Mobile applications are an integral component of our lives today. It is revolutionizing the way we communicate, work, and engage with the world around us. And as businesses increasingly recognize the relevance of mobile presence, the demand for well-designed and high-performing mobile apps continues to increase. However, developing a successful mobile app is no easy task. It would require careful planning, thoughtful execution, and adherence to industry best practices.
With this article, I'll explore the best mobile app development practices while maximizing the app's potential for success & creating exceptional mobile experiences for users. So, whether you're a seasoned developer or new to the mobile app development realm, the listed best practices will serve as valuable guidelines to drive your app toward excellence.
What is Mobile app development?
Mobile app development can be defined as a process of developing software for smartphones, smart devices & digital assistants. Most of the apps developed are usually for the Android and iOS operating systems. Many applications are preinstalled or can be downloaded from the mobile app store or accessed and installed using a mobile web browser. While the mobile app development process may seem daunting, once the operating system platform(s) have been decided on, there is a need to overcome the limitations of mobile devices to send the app past the potential distribution hurdles.
App ideation and objective: A clear idea or vision ensures focus on the result or the goal. It serves as a guide for the team, providing that everyone works towards the same objective. The idea or vision should describe the purpose the application has to achieve, who the users will be & how it will fit in the market. The ideation or the blueprint should also define the app's features and functionality along with future development. The blueprint should also outline the goals and objectives which can be tracked and measured.
Justify the app development project: A project case study outlines the potential benefits of the application, including the costs of development, marketing, maintenance, and staffing, providing an assessment of the expected return on investment (ROI) and viability of the project.
Creating such a project document helps all the stakeholders understand the product's value and benefits. It can also help identify risks and steps to mitigate them.
Product roadmap: Once the application features have been frozen, the next step is to prepare a roadmap that serves as an instruction guide for the developers. The roadmap defines the application development method and incorporates all the essential product development phases like design, testing, deployment & maintenance.
Project plan: The next step after finalizing the features and functionalities of the application is to make a project plan aligned with the roadmap. Using the project plan, tasks can be assigned to different teams & estimate the timeframe for completion of jobs and the final product.
Onboarding: The onboarding process of app development professionals starts once the roadmap and project plan is finalized. An app professional or an application development services company should have the following to develop the product as envisioned.
Documentation:
It helps facilitate seamless knowledge transfer about the development process, use cases, and more to the development team.
It assists new developers in getting familiar with the application and development by simply referring to the documentation, ensuring that the learning curve is short.
It helps the end users understand the application; it's working and troubleshooting issues independently.
Testing:
Testing a developed product is vital in a product development program to ensure it meets all the parameters and guidelines. Testing should be done from the early stages and often to identify and iron out any bugs and ensure that a working product is released in the market.
The app should be tested at every development stage, from the initial to the final product launch stage. Testing can include unit testing, integration, system testing, user acceptance & performance testing. This process helps ensure that the app runs as expected, without any bugs helping improve customer satisfaction and eliminate issues related to faulty product launches.
Support, maintenance, and security:
With increasing cyber threats, the application must be given continuous support to ensure it remains secure and bug-free. Maintenance and permission must be planned early to stay up-to-date with the latest technology and security protocols. It ensures that the users and the customers keep on using the software.
For the success of any application development project, following and using the best practices helps ensure that the project stays on course. Using a mobile application development services partner who follows the standards and best practices for mobile app development can help get the product from the ideation to the deployment stage faster.
Kaushal Shah manages digital marketing communications for the enterprise technology services provided by Rishabh Software.