Top 17 Mobile App Development Best Practices in 2019-2020

Mobile app development is a process that involves multiple separate tasks performed to build a single product. Some of these tasks may have errors at a times or may not be efficient enough. 

Being a startup, you might have figured it out that it’s easy being an app developer since it involves a lot of work. But you should also know that nothing compares to the feeling of developing a high performing app with great designs.

If you are a budding developer, you must be wondering what are the mobile app development best practices? So, you are in the right place as we will discuss mobile app development best practices for developers. However, it should be noted that these application development best practices are not the only ones. There are other practices involved in the app development process.

Mobile app development best practices

Mobile app development is a long process that is made up of several short processes and involves a great deal of decision making. There are certain things that may not seem wrong but can be very harmful to the mobile application.

Let’s check out some of the mobile app development best practices:

1. Better research

The first step, even before planning the app development process, should be proper research. When you know your market, product benefits and understand the target audience only then you stand a chance in the fierce competition. Before the app development starts, proper research about every important aspect should be done. This not only helps in proper planning but also prepares for any losses that may come.

2. Choose the right technology

Mobile apps are built differently. It must be decided beforehand if the app will be built a hybrid, native, cross-platform or web-based. The mobile app development process for each development method is different and involves its own pros and cons. The decision is made on the basis of the type of app that needs to be built.

3. App development platform

Another important selection that has to be done is which platform the app will be built in. iOS, Android, and Windows are the most famous platforms. However, there is always an ongoing battle between Android vs iOS, especially for startups. Choosing the platform at an early stage is crucial since the iOS app development process and Android app development process is different from each other. Once this is decided further stages can be planned well.

4. Debugging and Testing are a must

One of the mobile app development best practices is testing of the app. Only tests can ensure whether your app is running well or not. Also, running only one test will not be enough for apps. There should be enough tests run through the app to make sure the app is ready for the users.

5. Plan the design in the early stages

Developers and designers are extremely different. Developers get more technical with each development stage and designers get more creative as their creativity brings beautiful results. Both the app design and development process must keep in mind the importance of design as well as technicalities.

6. Secure the app

Most of the time developers ignore the security of the mobile app putting the users in danger. The security of an app is just as important as any other element in the app development process. The mobile app security best practices include different practices for Android and iOS so make sure to do proper research. Apps may contain sensitive user information, therefore, securing them becomes crucial.

7. Build a robust core

The app should be built around a strong core since the very beginning. Keep in mind all the features that have to be added to the app and work accordingly. The app can also have some features in the later stages when updates are being launched.

8. User experience is important

Any app that does not satisfy the users is considered to have failed. The app development process steps should have one goal in common i.e. maximum user satisfaction. Having a long term goal for your app will help you shape it better, after all, the app will be in the hands of millions of users. Three factors that ensure maximum user experience are:

• Convenience
• Speed
• Experience

Therefore, make sure your time, money and efforts are well invested in these factors since the initial stages.

9. Beta testing and Feedback

Even if you think your app looks amazing and works smoothly, get feedback from others. Beta testing is a great way of getting feedback from beta testers and it will be worth it. Also contacting other app developers for advice will be good for the app, especially if you are a startup and doing this for the first time.

10. Follow the app development guidelines

Being a startup, you may not be well aware of all the app development rules and guidelines. The app development guidelines must be followed strictly and are different for the Play Store and App Store. Usually, apps go for both the platforms in the long run and if the guidelines are not followed then the app may be rejected.

11. Plan out your updates

Another great app development practice is planning out future updates. Once the app is launched, it needs to be updated from time to time. The updates can include bug fixes, minor changes or can be used to introduce new features in the app.

Regular support and maintenance should be provided to the app. As you can see the cost of maintenance of the app is not cheap. Sudden maintenance updates can be costly for you as the app owner.

12. Personalize user experience

When a user uses an app, the app should be able to provide a personalized experience. This is one of the mobile app development best practices that is seen a lot in the present. For instance, the eCommerce apps have a way of tracking user behaviour and then uses the data to suggest products as per their interests.

13. Mobile and websites are different

When going for app development, keep in mind that mobile is not a desktop so the app needs to be built to fit the mobile screen. The features should be optimised such that it looks like the features built for a mobile app. The icons, buttons and symbols should be built such that they are clearly understood by the users.

14. Keep the analytics in mind

Analytics plays an important role in the marketing of the app. The user behaviour analytics can be used to market the app in the right way. Including analytics tracker in the apps can be highly beneficial in the long run.

15. Avoid friction in load

Apps should be built such that users don’t think too much before using it. When it comes to mobile application development best practices, building an app with less friction, less confusion and few barriers is the practice.

16. Don’t clutter your app

Application development best practices do include building an app that is simple yet interesting. If there’s too much going on on the app screen then the user will be confused and eventually get over the app. You certainly do not want that to happen. The screen is limited and only the most important features should be displayed.

17. Develop for disruption

Often it happens that users open the app while they have some time in hand but as soon as duty calls, they exit the app. However, if they may come back to the app later or after a short time only to find their position has been lost, is quite disappointing. Therefore, developing for disruption is another one of the mobile app development best practices.

Now that you have made it through the mobile app development best practices checklist, we shall move to the mistakes made in the app development process.

Mistakes made in the mobile app development process steps

With everything becoming mobile day by day, apps have become more and more preferable by people. This is not only happening with individuals but also with industries as they are going mobile. The app development process flow is continuous and interconnected. If there’s an error in one stage, the entire flow will be disrupted.

To avoid that from happening, we can make sure the following mistakes are not committed.

Not knowing the needs of users

The potential app users are going to determine the future of the app and if they are not satisfied with the app then it’s going to be a problem. Knowing what the users want and what they may want in the future is the best strategy you can apply. This can be done with the help of market research or by studying the competitors.

The app users have certain expectations from the app. Such as interesting features, plugins, providing services of any sort, meeting the demands, etc. There are literally billions of apps out there giving users a choice to switch anytime. The least you can do is make sure your app meets the customer expectation in order to retain them.

Also, make sure your app is different from any other app out there in the market. A unique factor will differentiate your app from other apps, giving it more attention.

Inefficient utilization of the technology

Even after seeing some mobile application development practices, there may occur inefficiency in usage. Let’s go through some pointers:

• Over complicated app features
  
  The nature of apps suggests that they should be fairly simple and easy to operate. However, some developers wish to make the app so unique that it ends up becoming too complicated for users.
• The wrong OS
  
  Developing for the wrong can be a big mistake. Certain features and functions are not supported in older versions of OS. Majority of developers accept the fact that an up-to-date OS is very important for the app to function well. This can be avoided by developing the app for the latest version of the OS and avoid the obsolete versions.
• Backend not meeting infrastructure
  
  Apps that crash very often, have glitches or are unable to get anything done are likely to annoy the users. When the backends are done poorly this is what happens to the app. It cannot even support the most basic features and built in a hurry.

Not having the right app developer

Having the right mobile app developers is just like a blessing. Startups usually don’t pay too much attention while hiring an app developer but it can turn into a mistake. Finding and choosing a good app development company involves steps like portfolio analysis, asking important questions before hiring any app developer, checking feedback from previous clients, and discussing their work experience in detail.

If you wish to learn more about application development standard best practices then contact our team of developers at Appinventiv.