Today’s tech-savvy generation prefer to consume information on-the-go and get their daily tasks done with just a few clicks. Similarly, businesses are increasingly adopting mobile marketing techniques to promote their products and services, stay connected to their customers at every touchpoint of the buyer journey.
This has facilitated the introduction of apps into the marketplace and ever since their popularity has grown by leaps and bounds. Apps have become an integral part of our daily lives, with several use cases, right from accessing emails on smartphones, ordering products online, requesting services, commuting, ordering food and daily essentials online. The mobile app development landscape is rapidly growing and offers lucrative opportunities for the next-gen mobile app development companies.
Though the mobile app development process is common knowledge, it gets the right mix to make or break a mobile app. It is essential for businesses to identify the objective of their app, how their app may serve its purpose and enable the businesses in meeting their marketing objectives. Whether it’s an application for a small business or a big brand’s app, there are some essential phases that should be executed with accuracy and precision.
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Contents
7 essential steps of the mobile app development process
#1. Identify the Objective
While there is a myriad of apps available in the marketplace, what purpose is your app set out to achieve? This is a critical question you must seek an answer to before embarking on the mobile app development process. If you want your app to have wide-scale adoption by the intended target consumer base, first do the research and analysis to identify the demand-supply gap that your app needs to cater to. Identifying the end objective would help you to define short- and long-term goals of your app, decide the look and feel of your app as well as chalk out the requisite features you would like your app to possess. It’s also advised to get clarity about the actual app development cost.
#2. Develop the Wireframe
Before you actually develop an app, it’s always advised to first create a wireframe. A wireframe will give you a fair idea about what to expect, how your app will look like and the features it must have. This step primarily relates the expectation vs reality that is how your ideas and required features may come together to produce the desired outcome. Selecting the right mobile app development methodology (agile or waterfall) can establish a successful base for your app.
#3. Set Up Backend Structures
During this phase, the mobile app developer has to set up databases, APIs, servers and actual storage solutions for securing the backend functioning of the app. Based on the real-time situations, you may need to alter your wireframe or prototype in order to accommodate the requisite changes.
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#4. Prototype Testing
Testing out your planned wireframe or prototype is highly essential as you get to analyze the design concepts and identify any loopholes in your design flow. After accommodating the necessary structural changes, get the final prototype or an MVP designed before you commence with full-scale app development.
#5. Coding and Development
This is one of the crucial phases in the mobile app development process. Find out what are the app stores you can leverage to distribute your app. Each app store has specific review processes and stringent specifications when it comes to app features. So, before you complete coding your app entirely, make sure that your app is ready to pass the muster. Referring to app store guidelines and incorporating technical changes in the coding phase is highly suggested to avoid rejection by the app stores. Your design team may proceed with creating a real design for your app, during this phase.
#6. Testing
Before making the app available to a wider audience base, make sure your app is ready to make the mark and is devoid of flaws, be it related to design, navigation or one of the key functionalities of your app. It is necessary to flag any underlying issues in your app at this phase of your mobile app development journey.
#7. Launch and Promotion
All set for the big day? Well, a lot goes into this before you actually make the official announcement. Make sure to create enough buzz in the market about why users must take to your app and how it will help them. Your marketing team will have a key role to play during this phase.
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