Importance of Mobile Application Development
One of the single most well-known quotations about today’s world is Apple Inc’s trademarked “There’s an app for that.” It is so well known that it has made its way from corporate advertising into the depths of internet culture, and when we look at our phones we can see why. No matter what you use – the App Store or Google Play, or even Windows Store there are such a large variety of commercially available apps that the word “application” seems almost outdated. We all love setting an alarm with our favorite tune or booking a movie ahead of the queue. From booking a cab to finding a life partner, in today’s world – There’s an app for that!
But What Exactly Qualifies as An Application Software?
There is, nowadays, a difference between an app and application software. Software developers often the term “apps” as those that are available for mobile usage and are found on online places such as the App Store or Google Play Store. However, an application is different from this and has a broader definition.
As Technopedia puts it, “Application software is a program or group of programs designed for end-users. These programs are divided into two classes: system software and application software. While system software consists of low-level programs that interact with computers at a basic level, application software resides above system software and includes applications such as database programs, word processors, and spreadsheets. Application software may be bundled with system software or published alone.”
Why Learn Application Development?
For any business, it is imperative to be ahead of the competition. In today’s world, there are over 5 billion mobile users. (Source: Statista) This is a massive market and one that cannot be ignored. Mobile internet usage has surpassed desktop usage as of 2016 and as such, it is very important for companies to adapt to this changing trend. Just having a working website is simply not enough to reach out to all your customers in the mobile world. Nearly 80% of customers have said that they will not use a website if it is not responsive on their phone. That is a massive percentage of potential customers!
Once the software is operational it will need maintenance. This includes updating, modifying, and re-assessing to correct faults or add features to the existing app. This is mostly done by the development team based on the user feedback, changes in the app functionality or development of new and improved features.
How to Create an App
The next obvious question then becomes how to develop an app that suits one’s business needs as well as provides an excellent customer experience. As things are, app making has been made increasingly accessible and less nuanced than it used to be; which means, it is not just for the most elite software engineers. As of today, anyone can be an application developer. Roughly put, there are 7 basic steps that one is expected to take over the course of application software development:
- Sketching the App Idea – This is the first step, where you lay out the goals of the app. You turn the app from something in your mind to something tangible that can be communicated.
- Market Research – It is often necessary to figure out what your competitor’s app looks like, and which parts you want to improve on. Industry standards are also very important.
- Creating Prototypes/Mockups of the App – At this stage, you are ready to make rough sketches of how the app should look. The app design and flow through the app can be decided, but specifics are not necessary.
- Graphic Design – Now, you should get around to make the app look good! You can hire a graphic designer for this or do it yourself if you are skilled. The app needs visual details, pictures, animations, and even motion design. An app that looks good feels good!
- Building a Landing Page – An app landing page is crucial. Marketing is not to be overlooked for an app launch, and the more attractive the online landing page is the more people will be interested!
- Use a convenient app development software – It is important that you use a platform suited for app development such as XCode or Swift (for Apple), or Android Studio (for Android).
- Launch the App and Receive Feedback – Finally, the app is ready for launch! Once it is launched, it is very important to go through all user feedback to listen to how the app has been received. It is important to give the users what they want in the coming updates.
Of course, software development is far more complex than this. Overall, 11 popular software development methodologies are often practiced, each with their respective pros and cons. They are:
- Waterfall Model
- Prototype Methodology
- Agile Software Development Methodology
- Rapid Application Development
- Dynamic System Development Model Methodology
- Spiral Model
- Extreme Programming Methodology
- Feature Driver Development
- Joint Application Development Methodology
- Lean Development Methodology
- Scrum Development Methodology
Which one of these you wish to stick by is up to personal as all of them are viable depending on the needs and comfort of the user.
In Conclusion
An application is a way most of your customers will interact with your business. Be it an online experience through a portal or optimized website or a full-fledged application, it is necessary not to be left behind. Apps are everywhere and having a subpar or non-responsive app can make or break a consumer base that is currently plagued by the problem of having too much choice! It is just not enough to have a good app but to get it out there with the right marketing and app development team. Some apps can be developed to be used internally within a company as well, and these can help ease the workload on a day-to-day basis for employees.
The app industry was valued at $10.8 billion in 2017 (Source: Application Software Global Market Report). This has only risen and continues to do so. As such, in the digital marketplace it is not just a wise investment to make a good app, but a necessary one!
If you are looking for professional app development services, connect with V2Soft for best-in-class customized app development!