Increased smartphone penetration has led to more mobile users. Businesses are also trying to cater to this new group of users by creating mobile apps and improving the customer experience. As a result, there is an increased requirement for Mobile App Development that quickly reaches this audience and satisfies their needs. However, to ensure the success of the app, businesses must follow a robust mobile app development process. We will discuss the individual steps of the process in detail.
Stages of the mobile app development process
Here is now a detailed overview of each stage of mobile app development.
Research and strategy
The mobile app development process starts with deciding on a strategy for why you need the app. Many applications are extensions of the desktop application. Next, you need to identify your audience and understand their likes and dislikes. Research and strategy must take a significant amount of time in the initial stages. Audience demographics and behavior patterns also need to be considered.
In your research, you also need to check your competition and assess how they appeal to their audience and the features they offer. The information forms the background for deciding the goals and objectives that comprise a critical step in mobile app development.
Feasibility planning and assessment
Once you’ve completed your application goals, you can now analyze the features you’ll need in your project. Here is a crucial analysis of competing applications. You can include features that your competition lacks and include them in yours. Once you’ve determined the elements you want to include, you need to prepare a product plan.
Features must be prioritized based on their importance and grouped into delivery milestones. It is also essential to determine the technologies you will need. You also need to check if the backend system will support the features you want the app to have. You can take the help of experts from a leading mobile app development company in UK.
UI/UX design
The design of the application must follow optimized workflows that allow users to use the application without problems. In addition, they must ensure customer loyalty and increase the time spent on the application. So first, map out the customer journey and visualize how visitors will go through the workflows in your app. Then create wireframes and a scenario to explore the mobile app and demonstrate navigation workflows.
Wireframes will cover the layout of the application along with device-specific designs. During this process, you must also include your company’s specific branding guidelines, also called Style Guides. It will cover the font and style to be included in the application. It also includes the design of navigation icons and how the app will follow your branding guidelines.
Wireframe-based mockups will be created based on the guidelines created. You can discuss with the client and finalize aesthetics and workflows. Static mockups can be turned into prototypes using high-quality tools. It can help stimulate the workflows that the final application will use. User experience can also be evaluated.
Development
Before actually developing a mobile app, you need to define the architecture and finalize the technology stack you want to use. It is the most critical part of the mobile app development process. Furthermore, the backend technology covering the database and various other server-related objects is completed. Next, the APIs to be created are also considered. Finally, an intuitive front-end user interface design using the chosen technology is ready.
Developers set up a project and pieces of code are reviewed before being included in the project. The application could then be released to a small group of external testers for further code testing. If you are developing a complex application, you can use an agile methodology that helps in continuous improvement and progressive development.
Testing
The testing phase forms an integral part of your mobile app development initiative to ensure that the app is secure and stable. A team of expert testers must create appropriate use cases based on the industry and various workflows involved in the application. It will help testers record results involving software quality assessment. It will also help them track code fixes that need to be made.
Your quality assurance team must be an integral part of this process. The application is now tested for compatibility, usability, performance, load, security, etc. The mobile application must pass several tests to ensure a quality mobile solution. Some of the testing processes to follow are:
- User experience testing
- Functional testing
- Device and platform testing
- Security testing
Deployment and support
When the application is ready, you need to choose a time to start the application. You may then wish to publish the app to the Google Play Store or the App Store, or both. Recently, Amazon App Store is also famous. The process of publishing to different mobile app stores may vary on different platforms.
You must have metadata content ready before publishing. Keep in mind that content must be optimized for your chosen App Store. You can also upload various promotional materials such as videos and graphics. Some other necessary information such as geographic restrictions, configuration, and pricing may require uploading.
With the Google Play Store, there would be a time delay before your mobile app is formally published. It is not the end, but only the beginning of future changes. You will receive useful feedback that can be used as feedback for future improvements.
App maintenance and future development
Once the application is published, its performance can be monitored by deploying adequate checkpoints through KPIs. You can detect crashes, downloads, etc. using other metrics you set. However, your work on the application continues through support activities and future necessary development. You must keep in mind that the tweaks must be uploaded to the app store platforms through the same process as before.
Conclusion
Mobile app development is a continuous process that doesn’t end when the app is published in the app stores. You need to take the help of a leading mobile app development company in UK that can help you visualize the app and design the necessary features and functions through adequate research.
We provide mobile app development services to some of the leading companies across various industries. You can contact us to start a discussion about how we can help you.
