Today’s world is characterized with apps that help accomplish different kinds of tasks, development of mobile devices has enabled a high portability of app making mobile apps an integral part of our diary lives. Mobile apps have evolved to become more effective, lightweight, fast and secure, many UI design philosophies and design architectures have been invented to guide the users on best practices in the development of the mobile app. Advancement in technology has enabled developers to develop hybrid apps which are developed using web technologies (HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript) this has allowed web developers to develop mobile apps besides developing websites. This article will explore some of the factors that determine the success of the app; these factors also enhance effective app development whether web app development or mobile app development.
1. Plan and preparation
Mobile App development just like other projects requires effective planning; a developer can not get straight to the development environment without a plan. Some of the important factors to consider in the planning phase include UI design, a platform to target, language to use, getting resources ready, setting objectives, among other factors. The plan will guide the entire app development life; a good plan will make app development easier as the plan gives the developer a clear direction. The objectives of the app will highly determine the development route to be taken and also the market to be targeted.
2. UI design
Today’s mobile app are well designed and elegant, many design philosophies like flat UI and material design have come to being to help developer develop professional looking apps. When choosing a design philosophy, it is ideal to stay consistent and thought the app, where development involves both the mobile app and web app development it is advisable that the developer picks a single design philosophy that ensures consistency across the different apps. Also on UI design, the developer should aim to achieve a user-friendly interface, a complex user interface will discourage users from using the app.
3. Testing is key
App testing is essential whether developing a mobile app or a web app. Testing helps the developer evaluate the performance of the app; this is essential as it helps create better apps that give users a smooth experience. The users today require effective, fast and reliable apps that help them execute tasks fast, when the developer fails to test the app, some bugs might go unnoticed just to affect the app while in production (when users are already using the app), at this phase the debugging process may inconveniences the users making them lose trust on the app.
4. The monetization strategy
It is imperative that during app development the developer is aware of the monetization strategy, this is crucial as it the app design will be build accommodating these requirements. Some apps will eliminate any ads while others will focus on ads as their primary monetization strategy this will have impacts on the design of the app, and knowing the monetization strategy during development will help in easy integration of the strategy into the app.
The above factors will impact the success and also the development of the app, effective approach to these approaches will lead to better and successful apps.