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October 16, 2024
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Mobile apps have become an integral part of our everyday lives, haven't they? From grocery shopping and learning new things to connecting with friends and family, apps play a vital role.
To put it in a nutshell, starting and ending our day with mobile apps has become our new routine since the invention of the smartphone.
As of Quarter 1 of 2024, there are 21.2B downloads of mobile apps globally. And the consumer spending on mobile apps is 15.5B, which is 19.4% higher than the previous year i.e.2023.
And as businesses start to emphasize user experience, mobile app development has become a savior to provide innovative solutions and take the user experience to the next level.
No matter whether you are a business owner, a budding entrepreneur, or simply an app enthusiast who wants to know A-Z about the app development process.
You are at the right place, in this blog, we will walk you through the basics of mobile application development, the process involved, and its types
Let's get started!
Mobile application development is the process of creating software applications that run on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
These apps serve a variety of purposes such as enhancing productivity, providing learning resources, tracking fitness goals, managing time and tasks and the list goes on.
Apart from the above-mentioned, apps also serve as the primary source of entertainment through streaming services, gaming apps, and social media platforms.
Now let us examine the process of mobile application development.
Take a look at the steps involved,
Market research is something one cannot skip!
Before any development begins, it’s crucial to conduct thorough market research to understand user needs, competition, and trends.
This ensures the app addresses real market demand and stands out of the crowd.
Wireframes act as the blueprint for the app, outlining the app's structure, flow, and features. It's an essential step to visualize the app before the actual design and development.
Based on your target audience, budget, and app requirements, you’ll need to decide whether to build a native, hybrid, or web app.
The choice is yours, you need to make informed decisions.
The user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design are crucial to make an app visually appealing and easy to use.
Designers ensure that users enjoy their experience and stay engaged!
Front-end development is where developers write the code for the app’s user interface. They make sure the app looks good and works well on users' devices.
Back-end development involves writing code that enables communication between the server and client, ensuring functionality such as data processing and storage.
Rigorous testing is conducted to identify bugs, ensure compatibility across different devices, and to make sure that the app performs well!
After successful testing, the app is launched on app stores such as Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Once the app is live, continuous maintenance is needed to address bugs, implement updates, and make the app run smoothly.
But wait—are you still questioning the value of having a mobile app for your business?
Let’s explore the compelling reasons in the next section!
Here is why having a mobile app for your business is beneficial,
Interaction is the key! Apps provide a direct line of communication with customers, leading to improved interaction and loyalty.
Imagine offering personalized services to your customers, and making interactions seamless and efficient. Looks great right? And yes, you can make it happen with mobile apps.
Brand visibility is of utmost importance to run your business successfully.
To achieve this apps help you keep your business front on users' phones, to increase brand awareness.
What about an additional income? And probably no one is going to say no to this!
Mobile apps open new channels for monetization, whether through in-app purchases, advertisements, or subscription models.
Aren't you eager to learn about the different types of mobile apps?
The next section is about it, let us move on to explore further!
Mobile apps are categorized into four main types each with its own development method. We will take a look at it one by one!
First comes the Native apps, they are built specifically for one platform, like Android or iOS, using languages and tools native to that platform. For example Java and Kotlin for Android, and Swift and Objective-C for iOS.
Due to this, they have superior performance and complete access to device features such as camera, GPS, and notifications. Interesting isn't it?
In addition to this, they offer a seamless user experience that aligns with the platform’s design guidelines.
However, let us not miss out on the fact that it is more time-consuming and expensive as separate code bases are required for each platform!
The next one is the Hybrid apps, they function like a web app but are packaged within a native app shell, allowing them to be installed on a device and access certain device features.
They are created using technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
And they are often developed using frameworks like Flutter, React Native, Ionic and Xamarin, allowing them to run on multiple platforms from a single codebase.
The foremost advantage of this is that developing a single hybrid app is generally cheaper than creating separate native apps for each platform.
A Single codebase can be used for multiple platforms! And they have faster development compared to native apps.
Updates are no more complicated as they can be made in a single location, eliminating the need for separate versions for each platform. Looks so cool right?
Now coming to the downside, their performance might not be as smooth as native apps and they have limited access to the device features.
The third one on the list is Progressive web apps, which deliver an app-like experience directly in the browser.
They are accessed through a web browser and do not require installation from app stores which is a big thumbs up!
Its cross platform compatibility is really impressive as it works on any device with a browser, enhancing accessibility.
Updates are also very easy since they are accessed through a web browser.
However, they have limited functionality compared to native apps. And their performance might vary based on the browser and device capabilities.
Cross-platform apps are built using frameworks that allow developers to write code once and utilize it on multiple platforms. Popular frameworks include React Native, Flutter, Ionic, and Xamarin.
Coming to their upsides they have reduced development time and cost by using a single codebase for all platforms. And due to which they are brought to the market really fast!
But, even though they are better than hybrid apps, due to abstraction layers, they may not match the performance of native apps.
Additionally, achieving a consistent look and feel across platforms can be challenging due to differing design guidelines.
Hope you got enough insights about the types of mobile apps and their development methods.
The mobile app industry is booming with the latest trends such as 5G technology and AI integration.
So, for business owners out there, having an app is no longer an option but a necessity for staying competitive in the market!
Our expert team is here to help you in this app development process.
With a dedicated team, budget-friendly pricing, end-to-end product development and testing, and timely delivery of the end product.
We will definitely be your ideal partner in this journey to make you one in a million!
Get started on developing a mobile app customized exclusively for your business needs with Fourchain.
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Fourchain is the premier IT solution provider to help businesses in making a change for the global industry. We are industry-equipped professionals with a passion for taking business to the next level.
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