Creating your app for many companies and businesses seems like an ideal action. After all, having a mobile product can satisfy the needs of new customers, and a new audience will generate further profits for the company. We use applications for work, entertainment, organizing our private time, or chatting with loved ones. Currently, there are 3.8 billion smartphone users globally, and the average user has about 80 installed apps. In Millenials’ case, 21% of them declare that they run an app 50+ times per day. So you might think that the success in achieving popularity for a new product is high. Nothing could be further from the truth, there are already more than 3 million applications on Google Play Store and Apple Store combined. And many of these have not and are unlikely ever to be successful again. So are there measures and solutions that can prevent this? Of course! Learn the most common mistakes when developing a mobile app, how to avoid them, and transform a project into a thriving solution.

Incomplete market research

When launching a new product on the market, regardless of the industry and form of the product, it is necessary to know the market: the audience, competition, threats, opportunities, and specifics of a given industry. A unique idea is one thing, but the way you present it to the world is another. Nowadays, the number of new products launching every day is enormous, and as a result, it is necessary to face incredible competition. The creation of a mobile app is a time-consuming and costly operation. If no one uses your application, it might place a significant financial strain on your business. You should specifically identify your company priorities and see how the software helps you reach them. Businesses want their app to communicate with customers and encourage them to make transactions. Also, remember that the market is changing all the time. Your product must keep up with the changes it encounters. New functionalities enhance mobile apps’ customer engagement and experience. So if your product lacks improvements or is outdated, customers may stop using it and eventually uninstall it. 

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Incorrect estimation of the application launching budget

When it comes to funding your app, the budget should include a contingency plan and a backup plan of a backup plan. A few issues may come as a surprise in new product development, not always dependent on you. Thus, it is advisable to insure yourself for this occasion. A mobile application cost will vary depending on whether you choose in-house or outsourced development and what platform you decide to use. We’ve covered the needed budget for Android and iOS app development in our previous blog posts. Remember also that you can always consider optimizing the costs of its development

It’s also worth remembering that launch costs don’t just apply to development. Think about how you will promote your application, reach your audience, and attract new customers. You can’t afford to be unprepared – there’s too much rivalry, with hundreds of new ones coming every day.

Misunderstandings and lack of communication 

It is repeated non-stop in business, but communication is the key. When developing a new product, it is worth learning and exploring the specifics of the development process. Establishing cooperation with professionals, you can count on their knowledge and experience. In case of any doubts, it’s worth contacting the Project Manager, another source of contact, or the developer himself. At Applover, we conduct the mobile app development process according to a specific scheme, one of the initial stages of workshops. The project team takes part in them, and it’s the perfect moment to present the whole concept and the project outline. The more information you discuss with the project team, the easier it will be to estimate the total budget and the project implementation time. 

If you have any doubts – ask! This may be your first time creating an application. For us, it’s a passion, which we’ll be happy to talk about! 

Not considering cross-platform development

A few years ago, it was necessary to choose a platform for which we want to develop the application (and then correct any bugs). With a huge budget, we can also set the app separately for iOS and Android, but it is worth considering using tools for simultaneous development of applications for two platforms. Should you build your mobile product with Flutter? There are several benefits of this solution:

  • less time in the development process
  • lower cost 
  • reach a wider audience at once

This mistake is not entirely up to you but mainly up to the project team. However, it is worth paying attention to and asking about it.

3rd party integrations

If the application code is to consist partially of SDKs from other developers, and even more so if the existence of the application is to be based on external tools, it is worth remembering that this type of code may not be perfect, and some of the assumed functionality will not be possible to implement. Implementation of external code may also contribute to the length of development. It is worth taking into account the fact that the pricing may differ significantly from the assumed time (by SDK, not by developers’ skills), and sometimes it is worth creating a demo before SDK implementation to check whether the integration will not be complex and whether it will be consistent with the client’s expectations.

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Too little focus on UX and UI

Many originators want their mobile product to fit into the current market demand, also when it comes to design. Of course, the most important is the functionality, but not paying attention to the appearance and ease of use is less likely to be successful even before the product is released. When it comes to design and moderation, simplicity is the most important thing. However, it is worth remembering that tastes vary, but the product has to meet the audience’s expectations. Apps with sports challenges will look different, and those with courses for designers and artists will have different UI and UX levels. However, each of these applications should be, above all, functional. 

Changing application functionality during development 

Along with analyzing the market and emerging new products, the idea of changing the functionality of the application may arise. There are, of course, situations when necessary because it results from not taking into account a given factor at the planning stage. However, it is also often an abused situation. Each change causes reorganization of work and writing part of the code from scratch. The need to ensure that the removed parts do not affect the unwanted bugs in the project and the code’s impurity significantly lengthen the development. The more changes to the functionality and the bigger they are, the more time-consuming and, therefore, more expensive the process is. 

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Unnecessary functions and functionality

When it comes to functionality and simplicity, don’t forget about moderation in features and extensions. Every add-on causes a load on the app, and constantly crashing or shutting down the system will lead to uninstallation by users, which is the last thing you want. Check out what features the rivals have in their smartphone applications, what features their customers think they like but don’t have, and what bottlenecks they’ve found. Each improvement is also an additional cost and lengthening of the development process; it is worth remembering it while adjusting the functionality. That’s why you should start with an app that fits your company’s primary function. Based on customer input, you will gradually add new functionality, redesign, and refine them.

Skipping the MVP tests

Haste is never a good advisor, and certainly not when it comes to testing in the development process. The mobile app development is getting longer, and you want to get your product on the market as soon as possible? It’s understandable. However, never skip crucial stages. Testing is one of them. And when it comes to testing, the term MVP cannot be ignored. In terms of mobile product creation, a Minimum Viable Product is a product version with the most minimal functionality used to see how it works when regularly used by smartphone users and to collect feedback. MVP helps you identify glitches and errors in your app that could quickly derail the smartphone launch and subsequent maintenance. Instead of launching a mobile app rife with bugs or missing the functionality your customer wants, you can update it based on MVP user reviews and release it until it’s polished. Of course, you won’t avoid any technical issues, and bugs can happen, but it’s better if it appears before launching or after the gadget has been in use for a while, and it doesn’t affect the overall benefit of the project. 

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Can you avoid mistakes when developing a mobile app?

Of course! Mobile applications can help an organization create market recognition and produce increased sales, but only if used daily. For users to open the software every day, it must meet their needs or address a specific problem. The inspiration to show those typical mistakes came from my development experience. Furthermore, making a mobile system is a continuous process. There will be some updates before the final app can go live. It’s just about gradually improving stuff. And, if you have an experienced team of developers by your side, you’ll be able to build a functional product even more efficiently.