Mobile applications are a multi-billion-dollar industry that will continue to experience impressive growth in the coming years. No matter the industry, having a mobile application is nearly a requirement for any company, making it a necessity to choose the right mobile app developer that can deliver on your unique needs. The potential loss of customers and revenue from not having a mobile application is steep. Without a mobile application, a company will be at a severe disadvantage to its competitors.
The mobile application industry is an ultra-competitive sector, as the staggering number of offerings in an app store can attest. It only takes one misstep or ill-advised shortcut for a mobile application to fail. This article will explore three mistakes to avoid when developing a mobile application. No matter where a company is located, even in established tech hubs like San Francisco, avoiding these three mistakes will help ensure your mobile application development project has a better chance at success.
Listening to the Customer
There are many twists and turns in a mobile application development project. One of the very first goals is to conduct extensive market research. More than a few mobile applications failed because they weren’t designed for their target market. If the market research puts the customer first, the information collected will answer the important questions. The main goal of market research should be to answer one question: What pain point does the mobile application solve for a given customer base?
The identified pain point and how the mobile application solves it is the value proposition offered to its intended customers. The value proposition acts as the main guiding principle for the rest of the mobile application development process. Even after discovering the mobile applications value proposition, that doesn’t mean the end of customer engagement throughout the development process.
Testing and feedback are crucial steps in mobile application development. Failing to listen to customer feedback on early iterations of the mobile application is the same as conducting poor market research. The minimum viable product (MVP) is a great way to provide the target market with a low-cost testing method during the application development process.
Budgeting the Project
A mobile application succeeds or fails based on its budget. Even for an experienced project manager, getting the budget right is a daunting challenge. The bottom line is that mobile application development is expensive. It’s easy to balk at the upfront cost to develop a mobile application, and that’s before it sees an app store. Fortunately, market research helps identify many of the actual needs for the budget.
The budget needed to complete the mobile application covers more than just labor hours or materials. Failing to account for all the different line items results in a budget that underestimates the actual cost. Few things cause more dread or tense meetings than running out of money just before the project is finished. Consider essential budgetary items such as onboarding costs, training, or marketing, in addition to the obvious ones.
It is important to consider that the bulk of the cost for a mobile application likely isn’t the development. It’s in the sustainment cost. It is possible to budget only for the initial development costs if there’s a budget plan in place to sustain it. If a mobile application has a long life, going through updates and iterations, the sustainment cost could far exceed any development costs.
Partnering with a Third-Party Developer
It can be tempting, especially for a larger company or technical employees, to consider developing a mobile application in-house. And, depending on the circumstances, it might be the right choice to do the work yourself. There’s undoubtedly a cost-savings benefit to the develop-it-yourself approach. Developing an application in-house should certainly be explored, especially with the viability of low-code or no-code options.
Despite the potential eye-opening cost savings by developing a mobile application in-house, consider some factors first. The most prominent is the potential – and probable – strain on personnel and resources by developing it in-house. If the project is large and complex enough, it becomes increasingly likely that either the development of the project or the primary responsibilities of the employees suffer from overwork.
Many technical and development skills come together on a successful mobile application project. It is certainly possible that a company may have expertise in one area but lack the skills in another. Hiring a third-party mobile application development could be the answer to avoid these development pitfalls. While hiring a third-party developer comes with the potential for a higher budget, you are securing the experience and expertise needed for the successful development of a mobile application.
Dogtown Media is an industry leader in mobile application development. Our successful mobile application projects cover many industries, including FinTech, Augmented Reality, and the Internet of Things. We offer a free consultation to discover how to bring your mobile application to your customers.
