Today’s time are seeing an increase in usage of smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. Mobile apps have unique features and hence, selecting the right one among the many mobile app development companies present is important for any app to succeed.
Mobile apps today are a crucial tool for each company present in any part of the world. They help attract the customer’s attention. A survey by Clutch revealed around 42% of small businesses in both Canada and the United States had a mobile app.
Also 30% of these businesses were planning to make an app in the future. A lot of Small and Medium sized businesses (SMBs) wish to have a mobile app. However, amongst the many mobile app ideas present, proper research should be done before they pick up an idea and consult with an app development company for creation of an app to suit their app development needs.
Factors to consider for companies looking to create a mobile app
Here are some factors businesses must consider when creating a mobile app:
Conducting thorough research for the app
Those who wish to develop a mobile app resonating with their target audience need to conduct thorough research on what consumers demand these days, what their preferences are and what are the current & expected future trends.
This detailed research and analysis of the market will enable businesses to obtain all the necessary insights on how apps are trending as per today’s requirements. In fact, they can go through all the customer reviews of popular mobile apps as a means of obtaining insight into the interests and preferences of the target audience.
Identifying the target audience
Now we come to the second important aspect each business/company/organization should consider. The target audience is also referred to as the user base and this is crucial in deciding the app’s success or failure. Hence it is a must that businesses identify the right audience for their mobile app.
Conducting surveys, deployment of tools and browsing online social forums helps businesses understand their audience in a better manner.
Choosing the right platform
The most popular platforms for mobile app development are Android, iOS and Windows. Any company and their app development company can always start with one platform and can later expand to other platforms.
It is also a must for each business to understand what native and hybrid apps are. Native apps for Android often use programming languages like Java, Kotlin or both while native iOS apps use Swift or Objective-C or both. Whereas, hybrid applications are web applications built with programming languages such as CSS, HTML and JavaScript.
Taking the design aspect in consideration
App development companies often focus on creation of intuitive and straightforward designs. The following points must be considered when the mobile app is being designed:
The flow of information needs to be natural and seamless. The interaction between the user and the app should appear as though they are talking to the human being in a natural tone.
Averting unnecessary elements is a must. They should be removed so users won’t get distracted.
Limited notifications are a boon. It is important to notify users about any new offers present or any changes in the app. But there is no need to spam them with useless notifications. Users will take a drastic step if they are spammed.
Input fields need to be kept at a minimum. Providing users multiple user input modes can be quite confusing for users and they will end up frustrated. They eventually might even delete the app.
Deciding upon the technical features needed for the app
Companies need to decide on the technical features they wish to add in their app. Organizations have the flexibility to offer either a simple version for the basic users or an advanced premium version including all the functions needed by the high-end users of the app.
Allocation of time frame and budget for app development
App development can face impediments due to numerous budgetary constraints. Therefore, it is important to estimate the total budget for developing the mobile app and allocating it to the different stages of development.
The app’s complexity determines the project’s cost. The second aspect organizations need to look upon is the time frame needed for app development. Organizations can set deadlines so they can deliver the project on time.
