Mobile App Development Process: Step-by-Step Guide

So you wake up one morning with a brilliant idea for creating a mobile app- you know it's the most fantastic idea ever, and you can bring it to life. Now, what next?  

Well, first things first, having an idea is a GREAT start. The bad part, however, is that only a few apps get to be successful. Just a reminder, there are about 2.2 million apps available on the App Store and about 2.8 million ready-to-download apps on Google Play. But there is always a place for any new app among the ever-growing mobile audience! Tinder, Snapchat, and Discord are commendable examples of some of the very recent apps that left their competitors behind in the overcrowded market.  

So, what parameters define the good and the bad? What does it take for an app to succeed? Luck? Not really. A well-defined plan? Hell, yes! No matter how amazing your startup idea is, making mobile apps remains tricky. In this article, we will guide you through the process of building an application through a comprehensive guide. We have broken it down into seven key steps to make it more understandable for you.  

 

Step #1 Confirming on the Idea  

As trite as it sounds, all great applications begin as ideas.  

If you don't have one yet, train your mind to start thinking from a customer's perspective. As yourself, some questions like, "Why do we do these things this particular way? Is there a better alternative yet? How can we implement it?"  

Once you learn to identify a problem, you are half done! The next step is to understand why the problem exists and why no other company has a solution to it yet. In case there are solutions, how much do they resolve the customer issues? How can your app contribute to changing things for good?  

Try to connect the dots and figure out if your idea is actually viable and valid. After all, you are about to invest some considerate amount of time, money, and effort into making it come true.  

 

Step #2 App Objective  

Once you are sure that you are marrying the right idea, the next step is to shape it into an objective!  

Understand and define why you want to build this app and why does your business needs it.  

What is the app's core appeal?  

Why should the audience use it?  

How is it different from the others in the market? What are its most important features?  

Am I ready to make this investment?  

Do I have the resources for marketing it?  

Proceed ahead when you are happy and convinced with the answers you have to these questions.  

 

Step #3 Strategy  

Build a strategy. Now that you have the idea and objective of building the app, you might want to implement it. Start from the very first step- research.  

 

Market Research  

The mobile app development work might be tedious, but doing market research is one of the most satisfactory steps.  

Knowing your target audience will always be step one.  

Step two is to put your spying glasses on and get on your competitors' backs. Look for other apps that might offer similar features and serve a similar purpose as your app-to-be. Checking the audience's reviews and ratings would be a smart way of collecting honest, valuable feedback beforehand. Pick the ones with maximum installs and ratings, and look at the company history of these app owners. Check how they evolved according to the mobile app development trends and what they did to get customers on board.  

Is the audience hungry for a new/better solution?  

What niche does the existing option leave out?  

Identify these gaps and tailor your solution to meet them.  

 

Analysis and Planning  

In this stage, the idea for your app starts to take shape and turns into an ACTUAL project!  

This step involves the building of a roadmap. Define your MVP (minimum-viable-product) and prioritize it for the initial launch if time, costs, or resources are a concern.  

Identify the skills needed for your initiative. For instance, the Android and iOS platforms use different stacks of development technology. The app design methodology will be very different if you want to focus on only one of these operating systems.  

Do you require an individual for Java application development?  

How Android app is developed?  

Are there any app development planning tools in the market?  

Plan, organize, and answer everything such question that pops in your head. But here is a step you can't miss - name your app.  

 

Step #4 UI / UX Design  

The success of a mobile application depends entirely on how well its users benefit from its available features- which wouldn't be possible without a seamless, easy-to-understand, and catchy interface.  

The goal of app design methodology using UI/UX design is to create intuitive, interactive, and user-friendly designs. Having a polished design has never been an issue- keeping users engaged is. Try to achieve that with your app.  

 

Step #5 Wireframes  

Wireframes are basically conceptual layouts used by the designers that give visual structure to an app’s functional requirements. The focus here is more on user experience and aesthetics, not on styles and color schemes. Mainly app wireframe gives articulation to the theory for the team to follow. It is like a blueprint to your app that helps you understand how it will turn out to be.  

 

Step #6 App Development  

The process of building an application involves three integral parts-  

 

Back-End/Server Technology 

It includes the server-side and database objects that support your mobile app functions. It uses various web programming languages.  

 

API 

An API (Application Programming Interface) communication method between the back-end server/database and an app.  

 

Mobile App Front-End  

It refers to the native mobile app that the end-user will use. The front-end uses various technology stacks required by different mobile OS platforms. For instance, the Objective-C or Swift programming language help in the development of iOS apps, while Kotlin or Java are more common in Android app development.  

How to start mobile application development? You may want to hire developers or look at market-ready solutions. We, at JumpGrowth, provide our clients with the best solutions for their business with robust and scalable apps catered to their needs. Contact us to know more.  

 

Step #7 Testing  

The process of building an application requires quality assurance (QA) to generate a stable, usable, and secure result. Make sure that your app undergoes all the following methods of testing for delivering a quality mobility solution:  

 

User Experience Testing  

It lets you determine if the final implementation matches the user experience created by the app design team- including the visuals, workflow, and interactivity of your app.  

 

Functional Testing  

It tests the accuracy of your mobile app functionality. It is tested by as many users to cover as many potential testing conditions as possible. You might catch bugs when two different users test the same feature but get varied outcomes.  

 

Performance Testing  

Test the overall performance of your app based on its:  

• response to the user requests;  
• speed of loading app screens;  
• consumption of phone battery and checks for memory leaks;  
• ability to leverage network bandwidth efficiently;  
• the size of the app vs. its intended size; and many more.  

 

Security Testing  

Test for any potential vulnerability. You can also hire outside agencies to perform security testing- using which your QA and development teams can take a few simple measures to make your app secured.  

 

Device and Platform Testing  

Your mobile app has to be tested on device simulators or multiple mobile devices. The complexity and performance of the app might differ from platform to platform and device to device.  

 

Finally! Launching Your App  

The designing, developing, and testing of your app is over Mobile app cost is too less. Now is the time to launch it on Apple Store or the Google Play Store. But before you do that, you will need a developer account with Google Play Store and Apple App Store.  

Here are some highlights of the basic process of submission, in case you are not familiar with it:  

Releasing an app in the app store needs preparing metadata including: 

• App title 
• Category 
• Description 
• Launch icon 
• Keywords 
• App Store screenshots 

Your app will through a review process to check if it complies with Apple’s iOS development guidelines. Such a review process isn't available with Android apps, and they become visible in the Google Play Store within a few hours of submission.  

 

Conclusion  

How to do mobile application development? Well, we can all agree that it's no child's play. The process of building an application might seem a bit overwhelming as it involves a lot of steps and decision-making along the way. But, in the end, it's rewarding and pretty lucrative. Have you checked all the app design stages? Try to resist the temptation to skip any of the steps mentioned above. We have built this guide with inputs from individuals with years of experience in mobile app development work.  

Are you looking forward to building your first (or next) mobile app? We are here to help. JumpGrowth welcomes all the app owners to get started with solutions. It doesn't matter if you are just getting started with the process- our team will get you covered. Don't hesitate and drop us a hi to get started with JumpGrowth. 

Share