Want to develop mobile applications but don’t know how to get started? You’re in the right place! This article will give you an overview of mobile app development along with 10 best practices. These are secret tips that experienced app developers have been applying. Ready? Let’s dive in with Designveloper!
An Overview of Mobile Development
Mobile development is growing at a very fast pace. This is expected to be achieved by the year 2024 and therefore the industry is expected to grow to even greater heights. Sensor Tower also stated that the global consumer spending on mobile apps was 4% up in 2023. This is expected to continue and thus mobile development remains an important field for business organizations.
Designveloper has been one of the pioneers in this process. We have worked on more than one hundred projects and have completed more than half a million hours of mobile development. Some of the projects that our team has been involved in include the healthcare platform referred to as ODC and the document platform known as Lumin.
It is always important to know what is current in the market. Some of the trends that will be observed in 2024 include cross-platform development, integration of AI, and compatibility with 5G. These developments are defining the architecture of applications in terms of design and development.
For businesses, these are the best practices that need to be implemented. It makes sure that the mobile apps are not only effective, but also easy to use and safe. At Designveloper, we pay attention to these aspects in all the projects that we undertake. We pride ourselves in quality and innovation making us a standout company in the industry.
1. What is mobile development?
Mobile development is a process of developing applications that are designed to run on the mobile devices. These devices include but not limited to mobile phones, tablet computers and wearable technology. Mobile development is the process of developing mobile applications as well as mobile websites.
The mobile application industry is expanding at a fast pace. It is forecasted to produce sales of more than $522 billion by 2024. This growth is due to the growth of the number of people using smartphones across the globe. Today, there are more than 6. 3 billion smartphone users, and this number is expected to go beyond 7.7 billion by 2028.
Mobile development is a process that has several phases. These stages include planning, designing, developing, testing and deploying of mobile applications. There are different programming languages and frameworks that developers employ. Some of the most used are React Native, Flutter, and Swift.
Security is a very important consideration in mobile development. Application developers have to make sure their applications are protected from threats. This includes ensuring that users’ data is well protected and cannot be accessed by unauthorized persons. This means that updates and security patches should be done regularly.
Another important consideration is the user experience or UX. First, a good app should be user friendly and one should be able to navigate through the app with ease. For this reason, UX has to be a priority for developers in order to achieve the satisfaction of the users. This includes the design of interfaces and avoiding long loading of the applications.
2. What languages are used for mobile development?
If you’re new to mobile development, you may find it challenging to choose the right programming language. Don’t worry! The below list of common languages in 2024 will help you out.
Recommended reading: 17 Computer Programming Languages that You Should Learn
3. How much does mobile app development cost?
There is no single answer to the question: “How much does it cost to make an app for your business?”. The price to do that depends on many aspects, as shown below:
- Types of apps. Is it a mobile game or a social networking app?
- Platforms. Which platform will your app be available on?
- Design. Is it just a basic design or a customized one?
- The number of pages. How many pages does the app need?
- Features and infrastructure. The more complex features, the more money you need to invest in the app development process.
Let’s say there are three categories of mobile apps: simple, moderate, and complex. Here are the costs to make an app.
Note that you should use the table above as a reference to predict the potential costs of making a mobile app. Every app is different, and every specification you want your app to have will add up to the price.
Recommended reading: Top 18 Mobile App Design Tools
10 Best Mobile Development Practices
Now you’ve known what mobile development is. Let’s take a look at the best practices to do that.
1. Break down tasks into small and manageable chunks
This is a very important step in mobile development, as it allows dividing the work into small and easily manageable portions. It also assists the developers in being more organized and avoid being overwhelmed by the project.
The first step that developers need to take is to determine the key characteristics of the mobile app. They can then be further subdivided into sub-tasks that make up the overall feature. For instance, if the app has a user login functionality, the tasks may comprise of creating the login interface, coding the login functionality, and checking the login functionality.
There are many such tasks which can be managed using tools like Trello or Jira. These tools enable the developers to come up with the task boards and track the progress made.
Also, when tasks are broken down, it is easier to estimate time and resources that would be required to complete the task. This is because smaller tasks are less stressful and easier to handle as compared to large tasks. This approach also makes it easier to monitor the progress and also the possibility of coming across some challenges early enough.
2. Do right from the beginning
It is very important that a mobile development project is begun in the right manner. It creates the initial impression of the whole process.
First, conduct thorough research. Know your audience and what they want. For instance, while using social media, the Gen-Z users spend an average of 4.1 hours per month on non-gaming mobile applications. The following data can help you decide on the features and look of your app.
Second, select the proper development method. Choose the flexible approaches to be more efficient; The agile practices are useful in responding to change as it is always required. This approach is useful in the dynamic environment that is characteristic of mobile development.
Also, determine the correct technology stack. Use frameworks such as React Native or Flutter to develop apps for multiple platforms. These frameworks are time and cost effective since they enable developers to use the same code in different platforms.
In addition, security should be considered from the beginning. This should be done to ensure that the data of the users is well protected from any unauthorized individuals. A report also indicates that the mobile application industry is expected to earn more than $522 billion in revenues by the year 2024. This growth can be facilitated by ensuring security since it will help to foster user trust.
Last but not the least, user experience or UX should be given importance. It is well understood that a good UX design can go a long way in helping retain users. For instance, 39% of users will abandon content if loading time is long3. Hence, improve the performance of your app to improve the UX.
Recommended reading: 3 Key Reason Make App Development Projects Fail
3. Focus on the user experience
User experience or UX is very important in mobile development. If UX is done properly, it can greatly increase the level of usage and the number of users who will continue to use the app. The current statistics show that 90% of the users have abandoned an app due to poor performance. This underlines the significance of a smooth and natural interface, which is quite obvious.
A good UX design can improve the conversion rates by 400%. This means that, if more resources are dedicated to UX, the result will be improved user satisfaction and business performance. For example, the apps with good UI design can increase the website conversion rates by 200 percent.
Also, consumers are using mobile devices for more than 5 hours a day. This means that mobile apps should be designed to be used for long term. It is crucial to maintain the site’s speed and easy navigation since 39% of users will abandon the content if the loading time is too long.
Personalization is another important component of UX. It was found that 54% of the users are comfortable with content that is targeted to their interests. This can be done using the user onboarding tools and recommendation systems which are more personalized. For instance, applications that recommend products to customers will help the e-commerce business to improve its sales and the shopping experience of its clients.
Also, the customers’ satisfaction level determines the credibility of a website by 75% based on the site’s appearance. Hence, the design of the website has to be good. Just choosing high quality pictures, the right colors and fonts can make a huge difference.
4. Follow the app store development guidelines
It is important to follow the guidelines of app store to achieve success in mobile development. Apple and Google have certain guidelines that have to be followed by the developers. These guidelines make it possible to ensure that the apps are of good quality and are secure.
Apple has always been very particular with its App Store review. This year alone, Apple rejected more than 40% of the apps that developers tried to submit to the App Store because they violated the guidelines. Developers need to read the App Store Review Guidelines to know what not to do. For instance, apps should be designed to offer the best experience to the users and should meet certain design requirements.
Google Play Store also has strict polices in place. In 2023, Google took down 1.43 million apps for policy violations. It is therefore important for developers to read through the Google Play Developer Policy to avoid violation of the policy. Apps must not include false information and must not infringe on the privacy of the users.
FURTHER READING: |
1. Custom Mobile App Development Process: A Detailed Guide |
2. Mobile App Design Process: How does it change? |
5. Test, test, and test
Testing is a very important process in mobile development. It guarantees that the application runs efficiently on various devices and operating systems.
Real device testing is a must. It helps to find bugs that can be actually hidden in emulators. For instance, testing on real devices may expose performance problems when the device is under a different network. According to the Ericsson Mobility Report, 5G network subscriptions will be 5.3 billion across the world by 2029. This means apps have to be tested for high speed data connection and low latency.
Security testing is also important. As data privacy continues to be a concern, application must be subjected to vulnerability tests. According to a survey, 73% of participants are more concerned about the data privacy now than they were several years back. Hence, penetration testing and compliance testing are required.
Testing automation reduces the amount of time and energy that one has to spend. It enables developers to execute tests quickly and more often. For example, test generation tools that use artificial intelligence can develop test cases based on the app’s features and users’ actions. This makes sure that there is no blind spot and the bugs are detected within the shortest time possible.
Another best practice is the continuous testing. It incorporates the testing of the app at each level of development. This approach enables one to identify challenges on time and also provide the users with the best experience.
6. Keep the design in mind
Design is a very important aspect of mobile development.
- User-Centric Design: Stress on the fact that the design should be more user-oriented. This means knowing the users and how they use the products and services that are offered to them. For instance, the use of neat and simple navigation and clear fonts can be used to improve the usability of the site.
- Minimalism and Accessibility: Simplicity has become the order of the day. They eliminate unnecessary items and the app becomes easier to navigate. Also, features such as voice commands and large text settings are available for users with disabilities.
- Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR): Combining AR and VR may enhance the application’s interactivity. These technologies give a feel of reality especially in games and applications that deal in sales. For instance, the AR navigation applications provide digital information on top of the physical environment improving the user experience.
- Dark Mode and Personalization: Dark mode is not just a fashion; it helps to decrease eye strain and preserve battery charge. Another feature is the personalization of the application, which is also based on artificial intelligence, and is aimed at creating a unique experience for every user. This in turn enhances the users’ interaction and satisfaction.
- Security and Privacy: Security and privacy should also be taken into consideration while designing. It is crucial to ensure that the users’ data is safe, and this is why the users are more likely to trust an app. Security measures have to be put in place and have to be strong.
Recommended reading: 28 Amazing tools for Mobile App Design Software Tools
7. Plan for updates
It is very important in mobile development to plan for updates. Updates are important to keep the app useful and popular among the users. In a report by Adapty, it was established that mobile app updates are critical in retaining the users as well as making them happy.
It is recommended that developers set some time to address issues that may have been left out in the previous versions, enhance the performance of the application, and incorporate new features. For instance, the application TikTok often provides new versions to make the usage more enjoyable and protected. This approach helps to retain the users and prevent them from abandoning the application.
In addition, updates should reflect the current trends in mobile development. By 2024, such trends as augmented reality and artificial intelligence are emerging. Incorporating these technologies into updates can greatly improve the app and the experience of the users.
8. Pay attention to security
Security is a very important aspect in mobile development. It is a very important aspect that needs to be put into consideration by developers to ensure that users’ data is not compromised.
One of the important practices is the secure authentication. Lack of strong authentication can cause a system to be compromised. This risk can be managed by using better authentication measures including the use of MFA. For instance, Google Authenticator offers the second factor of security by generating TOTP, which is time-based one-time passwords.
Encryption is another crucial factor that has to be considered. Encryption of data helps in that even if the data is intercepted, it cannot be read. To ensure that the user data is not accessed by unauthorized persons, there is the use of encryption methods such as AES.
Security testing is also important to be done in a routine manner. Security audits and penetration testing are useful in assessing the risks that are present in an organization. Some of the most frequent threats in mobile applications can be mitigated to enhance the security of the application.
Also, developers should update the software and libraries used in the project. Old components are known to have some vulnerabilities. Security threats can be avoided through updates and patches.
Finally, there is the need to ensure that API integration is secure. APIs are mostly the first line of access to the data. The data leakage can be prevented by making sure that there is a secure connection between the app and the server. The use of SSL/TLS protocols can protect data transfer.
9. Check application compatibility
Compatibility of applications is very important in mobile development. This means that developers have to ensure that their applications run well on different devices and operating systems. This step also prevents users from getting frustrated and leaving negative comments about the application.
Cross-platform development enables the apps to be compatible with different operating systems such as the iOS and the Android. This approach is economical in terms of time and costs.
For instance, well-known frameworks such as Flutter and React Native allow developers to build applications for multiple platforms simultaneously. Google Pay and Facebook are some of the apps that have been developed using these frameworks.
It is recommended that developers should use BrowserStack or Sauce Labs to test their apps on different devices. These tools offer the actual testing environment in real time, and this helps to check compatibility of the software in different platforms.
10. Monitor analytics
Monitoring analytics is crucial for mobile development. It assists the developers to know how the users are using the application and how the application is performing. Statista’s report shows that the mobile app market is expected to grow to $613 billion by 2027. This growth underlines the need to monitor the app metrics.
The developers should employ such tools as Google Analytics and Firebase. These tools help to understand the users’ activity and their further loyalty. For instance, Firebase provides real-time information about users’ engagement. This data is useful in decision making to enhance the app.
Further, it is possible to track analytics and notice the problem in the early stages. For example, if a feature is not doing well, then the developers can easily rectify it. This is such a proactive approach that guarantees the users a better experience. In 2024, predictive analytics will enhance the approach to the users’ engagement.
In addition, analytics assist in the evaluation of the effectiveness of marketing strategies. Through the use of user acquisition and conversion rates, the developers can be able to improve on the strategies. This results in better marketing communications and hence better returns on investments.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is essential to adhere to the top 10 mobile app development best practices in 2024. The mobile development environment is constantly changing and new trends and technologies appear. For example, cross-platform development is becoming popular due to its low cost and increased market coverage.
Implementation of these best practices will help to keep the mobile apps relevant and competitive. It is also important that businesses are always aware of the current trends and have to enhance their apps constantly. Thus, they can satisfy the users’ demand and obtain sustainable growth in the mobile development field.
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