The development of a mobile application for your business is an attractive idea. You transfer the technical side to professionals, they embody your idea, and you find yourself one step closer to the consumer, spend less money on marketing, and simplify interaction. If the product is popular, the project is simply doomed to success. However, the described situation is an exception rather than the norm.
According to statistics, only 29 out of 100 launched applications get to the finish line. The rest either freeze at the development stage or close because of being inefficient. In this post, we collected the most common application development mistakes for you to avoid them.
1. The mobile application is created ‘for the sake of appearances’.
The value of the mobile application should be very high; otherwise, the user will not want to waste his telephone memory and a part of the phone screen on it. Some companies do not see the big difference between the website and the application, however, it consists of the fact that the application should give the user everything that the site gives, PLUS to make the client’s experience more convenient.
2. The development of an app without making a proper competitive analysis in the niche.
This analysis can save time and effort spent on searching for the most important and popular functions, as well as searching for offers that are either poorly implemented or not implemented by competitors at all. Competitive analysis is indispensable for creating your own unique offer, differentiating a company in the market, and saving time on the development of basic functions that have long been created and optimized by others.
3. ‘What for do you need a product requirements document? Everything is clear there!’
When a customer has an idea, he wants to realize it as quickly as possible, not engaging in the elaboration of details. Very often, he relies on the experience of the developer, without writing details in terms of reference. He brings the approximate design of the main screens and explains the functionality in words, believing that the rest is “understandable”. The result – minor flaws, mutual dissatisfaction, and an increase in the time and cost of work. Therefore, all scenarios and conditions should be discussed and clearly specified in the mobile app requirements document.
4. Undervaluation of the UI/UX design importance.
This error may seem obvious, but, in practice, 23% of downloaded applications are deleted after the first use. The main reasons are a clumsy and non-functional design, as well as a too complicated user interface. That is why a correctly chosen mobile design pattern will be one of the most crucial elements for the successful development of your application. Besides, it is very important to test how intuitive the interface for inexperienced users is.
5. Poor analytics
To reduce time, developers often ignore the importance of analytic services, though these are the first assistants in improving the product. The tools for application analytics help to collect data on user behavior that you can rely on when releasing a new version, as well as determine key performance indicators for a mobile app. Otherwise, it resembles moving in the dark to the touch.
6. Underestimation of the testing process
Mobile application testing is a process that allows detecting errors in logic, design, and functions of an app. The testing strategy should be determined at the beginning of work on the project and the testing itself should start at the design development stage. Ideally, before releasing the application, it is important to check the entire path of the client once again and eliminate any difficulties when making an order. After all, only one serious mistake can ruin the whole impression.
Conclusion
As you may see, the creation of an efficient mobile application is not an easy task, but as they say ‘forewarned is forearmed’. Do not make these mistakes and your application will get into this very 29% of successfully implemented projects.
