7 Common Mistakes To Avoid When Developing A Mobile App

Mobile app development is always an exciting discipline to find yourself in, especially if you are developing an app idea that fills a glaring gap in the market. Of course, this particular field is not always as easy as we may romanticise it to be, with many steps along the way that need to be checked off and a plethora of app tests that need to be conducted. It can be tempting to speed through the process of app development, although doing so often ends with developers having to face the repercussions once easily avoidable damage has already been done. 

This is why today we’ll be exploring some other common mistakes made when developing a mobile app. If you are about to embark on app development yourself, be sure to read through these 7 common mistakes to avoid to ensure you’re well-equipped to give your app development project the best possible start.

Failure to budget accordingly

Before you hit the ground running, it is important that you take time to accurately budget for every stage of your app development project. You do not want those hidden costs of app development to sneak up on you. This includes the initial development phase, required testing, the ongoing maintenance of an app, and more. The last thing you want to do is fall short in the areas that really matter and rob your users of the experience you set out to create. If you are looking for support in creating a realistic app budget, it may be worth seeking an app development agency to clarify all the stages of your development project and what kind of budget you can expect for each of these individual stages.

Setting unrealistic expectations

Setting expectations for your app is not an area you should avoid, but you should be setting realistic expectations, these being expectations that can actually be met within reasonable timeframes, as well as being accurately reflective of the market you wish to occupy and the defined user or target audience you wish to cater to. 

If you set targets that are unattainable, then your mobile app is already set to fail on paper, or at least it will absolutely be a failure by your own standards. The best way of ensuring that your expectations for your end product are indeed realistic, is by analysing the market as it exists currently in order to set attainable goals. 

Simply put, taking some time to set realistic goals and expectations for your app development project is in itself, a great opportunity to delve deeper into your data and see what sort of trends can be found in your particular market niche. These trends can include information surrounding what your audience likes and dislikes about your competitor apps, user engagement trends for the top-rated apps that already occupy your market niche, and other valuable metrics. 

Poor communication with the development team

There is one element of setting expectations that we haven’t spoken about, and that’s what project managers can expect when working with an app development team. Development teams tend to be fairly adept at managing client expectations, especially when it comes to expectations surrounding communication.

Developing an app is very much a collaborative effort, and one that requires input from all your designers and creatives at the same time. Ideally, communications between developers, designers, and project managers should be a non-linear feedback loop, with your development team weighing in on the project regularly so that all areas are accounted for. 

If your software developers have created a great pathway for the app but you feel that the usability and design are not up to scratch or keeping up with your outlined project timeline, then it’s well worth communicating proactively rather than blindly trusting or maintaining a ‘ball is in their court’ mentality. Discuss with your team how you are going to communicate and stay accountable for this process to avoid both careless mistakes as well as missed opportunities as a result of your app development project dragging on for longer than anticipated. 

Letting price determine the output

We appreciate that budgeting and spending are both very important factors when it comes to managing an app development project, but if it is driving every single decision you make then you are going to end up with something that is a far cry from your initial idea. 

There are certainly areas throughout your app development project where you can explore lower-cost options, but your core components, like budgeting for the build itself, should not be made based on price alone. If you cannot get a high-quality product at the price you have locked in, it might be worth pausing the project until you can secure a budget that will do your app development project justice.

Choosing an outsourced developer 

It is not a mistake to choose an outsourced app developer, but it may be preferable to go with a local or even nearshore team if you require a high level of communication, collaboration, testing input, and overall working harmony. Oftentimes, outsourcing to an offshore app developer will involve communicating across multiple time zones, which can sometimes limit your opportunities to connect in real-time or even on video calls. 

If you are building an app for your business and would like to speak often with your development team to ensure that all aspects of your development project are aligned with the tone of your brand, then it’s highly recommended that you opt for a local or nearshore development team. Yes, these options may be more expensive than outsourcing to an offshore development agency, but in the end, you’re paying for convenience, communication, and by extension, a more viable end product. 

Failure to market your app development

While marketing might not seem like part of the development process itself, it certainly has a part to play in the success of your app. Project managers should ensure that they have built their app’s marketing campaigns into the overall development project timeline and up to the app’s launch date. 

But investing time is just half the equation here, as all good marketing campaigns rely on plenty of funding. The best way to help your app launch with a bang is simply to invest in all the marketing channels where you are most likely to connect with your target audience. Of course, identifying your target audience and how best you can reach them may also require a bit of additional time and funding. Working with an external PR or marketing agency might be a great way to take this off your plate, and they might have some great insights on how to ensure that your app launch goes off without a hitch. 

Rigorous testing

How much testing have you built into your development project’s budget, and at what stages of our project can you expect this testing to occur? If you don’t know the answers to either of these questions, then it’s well worth consulting with your development team to get a clearer understanding of app testing and how you can plan for this necessary component of the development process. 

You want to be conducting rigorous testing quite often, and have that testing be assessing all areas of your app. Usability and UI testing are a must, and so is security testing and other user trials. If your brand or business has a great CRM system, you might even be able to have your top customers and clients trial the app and give feedback in the early stages of your launch. This might be the difference between average and huge revenue opportunities.

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Mistakes are a normal occurrence in any creative process, including app development. The main difference is that app development projects can feel quite high stakes. After all, these projects require a substantial budget and a wide period of time in order for them to be carried out effectively. By taking note of the 7 mistakes outlined above and how best you can avoid them, however, you may be in a better position to enjoy a fruitful app development process that culminates in a successful app launch! Your first app development is going to be an illuminating experience, and you will likely bring those fantastic insights to development projects thereafter. Good luck!