Mobile apps are predicted to thrive in the future. This is unsurprising news when approximately 3 billion mobile phone users were recorded in 2019, and this figure is projected to continue increasing. According to Liftoff, 80% of mobile time is used for apps. Of these, game apps are the most preferred category among Apple users (23%), versus nearly over 95% of tools, communication, or business apps are mainly installed on the Android platform (Statista). This is truly a promising market, even during a period of crisis like the Covid-19 pandemic. So mobile app development tips are so important when you make an app.
Top 12 Best Mobile App Development Tips
However, building an app is not an easy task. Any projects can be less competitive if they fail to meet users’ demands, and attract and retain customers. So those who want to engage in this rising market need to memorize the 12 tips for successful mobile app development and design mentioned in this blog post.
1. Know your target users
It is really important to identify who will be your potential customers. The answer cannot be “people of all kinds,” as you hardly develop any apps that can satisfy the whole public.
So you should determine target users in terms of age, gender, location, behaviors, likes, or dislikes. Undertaking surveys or giving essential questions on forums is necessary to support the understanding of market needs and ongoing trends. Also, you can build an MVP version of your app to see how your users react to it and which part of it can stop their interest in your app.
Recommended reading: Top 20 Mobile App Design Tools for 2022
2. Choose suitable features and technology
A successful app needs to be based on the right technology. Not all businesses can afford a native app; fortunately, there are other options for them. Of which:
Native apps
Building something native is a dream of various product owners, as it can leverage functionalities (albeit advanced such as complex networking), and deliver high performance and great UX. Yet a native app is only developed by separate programming languages for different operating systems (OS). So you need at least two development teams to build apps on iOS and Android, let alone other systems. That costs you a fortune.
Cross-platform apps
These apps will share Software Development Kit (SDK), and be mainly developed on React Native, Xamarin, and Flutter. They still have some native advantages, so run seamlessly and suit those on a limited budget.
Hybrid apps
Similar to cross-platform apps, hybrid ones also use code sharing, thus it’s able to reduce time and cost for development. They can be compatible with all devices, yet run quite sluggishly and hardly optimize the user experience.
Another consideration is the necessary features that should be included in apps to provide decent content. If users do not find anything they need from your app, for example, security for their personal information, they will not hesitate to delete it.
3. Keep up with the latest app development tips
The tech world, in general, is always changing, and the app market is no exception. Of course, you do not need to build an app with the latest technology if the latter cannot satisfy the requirements of app development. Yet following the ongoing trends to know how the software world is working is a must. It helps you to be always well-informed and have the best choice of technology used on apps.
4. Build a simple, yet intuitive UI/UX app
No one wants to use apps with various features that confuse them. So simpler apps are more accessible to your potential customers and facilitate user experience. However, “simplicity” does not mean apps only contain some basic functions with a poor appearance. It involves carefully planned registration processes, good in-app searches or purchases, and even an eye-catching interface. Therefore, well-designed UI and UX should be paid more attention to during the phase of app development tips.
5. Optimize your apps
Users definitely do not want their apps to open or process too sluggishly, and to even occupy too much memory space. So developers should avoid any unneeded variables or attributes that can negatively affect the performance and speed of their apps.
Recommended reading: Why Choose React Native for Your Mobile App Like Bloomberg or AirBnB
6. Limit ads and banners
As one of the most prevalent app monetization strategies, in-app advertising accounts for 49% of revenues for non-game apps, versus 81% for games (Business of App). Due to its profitability, many providers are overusing ads, which can ruin the user experience and then lead to the decision of uninstalling apps. Therefore, you should consider keeping ads limited or displaying adverts more wisely.
7. Facilitate ASO & SEO
Your great ideas finally turn into real apps, yet how can you advertise them to target users? Of various marketing tactics, ASO (App Store Optimization) and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) are key answers. By giving your apps suitable names with target keywords, you can increase the possibility of your apps being known and found on stores and websites.
Recommended reading: How To Outsource SEO & Web Design Processes?
8. Facilitate offline access
There is a lot to do with the virtual world, as long as you have a well-connected mobile phone. But what if no Internet access is provided? Take Youtube as an example. Those who have no premium account hardly listen to music offline on the app. This demotivates them to continue using it and consider other better music. When no recreational options are given offline, your apps will be removed. So any apps that can keep their customers entertained even with no Internet, will succeed to retain their loyalty.
9. Use the third party
Foody, the largest food and drink app in Vietnam, integrates Google Maps to give users directions to their searched restaurants. This saves them lots of time opening another map app and helps boost user experience, then improves user retention rate. However, any third-party integration is unnecessary if it is over-engineered. Hence thinking of them thoroughly before app development is what you can do to avoid a waste of resources.
10. Test the app development tips thoroughly before releasing
Testing products before introduction to the market is a vital step in app development tips. It helps detect flaws and inconsistencies that need correcting before making your apps available online. Additionally, the appearance and features of apps will be differently displayed on different platforms. So you had better ensure your apps run well on mobile phones and tablets, from iPhones to Samsung Galaxy S8, or even older models like Xiaomi Redmi Note 3.
Recommended reading: Top 8 Mobile App Development Best Practices in 2022
11. Maintain and improve apps
Introducing apps to the market is just a part of your success. Please bear in mind that no technology is perfect, so the appearance of bugs or faults is inevitable. Regular updates to fix defects and better your apps are a good solution.
12. Choose your suitable mobile development and design team
Whether your apps can be valued over those of your competitors, still relies much on your development team who can turn your written ideas into a real product. In-house hiring or outsourcing does not matter more than what developers specialize in and how capable they are. Also, good communication or cooperation is a very important factor. My friend struggled to work with a freelance developer and design to build her custom app, as no party understood the other.
A 2018 report stated that 43% of users uninstalled their apps right after one week, and this figure doubled in two weeks. New to the competitive game, you can be easily defeated by rivals if you have no clear strategy for app development tips, and then outstanding performance to attract customers. This blog post only helps you to know the rules before joining the lively market, as your later success depends much on which value you deliver to users.
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