How to Create An App in 2021 - Best Practices to Follow

Mar 31, 2021 Kiran Beladiya

The world is operated through apps. And apps are everywhere. Here and there. Think about any popular company or brand, you will get their app from the App store. Apps are predominately made by businesses for customers. From a business perspective, mobile apps are excellent business solutions irrespective of the intent they are used for.

From small businesses to large enterprises, internal communication, apps have changed the lives of every business. Apps are effective ways to enhance business sales as it’s easier to interact with the customers.

Think about it again. Everyone, including you, is using the maximum number of apps in their day-to-day life. That tells that every business needs an app in their business process to enhance its revenue and increase its brand reputation.

Apps can be developed to extend your business or used to create new business from scratch. Therefore, with the increasing usage of smartphones, it’s likely that apps will soon become an essential element to endorse your business and products. Therefore, the now important question arises - how to create an app in 2021?

Honestly, developing an app is not an easy task. It requires a goal, teamwork, and quality research.

In this article, as a renowned mobile app development company, we will walk you through the development process in a way that helps you understand it for app development.

Mobile App Development: Steps to Follow

Having vast experience in mobile app development services, we have figured out that the development of a mobile app can be bifurcated into three different stages.

Pre App development
Development
Post Launch

This guide will take you from the beginning to the end process of development. Well, some of the business owners might be starting from scratch, while others might be further along in the process.

Pre App Development

Before we delve into the development process, there are a few steps we need to consider. These steps are important to the success of your app development. So, try not to avoid them.

1.1 Define Your Goal

If you are planning to develop a mobile application, it must start with defined goals.

Where do you want to lead? Which types of problems are you trying to solve with an app? How can it be beneficial to customers?

Your goal will ultimately clear your mindset and determine your development process. If you are not clear from the beginning, then it’s not easy to achieve your goal. Hence, you will not be able to find yourself once you start developing an app.

Instead of setting any simple goal, set measurable goals that define your purpose.

If you are setting a measurable goal then there will not be the effective usage of time and resources.

As a professional, to reach the peak of success, you need to distinguish the difference between a goal and an objective.

Goals represent the final outcome that you want to achieve or reach.

Objectives are the steps that lead you to achieve those goals.

Let’s try to understand the objectives. Well, it’s “SMART” objectives.

> Specific

> Measurable

> Achievable

> Realistic

> Timely

1.2 Do a Thorough Market Research

Market research is often skipped by app developers, albeit it’s an important part of the app development process.

Therefore, once you are clear with your goals, you need to make sure that there’s a market need for your app.

Every app idea sounds excellent and creative unless it’s put down for execution. Therefore, before the app development, you need to conduct market research. Otherwise, you could waste valuable time, resources, and money on an app idea that is not viable.

Ask these questions to yourself:

Who are the competitors of your app? Are there any alternative apps?

What potential customers are looking for? What are their needs and desires?

What’s the business model?

After answering these questions, you can also get a question - What about the app for an existing business?

Well, to answer this question, you have to talk to your customers and understand their requirements. You have to be in their shoes and understand their world. You simply can’t assume what your customers want. The only way to know is by taking the time to understand and learn more about them.

Conduct surveys.

Conduct interviews.

Do market analysis.

Let’s take an example here.

If you are planning to develop a fitness app, you should know who are the main competitors of your app. What types of features will make your app unique?

So, how will an app enhance the customer experience?

How can your app stand out amongst the competitors?

You must have some unique features that separate your app from others. This will be your competitive advantage.

However, if you are following your competitors, then users will not prefer you or not keep you as their first choice. Remember one thing that you are likely going to be competing against large enterprises and apps that have beat you to the market. How are you going to win against them?

You should have a clear idea and understanding of the market research and identify yourself in the market.

1.3 Sketch Your App Idea or Create a Wireframe

An idea gives an actual picture to app development. But only an idea doesn’t define your objective. You need to create a wireframe for an app.

The wireframe is very easy to create. It’s a rough layout of your app. It should have all the essential elements and features that your app might have once it’s developed.

However, you can sketch your app idea with pen and paper. You can create it on a whiteboard or use a digital wireframing tool as well. It’s very simple, though.

The actual purpose of creating an idea or wireframe is to simply illustrate the core components of your app and layout the schemes.

Don’t worry about the actual app design. It’s not the final outcome.

In the wireframe or app idea, show the usage of every function or button. You should let users show on which page they will redirect if they click on a particular button. What happens when a user clicks on this/that button or uses this functionality?

I would say, it’s an analogy that shows the importance of wireframing.

Suppose, you wanted to build a house. You would not start building without having any design idea in your mind. Right? Instead, you’d sketch the plans on paper and make out of it. And if there’s something that’s not feasible, then you can make changes on the paper before you start putting up walls.

Henceforth, the same concept applies to mobile app development services.

Wireframe services can also help get your team on the same page in terms of your vision for how the app will function.

1.4 Identify App Development Approach

Choosing the right app development method is highly important. You will come across various ways to develop an app. But, you will need to identify the best method out of it.

You have to choose the right method based on your app requirements, budget, features, target audiences, technical skills, and time to market.

There are many mobile app developers who prefer to follow the agile development methodology. You can also hire Android developers who adhere to agile methodology.

Native Development:

Native app development involves low-level coding. It allows developers to deliver the best user experience. Native apps are platform-specific apps and require expertise along with knowledge.

It takes time to develop a native app. Therefore, it’s costly as well. So, if you are a non-technical person and not aware of the coding, you can hire native app developers.

Web Development:

Web applications are cost-effective and easy to develop. It can run on multiple platforms.

Web apps can be developed using CSS, JavaScript, and HTML5. These web apps are less powerful than native apps.

Hybrid Development:

Hybrid app development is one of the latest approaches that has been adopted by app developers. This enables developers to develop an app for multiple platforms with one codebase.

So, if you are aware of JavaScript, then you can develop an app for iOS and Android.

Hybrid app development will save you time and money as compared to native app development.

1.5 Create a Prototype

Once you identify the app development method, what you have to do is to create an app prototype.

The prototype is the actual process of turning your app idea into reality with some basic functionality.

A prototype allows developers to identify their potential buyers. This helps them to sell your idea to them. This way, you can attract more investors and work with manufacturers, and finding licensees.

Moreover, you can also share the prototype with QA developers or testers for functional testing and get an idea of what needs to be done to make a successful app.

While working on a prototype, ensure to secure your app against attack or unauthorized usage.

Development

Once you get through the pre-development phase, it’s time to develop an app. By now, you have already come up with your app idea and have a structural design ready.

2.1 Create an MVP

If you come into the development phase, you should always be developing an MVP - Minimum Viable Product.

The main objective of MVP is that it allows developers to think about the essential features of an app.

With the help of MVP, you can get real feedback from the real users which can guide and correct your understanding of what users actually want.

Based on the customer feedback, you can do modifications to your app and features and get into the hands of users for feedback.

You can repeat this cycle over a period of time. Eventually, you can develop the perfect app that your users want.

While creating an MVP, you don’t need to worry about attractive designs or whole functionality. That’s not important right now.

2.2 Quality Assurance

Once you have come up with MVP and developed a working app, you need to test it before launch. Beta testing is an important phase to get feedback from the customers as it is tested on actual platforms or devices.

The team of QA can test the app in many different ways. It’s important to check this factor as it enhances your visibility in the app store. You have to ensure that the app works completely fine online and offline.

Also, find out issues or bugs if an app is not configured properly with various software versions or screen sizes.

So, try not to skip this quality assurance or testing method.

2.3 Deploy The App

Deployment is the final stage of the development process. It’s time to launch your app and make yourself available in the market.

However, the release of an app requires proper planning and scheduling. Keep your focus on the uptime and visibility of your app. Make sure that the application works perfectly for end-users.

You will find various software options and tools that check the app’s health.

In order to publish your app on the app store, you need to get it approved. The Google App Store and Apple App Store have different criteria and policies to get an app published. So, you must adhere to their guidelines before you go through this process.

You don’t need to take the burden of getting approval for your app if you hire an Android app development company. They will do the task and get your app approved on the app stores.

Post Launch

The development process doesn’t end here once the app has been launched. There’s still so much work to do once the app is deployed.

Whenever you are following the app development process, make sure that you keep your budget for the post-deployment process as well. You will have to utilize your time, resources, and money on the post-launch which will boost your app visibility.

3.1 Endorse Your App with Marketing

Your app represents your business; so act accordingly.

How can you reach your target audience without any promotion? How can anyone know about your app or business without endorsing it? I guess there is no other way without marketing it.

What’s the need of having the best app in the industry, if you don’t know how to make it visible among millions of people?

Therefore, it’s required to promote your app appropriately with app marketing.

Try to create a digital presence on as many marketing platforms as possible. You should know on which platforms your users spend the most time. Give wings to your business by promoting an app on social media channels.

However, with the help of a mobile app marketing strategy, you can run paid marketing campaigns like PPC (pay-per-click) and CPI (cost-per-install) to drive traffic.

You should also implement the ASO (app store optimization). By implementing ASO, users will be able to find your app organically while they are browsing in the app store.

App marketing is a never-ending process. Your strategies might vary and change depending on time, but this will not stop ever.

The early stage of app marketing will define the future of the success of your app.

3.2 Track KPIs

By far, you have reached this phase after the marketing. So the question is, is your app successful now?

Well, the only way to answer this question by establishing and tracking KPIs - Key Performance Indicators.

Once you start promoting your app, you should keep an eye on KPIs based on how users are adapting to your app.

You should have answers to these questions:

Are users downloading your app?

How many users have installed it?

Are the users keeping the app or uninstalling it?

How often do users reopen the app?

However, your business can’t run with guesswork; you need to have a strong number to make your app successful.

The KPIs will show you the result which one is generating the best results and which ones need improvement.

3.3 Gather and Analyze Feedback

Once users start using your app, hear them out. Try to listen to what they are trying to say about your app. Get their feedback and try to work on it.

Prior to your first launch, you probably asked some friends for feedback and opinions on the app. However, most of this was based on your own intuition.

But once you have released the app, you will have real customers using the app. Ask their opinion and what they think about it.

The users’ feedback will be an important factor and it will become the success of your app. It will also help you prioritize what features you need to implement.

Maybe you had some plan in your mind and that was important according to you. You planned on implementing it. But if your customers don’t ask to do so, then it will help you save your money. Instead, invest that money on what they ask or look for so you can retain and satisfy them. This will ultimately prevent them from churning.

3.4 Do Necessary Changes and Improve It

Nobody can create the perfect app in one go. Improvement is a must. Even the most successful apps are constantly coming up with new updates and changes.

Therefore, you should release the next version of an app based on user feedback, which we discussed in the previous step.

When you go back in and do the necessary changes, you should follow the same procedure that you did during the development process. Ensure to check your app under QA engineers before it releases.

Apart from this, you also have to keep an eye on, while you are updating an app. That’s called Regression Testing.

So, whenever you make any modifications or changes in your app, you need to pass your app through the QA process. This will ensure that regression has not caused a new point of failure in the app.

Since users are submitting their feedback, they would expect those changes in the app as well. So don’t underestimate the importance of releasing the new versions of your app.

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3.5 Maintenance and Support

Your app will always require maintenance and support. That’s why you have to make your development team work on that.

However, every few months the mobile operating system will come out with new updates as well. Henceforth, you need to make sure that your app is compatible with the latest version of the software or operating system.

Think of your app like a car. Things won't settle down once you purchase a car. You still need to pay for its maintenance - fuel, oil, tire rotations, services, registration fees, and more.

However, to satisfy your customers’ needs, you probably can’t handle their requests or messages. You might need to hire a sales team or a mobile app development company that can give prompt support services post-launch.

These are the important and basic steps of the mobile app development process that you have to deal with. So just make sure you plan and keep your budget accordingly.

Conclusion

This - complete guide is for those organizations who have not made their debut in the app industry. However, if you have an idea and plan to leverage mobile app development services by collaborating with the web and mobile app development company, we hope this article will take you in the right direction. Albeit, it requires a lot of hard work, developing apps can really pay off.

In case, if you don’t find an idea about developing an app, you can collaborate with us. Share your requirements and our executive team will get in touch with you. You can also hire a mobile app developer from Estatic Infotech for custom iOS app development, Android app development, and Cross-platform app development without breaking your savings.

Mobile App Development