The mobile app industry now generates billions of dollars in revenue, drastically altering the mobile development sector. According to Statista, this industry generated $462 billion in 2019 and over $356 billion in 2018. It is also predicted that the income from mobile apps will reach $950 billion in 2023.
There are over nine million mobile apps currently available. The growth in this industry is why many businesses are building apps to reach more mobile users. Mobile development processes are important if you want to create mobile applications. This guide will highlight the mobile development processes and methods that a mobile developer needs to know.
What Is Mobile Development?
Mobile development is the development of applications for mobile devices. It includes software that can be installed on smartphones or downloaded from platforms such as the Apple App Store. In some cases, mobile apps are accessible via a mobile web browser. The programming language used for mobile development includes Swift, Java, HTML5, and C#.
Mobile development enables businesses to remain relevant as their users opt for readily available services. A lot goes into mobile development and most of the processes involved will be discussed below.
What Are the 5 Components of Mobile Development?
Knowing the most critical components of mobile development increases the app’s chances of success. Mobile development can also help a business or company reduce expenses while building a loyal user base when it is properly executed.
User-Friendly Navigation
This component is important because failing to provide user-friendly navigation will reduce active app users. When an app isn’t user-friendly, users have less patience. An excellent mobile app should have a simple visual design and be easy to use. A sophisticated user interface often does more harm than good. Users don’t want to waste time searching for features on your app.
User Experience (UX) Design
User experience design or UX design is another crucial component in mobile development. An app needs to be interactive and intuitive to make it easy for users to find features and information. UX design does not only focus on creating an aesthetically pleasing app but also prioritizes user interaction design and psychology to understand the user’s behavior.
App Content
Content is also important in mobile development. There should be texts to label buttons and explain specific terminologies. Apps also need specific and explicit content, which should be updated constantly to draw in new users and retain older ones. It isn’t enough to only have content on a mobile app, the present content needs to be specific and accurate.
Compatibility
When an app is available to more users, it will reach a wider audience. This is why compatibility is essential in mobile development. There should be Android as well as iOS versions available. The features on each mobile operating system need to be updated periodically to keep users engaged. Extreme changes to an app may affect the user’s perception and reduce user retention.
Security
The last major component of mobile development is security. People prefer apps they can trust with their data, as there is always the risk of hackers and even identity theft. Mobile developers can ensure that their apps are safe for users by performing security testing. This could involve using different technologies to encrypt user data and information to block vulnerabilities hackers might exploit.
What Is a Mobile Development Process?
The mobile app development process involves the various stages of app development. This process is fundamental because it ensures that the app is built according to the client’s project requirements. It also makes the entire process more straightforward because the mobile developers know exactly what the clients want.
This process is also called the mobile app development lifecycle. Some of the stages include inception, design, development, testing, deployment, and maintenance. However, some may wonder why these processes are essential during mobile development.
What Are Mobile Development Processes Good For?
Mobile development processes are used to ensure that the development team creates an app that meets the client’s functional requirements. They provide clarity, ensure usability, and save on app costs.
- Provide clarity. During the mobile app development process, there will be many changes to the app. Changing things in the later development stages is complicated, time-consuming, and expensive. Employing wireframes in the early stages of the mobile app design process eliminates the need for significant changes before the app is released.
- Ensure usability. The mobile app development process ensures usability because application developers can plan the entire look of the app without graphics. They get a chance to work on the usability features and anticipate any potential UX issues in the early stages of development.
- Save costs. The mobile app development process saves costs by reducing any last-minute rejections from the client. The product owner is often a part of the process as they approve the wireframe and confirm that the design aligns with their company. This lowers the chances of rejection and budget overshoot by providing explicit information to the developers about what is required.
What Are the Mobile Development Processes?
The mobile app development process has five main stages. They are conception, research, user experience design, development and testing, and deployment and launch. Each stage is crucial to delivering an excellent mobile app.
Conception
Not every mobile app development project starts the same way. In some cases, clients may come with just an app idea, while others may present a list of features and documented app requirements. Some other clients may need to build a mobile app that is similar to one that already exists.
During this stage, the mobile development team learns as much as they can about the app to create a product roadmap. They ask questions about who will be the target audience for the app, which platform the app is built for, what the business objectives and marketing strategies are for the app, and whether there are similar products already on the app market.
Research
This stage saves time and reduces costs during the development process. The developers research the potential audience by learning about their expectations, goals, challenges, tech skills, behavioral specifics, and device preferences. The information the mobile development team gathers at this planning phase will be used later to create user personas.
Further analysis will be conducted to create a more efficient app that solves more challenges than the apps created by competitors. Developers find out their strong points and put more effort into making an app that surpasses the features found in similar applications. This process can give the company a competitive advantage.
UX and UI Design
The user experience (UX) design phase is the most exciting one because it allows the app design team to get to see the app’s look and functionality. The development team determines how users will interact with the app or experience it during this stage.
The user interface (UI) design stage is also a part of this as it involves turning the wireframes into colorful mockups. The entire team uses this phase to see how the app will appear to users. Some elements for this include color scheme samples, mood boards, and other design elements.
Development and Testing
The development stage is crucial. The team uses the information gathered from previous phases to create a functional app that is engaging and pixel-perfect. This stage can be the longest but also the most rewarding part of app development. The members of the mobile development team will be able to test the app to see if it matches the functional requirements of the product owner.
The mobile app testing process helps the team determine if the app is functional. The quality assurance team is responsible for this stage and executes performance tests. This testing phase includes functional testing, beta testing, manual testing, and non-functional testing. They conduct usability tests for user experience and appearance on different mobile devices and screen sizes.
Deployment and Launch
This is the final stage of mobile development and it involves rigorous testing and reviewing. The client gets to see the finished product and have potential users test it out and provide user feedback. If the app is accepted at this point, it will have an initial launch and be added to the app store or Google Play store to make it available for download.
The app owner will be required to get a developer account to manage the app. The development team will also be required to submit documentation for the app, such as descriptions and app screenshots for submission to the app store. This documentation could include programming languages and frameworks used and anything that may be needed for app maintenance.
How Can I Learn Mobile Development Processes in 2022?
Mobile app development processes can be learned in online coding bootcamps, online courses, or by accessing resources on websites. Coding bootcamps can help you master mobile app development processes because they focus on training students to become mobile app developers. Bootcamp programs are short and intensive so you can learn all you need within a few months.
The online course option is also a good one. You can enroll in an online course to learn the mobile app development process. Some online courses are free to attend, while others cost a small fee. There are a lot of options when it comes to choosing online courses. The last option is to do some research by yourself to find out more about the processes and master them.
Mobile Development Processes FAQ
The most important phase in the mobile development process is the conception stage. It gives mobile developers an idea of how the app should be created before they start developing it. They get the basic app idea, information from the clients, as well as who the target audience is. This development stage helps shape the focus of the development process to create a viable product.
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Mobile app developers have an average salary of $73,517. This number can change, depending on your level of experience, employer, and location.
A mobile app stands out when it is created by considering the market, the product, and the user. These different factors come together to give the target audience great usability, a unique value, and excellent performance. A mobile app must also be accessible to make it easier to operate.
Yes, you can learn mobile development processes at a coding bootcamp. These programs focus on teaching the basics and moving to other advanced topics. Bootcamp courses are flexible and you can choose to learn remotely for convenience. The programs are often short and intensive.
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