Everything You Need to Know about Mobile Application Development

With more than 6.3 billion active smartphone users, it is no surprise that the mobile application development industry thrives worldwide. Mobile application development is a way to give mobile users a seamless experience by leveraging a smartphone’s built-in features. 

Statistics reveal that about 78% of people worldwide own a smartphone. What are people doing on intelligent devices? They are using mobile applications for different needs. App development is a continuously growing industry. Mobile applications are expected to generate $935 billion in revenue by 2023. 

Creating an app can be complicated; you need to understand every aspect. We have created a comprehensive guide to help you start your mobile app development project. 

What is Mobile App Development: An Overview 

Mobile app development includes writing comprehensive code for creating software and designing an application. Developers develop apps to leverage the power of devices’ specific features such as cameras, Bluetooth, GPS, and microphones.

Most developers create applications for Android and Apple because these two platforms dominate the global market share. 

Mobile App Development Lifecycle 

The mobile app development lifecycle is much shorter than the software development lifecycle. The mobile app development lifecycle refers to the software development process. This process includes the following five primary steps:

Inception 

The first is refining the ideas and strategies. Every app development project begins with a solid concept. A unique idea makes the foundation for an application. The first step focuses on improving and identifying an app’s concept.  

A unique concept with zero competition is challenging, so thorough market research is critical for developing a practical mobile application. Your market research must include identifying your competitors, target audience, best platform for launching your app, and proven strategy to stand out from the competition. 

Design 

The second step includes building your UX design. Once the idea is finalized, start thinking about the look and feel of your application. Focusing on the user experience must be the top priority of an app developer. Before building a fully-functional app, you need to create prototypes of the apps. 

App Development 

Now it is the foremost step of your app development process. It includes everything from front-end building and back-end building to APIs. To complete the process effectively, you must select a development process, build a development team, and give yourself a timeline with goals and milestones. 

Depending on your preferences, you can develop two versions of the app: one for Android and one for iOS. You can also use cross-development platforms to design a single app version that can work well for both platforms.

Testing 

Before making your application live, you must ensure it is working well. App testing will help you find glitches and bugs that need to be cleaned before app distribution. You can test your app on tablets and smartphones to ensure its effectiveness and reliability. 

Distribution 

Once your app is stabilized and tested, you can release it on your preferred platform. Using its online app distribution program, you can distribute your app on iOS with minimal effort. But your application must be signed before being deployed on Android.  

Benefits of Mobile App Development 

You can get the following benefits by developing a mobile application:

• Offline Access 

Your users can access several areas of functionality without needing access to the web. Offline access seems more consistent and convenient to users.

• Custom User Experience 

Developing custom mobile apps is an excellent approach to ensure a tailored and successful user experience. When you create an application by considering the needs of your target audience, it can help you anticipate a greater return on investment (ROI) with increased customer involvement.

• Increased Accessibility 

With mobile application development, you can access a wealth of data and information at the touch of a button. The increased accessibility can work excellently for improving customer engagement. It also allows businesses to build loyal and robust relationships with customers.

Skills Required for Mobile App Developers 

Mobile app developers typically require diverse technical and soft skills to make themselves ideal for a development position. A suitable skill set helps developers build a practical mobile application, maintain their competitive advantage, and develop better security measurements.

A mobile developer typically requires the following technical and soft skills to be successful:

• Programming language skills
• Back-end computing 
• Computer proficiency 
• Cross-platform development skills 
• User interface design 
• Cybersecurity skills 
• Business skills 
• Time management 
• Leadership skills 

Mobile App Development Tools 

Mobile app development tools are specialized tools designed to help developers create a mobile application. Developers can use both cross-platform mobile app development tools and native mobile app development tools to complete their app development projects. 

• Native Mobile App Development Tools 

These tools are designed to help build specialized apps that can work with ease and high quality. You can develop a mobile application dedicated to a specific platform, such as Android or iOS, with native app development platforms.

• Cross-Platform Mobile Development Tools 

Cross-platform mobile app development tools are designed to help developers develop a mobile app that can work for multiple platforms. 

You can use the following tools for mobile app development:

• Xamarin 
• PhoneGap
• Mobile Angular UI
• jQuery Mobile 
• NativeScript 

Mobile App Development Examples 

You can find numerous apps in different genres, including games, entertainment, and messaging services. You can find 1.96 million apps on Apple App Store for download, whereas the Google Play Store has 2.87 million apps. 

Some common mobile app development examples include:

• Social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Snapchat
• Communication: WhatsApp, Skype, Zoom, Google Meet
• Gaming: Pokémon GO, Roblox, Fortnite, Call of Duty Mobile
• Music and video streaming: Spotify, YouTube, Netflix, Disney+
• Navigation: Google Maps, Waze, Apple Maps
• Shopping: Amazon, eBay, Wish
• Food delivery: Grubhub, DoorDash, Uber Eats
• Ride-hailing: Uber, Lyft

The Bottom Line 

It is no wonder that the mobile app development industry has been growing continuously. Custom mobile app development can help increase productivity, improve customer engagement, get more return on investment, and increase accessibility. Mobile app development includes strategic planning, deep market research, and testing of the app before its distribution. Getting help from a trusted Mobile App Development Company can be the ideal approach for developing a custom application.