Top five tips for mobile app development
Mobile apps are no longer just a wish list item for businesses. Mobile app development has become a true necessity for most businesses in order to compete and grow. And business users expect the same simplicity and continuous improvement as consumers.
With multiple mobile platforms and hardware considerations all changing quickly, the app development process can be complex. Whether you’re building mobile apps for your customers or for use internally by your employees, these five app development tips will help you build a successful app.
Tip 1: Understand your business needs
Every successful app starts with a strong strategy, and mobile app development is no different. The place to start is by understanding your business needs and how building mobile apps can help achieve your business goals. Think about the following questions and gain consensus on the answers before you start building.
- What are you trying to achieve? Increasing sales? Improving efficiency? Streamlining customer service? There are a lot of possible reasons your business needs an app, so get specific.
- Who will be using this app? Know your audience. Employees in the field repairing equipment have different needs than customers checking order status.
- What existing systems does the app need to connect with? Maybe it needs access to customer data or sales projections. Maybe you have a quirky legacy system that’s still vital. Understanding the mandatory connectivity needs of your app is crucial.
Tip 2: Choose the right platform for your needs
Now that you’ve got good understanding of what your mobile app needs to do for your business, it’s time to think about which app development software best suits your needs.
Depending on your budget, you could hire a developer with expertise in building mobile apps or an app development business specialising in custom mobile app development. Large organisations may have internal resources for enterprise mobile app development. Savvy users without professional coding experience can now create mobile apps using low- or no-code app development tools.
For most scenarios, a no-code app builder or low-code platform will give you the most flexibility along with simplicity, customisation options, and scalability. These employ a visual, drag-and-drop approach to app building, like a set of connecting building blocks. Even professional developers benefit from this approach since it helps the process go a lot faster, and it makes iterating and adding on to the app much easier.
Tip 3: Design for the user experience
What makes a good app? A successful app is one that works the way users want it to. Users need:
- UI and navigation that’s clear and easy to use on a small screen.
- Fast loading and response times.
- A logical and familiar look and feel that’s consistent with your brand.
- Easily available support, including a solid FAQ.
- A feedback mechanism to report issues.
When you keep users and their needs at the centre of your app’s design, you’ll automatically implement many application development best practices. Remember this key consideration, along with the other app development tips in this article, and you’ll know how to make a successful app.
Tip 4: Test your app under multiple conditions
Once you’ve got an app up and running, it’s vital to test it. A lot. Your mobile app isn’t a successful app if it fails or frustrates users under foreseeable conditions.
Be sure to test across:
- Multiple devices
- Operating systems and versions
- Locations
- Bandwidth constraints
- Heavy resource loads
Some of these testing parameters can be met through functional testing such as whether the user interface works as you intended. Some can be determined through laboratory testing in a simulated network environment. But for the best feedback, functional and lab testing should be followed by user testing. This is how you find the issues that frustrate users and learn from their experiences.
Tip 5: Get user feedback
Once your initial testing is complete and you’ve resolved any issues that surfaced, it’s time to see how your app works in the wild. You could hire a testing company to handle user testing or roll out your app to a select group of employees or customers, then monitor for issues and solicit feedback.
Remember, testing isn’t a one-and-done phase of production. Continuous improvement is one of the fundamental application development best practices. Users are accustomed to regular mobile app updates and even expect them. Even once you’ve widely launched your app, you’ll still need to monitor its performance and user feedback for issues. This is how to make your app successful in the long term.
Successful apps start with a plan
You probably recognise this quote from Benjamin Frankin: If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. Follow the app development tips outlined above and you’ll have a plan for how to make a successful app. Consider choosing a low- or no-code development tool such as Microsoft Power Apps as part of your plan, and make your mobile app development faster and simpler and your app easier to update over time.
Frequently asked questions
What are tips for creating an app?
The most important tips for creating an app are to clearly understand and define its purpose, who will be using it, and any mandatory technical considerations such as connectivity to existing systems. Once that strategic foundation is in place, choose the best development platform for your needs, such as a low- or no-code tool that can be used by professional developers and savvy users alike, and always follow up with testing and an ongoing plan for user feedback and continuous improvement.
How can you create a successful mobile app?
The best way to create a successful mobile app is to plan for success by clearly defining the purpose, audience, and technical considerations of your app in advance, and then testing and responding to user feedback with fixes and improvements.
What mobile app platform should I use to create an app?
A low- or -no-code application development platform provides the simplest method for creating mobile apps, with a drag-and-drop approach to app building that requires no prior coding experience. Even professional developers appreciate the speed, ease, and flexibility of this approach, and many low- and no-code platforms can also be extended with custom-coded components when needed.
Should an app be tested on multiple devices?
Absolutely. An app isn’t much good if it fails or frustrates users. With so many devices, operating systems, and versions in use, you’ll need to test a wide swath to prevent issues for your app’s users.