If you are looking for a step-by-step guide on mobile app development from a reputed app development company, you are at the right place! Here, you will get all the details on starting the business process of mobile app development that needs to be structured, strategized, and designed to solve the purpose of end-users.
In this era of a mobile-first approach to digital transformation, investing in mobile app development is the shrewdest thing to do. If you need more exciting motivations to build mobile app, checking out the mobile app usage statistics is the best thing to do. The annual number of global mobile app downloads surpasses 230 billion during the time period 2016-2019. As per Statista, in 2020, global revenue from mobile apps increased to over 318 billion U.S. dollars.
We, at Cleffex, a leading custom mobile app development company, have helped many SMBs and Fortune 500 companies to effectively launch their mobile apps. You can hire our smart squad of mobile app developers to empower your existing development team with the lacking skills or to build a fresh team from scratch.
Steps That an App Development Company Follows to Develop a Mobile App
I. Strategy
Every business’s success depends on how clear and focused its strategies are. A proficient app development company will create a well-defined strategy to build mobile app to make the entire process more profitable. This stage will constitute project requirement gathering,
Project requirement gathering
We conduct a requirement gathering call or meeting with the client to gather all the required information. This will reveal all the resource assistance that the clients need from us. Our 30-minute free consultation will give insights to the client about the likely development strategies to follow and all the other inquiries.
Setting a strategy can involve all the tactics to reach answers to the following questions.
- What is the objective behind the app?
- How will the app solve a business problem and who is the target audience?
- Are there any better alternatives already available?
- What would be the business model to generate revenue?
- How much money are you willing to invest in the app?
- How will your customers use the application?
- What is your timeline?
- What’s the marketing plan?
Having clear answers to these questions from the clients helps mobile app development companies to proceed with the development process smoothly. It helps them adopt the right strategies and business models that will ultimately help clients to reach their mobile app goals and vision.
At Cleffex, we help clients in deciding about business models and revenue models. Our consultants can also help them in refining the idea and make it a better competitive version.
Research & Analysis
In this stage, we research the target audience, their phone (iOS or Android) and app usage behaviour, etc. We outline user personas to grasp the goals of the real people who are actually going to use the app. Our team also undertakes competitor apps that are already in the market to understand the features offered by them and study the user reviews.
Decide on the mobile app platform, tech stack, and skill needs
After analysing user behaviours, the team will be able to decide the preferred mobile platform – iOS or Android. A detailed product roadmap is prepared with priority settings and delivery milestones. As an app development company, we need to decide about the tech stack as it differs for native mobile apps, hybrid apps, or cross-platform mobile apps. This will help in meeting the development team’s requirements by allocating the rightly-skilled mobile app developers for the client. For instance, if the decision is to develop a cross-platform mobile app, the team should comprise both iOS and Android developers.
An ideal mobile app development team will consist of a product owner, project manager, business analyst, a few (2-3) app developers per platform (Android and iOS), a back-end developer, UI/UX designer, and 2-3 quality assurance experts.
II. Design
In this stage, we conceive the UI (user interface) and UX (user experience) design with the goal of keeping a compact design by defining information and architecture workflows, wireframes, design pattern style guides, mock-ups, and prototypes.
Project clarification
We do a thorough clarification of the project’s initial data requirements by asking precise and contextual questions during a workshop with the client. A style guide outlining fonts, sizes, styles of elements, and their states will be formulated. We sign an NDA with the client for protecting their idea.
Build a prototype
We put together all the ideas to make the mobile app intuitive. We then create a prototype or wireframe that acts as a blueprint for the development process. The team can refer back to the finalized wireframe as they glide through the development process. In this stage, we establish the link between various screens and the navigation. We keep on implementing the client’s feasible suggestions into the wireframe.
Collaborative design
We believe in collaborative design. We work with multiple designers, client, and their in-house teams (if they have one). We accommodate the colour and design preferences of clients but give a weighted preference to that of the target audience.
III. Development & Testing
Smooth collaboration between designers, developers, and testers
As we follow an agile mobile app development approach, our designers and developers work collaboratively across all development stages. The design team will complement the project team during the development stage. They will expose the difficult moments in the logic and structure. They will reveal striking a compromise between what is beautiful and practical. The designers will also ensure that the final product is in compliance with the design and idea.
Application testing is an essential procedure that is intertwined throughout the development process. We apply it from the early development stages to save budget, time, and last-minute surprises.
Technology stack and architecture
Based on the design blueprint, developers will recheck the technology stack, create the technical architecture of the app, and define the development milestones. They will finalize the mobile backend server technologies, APIs, app frontend development. Since there are multiple programming languages and technology stacks to build mobile apps, the key is picking the right tech stack that best suits the mobile app.
Sprint-based development
We divide the development process into multiple sprints, which is a part of the agile methodology. Each sprint comprises a time-boxed period (usually two weeks) to complete a set amount of work. Clients will get a draft, prototype, or workable version of the final deliverable at the end of each sprint.
As a leading agile software development company, we have immense expertise in handling large, complex product development projects by breaking them into smaller, more manageable pieces each focused on a specific bit of functionality. The QA team will test the mobile application for usability, compatibility, security, UI checks, and performance. Once all the sprints are complete, the client will be delivered with a UAT (User Acceptance Testing) version.
IV. App release & constant support
The mobile app enters the market launch or release stage where all necessary refinements are made before it gets finally released in the app or the client’s website. After submitting the app, our team keeps track of the trends and helps the clients in upgrading the features if required by them. It’s better to continue to add new functionalities and features to make the more alluring to the users and to attract new users.
Wrapping Up
Choosing an ideal development partner is the key factor to build mobile app with great success. I’m sure that this process may seem intimidating and monotonous, but with the help of the right app development company, you will be able to reveal the best app to the world. Call us if you are ready to turn your idea into a live app.