You're immediately linked to the entire universe with just one touch of your mobile phone. Your pocket has everything you require thanks to mobile applications acting as a portal for convenience. In the year 2023, it was recorded that annual consumer spending reached $171 billion.
From a business point of view, an intuitive and user-friendly mobile app can be an asset for increased customer engagement and business growth as it gives you direct marketing channels, better brand recognition, and higher customer loyalty.
According to Grand View Research data between 2023 – 2030, the global mobile app market grew approximately 13.8% CAGR.
Whether you run a small business or prefer using these products in daily activities on your behalf, both parties benefit from this scenario.
Statista reported that in North America alone there were 15.2 billion applications downloaded in 2023.
As such, many businesses, like real estate app development companies, beauty salon software providers, grocery delivery app development companies, and more. Choose to develop a mobile app to collect customer data, increase conversion rates, and boost sales while saving on operational costs.
But how do you create a mobile app? Your presence here indicates that you are also looking for the best ways to develop such an application. You have landed on the right page indeed!
This guest post will present eleven easy steps to follow when developing a business mobile application.
Let’s get started!
The hike in the mobile app development field is on the way up. This statement might need to be clarified just by saying it; let us provide some figures that would support our point of view.
These insights further substantiate what we’ve been saying about the future trends towards mobile applications for many more years ahead So you may as well create a mobile application aimed at increasing your clientele and return on investment (ROI).
Let’s look into some features that should be put into mind when creating any kind of mobile application.
A solid timeline and budget can save your project from being affected by recurring problems and slow running like missing deadlines as well as overspending in expenses.
In deciding on your budget and timeline, you should measure several things that might influence the cost of the application development process such as app quality, and application complexity among others.
You can find examples of project management and collaboration tools for this purpose on Asana, Trello, and Slack.
2. Define Your Target Audience and Market
The ones who will benefit from it are known as the target audience or market for your app. Additionally, these individuals have an impact on how far it goes in terms of success.
Therefore deep market research should be done to know what are the preferences, needs, and behaviors of different people who will use our app over time.
By doing so, you could create customer profiles depending upon various categories including age group or gender group segmentation which could help identify their objectives/dreams better.
3. Choose the Right Technology as well as Platform
Regardless it is recommended to select a correct plan and technology for the development of an app; this will depend on your target audience, the first consideration.
For instance, in case your application has some complex functionality; you may go for native app development to achieve optimal performance of your application.
If you are short on time and money, go in for cross-platform app development which allows building a single codebase to run on both platforms.
Technologies & Platforms: Android, iOS or Windows, React Native, Flutter Xamarin or Firebase.
4. Hire the Best Mobile App Development Company
By selecting a reliable partner, who will guide you through every step of creating your mobile application, the World Wide Web can help us understand how to create a Mobile Application that is not just user-friendly but also up-to-date with the latest trends in mobile technology.
Additionally, you should ascertain their past work history and client feedback to come up with an appropriate option.
5. Construct an Interface for Users Patients
Given its role in building mobile applications, the user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) have been seen as critical. A good UI/UX can make the application more interactive, attractive, and easier to navigate.
Some of them include simplicity, clarity, consistency, and responsiveness among others. It is also important to consider design standards as well as platform-specific design rules.
Some of examples Prototyping and Wireframing Tools include Sketch, Adobe XD, and Figma.
6. Add Unique and Essential Features
A unique aspect of making mobile apps that is quite difficult but highly important. The features you choose will be determined by what you want your application to do. To implement unique and essential features into your app start with determining its value proposition or core functionalities.
To Identify features Example Technologies include: Google Analytics, Firebase, App Store Connect
7. Reinforce Privacy and Security
Users’ personal information may be stored on their phones through mobile applications that they approve themselves. Therefore such apps must be kept away from all kinds of cyber-crimes like hacking or any kind of malicious software threats.
Thus these should have practices like authentication system implementation, and authorization procedures applied directly on system resources accessed by application users always behind a firewall while having encryption applied whenever possible.
8. Launch and Market Your App
Ultimately, when developing a mobile application, make sure that you launch and market your app properly. This means letting your application present itself to its targeted audience.
Remember to test, debug, and upload the app to an app store. Forget not about creating a landing page and press kit for your mobile application that can reveal, describe, attract, and inform users about it.
From this perspective, you can have a top-quality and successful mobile application that meets what users expect as well as business objectives.
How to Create a Mobile App in 11 Steps
Let’s take a step-by-step look at how to develop a mobile application.
Step 1. Identify a Unique App Idea
First things first! You need to begin by identifying the latest idea in applications that would work well in today’s competitive market. There is no necessity of coming up with something entirely new or fresh idea. Instead, you could go deeper into usual consumer problems and then come up with something that would fill the void left behind in the current market Get an app concept that would make people’s lives simpler enabling them to enjoy using it.
Step 2: Conduct Research
The next thing you should do is define your target audience and understand their needs, demographics, and app usage patterns. Your research should begin with determining whether there is some kind of demand for your app idea. You can even conduct surveys to know user interests and potential adoption.
Search for any existing apps based on your app idea. Look for their strengths and weaknesses. Plan out accordingly on how to perform better than them while acknowledging their loopholes as opportunities to tap into.
Step 3: Outline Features and Functionalities
Jot down what you would like your app to deliver in the long run. Create two distinct lists; one list that includes basic yet top-priority features, while another should showcase advanced features that can be added once your application is already well-established in the market.
Step 4: Design Mockups & Wireframes
At this point, coding might not be the best way forward as mobile app development is greatly reliant on visual roadmaps including mockups and wireframes.
Developing mockups will give an accurate portrayal of your mobile application’s final design by incorporating fonts, layouts, and colors.
In addition, wireframes are designed for the app’s functionality and develop its structure, user interaction elements, and screen flow.
Such visual instruments assist developers in planning user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) before the actual coding commences which will save time and costs as well as ensure that everyone is aware of the design direction and functionality of the application.
Step 5. Plan App Security
The application’s security is the most crucial aspect to consider as you proceed with the development of your mobile application. It is essential to protect your end-user data from Internet fraudsters. One data breach alone may cost you huge amounts of money apart from the loss of millions of users.
The following are ways in which you can keep secure both your application and mobile platform:
a) Authorized APIs
The application programming interface (API) forms a significant part of the backend in programming development. Therefore, always ensure that those APIs meant for your app comply with all authentication requirements applicable to your selected platform.
b) Tamper-detection Software
To protect against hackers, choose mobile-specific security options like tamper-detection software and other third-party software.
c) Robust Authentication
Your application must have accurate cryptographic key management and proper authorization for user sessions or tokens. Tokens are generally allocated individually to each device with different session expiration periods.
d) Encrypted Data
For the sensitive, personal data of the users scattered all through the app’s software, you can use appropriate encryption methods. Proper security steps consist of the encryption of cache, local databases, or API communication.
e) Continuous Testing for Possible Breaches
You need to keep testing for breaches. Thus, revise your code constantly during the development stages. Besides, address the potential security issues before any hacker acts on them about launching your app.
Step 6. Choose the Best App Development Company
To develop an adaptive application that is user-friendly and performs well a mobile app programming firm must be brought in.
But how do you figure out who are the best partners in app building?
Here are some key factors
• Experience and expertise
• client review and testimonials
• project portfolio
• development approach & methodology
• communication & transparency
• project rates
• hidden costs
Looking into these factors will increase the chance of landing a good APK creator who can turn your phone software idea into reality.
Step 7: Get Started with Coding Your Application
Before getting into coding, there are essential aspects that must be monitored.
There are two aspects to coding; a front end and a back end. The former is what the end user sees while the latter involves all things that happen “behind the curtain,” which means the app’s functionality.
To create a coherent output, collaborate with both ends of this process. One can choose an agile approach to project management where coding can be flexible, adaptable, and efficient.
It is advisable to code in a test environment beforehand. If you want your final product to become a successful app then it is necessary to set up a testing environment for checking software operations.
The test environment includes in front-end environment, database server (DBMS), network as well and operating system (OS).
Step 8: Make Your Application Bug-Free by Testing It Out
When you have a limited budget for your project, you would want to eliminate an elaborate mobile application testing process. All the same, quality assurance (QA) is one of the mobile app development cycle stages without which you cannot build one. Due to competition in app development, QA must be performed throughout the whole period of building it. This is important since it helps fix bugs quickly and make improvements immediately before launching it out for users’ use.
Things to keep in mind while doing testing include:
a) Device Compatibility
Any operating system where the app will be running should be tested. As a result, the QA section should first check if it is supported by several versions of OS. It is important to consider some device-specific issues, for example, this app must fit all screen sizes.
b) Front-end vs. Back-end Functionality
Make sure that the front end looks how it is supposed and that the back end does what it is supposed to do.
c) Application Type
In case the application was designed as a web application and mobile application in one, all functions of both platforms need testing.
d) Security Optimization
Mobile application security has become fashionable these days. Thus checking for safety issues, securing source code, carrying out penetration tests, and performing input validation is essential.
e) App Integration
When some core functions of your application interact with other features like its phone’s camera or any other program such as Google Maps, then checking if integrations work correctly becomes inevitable.
f) Installation and Storage
Assess whether or not your app comes on the right device/OS combination also watch out for app size among other things (since a huge size may hinder it from being downloaded onto someone’s phone).
Step 9. Launch Your App to the App Store
Now is the time to make your app known in the app store. It all depends on your app’s app store on the rules that it should adhere to. Another requirement persists among different third-party application stores regarding the submission of new mobile software.
Most importantly, it’s ideal for developers to opt for platforms such as Google Play or Apple App Store while launching an app. Concentrating on one store allows efficient development since what developers need is just one application.
If you design a program solely for Google Play Store or iTunes only, however, then this may limit how far your product has been exposed. Each of these stores has its advantages and disadvantages in comparison but cross-platform applications provide better visibility and may help in attracting more customers.
Step 10. Market Your Mobile App
Publishing your application does not remove the responsibility from you forever. You must develop a rigorous marketing strategy so that you can reach more users and increase engagement levels. There are already hundreds of apps in the app stores; hence marketing helps to increase the visibility of an app making it easier for potential users to find it.
To be successful in marketing, you must have a clear understanding of your target audience's demographics and behavior. This will allow you to create a marketing strategy that leads to ultimate success. In addition, your app’s unique offerings should be precise and they need to modify your marketing campaign accordingly.
One can use any widely known marketing channel that is available for app advertisement. Furthermore, efficient app store optimization will improve the ranking of your application in search engines.
There are several other options when it comes to strategies such as influencer marketing or paid advertisements. However, make sure you do not overspend while marketing your application.
Step 11. Keep Your App Updated
Well, it’s hard to keep up with what customers want and need these days. To stay current means aligning one with contemporary trends if one hopes to remain relevant against them all.
Alternatively, new features can be pushed out so that the app stands out differently, and this increases downloads.
Do spare some time for releasing updates that will add value to users and keep them interested too? This may also assist in resolving glitches for the smooth functioning of the user experience.
Let the users know about the updates, what has been changed, and how it is new so that they can effectively use these functions.
Should Your Business Make Android Apps or iOS Apps?
To decide whether to create Android or iOS apps for your company, consider multiple aspects.
1. Target Audience
Although Androids have a bigger portion of the market; users of iOS are known to spend more on applications. You need to analyze the psychographics, demographics, and other parameters of your target audience to determine which platform will suit them better.
2. App Features and Purpose
Unlike Android’s Java/Kotlin language for app development, native development for an iOS application would be easier. In addition, creating an iOS app becomes simpler if you want advanced functionalities or more customization.
iOS is also a better option if you want consistent app performance as it is only Apple that controls both the software and hardware of iPhones thus leading to uniformity in their performance.
3. Development Cost and Time Frame
Development of applications is not something that can be done in a day or two; this process requires a considerable period. Compared to iOS, developing Android takes longer while on average iOS developers charge higher than those working on Androids.
Tip: start with one platform depending on your business prospectus and targeted people before expanding to both platforms when your company flourishes and attracts bigger audiences.
How Can GMTA Software Assist You In Your Mobile App Development Process?
Collaboration with a reputable mobile app development company can play an essential part in an app’s successful life cycle. The organization provides the skill, effectiveness, and tools that make it possible to turn app ideas into functional products.
Moreover, hire also GMTA Software a mobile application development company, has been in this line of business for years and is made up of qualified professionals who have managed to deliver similar projects successfully. Why GMTA Software?
Key Highlights to Know
• Bridging knowledge gaps
• Project management and planning
• Streamlined development process
• Access to new technologies
• Quality assurance and security
• Economic
• Scalability and maintenance
• Broader talent base
Final Thoughts
Create a mobile app requires following simple steps that will lead to its success. Therefore, before anything else begin with the steps listed above when building an app for your enterprise.
Each step should be performed meticulously with adequate preparation and understanding. You can do that? Yes, but only if you have some technical savvy. Otherwise, non-techies will run into multiple hurdles during the application development journey.
Every action has to be cautious with proper management and information. You can’t miss it. But for this, you must have technology sentience. A no technological background person would face a myriad of difficulties in their journey for app development.
Moreover, if you possess the needed expertise and are also technically inclined, managing an enterprise concurrently would require additional time from your end.
It is at this point that a mobile app development company like GMTA Software can come in as a rescuer.
Choose Mobile Application Development Services so that your task will be without faults within the constraints of cost and time.
