The mobile application market has captured significant growth in the last decade. Startup businesses, entrepreneurs and individuals are developing amazing mobile apps for innovation. The mobile apps are changing the trend and allowing a user to do creative things in day to day life. While using any mobile application, you might have got an idea that is something new and unique but, in a moment, you feel restricted with no programming or technical skills on how to program a mobile app.
It is not necessary that you need to learn a programming language to code your mobile app. There are plenty of ways you can use to develop your first mobile app for your business. It depends on whether you want to learn and code your mobile app or simply hire an app development company that can design and develop your mobile app. This article will help you in the above scenarios and help you to simply app development process for you.
Have an app idea? but don’t know where to start
As a good app idea in your mind, you should first start learning the process of app development. Learning a programming language and then coding an application is time taking task. Also, programming an app is not only the single task you will have to do. There are several things associated and you need to go through one by one. Whether you do it yourself or take assistance from top app developers, the following modules are a necessary part of development project you wanted to check out:
1.Decide what you need in your mobile app
This is the critical stage where your idea will be grown and you will come up with lots of details. Here you may want to check some similar solutions already available in the market to see how they are working and providing services to users. In addition, you should go on paper and write what will the user do on your app. A desired features list and vision should be discovered to work on the designs.
2. Wireframing and Design of mobile app
After finalizing the app features, targeted platform, and technology tools, you should prepare some sketches and designs. It would be great If you know how to use prototyping and designing tools like Balsamiq, Photoshop, Illustrator, InvisionApp or Paint. Or you can prepare a simple wireframe on paper and hire an expert design agency to create beautiful designs for your digital product.
3. Understand the Tech Stack
Decide if you need iOS or Android App? Do you need a backend? Do you want the iOS app to be done by Swift or Objective C? Also, do you need a native or hybrid solution?
4. Evaluate the cost of app development
Cost is a major factor to be evaluated. If you are a small startup, try to get some quotations from app development companies to finalize who is proposing the best quality services at an affordable cost. A project with If you have decided to write app yourself, you should learn from the premium institute and attend some workshops organized by local app development teams. You only need to hire and pay for the design and might need a backend server.
5. Coding/Programming
Coding is a full technical module and there are only two ways to do it. Either you learn the programming language like Objective C, Java, Kotlin, and Swift or you need to hire an expert mobile app development company. You need to evaluate that your mobile app has simple or complex features. Programming is not that difficult and you can develop a simple mobile app within 1-2 months. There are several developers guide and forum available in the market where you can learn a programming language and also ask for help when stuck with the code.
6. Backend Server & Database
Setting up a backend server, creating Web Services/APIs and database tables need full technical expertise. You should outsource this module and hire a development company that provides cloud-based backend database development. A robust backend architecture and database is the backbone of your app.
7. Testing & App Store Submission:
These tasks need developer and tester assistance if your solution has several features and used by a large customer base. However, you can invite people from your network and conduct manual testing to get feedback. When your app gets ready to launch you need to open a developer account on App Store and/or Google Play Store. You will need to take assistance from the developer side to create certificates and API/APK file to upload. Simpalm also provides QA & Testing Training to individuals and fresh graduates in the USA.
8. App Marketing:
This module is solely yours. You will also need to run some marketing campaigns and try to reach out to the targeted audience.
What You Need to Know for Programming
Following point will help you decide whether to hire an app development company or start programming yourself:
1. Hire an App Development Company – Outsource Your Project
If you have don’t have time and wanted to quickly launch the mobile app, you can hire an agency to handle your project and develop everything. In other words, the app development company will handle everything and you just need to monitor and timely communicate with them to check the progress of your project. Furthermore, if you have time and want to code yourself, the following things are very much important to learn and workout:
2. Learn it Yourself
If you have decided to learn and code the mobile app, a question will arise in your mind that where to start? Can I learn a language and program an app myself? The answer is YES. You can slowly learn any programming language and build your technical expertise. This is a time taking process and it takes several months. Either learn it online or attending a class in university or nearby institutes.
4. Online Tools to Develop A Simple Mobile App
There are several online tools available in the market that allows you to drag and drop features. These tools write code for you and you don’t need to learn programming language at all. Even a non-technical person can also create an app and publish it on the App Store or Google Play. Although the app can be a basic solution and does not allow you to do too much customization. There are some platforms like AppyPie, MobileRoadie, and GoodBarber that allow you to create an app for free or a nominal fee.
5. Hire developers
Instead of hiring an app development company, you can directly reach out to individual experienced developers who can develop your app in a very economical budget. It is very easy to find individual developers online. There are several platforms where developers list their profiles, portfolio, and availability. While working with an individual developer, you need to be serious about project confidentiality and the privacy of business data. You should sign a software development agreement and non-disclosure documents with them. Here are some online platforms where you can find experienced mobile app developers and hire them through the platform:
- Upwork-freelancer: Upwork and Freelancer are the biggest online freelancer platforms. You can create an account and post a job description. These platforms are very simplified and you can get a developer in a single day. Upwork and freelancer work as a mediator between you and freelancers. They take care of everything in case of a dispute. You can search the developer with a different type of skill set as per your project need. These platforms provide an opportunity to conduct developer interviews and direct communication facility to evaluate who fits in your criteria.
- LinkedIn:LinkedIn is the best tool for professionals. If you want to connect with companies or freelancers in your local area, you should search and communicate on LinkedIn. You can invite developer on coffee and discuss your project details.
What you Need to Know After App is Developed
Your tasks are not ended after coding the mobile applications. Once your platform is ready and fully tested by you or a testing team. You should invite some people to test it and give some feedback. It is very helpful and you can work out before uploading the mobile application on App Stores.
1.App Store Submission
You will need a developer account on the App Store or Google Play Store to upload and publish your new product. You have to create an IPA file if it is an iPhone application. In the case of Android Application, you need to create an APK file to upload on Google Play Store. Before uploading the files, you also need to create a production/distribution certificate to upload the builds.
2. App Marketing
You should read some articles and blogs on how to do digital marketing. It is appropriated if you do app marketing from starting of development. You need to engage people somehow and let them know that the new product is coming soon with some unique functionality. It is good to have an official page on different social media sites and you should promote on all social media. A public-facing website that explains that app features, goals, user benefit would be the best marketing tool.
3. Tech Support
Once you publish your application, you should give a tech support option on the App Store so that the user will ask you questions regarding the app. If your app provides unique service, they can ask a variety of questions before downloading the app.
4. Future Versions
You should continuously work on app updates and future versions to keep user engaging. You should never stop learning as an app founder and learning skills. A successful app always got featured on app stores and have thousands of downloads. So never stop learning and building your successful product.
