Process & Cost of launching a mobile or web app

Are you wondering and searching what the requirements for developing a mobile app are? 

You’re not alone. Many companies planning to develop a mobile app for their businesses ask this same mind-boggling question. 

Thus, you can read through this post or watch the video. Because it will teach everything you need to know as to what you need to develop that dream app for your business. 

1. Define The Purpose And Functionality Of The App

When planning to develop an app for your business, there are three key things you need to keep in mind to create a successful product.

First, you need to identify your target audience. Very important. 

And that means figuring out the demography your app proposes to serve. It could be for kids, teens, adults, or seniors, what industry is the best fit for the app, education, finance, security etc. This knowledge of your target audience will help you design an app useful and appealing to them.

Next, you need to understand the purpose of your app. 

You can initiate the process by asking the following questions: 

• What problem does your app propose to solve? 
• What makes it unique compared to other apps on the market?
• What is the right MVP (Minimum viable product) Meaning, what are the core features you can release to the market, to see if the idea works.

Again, understanding the purpose of your app will help you make befitting design choices that are functional and useful to your users.

Finally, you need to think about the features of your app. What do you want users to be able to do with your app? What tools and information will they need?  Having a clear grasp of the features of your app, you can design it in a way that is easy to use and enjoyable for your users. Not only that, you can make it stand out from the competition. 

2. Platforms and Technology Stack

When creating an app, you must decide if it will work on iPhones, Androids, or both. And once you’ve successfully done that, you must choose the right tools to build your app. And that’s what you can call a “technology stack”.

Essentially, a technology stack includes programming languages, frameworks, and libraries. For example, Swift is a programming language for iOS apps, while Java is for Android apps. On the other hand, Frameworks are like rules that make it easier to build your app, and libraries are collections of pre-written code that save you time. That said, note that by picking the appropriate mobile platform and technology stack, you can make a good app that is easy to create.

3. App Development Process 

Developing an app is similar to building a house, following a structured development process. Based on that, there are three steps you need to follow after research and planning: design, development, and testing (which we shall talk a bit extensively about in this post).

• The first step is the design phase, where you plan out the appearance and functionalities of your app Also known as the UX (User experience) and UI (User interface) stage. It’s like drawing a picture of your app before building it. E.g. a Wireframe, sketches.
  
  During the design phase, you contemplate what colors, fonts, and images you want to use in the app. But first, you need to determine the app’s functions and possible features.
  
  Then, you can start to sketch what the app will look like on paper or a computer.  Also, you ensure the app is easy to use and understand for potential users. By taking the time to design the app well, you can make sure that it is useful, easy and fun to use for people who download it.
  
  Once you have some sketches, you can start to create a prototype of the app. This is like a rough draft of your app that you can test and see how it works. You can make changes and improve the app until it works how you want it to.

• The next step is the development phase, The development phase is like building a house, but instead of using bricks and cement, we use computer code to create the app. And this is where the app comes to life and starts to take shape.
  
  Here, developers use special tools and programming languages to write the code that makes the app work. They test the app to ensure it works correctly and fixes any problems. 
  
  They also add features and make changes to improve the app. So you must note this phase can take some time because there are a lot of details to get right, but it’s crucial to ensure the app is of high quality.
  
  Once the development phase is complete, the app moves on to the testing phase, where it will be checked thoroughly to confirm it is ready for people to use

• The final step is the testing phase, where you check your app for bugs and glitches to ensure it works correctly, also testing it will real users to make sure it’s what the users need. It’s like making sure all the building materials are perfect for the house and functional.
  
  Essentially, at this stage, the app is checked for any problems, such as crashes or errors. And the developers also make sure that the app does what it is supposed to do and (that it) is easy to use. Sometimes, they might even ask people to experiment with the app and give feedback.
  
  If any problems get discovered during testing, the developers fix them to make the app work better. Once the app has been thoroughly tested and all issues fixed, it is ready to be used by people like you!
  
  Don’t forget the goal is to create a user-friendly and bug-free app. 

4. App Deployment, Publishing, and marketing

After you’ve finished creating your app, it’s time to share it with the world. But before you do that, you must prepare your app for publishing. And that means making final adjustments to your app to ensure it’s perfect.

Having a solid marketing plan is a must, this can be done before the development of the app starts, examples of marketing strategies

• Create an email waitlist where prospective users signup and wait for the app launch, this way you will know if people are interested in your app and also have users when you launch

• You can choose to create a social channel where you can give value to your prospective target audience, this way when you launch you have an audience to advertise to organically. This creates trust.

• Offer freebies, discounts or any incentive that is valid to your target audience, this will help in reducing the difficulty in email signups

Also, optimizing your app for app stores is crucial if you want your app to stand out and attract users. As you know, App stores are where people find and download new apps. 

To optimize your app for app stores, you can create eye-catching graphics or write compelling descriptions for your app. Next, follow app store guidelines for publishing and updating your app. Note, these guidelines ensure that your app is safe and easy (to use) for everyone. 

Meanwhile, guidelines may include checking for bugs and inappropriate content. That said, when you follow app store guidelines and optimize your app, you can ensure that people can find and download your app easily.

5. App Maintenance

Once your app is out in the world, people will use it and give you feedback on what they like and what needs improvement. That’s called user feedback, just like those you see on Playstore on your Android phone each time you’re contemplating downloading and installing an app. 

So that’s to say, you can use this feedback to make your app even better! But to improve your app, you need to update it based on what people are saying. And that might mean changing how something works, adding new features, or making it easier to use.

Sometimes, your app might have bugs. These are problems occurring in your app that you didn’t mean to happen. For example, your app might freeze or crash. And to resolve that, you need to find out what’s causing these bugs and fix them to make your app work smoothly.

Again, by listening to user feedback, updating your app, and fixing bugs, you can ensure your app becomes the best it can be, even as everyone enjoys using it.

6. Security and Data Privacy 

Apps sometimes ask for personal information such as your name, email, or location, which is essential to keep safe. Based on this, App developers are to ensure this by following best practices like data encryption, authentication, and authorization. Picture of data protection

Data encryption scrambles the information so that only the user of your app and the app can understand it.  But authentication is like a password, allowing only a user to access his information. And authorization ensures that only people allowed to see a user’s information can access it.

So by following these practices, you can protect the data of your app users and keep them from being accessed by the wrong people. That way, a user can trust that his personal information is secure when using your app.

7. Cost of Developing an App

Undoubtedly, creating an app takes a lot of effort. And it’s crucial to make it work well. However, it’s also important to know that making an app can be costly and time-consuming.

The minimum you will be looking at is $5000 (Which applies to most countries’ currencies) for an MVP (Minimum viable product). The type of app matters.

At different stages involved in the development of your app from research to deployment, there are a series of expenses to incur. That’s why you need to have a budget and a timeline (in place) before you start developing an app. That way, you can ensure everything gets done well toward making your app become a success.

It’s always good to outsource at the beginning stage to an agency that has all the team in place and can give you a budget estimate, like we at Kool Kat Cre8.

Now, Human Resources As Part Of The Requirements For Mobile App Development 

Aside from knowing the things you need in place when you want to develop an app for your business, don’t forget typically requires a team of professionals with different skills and expertise. 

Here are some of the professionals that develop an app:

• Project Manager: For every project, there’s who manages it. The person who’s often called a project manager and is responsible for managing the entire app development process. That is to say, a project manager oversees the development team, ensures the project stays on track, and keeps stakeholders informed.

• Business Analyst: This is a pro that helps define the app’s requirements and features. So you can say business analysts work with stakeholders to identify user needs, write user stories, and create use cases.

• UI/UX Designer: This is a pro responsible for designing the app’s user interface and user experience. So you can say UI/UX designers create wireframes, design screens, and ensure the app is easy to use. Meanwhile, you will need a UX writer. 

• Developer: The developer of an app is responsible for writing the code that brings the app to life. But depending on the app’s platform, you may need developers with different skills, such as iOS or Android developers.

• Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer: A QA engineer tests the app to ensure it works as intended. He identifies bugs, tests functionality, and confirms the app meets all requirements.

• DevOps Engineer: Unlike the QA engineer, DevOps engineer ensures that your app is properly deployed, monitored, and maintained. He helps automate the app deployment process and verify the app is secure.

That said, you may also need other professionals, such as a database administrator, a security expert, or a marketing specialist. But that depends on the size and complexity of the app you want to develop.

A Final Thought on  Requirements for mobile app development 

As said earlier, the requirements for mobile app development vary from app to app. But then, by taking into consideration these requirements outlined and explained in this post, you can develop a high-quality mobile app that meets your users’ needs and achieves your business goals.