A COMPLETE GUIDE ON HOW TO DEVELOP A MOBILE APP

If you have an overview or idea of a mobile app to be developed, then you need to ask yourself several questions like,

1. What is the main goal of your mobile app? 

2. What will be important features? 

3. Your target audience? 

4. Will you develop a native or hybrid app? 

5. What is the budget? 

6. When you will launch the app? 

So, your idea should be practically feasible and marketable. You should be familiar with the guidelines of two of the most used app platform Google Play Store and Apple Store. You can also do competitor research and from there you will get an  idea of features to be incorporated, user reviews, etc.  

Now you need to plan a roadmap to develop your mobile app. Develop a timeline and set goals for each phase. Now you have developed a plan, the next step will be designing UI/UX for your new mobile app. 

Now is the time to make your app visually stunning and intuitive. The UI design will make your app visually appealing and UX design will enhance the user experience. So, UI/UX design is one of the most important phases in mobile app development. 

A) WIREFRAME

A Wireframe is the backbone of a mobile application where key elements like banners, buttons, icons, etc. are placed in the app. The user interface design is incorporated in this phase. 

B) DESIGN 

Now is the time to give the app a stunning, catchy and unique design. Different layouts need to be designed for different parts of the app. Using the latest graphic designing technologies, the mockups for the app will be generated and color schemes will be finalized.

C) PROTOTYPE 

Combining the wireframe and design a final prototype for the app will be developed. It will give an idea of how your app will look like and help you understand all the aspects of the app.

In this phase, we will give a new life to the prototype of the mobile app. The developers will now develop code for various parts of the app and implement all the functionalities.

The development phase will take place in three phases:

First Phase: The main functionalities and modules are created for the mobile app. The core development of the app is completed in this stage.

Second Phase: The major features are implemented in the app and API's are developed and integrated.  

Third Phase: In this stage the front end of the app is developed, and all code is rechecked. After all the coding is completed then the next phase begins -Testingpf the app.

During the development phase, preliminary testing is simultaneously done after each phase. The overall testing of the app is done after all development work is completed.

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Testing is a very important part of mobile app development and if you overlook Quality Analysis, then it will lead to bad user experience, bugs, poor quality, etc. First, you need to review the app and decide what are your goals. Decide on which devices your app will be running and what are the functional requirements. 

A) COMPATIBILITY TESTING

Testing of all on various devices, systems and models. It makes your app versatile on various platforms. Thus your app will be compatible, flexible and responsive.  

B) USER INTERFACE TESTING

Checking how the user will interact with the app is part of user interface testing. Navigation, buttons, design, content, etc. are tested in this phase. 

C) FUNCTIONAL TESTING

All the functionalities of the app are tested, and performance is analyzed. Sign up and Login part, updates, internet connection, security, etc. Issues are tested. 

D) ACCESSIBILITY TESTING

You need to ensure that your app is widely available to the public and can be easily accessed. 

E) EXTERNAL FACTORS TESTING 

Various exterior factors affect mobile performance and testers need to check how your app performs after interacting with network connections, mobile types and device settings. 

This is the final phase of mobile app development where your app goes live. Before the final launch, you can launch a Beta version of the app and get customer feedback. You need a comprehensive app launch strategy to make your app successful in the marketplace. 

1. Develop a completed understanding of target audience (demographics), goals and behavioral patterns. 

2. Determine how you are going to pitch your app to the public. There are millions of app in the app store and play store, you need a unique strategy to make your app stand out. 

3. After you have done market research, now is the time to launch the app.  

4. Promote your content and develop marketing campaigns.  

5. After your app has met the criteria and guidelines of the Mobile app platform you can submit it. After you get approval now promote your app via emails, social media and ads. 

Now you can relax and chill! No, the app needs to be upgraded regularly and upcoming bugs need to be removed. 

Also Read: GraphQL Introduction

What are the new features to be incorporated in the app? How is the customer response? How is your app performing with the latest software and hardware?  

All these questions need to be put into consideration and implemented at the right stage. Now keep optimizing and maintaining your app to keep up with customer expectations. 

So, after reading this article you must have realized that app development is not a child’s play. It takes a lot of time and resources to develop a successful mobile app. You need to plan and strategize carefully before developing a mobile app.