Overview

Have you got a million-dollar idea for an app, that you are just dying to bring to life? But have no idea where to start? It can become quite overwhelming when looking at different designs, concepts, and features.  But here is the good news. It doesn’t need to be daunting when working you are working with the right team. You take it one step at a time and step by step you get closer to your end goal, your mobile app! It does not need to be overwhelming when it comes to creating an app. Especially if you are working with the right developers. Check out our handy tips for creating your mobile app in 2022.

WHAT IS THE SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS?

Let’s dive into the software development process, before looking at the finer details of the mobile development journey. The most important factors in the software development process are:

• Planning your development
• Requirements needed to create your app
• Design of your app
• Build your app
• Document everything, this will come in handy later
• Test your app in a controlled test case environment, what is the functionality of your app
• Deploy your app, and go to market, this is the true test, allowing users to download it
• Maintain your app, this is key

If you need a better understanding of the software development process, why not check out our workflow page, this will certainly provide a more in-depth understanding of the processes and how we manage them.  

ANALYSE YOUR MARKET

Now that we have a better understanding of the software development processes, let’s focus on the finer details. One of the main necessities for having a successful mobile app is identifying your target market or target users. What are their base needs and will your app meet the needs of your users? For example, if we look at the diversity in South Africa it will create a great user interface that would be available in multiple languages. When doing your analysis make sure to include your competitors. Study their positives as well as their negatives. This will create a better understanding when creating your app and let you stand out from the rest with more positives than negatives.  

WHAT ARE THE CURRENT AND FUTURE TRENDS?

Trends never stay around long enough for everyone to jump onto them, they are constantly changing. This is why many mobile app moguls must stay on track with the up-and-coming app trends before starting their development. Especially when it comes to the software being used. Augmented Reality App Development, Unity Game Development and On-Demand Solutions are currently trending in 2022. Keeping up to date with the current trends, while having the foresight to see what’s upcoming will provide you with the upper hand this provides and allows your innovative side to sneak in and help your mobile app reach its full potential.  One last thing you should consider when researching the current trends, and inform your development team is if your app will be a cross-platform development tool or stick to a native app development kit. This will dictate the direction your app will take with functionality and build time.  

PICK A SUITABLE NAME

Having a suitable name that not only fits your app’s central theme but also sets your app apart from the rest.  Successful mobile app development needs all aspects to not only be creative as well as unique, but appealing.  Your app name is one particular aspect which draws in your user base. Phrasing is key, while a quirky name spelt with a z instead of an s may make for a fun marketing campaign it will impact the visibility of your app when it comes to search engines. So consider this clearly before committing to unusual spelling for your name. A long name is not something a user particularly looks for, and would rather download the app that has a snappy one-liner and catchy icons.  

DOES YOUR APP MEET YOUR IDEA?

Now we could sit here and tell you all the gory details of how many apps are downloaded and used every day by the average user, but we would rather be upfront with you. Just know this, no app developer wishes to replicate something that has already been done.  What you want to do is create something new, fresh and super innovative. So while your app is being developed you develop your app with your team, it is better to highlight your innovative idea and work with the development team to find the way to best capture that in an app form when working with your team they can also advise and guild you with the best practice.  

CHOOSING THE RIGHT PLATFORM

Choosing the right platform for your app can be difficult. The most common platforms we use are IOS, Android, and Desktop apps. Now that we have this in mind, your app will be built for this platform initially, before you broaden your horizons and expand your brand to more than one platform. To make your decision a bit easier, focus on the platform that best suits your app. This will give you a chance to analyse your app a bit more to make it user-friendly for all the different platforms.  This analysis will help you better understand what needs to be added or removed with your next app version when applying updates this then gives you a chance to analyze your app and make it more user-friendly for the different platforms. Your analysis can let you know what is to be added and what is to be removed for each version of your app.  

TEST YOUR APP REGULARLY

Testing your app has not become a foreign concept. For successful app development, it is necessary to constantly test your app, this will ensure you identify a bug before your users do, and this can help your app in the long run, to ensure it runs smoothly and bug-free. There are many tools you can use to help test your app. As this can become a mundane task, these tools have been tried and tested by the best of the best. However, remember your app will go need to go through beta testing before it is launched. This can save you time and money in the long run.  

IS YOUR APP ASO AND SEO FRIENDLY

What are ASO and SEO? ASO refers to App Store Optimisation and SEO refers to Search Engine Optimisation. These depend primarily on your app’s name. This is how users can find your app quickly and efficiently.  Sensor Tower notes state that 74.3% of the apps that are on the top trending apps in any app store are high ranked due to target keywords in their name. This includes keywords in the description as well. We can see why names are so important.  

OPTIMIZE YOUR APP ALWAYS

Optimization is one of the critical components in app development and maintaining your user base. Users find that if an app uses more than a couple 100MBs of limited storage they will likely dump it regardless of how useful the app is.  Optimise your app by not using too many objects and variables. If your app is quick, easy to use and takes up minimal space with your user’s device this will certainly increase positive feedback in the end.  

IS THERE OFFLINE AVAILABILITY?

The fun part, yes the part that sets you apart from the rest. Does your app have offline functionality?  The truth is, we do live in a digital world, where the internet is a constant. Some users find it difficult to access stable or high-speed internet. Some users rely purely on wifi when using their devices, the likelihood of any users switching to mobile data to use their apps is not likely. If your app simply shows an error message when attempting to connect to the internet, this will most likely have you, to lose users. If your app can allow for a small tweak here and there for users to access a few features when they do not have access to the internet, will have your app feel way more useful in the long run.  

USE ANALYTICS

Using analytics is important, this allows you to see how your users interact with your app. You can assess every action performed on the app by your users. This will provide great insight as to whether or not your users are accurately utilising the app. Thanks to this nifty tip guide, you will be able to create the app of your dreams with the help of good developers and effective information. If you are interested in developing your own app, contact our skilled team at Appinlet today to help build your dream app and make it a reality.