - 65 percent of SMEs and all big companies already have (or are in the process of building) an app. Build one to stay competitive.

Deliver excellence through another amazing channel - an app is a marketing and sales tool that can do wonders for your customer acquisition, pleasing, loyalty and retainment.

Better customer engagement - an app with a feedback mechanism, live chat feature or a help desk, as well as interactive features like push notification can do wonders for your customer engagement.

Boost recognition and brand awareness - the more users open your app, the more recognizable your app will be. Ensure that your app is stylish and loaded with engaging content to promote your brand and boost credibility and trust.

Building the actual app is no easy walk in the park. As we’ve mentioned above, you need to follow 12 key steps to make the whole process easy and successful.

Summary for App Building Essentials

Step #1. Value proposition - Create a unique value proposition for the app. How is it different from other similar apps, the benefits it will bring to users, how it will make their lives better, etc.

Step #2. Market Research and SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats) Analysis To Determine the viability of your product.

Validate the concept first, then invest in market research before spending a large amount of time and money on building an app. Is the market ready? Who are the top competitors? What are the threats? Once the market data is in, start planning a course of action.

Step #3. Outline your app goals. List the 3-4 most important goals of the app that will determine how users will interact with the app. Next, brainstorm the actions that users will perform within the app. Don’t forget to define the right key performance indicators to measure success, and look at the great apps in the market to learn how they do things well.

Step #4. Brainstorm the primary use cases of your app and which users to target. In doing so, do not clutter the app with everything for everyone. Rather, launch with a specific set of use cases meant for a clearly-defined group of people.

Step #5. Create a monetization model. A proper monetization model is critical to ensure the long term longevity of the app.

Step #6. Determine the framework of the app. At this stage, you need to decide if the app is going to be on iOS, on Android, or both. Also, plan your technology stack to ensure maximum return on investment while keeping an eye on the future.

Step #7. Build the perfect development team. The right team can make the make, the wrong team will break it. Choose product managers, designers, developers, amazing developers and gifted QA analysts.

Step #8. Define the product roadmap of your app. Don’t forget to define a detailed set of requirements for your app. What is the Minimum Viable Product (MVP)? Is it good enough to pique users’ interest?

Step #9. Design the app. Set proper design goals and keep it easy to use. Apps with great UX design are most likely to get used often.

Step #10. Build the app. Start with a prototype, then build the user flow that will be most used and test it. Once the prototype is successfully tested, move ahead with the full development process. Be ready to make adjustments quickly as the app starts taking shape,

Step #11. Test, test, test. Build a proper app testing strategy and follow it to the dot. More crucially, keep updating the text plan to include new test cases and modify older ones as the app keeps evolving.

Finally … Step #12. Launch the app. Start off by creating a scalable and robust deployment process. Not just that, learn from user feedback and data analytics to optimize your app for usability, performance, etc.

Talk to the App Development Experts

In a nutshell, know your users and cater to their needs. That should be the driving philosophy every app maker adopts.

An app should be built around a user, not the other way round. With the ultimate guide, it is our endeavor to educate people and organizations on how to build an app geared for success.

Not sure if you can do this on your own? No worries. That’s why we are here to help.

Digital Authority Partners has worked on hundreds of amazing mobile apps. Feel free to drop us a note at [email protected] or call us at 312-820-9893. Let’s build a great app together!

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What is the Future of Mobile App Development? 5 Trends to Watch

• Chinese (Simplified)

Liz Froment

• May 2, 2024
• minute read

Mobile app development has gone through many iterations since the first mobile phone was introduced in the 1970s.

There aren’t any signs of mobile apps slowing down. Technology like AI, VR, AR, and blockchain are influencing the course of mobile app development. And apps that power phones and wearables frequently take center stage.

The evolution of mobile app development

To understand the future of mobile app development, we have to understand its history.

The first handheld cellular mobile phone was invented in 1973. But it took another 20 years for the first commercially available cell phones to start paving the way for today’s technology.

In 1993, IBM’s Simon was the first phone released with a touch screen and built-in apps, including a contact book and calendar.

Next came the Java-based Blackberry 5810 in 2002. The game-changing device included integrated apps, like connected wireless email, and set the stage for rapid app development. To this day, Java remains the primary development language for Android-based apps.

Then, in 2008, both Apple and Google launched online app stores. Apple’s App Store reached one billion downloads just nine months after launch. In 2021, there were 230 billion first-time mobile app downloads worldwide across Apple and Android devices.

As mobile phones began appearing everywhere and development exploded, apps became more advanced. The first apps mainly displayed information based on inputs supplied by the user. But many of today’s apps can proactively provide users with information before being prompted to do so.

5 mobile app development trends for the future

1. 5g lays the groundwork.

The hype around fifth-generation wireless technology (5G) has been building for the better part of a decade. But most carriers only started rolling out 5G access in 2021.

Speed is the focus of 5G. It’s not just faster than 4G technology; it’s exponentially faster. 5G is capable of operating at 100x the speed of most existing networks. This matters because it allows users to connect with wearables, devices, and machines in addition to phones.

Due to its high speed, information is transferred in milliseconds, which reduces latency and provides a better user experience.

Use cases range from simple to complex. A simple use case might be users watching HD videos on their devices without buffering or quality loss.

A study from PwC describes a more complex use case. A 5G-enabled healthcare ecosystem —including apps, IoT, and wearables—can help patients track their health and quality of life better. This could also help with identifying diseases earlier and reducing healthcare costs by approximately $2,000 per patient.

2. AR & VR go beyond gaming

Augmented reality (AR) technology imposes artificial images and objects on real-life objects. This is how users can play Pokémon Go while walking around their neighborhood. In contrast, virtual reality (VR) creates an artificial environment.

A great example is the Meta’s Oculus Quest 2. It allows users to work out, explore new countries, and watch concerts created in an immersive world—all from their living room.

However, AR and VR are no longer just for gamers. These technologies are rapidly expanding to other industries, including travel, real estate, and retail.

The use of AR technology in the real estate industry is booming, accelerated by an unexpected catalyst: COVID-19. When the pandemic hit, attending open houses in person was no longer a safe option for many. In response, rapid app development helped make virtual at-home walk-throughs possible.

Another example is Matterport, a 3D virtual tour platform. The Matterport team created an iOS app in late 2020, allowing home sellers to scan their homes using the LiDAR sensors on their phones or tablets. Previously, that capability was only possible with expensive camera equipment.

According to Redfin , 63% of buyers who viewed virtual walk-throughs in late 2020 made offers on homes they hadn’t visited in person. Monthly views of 3D walk-throughs via the app were up over 500% from February 2020.

3. AI is king

Artificial intelligence (AI) is by no means a new technology in mobile app development. But as AI and machine learning become more sophisticated, so will app capabilities.

For example, algorithms can learn from past user behavior with advanced machine learning. Then, they can pull data to predict what may happen next.

Where AI stands out is facial and speech recognition—biometric markers that can enhance safety features. Companies, especially those in the insurance and financial sectors, can use AI and machine learning not only to improve user safety and data security but also to help spot fraud. McKinsey estimates the potential annual value of AI for global banking at over $1 trillion .

Identifying and preventing fraud will undoubtedly become even more important as more people use phones and wearables as payment devices.

Estimates say that 2.8 billion mobile wallets were in use worldwide in 2020, and that number could rise to 4.8 billion by 2025. As people use those wallets to complete more transactions online, fraud detection companies are creating AI-based technology for banks and retailers to help:

• Reduce false positives
• Increase fraud detection
• Minimize investigation time

4. Wearables do more

Wearables include watches, earbuds, and other smart devices—even certain articles of clothing. They can fulfill a range of functions, from voice activation for phone calls to helping people keep track of the number of steps they take each day.

There are approximately 1 billion connected wearable devices in use worldwide. In 2021, the wearable technology market was valued at approximately $116 billion , with significant growth yet to come.

Consumer electronics make up the most significant share of wearables. But there’s increasing interest in using them for purposes beyond simple step counting. Especially in healthcare.

wearables like Fitbit and Apple Watch have clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for an electrocardiogram app to track heart irregularities.

Other features you can expect to see from wearables in the near future include smart app capabilities tied to security. Recently, Apple teamed up with lock manufacturer Schlage to create smart locks that you can open using an Apple Watch or iPhone. Users can also add a virtual house key to their mobile smart wallet.

5. Security is a pressing issue

As more personal information is online, fears around consumer security and privacy are increasing. Consumer data is routinely collected to provide better services, especially in use cases involving AI and machine learning. But consumer concerns about personal information getting out aren’t unfounded.

A study of popular Android apps by Synopsis found that 63%  had open-source components with known security vulnerabilities. That leaves many consumers exposed to having their information hacked or leaked. This would affect customer experience and confidence in an app.

But two innovations are rising to help resolve security issues such as these.

• One is biometric authentication , which uses eye, facial, fingerprint, or voice recognition to verify a user. This helps to provide the first line of defense against fraud or stolen information and is easy for consumers to use.
• The other is the use of distributed ledger technology (DLT), of which blockchain is one part. This helps boost IoT security on mobile and other smart devices through more layers of encryption.

What is the future of mobile app development?

The application of existing technologies and the development of new ones will continue to push growth in the mobile app industry.

The motivation for developers to get in on the action is obvious. Estimated growth trajectories predict mobile app development will yield over $600 billion in revenue by 2025. And that, it seems, is just a down payment on the rewards of mobile app development.

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The Ethics of Mobile App Development: Considerations and Best Practices

source: Google Images

Table of Contents

In the modern era, mobile applications have become a significant part of our daily lives. They help us with everything from communication to entertainment and even education.

However, with great power comes great responsibility, and mobile app developers must take ethical considerations into account when creating their products. This article will explore some of the most critical ethical considerations and best practices that mobile app developers should follow.

The popularity of mobile applications has skyrocketed over the past few years. With millions of people using these apps daily, developers have an opportunity to create products that can make a significant impact on people’s lives.

However, as app developers, we also have a responsibility to ensure that our products are ethically sound and do not harm users or society. In this article, we’ll explore some of the ethical considerations that mobile app developers must take into account when developing their products and outline some best practices to follow.

Data Privacy:

Data privacy is one of the most important ethical considerations for mobile app developers. Apps often collect user data, including personal information, location data, and search history. Developers must ensure that users’ data is collected and used ethically and responsibly.

They should make sure that they obtain explicit consent from users before collecting their data and inform them about how their data will be used. Developers must also protect user data from breaches and cyber-attacks.

Inclusivity and Accessibility:

Mobile app developers must ensure that their products are accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities. This means considering the needs of users with disabilities and ensuring that the app is compatible with assistive technologies. Developers should also make sure that their app is inclusive and does not discriminate against users based on their gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation.

User Safety:

Mobile apps can be a powerful tool for improving people’s lives, but they can also be dangerous if they are not designed with user safety in mind. Developers should ensure that their apps do not promote or enable illegal activities, such as drug use or human trafficking. They should also take measures to prevent cyberbullying and harassment within the app.

Transparency:

Developers should be transparent about how their apps work, how they collect and use user data, and what third-party services they use. This means providing clear and concise privacy policies and terms of service. Developers should also be upfront about any fees or charges associated with their app and should not mislead users about what they are paying for.

Sustainability:

Mobile app development can have a significant impact on the environment, and developers should take steps to ensure that their apps are sustainable. This includes using eco-friendly technologies, reducing energy consumption, and minimizing waste. Developers should also consider the social impact of their app and ensure that it does not contribute to social or environmental problems.

Responsible Advertising:

Advertising can be a valuable source of revenue for app developers, but it can also be intrusive and misleading. Developers should ensure that their advertising practices are responsible and do not mislead users. They should also avoid using targeted advertising that is based on sensitive user data, such as medical information or sexual orientation.

User Feedback:

Developers should actively seek and incorporate user feedback into their app development process. This can help identify ethical issues that may have been overlooked and improve the overall user experience. Developers should also respond to user feedback promptly and make changes based on their suggestions.

Collaboration with Experts:

Developers should seek advice from experts in fields such as ethics, security, and accessibility. This can help ensure that their app is designed with ethical considerations in mind and is safe and accessible for all users. Developers should also collaborate with other app developers to share best practices and discuss ethical issues in the industry.

Avoiding Bias:

Developers must ensure that their apps do not perpetuate or amplify existing biases. This means avoiding biased language or content and ensuring that the app does not discriminate against users based on their gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation. Developers should also consider the potential impact of their app on marginalized communities and take steps to avoid harm.

Minimizing Distractions:

Mobile apps can be incredibly addictive, and developers must take steps to minimize distractions and promote healthy app usage. This includes limiting notifications and encouraging users to take breaks from the app. Developers should also avoid using tactics such as dark patterns that manipulate users into spending more time or money on the app.

Social Responsibility:

Mobile app developers must consider the social impact of their products and ensure that they do not contribute to social problems. For example, developers should not create apps that promote hate speech or enable online bullying. They should also ensure that their app is not used for illegal activities, such as drug sales or human trafficking.

Continuous Improvement:

Mobile app development is an ongoing process, and developers must continuously evaluate and improve their products’ ethical considerations. This includes staying up-to-date with the latest ethical trends and best practices, regularly reviewing and updating privacy policies, and responding to changes in the legal or social landscape.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, mobile app developers have a responsibility to ensure that their products are ethically sound and do not harm users or society.

This article has explored some of the most critical ethical considerations that developers must take into account when creating their products, including data privacy, inclusivity and accessibility, user safety, transparency, sustainability, responsible advertising, user feedback, collaboration with experts, avoiding bias, minimizing distractions, social responsibility, and continuous improvement.

By following these best practices and incorporating ethical considerations into their app development process, developers can create products that make a positive impact on society while ensuring the safety and well-being of their users.

We are a digital magazine focused on the mobile app ecosystem aggregating, writing and publishing the best of the tech news in the mobile app ecosystem. Our constant endeavor is to get the most actionable news for you to use.

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Mobile App for a Retail Business Essay

Project management process groups, description of the project, planning activities for the project, predictive scope planning explanation, agile scope planning explanation, hybrid scope planning explanation.

• Initiating – Determining the necessity and obtaining consent to begin a new project.
• Planning – Creating a comprehensive project plan that includes objectives, available resources, and a timetable.
• Executing – Putting the project plan into action and carrying out the tasks essential for finishing the project.
• Monitoring and Controlling – Tracking development and adjusting as necessary to keep the project on course.
• Closing – Completing all project-related tasks and formally closing down the project.

This IT project aims to create a mobile app for a retail business that will offer customers a practical and straightforward way to shop. Clients will be able to buy products online using the app, as well as view their order history and track shipments (McLean & Wilson, 2019). To improve the customer experience, it will also feature a loyalty program and tailored product recommendations. This project is expected to increase sales and customer loyalty by giving the retail company a new channel for connecting with and engaging with its customers (McLean & Wilson, 2019). The app will be created using the most recent technology and best practices to make it simple, dependable, and secure (Delia et al., 2018). A group of skilled IT specialists will oversee the project and collaborate closely with the retail company to ensure the app satisfies their needs and specifications.

The project scope must be established to plan and carry out this project successfully. It entails determining the specific features and functionalities the app will have, as well as its goals and objectives. Choosing the project constraints, including the budget, resources, and timeline, is another step in the process. A project plan must then be created, which entails developing a complete schedule, a method for allocating resources, and a strategy for risk management (Delia et al., 2018). A budget for the project and a system for monitoring development and managing changes should also be included. Finding and acquiring the personnel, tools, and other resources required to finish the project are also essential. It may entail obtaining these resources internally or externally and ensuring their readiness for use.

The people in charge of carrying out the project’s tasks must also be chosen, and a project team must be formed. Additionally, a decision-making procedure and team structure must be established. Lastly, the stakeholders must be kept apprised of any developments during the project. It entails updating them on the project’s development, difficulties, and successes. Additionally, it involves gathering their opinions and input to modify the project plan as necessary.

A conventional method of project management called predictive scope planning entails making a thorough plan in advance and following it as closely as possible. It would include defining the project’s scope and creating a project plan that outlines all of the features and functionality that are purposed to be included in the mobile app (Delia et al., 2018). The project team would then carry out that plan as precisely as possible, only making slight adjustments as necessary to address unpredicted difficulties.

The method used can facilitate more accurate planning and estimation, which is one of its benefits. By defining the scope, the project team can more precisely predict the completion of the project in terms of resources used and the time needed. It can aid in preventing expensive overruns and delays that are likely to occur (Delia et al., 2018). As much as this approach has numerous advantages, the strategy also has some drawbacks. Since the scope is established upfront, it may be challenging to adjust to alterations in requirements or outside factors. It may result in scope creep, which causes would take longer than anticipated to complete the project and cost more money. Furthermore, because the project plan is made in advance, it might not consider any new knowledge or insights discovered as the project progresses.

Agile project management is an adaptable and iterative method of project management. Agile project management divides the project into smaller cycles, known as “sprints,” rather than starting with a comprehensive plan, as is done with predictive scope planning. The project team collaborates to finish these deliverables within the required timeframe during each sprint, focusing on a particular set of deliverables. It enables greater adaptability and flexibility to adjustments in the project’s requirements, scope, and other elements. The team can also make changes and improvements to ensure the project remains on course and provides value to stakeholders by routinely reviewing and reassessing the project after each sprint.

Predictive and adaptive scope planning components are combined in the hybrid scope planning method to address the shortcomings of each technique. This approach entails developing a thorough project plan up front, but with the knowledge that the program might need to be modified as the project develops (Delia et al., 2018). For instance, the project team would first decide the project’s scope and develop a detailed plan that outlines all of the app’s functionalities and features to create a new mobile app for a retail company. However, the team would also be ready to modify the strategy as required in response to stakeholder feedback or adjustments to the business environment. This strategy offers flexibility to adapt to changes while enabling more precise planning and estimation.

Delia, L., Thomas, P., Corbalan, L., Sosa, J. F., Cuitiño, A., Cáseres, G., & Pesado, P. (2018). Development approaches for mobile applications: Comparative analysis of features . Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing , 470–484. Web.

McLean, G., & Wilson, A. (2019). . Computers in Human Behavior , 101 , 210–224. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2024, May 28). Mobile App for a Retail Business. https://ivypanda.com/essays/mobile-app-for-a-retail-business/

"Mobile App for a Retail Business." IvyPanda , 28 May 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/mobile-app-for-a-retail-business/.

IvyPanda . (2024) 'Mobile App for a Retail Business'. 28 May.

IvyPanda . 2024. "Mobile App for a Retail Business." May 28, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/mobile-app-for-a-retail-business/.

1. IvyPanda . "Mobile App for a Retail Business." May 28, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/mobile-app-for-a-retail-business/.

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Mobile strategy, specifically mobile app development , is a priority for many businesses. Bringing an app to market requires substantial research and strategic planning. When you begin the process, there are several questions you need to consider. Understanding the following ten questions will help guide your decision-making process and determine the appropriate mobile strategy to achieve your goals.

Is a mobile website good enough?

When it comes to deciding whether to build a mobile app or a mobile website , the right choice depends on your business objectives. If your goal is to offer mobile-friendly content to a wide range of people, then a mobile website might be the way to go. Mobile websites can be a cost-effective way to put your content into the hands of your audience; however, users have high expectations for quality and functionality that mobile websites sometimes can’t deliver. Users can become easily frustrated when faced with performance and usability issues. Factors like load times, small images, lack of information, and network availability all pose the same problem: users have to work too hard to interact with your brand.

Mobile apps are an excellent resource for engaging, interacting, and communicating with your customers. An app can be a personalized communication tool, leveraging user interests, location usage behavior, and more. Over time, your brand can drive amplified customer loyalty with personalized, in-app content.

In many cases, you may decide you need both a mobile app and a mobile website. If done correctly, it can be a strategic and valuable choice. In short, when it comes to your brand’s mobile strategy, it’s not a question of a mobile website or mobile app, but perhaps applying a two-pronged approach.

How can I validate my app idea?

Proof of Concept (POC), Prototype, or a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) are the three main ways to validate an app concept. Aside from validation, they also offer added benefits, including eliciting new ideas and areas for improvement, client and stakeholder involvement and making sure the entire team is collaborating towards the overall goal throughout the project lifecycle. If you want to enhance your product launch and increase the likelihood of product success, using one or all of these techniques will help you avoid common mistakes, from faulty features to an app that has no space in the market. Each method is individually advantageous when appropriately used, whether you’re looking to test fundamental business concepts, win over stakeholders, or validate marketability.

Proof of Concept (POC)

Approach: Is the idea feasible? 

Implementation: Developing a POC is the quickest and most accurate way to validate or invalidate assumptions about your target users and app concept. 

Mobile App Prototype

Approach: How will this product function? 

Implementation: Mobile app prototyping is a form of user research to validate the strategic design direction of a product. A prototype is a preliminary visualization of a working product. Prototypes build an understanding of the mobile app’s look and feel, which helps test how customers use and react to the overall user experience (UX) design. Using a prototype for usability testing gives you enough time to make changes to critical design issues before the product reaches development and it’s too late (and too expensive) to make significant changes to the UX. 

Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

Approach: What are the product’s core functionalities and value proposition? 

Implementation: A mobile app MVP is a minimal and usable form of your complete product to release and test in the app market. The MVP development method allows your team to learn how the product’s target users experience and respond to the app’s core business purpose. Using the insight and learnings from real users, you can allocate your time, effort, and budget to areas that best satisfy your overall business objectives. Building an MVP is an iterative process designed to identify user pain points and determine the proper functionality to address those needs over time. 

Exploration and experimentation using these techniques will produce better results, and above all, help you to create a product that is valuable to the user. With a better understanding of POCs, Prototypes, and MVPs , you’ll be able to avoid app development mistakes by testing for feature validity or market viability to ensure product success.

How will my app make money?

Choosing the right mobile app monetization model is imperative to the success of any mobile app, and consequently, can negatively impact the overall user experience if you choose the wrong strategy. How do you generate revenue without compromising the overall quality and user experience of your app?

Selecting the model that is right for your app will depend on a variety of factors, but you need to establish your monetization strategy before you launch your product. Business objectives will dictate the approach your product employs. At the basest level, you need to consider what your app does. Some monetization models will lend themselves to particular types of apps. For example, the subscription model works best for services like music, and video streaming, news and entertainment, and other apps focused heavily on content. In-app purchases, on the other hand, are lucrative for free-to-play games and apps centered around products, like shopping and retail apps.

Careful consideration of how you will monetize based on your product type, your user base, and market intelligence won’t guarantee profitability, but it increases your chances of success. The most common app monetization strategies are:

• Advertising based
• Pay Per Download
• In-App Purchases
• Subscription

Regardless of the app monetization model you choose for your application, remember that it is not an afterthought. Your business plan should include your monetization strategy from the beginning. The last thing you want is to invest in a product that has no practical model in place for generating revenue.

Should I choose Web, Native, or Hybrid development?

Again, depending on your business objectives and overall product goals, this decision can make or break the success of your mobile strategy. Deciding to build your mobile product as either a web, native, or hybrid app involves a variety of factors for consideration.  

Native Apps are for specific platforms making them fast and responsive. They are considered to have the best performance and have the best overall user experience.

Advantages of Native Apps

• Native apps deliver the best performance of all three development approaches.
• Native apps receive complete support from app stores and the overall app marketplace. Distribution in app stores helps with discoverability.
• Native apps are interactive, intuitive, and run more smoothly in terms of user input and output.
• Native development allows developers to access the full feature set of the selected operating system.
• The user experience of native apps is far superior to web apps or hybrid apps. To the user, the flow is more natural because of each mobile operating system’s specific UI guidelines and standards.
• A native app must be approved by its own operating system, which assures quality, security, and device compatibility.

Disadvantages of Native Apps

• Native apps use difficult programming languages that require experienced developers.
• Expenses are more costly upfront for native apps compared to web or hybrid apps.
• Native apps are not the best option for simple applications .

Web Apps are easier to build but are often much slower. Web apps are not recommended for a company that is looking to develop an interactive and intuitive experience.

Advantages of Web Apps

• Web apps are relatively easy to maintain because they use a joint code base across multiple mobile platforms.
• Web apps can be built for all platforms as long as they can run in an appropriate web browser.
• Compared to native apps, web apps are less expensive upfront.
• Web apps don’t adhere to standard operating system protocols and don’t require approval from the app marketplace; they can be released at any time and in any format.
• Updates to web apps don’t need to go through an app store, meaning the user doesn’t have to manage updates manually. The newest version always loads when a user opens a web app.

Disadvantages of Web Apps

• Web apps have a much smaller scope when it comes to leveraging device features and hardware.
• A browser is required to run a web app. Users have to take more steps to use a web app, whether that’s searching for the page or typing in a URL. Either way, more effort complicates the user experience.
• Users interact with different web browsers, and as a result, the usage patterns and performance metrics used to create a product roadmap are more challenging to collect.
• Unless a web app marketed well, web apps have poor discoverability because they’re not listed in the app store.
• Web apps are slower and much less responsive than native apps.
• Web apps are less interactive and intuitive compared to native apps.
• There are fewer branding opportunities with web apps. An app store listing presents an invaluable opportunity to convey an app’s unique value proposition.

[Infographic] A Guide to Mobile App Development: Web vs. Native vs. Hybrid

With Hybrid Apps, you have to contend with issues that stem from both native systems and web systems, which makes fixing bugs more difficult. Performance is also a disadvantage because hybrid apps load in webview. Additionally, the more customization you want within your hybrid app, the more expensive it will be, and therefore, a native solution may be more cost-effective.

Advantages of Hybrid Apps

• Hybrid apps don’t need a web browser like web apps.
• Hybrid apps have access to a device’s internal APIs and device hardware.
• Only one codebase is needed for hybrid apps.

Disadvantages of Hybrid Apps

• Hybrid apps are much slower than native apps.
• With hybrid app development, you’re dependent on a third-party platform to deploy the app’s wrapper.
• The more customization the app requires takes away from hybrid development, which costs more money that can be saved with native app development.

Although the initial cost may be higher with a native app, you’ll end up saving a lot of time and money in the long run. By offering a great user experience, better performance, and leveraging the device features, you’re able to provide your users with a more personalized experience.

Should I outsource mobile app development?

When you’re starting with app development, many companies have many items to consider, the first being who is going to build the product? Outsourcing mobile app development comes with experience and expertise, early adopters in new trends and technologies, and flexibility.

The demand for mobile apps is growing every year, and many internal IT teams are unable to keep up with the rate of change. There will always be a limit on what can be accomplished by an internal team in a given timeframe. If your company already has many internal projects on the go, outsourcing for development may be the best option to ensure your project is prioritized correctly.

Resourcing and recruiting talent is among the top challenges for enterprise app development. Many times, enterprises don’t have the required bandwidth for in-house app development, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to identify and hire for the required roles in building an app.

10 Signs You Should Outsource Mobile App Development

• Mobile app development is not your enterprise’s primary business function.
• You need to invest in additional infrastructure to accommodate app development.
• Your internal IT department is busy with existing priorities.
• Your existing team doesn’t have the requisite skills.  
• You need to hire new talent for mobile app development.
• There isn’t enough time to properly train new hires.
• You can’t commit to the long-term management of maintaining or updating an app internally.
• You would prefer to spread some of the risks.
• You need to manage the budget carefully.
• You would instead not commit internal resources to manage the project.  

Mixed-sourcing is a practical option for delivering mobile apps. Companies can leverage their internal teams in areas where they excel and outsource for additional expertise.

What is agile development?

The app development process is not linear, and an agile methodology allows for flexibility and adaptability. Agile is an iterative process in which features and requirements are built, tweaked, and approved before the project reaches completion. Each iteration, or sprint, will end with a small part of the final product. This style of development will allow you to review progress before the project is finished. It would help if you familiarized yourself with this method of development, as many organizations practice agile to some degree.

Learn More: How To Scale Agile in Enterprise Environments

What should I look for in a development team?

It’s smart to choose a vendor that focuses specifically on mobile app development rather than offering it as an ancillary service. These firms typically employ an agile development methodology, emphasize product strategy and UX/UI Design , and have strong technical capabilities and specialized platform knowledge.

When you are evaluating a development team, it’s essential to look at their portfolio. It would be best if you look at relevant case studies and verified reviews from credible sources. Also, ask for examples of previous work. The best way to determine if a potential team is the right fit for your project is to find out if past projects have met the expectations of clients they’ve worked with before.

Which is better, manual, or automated testing?

With manual testing, you get visual feedback, and it’s less expensive in the short run. You also get real human input as you’d get from your actual user base, which is very valuable. Manual testing is best suited for exploratory, usability, or ad-hoc testing.

Concerning exploratory testing, the tester’s knowledge, experience, logical skill, and intuition is necessary. Human ability is required to execute the testing process in this situation. Human consideration is also critical for usability testing. This type of testing is the area in which you determine how user-friendly, convenient, and capable the software is for solving user pain points. For this type of test, manual testing is the best option. In an ad-hoc testing scenario, there is no specific approach because it is entirely unplanned. The insight and knowledge of the tester is the only significant factor for this type of software test.

With automated testing, you get speed and efficiency, reusable tests for code, and better visibility into app performance. Automated testing is the preferred solution for regression, performance, load testing, and repeated execution. It’s a good idea to ensure that your app receives both automated and manual testing.

How do you plan to maintain your app post-launch?

After you’ve launched your app into the market, your project isn’t finished. You will still have to release updates, fix bugs, add new features, and improve functionality. In other words, you should consider your app as a living product that needs continuous attention. It’s essential to have a plan in place to maintain the stickiness of your app.

Once you’ve launched your app, you should monitor analytics closely and identify areas where you can provide more value. You need to analyze screen flows and evaluate how users move through conversion funnels. By paying close attention to these metrics, you can determine how to expand your product to optimize lifetime value. An app cannot remain static and still be successful. Make sure your app can evolve as user behavior changes.

Why is a Product Roadmap Important for Mobile App Development? 

A product roadmap addresses the now, next, and later of your mobile product. A roadmap creates a collective consensus for the direction of the product and helps determine the level of investment at each future stage of development.

The Product Roadmap Now

The initial phase of the product is considered the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) . An MVP includes only the features that are required to take the product to market. MVPs follow a build-measure-learn process, which allows you to learn how your target users react and experience the product’s core functionality. From there, user research identifies what features to include to address evolving user needs over time.

The Product Roadmap Next

The next iteration after the MVP includes features to support the pre-existing functionality of the mobile product, as well as any new features that can add distinct user value. The launched product should continue to address all business objectives and provide insight into the success rate of the product roadmap. This phase also continues to collect data about user engagement patterns.

The Product Roadmap Later

The later phase of the product roadmap is for future iterations of the product and includes new features to build out the ideal functionality of the mobile product. Again, this phase addresses all business objectives and provides useful insights to guide product decisions further.

How much does it cost to develop an app?

The cost to develop an app depends on a wide variety of factors ranging from project size to technical complexity to your choice of a development partner. 

Proper planning and management are essential to combating scope creep, containing development costs and ensuring you achieve your expected return on investment (ROI). There are three central areas to manage from early conceptualization to subsequent releases of your mobile app. Managing these three areas give you more control over the cost of your project: 

• Connecting product features and functionality to user pain points during product design and discovery
• Guaranteeing those features are built without error during development
• Directing the inevitable changes that occur in development back towards achieving the original product goal

Mobile app owners who diligently oversee these three areas of development are in the best position to fulfill user needs and maintain satisfaction over time. Also, this approach to product management helps retain development costs while delivering on the overall business purpose of the application.  

For a more in-depth breakdown, we’ve written at length about the factors that will impact mobile app development cost in our post: Managing Mobile App Development Costs: 3 Essential Considerations . 

It’s impossible to overlook mobile, and before you start an app development project, you need to give thoughtful consideration to what type of product you’re building, how you will maintain that product, and how you will drive revenue.

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Mobile App Development Essays

Cybersecurity in government organizations, the car wash application project, popular essay topics.

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The evolution of mobile app development: Trends to watch in 2024

T he mobile app landscape is constantly evolving, with new technologies and user expectations shaping the way apps are designed and developed. In 2024, we can expect to see a surge in innovative trends that will redefine how we interact with mobile apps. This article explores these key trends, highlighting their potential to revolutionize the mobile app experience.

AI and Machine Learning Integration in Mobile Apps

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are rapidly transforming app functionalities. Imagine apps that learn your preferences, anticipate your needs, and personalize your experience. AI-powered chatbots can offer 24/7 customer support, while ML algorithms can recommend relevant content, optimize performance, and even detect fraudulent activity.

The Rise of 5G: Revolutionizing Mobile App Capabilities

The widespread adoption of 5G technology will unlock a new era of mobile app capabilities. With blazing-fast speeds and ultra-low latency, 5G will enable seamless streaming of high-definition content, real-time data synchronization, and immersive augmented reality (AR) experiences. Imagine collaborating in virtual workspaces or experiencing lag-free cloud gaming – all on your mobile device.

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) in Everyday Apps

AR and VR are no longer confined to the realm of entertainment. These technologies are poised to integrate seamlessly into our daily lives. AR apps can overlay digital information onto the real world, allowing for location-based services, product visualization, and interactive learning experiences. VR can create immersive training environments, facilitate remote collaboration, and introduce entirely new forms of mobile entertainment.

The Growth of Cross-Platform Development Frameworks

Developing separate apps for different operating systems can be time-consuming and expensive. Cross-platform frameworks enable iOS, Android and Apple Vision Pro development services that can be deployed on multiple platforms. This not only saves development time but also ensures a consistent user experience across different devices.

Enhanced Mobile App Security and Privacy Measures

With the increasing amount of personal data stored on mobile devices, user privacy remains a top concern. We can expect stricter regulations and a focus on user control over data collection. App developers will need to prioritize robust security measures, data encryption, and transparent privacy policies to build trust with users.

The Impact of IoT on Mobile App Functionality

The Internet of Things (IoT) connects physical devices to the internet, allowing them to collect and exchange data. Mobile apps will play a crucial role in managing and interacting with these connected devices. Imagine controlling your smart home appliances, monitoring fitness trackers, and receiving real-time data from wearables – all through your mobile app.

Progressive Web Apps: Bridging the Gap Between Web and Mobile

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) offer a web-based experience that feels like a native mobile app. PWAs work offline, send push notifications, and offer a seamless user experience. This technology can be particularly beneficial for businesses that want to reach a wider audience without the need for app store downloads.

Blockchain Technology: A New Frontier for Mobile Apps

Blockchain, the technology behind cryptocurrencies, offers a decentralized and secure way to store and manage data. Mobile apps can leverage blockchain to enable secure transactions, facilitate secure data sharing, and even create new in-app economies based on digital assets.

Voice and Gesture Recognition: Next-Level User Interaction

Voice and gesture recognition technologies are making mobile interactions more intuitive and hands-free. Imagine controlling your phone with voice commands, navigating apps with hand gestures, or even making secure payments through facial recognition. These advancements will further personalize the mobile user experience.

The Role of Edge Computing in Mobile App Performance

Edge computing brings data processing closer to the user’s device, reducing latency and improving app performance. This is particularly beneficial for real-time applications like AR/VR experiences, autonomous vehicles, and mobile gaming. Edge development has become a thriving technology and people around the globe search for an ‘’ app development company near me ’’ on Google. By processing data at the edge, apps can function more efficiently and deliver a faster, more responsive user experience.

The mobile app development landscape is brimming with innovation. As these trends continue to evolve, we can expect mobile apps to become even more intelligent, immersive, and integrated into our daily lives. This exciting future holds immense potential for businesses to connect with users in entirely new ways.

The post The evolution of mobile app development: Trends to watch in 2024 appeared first on Android Headlines .

Mobile App Development Proposal

Proposal maker.

No matter what your hobby is, there’s always a mobile app for that. That said, there are applications for shopping, playing games, singing, watching videos, and writing blogs. If you visit the android and iOS app stores, you will find thousands of other mobile applications. It’s a competitive business. That said, you should acquire an edge by composing an impressive mobile app development proposal.

11+ Mobile App Development Proposal

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2. Mobile App Development Strategies Proposal

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3. Mobile App Proposal Template

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4. Mobile App Pre-Development Proposal

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8. Mobile App Development Form of Proposal

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12. Mobile App Financial Proposal

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What Is a Mobile App Development Proposal?

A mobile app development proposal is a document that developers devise to promote their application. Through this proposal letter, they can request and negotiate a partnership or sponsorship. The purpose of this paper is to attract potential clients to purchase the mobile application. A business proposal is a complex document that involves a lot of necessary segments. 

How to Construct an Impressive Mobile App Development Proposal

Planning a proposal is a dragging process. There are numerous things that you should take into account and influential factors that you need to consider. All the efforts that you put into developing your application will lead to the moment when the prospects will give their answer. To hear their sweet “yes,” follow these steps.

1. Think Up a Gripping App Name

The name of your application would go on the title page of your proposal. That said, it will be the first thing that the readers will be able to see. As much as possible, keep your app name relevant to its nature and purpose. For example, the application Shopee will already give you an idea that it is for shopping once you hear it. If you are developing a game, then you should make its name engaging enough to attract gamers. If you have developed games in the past, include brief information about them in your project portfolio .

2. Compose an Engrossing Cover Letter

Just like how bookworms judge the quality of a book by reading the synopsis, your prospects will do the same to your proposal letter. Although in this situation, instead of the book synopsis, they will read your cover letter. In light of that, you should hook the prospects and make them anticipate the content of your whole mobile app proposal. 

3. Structure Your Proposal

Although a proposal is one document, it includes a lot of necessary segments. Each page of your business proposal can influence the decision of prospective clients. So it is essential to research the definition and the function for each of them. Make sure you also follow the appropriate order and organization. To help with this, you can fill in a blank outline first to decide the flow of your proposal. There are sample pdf templates of it online. Prioritize supplying enough and specific information about the features of your application in your executive summary .

4. Include a Cost Management Plan

The procedure that deserves your utmost attention is generating the cost management plan for your mobile app project. This management plan involves a lot of careful calculation and estimation. One mistake can topple down the interest of the clients. In addition, this plan also has a lot of elements that you should consider. Take time to brainstorm about the pricing of your iPhone or Android app.

What are the things to do before starting to develop a mobile app?

The first thing to do is decide the path and the direction you would take in developing the application. After doing this, you should research your target market and update yourself regarding the current trends and interests. The next step is to consider devising a marketing strategy based on the data that you have.

What are the elements of a business proposal?

Your project proposal should have the following in order, the title page, your portfolio, a cover letter, table of contents, executive summary, business description, market and competitor analysis , and a budget plan . Despite that, you can tailor your document for the particular project or business you are proposing. Some parts may not be necessary for other business ventures.

What should be in the cover letter of a project proposal?

Your essay in the cover letter should start with a sentence that would hook the readers. The most necessary characteristic of a cover letter is it should be brief and concise. In this letter, you should convince the prospects why they need and therefore should consider your proposal.

An effective proposal letter would plant the thought “this is what I need” in the mind of your clients. In these modern times, people find it hard to let go of their phones. Your prospects would take advantage of this, and you should take advantage of that. Seal the deal and sell your mobile application with a mobile application development proposal. 

Text prompt

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Generate a proposal for a new school recycling program

Compose a proposal for a school field trip to a science museum.

Top Mobile App Development Outsourcing Companies from Vietnam You Should Consider Working

Is the mobile app development market appealing enough to you? At the current time, there are 6.3 billion smartphone users and 1.14 billion tablet users across the globe . So, it is rational for tech companies and developers to jump in and share the huge profits promised from making apps for mobile devices. App usage and smartphone penetration continue to thrive at a stable rate with no signs of slowing down, so businesses still have time and opportunities to pursue this goal in the future. Unfortunately, businesses in the IT industry are facing numerous challenges, and many of them resort to external support from software development outsourcing companies. Vietnam is an advantageous location for such good IT partners .  

Since you will run into a bunch of options and may get lost in the direction of the right partner , let’s check some of these recommendations out for your decision.  

Orient Software 

Orient Software Development Corporation, established in 2005, is a software house that provides IT outsourcing services of different types and models. This company is known for its reputation for delivering comprehensive and innovative IT solutions. With an emphasis on mobile app development, Orient Software has carved its name in many lists of the best Vietnamese IT outsourcing companies. Orient Software’s expertise and experience span numerous industries, including finance, healthcare, education, and e-commerce, demonstrating their ability and agility to handle a wide range of project complexities and scales. Come to this outsourcing vendor if you require consultancy or support from experts in terms of mobile app development (iOS, Android, Cross-platform), web development, custom software development, UX/UI design, or IT workforce.  

KMS Technology 

This is a U.S.-based IT-specific company with significant operations in Vietnam, and KMS Technology was recognized for its solid competency in developing and delivering software solutions as well as IT services. The company’s teams and personnel are capable of handling high-quality Android and iOS applications tailored to the needs of global clients, ranging from startups to large enterprises. The healthcare and technology sectors are the two primary strengths of KMS Technology. 

InApps Technology 

Next, InApps Technology is another good development vendor that excels in building innovative and user-centric mobile apps. From conceptualization to development and deployment, the company can handle all of these well with its end-to-end services. Their approach emphasizes not only technical prowess but also an understanding of user experience (UX), ensuring the apps they develop are both functional and engaging. Until now, InApps possesses a strong track record of completing projects on time and within budget, making them a credible partner for businesses across various industries. 

PowerGate Software 

Based in the capital city of Vietnam, PowerGate Software prides itself on custom software/application development services. The company specializes in creating scalable and secure mobile applications. Clients’ unique needs are always the requisite factor to consider when the company conducts projects and delivers bespoke solutions. Check out the portfolio, and you’ll see that PowerGate Software’s expertise spans multiple fields and industries, ranging from healthcare, education and e-commerce. 

Rikkeisoft 

Rikkeisoft is a rapidly growing software development service provider within the S-line country as well as in the local areas. Based in Vietnam, Rikkeisoft, like many other houses, offers its clients a lot of choices in terms of services, ranging from mobile app development that enhances user engagement through intuitive design and functionality and AI solutions to IT consulting and digital transformation. With a forward-thinking approach, Rikkeisoft partners with startups and SMBs worldwide to transform their ideas into successful digital products. 

Newwave Solutions 

This mobile app development company stands out from others for its creativity and technical excellence in the field of software engineering, specifically mobile web app development. Newwave Solutions provides versatile solutions that not only drive business growth but also significantly optimize user experiences. Its team is adept at navigating the latest technological advancements, so it can ensure the mobile apps it develops are both innovative and well-functional. Newwave Solutions has a diverse client base, thereby reflecting their ability to adapt and excel in various project requirements. 

Savvycom Software 

This is also a familiar brand in the software outsourcing market in Vietnam. Savvycom Software is an agile development company headquartered in Hanoi. This service provider is an expert in delivering sophisticated mobile app solutions by leveraging state-of-the-art technologies. Savvycom Software combines innovation with functionality with a focus on developing mobile apps that meet the highest standards of quality and performance. Savvycom’s dedication to excellence has earned them recognition as a trusted partner for businesses around the globe. 

Adamo Software 

In regard to mobile app development and IT outsourcing services, Adamo Software is a good partnership option. The company guarantees that they can build powerful and intuitive mobile applications across various platforms. With a priority on creating innovative solutions that are not only technically sound but also aligned with the client’s business objectives, Adamo Software is committed to bringing your projects toward success. 

SotaTek JSC 

Similar to others on the list, SotaTek JSC is a full-stack development company that stands at the forefront of blockchain, AI, and mobile app development. SotaTek provides cutting-edge solutions to businesses worldwide and aids them in navigating the complexities of digital transformation. With a team of highly young tech talent and skilled professionals, SotaTek JSC is dedicated to delivering projects that not only meet but exceed client expectations. 

With these suggestions, you may find it easier to find and decide the right mobile app development partner for your current or upcoming projects. Hopefully, the list has helped you out. However, you also need to pay attention to the vendor selection process because the right one for your business depends heavily on multiple factors, yet the most important factor is the suitability between your project and the service provider’s capabilities. Like how you assess other service companies from Vietnam or anywhere else, it is essential to consider each company’s specific expertise, industry experience, and project portfolio. Being extra careful in this step will ensure a successful collaboration that aligns with your project’s future requirements and goals.  

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Google Play Store begins highlighting apps that let you delete your account

Published on May 27, 2024

• Google has mandated apps that create user accounts to also allow for account and data deletion within the app and through the web. The enforcement deadline for app developers is May 31, 2024.
• Ahead of the deadline, the “Account deletion available” badge is now live in the Google Play Store within app listings. It highlights how you can request that your data or account be deleted.
• This makes it easy to easily delete app accounts and data without needing to reinstall an uninstalled app.

Last year, Google introduced a new rule for the Google Play Store , targeting apps that enable app account creation. If an app allows an account to be created, then the developer is mandated to allow the account to be deleted within the app and through the web for the app to remain listed on the Play Store. Google mentioned that Play Store will show these data deletion practices in listings “early next year,” and these changes are now finally going live for users.

Android Authority contributor Assemble Debug spotted that the Google Play Store has begun surfacing the “Account deletion available” badge in the Data Safety section within the App listings.

Since December 2023, Google has been pushing developers to include information about app account deletion in their store listings. Developers can request an extension until May 31, 2024, after which non-compliant apps may face “additional enforcement actions” in the future, such as removal from the Google Play Store. With the data deletion badges now live, we’re very close to that enforcement deadline, so app developers shouldn’t count on any more extensions coming their way.

Google’s data deletion policy states that developers must provide data and account deletion options from within their apps and on the web. This way, if a user has uninstalled an app, they need not reinstall the app to request their data or account be deleted. App developers who need to retain certain data for legitimate reasons, like regulatory compliance, need to disclose those data retention practices.

Have you spotted the new data deletion highlights in the Google Play Store? What do you think of them as app users? Let us know in the comments below!

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