What is Mobile Application Development? A Comprehensive Overview

The wide range of functions and conveniences offered by mobile apps are at the core of your smartphone’s thriving popularity. You can find apps for almost anything, from playing games to taking online classes. Have you ever wondered how such innovative applications appeared on your 6-inch screen? 

This is where mobile app development comes into the picture.

Today there are more than 6.9 billion smartphone users around the world. Building a well-designed mobile app can be a great business decision as the smartphone market expands rapidly.

But before that, you need to become familiar with its various aspects.

This blog covers everything you need to know about mobile application development.

Let’s dive in!

Table of Contents:

• What is Mobile App Development?
• Advantages of Mobile App Development
• Key Approaches to Building Mobile App
  1. Native App
  2. Cross-Platform App
  3. Hybrid App
  4. Progressive Web App
• Steps to Develop a Mobile App
  1. Plan and Research
  2. Wireframe Your App’s Concept
  3. Assess the App’s Technical Feasibility
  4. Create a Prototype
  5. Design the Interface
  6. Develop the Code
  7. Test Thoroughly and Repeatedly
  8. Release Your App
  9. Maintain Your App
• Conclusion

What is Mobile App Development?

Mobile app development involves designing and creating software applications for mobile devices like smartphones, tablets, etc. Such a software application can be downloaded from an app store. It can also come preinstalled on the device or be accessed using a mobile web browser.

Generally, this type of software development involves using Java, C#, Swift, and HTML5 as programming and markup languages.

Advantages of Mobile App Development

At present, the world has 5.18 billion internet users. This figure amounts to 64.6% of the global population. A large portion of this population access the Internet through smartphones and mobile devices.

If you have a website for your business but not a mobile app, you may miss out on expanding your audience. This can also mean missing out on potential revenues.

When you create mobile app solutions for your business, you stand to gain several advantages. Some of the key benefits are as follows:

• Enhance Accessibility: By opting for a mobile app created by a professional mobile app designing company, you can boost accessibility. Compared to websites, most apps are easier to access. Also, some apps can be accessed offline.
• Boost Customer Engagement: When you engage a mobile app development company to create an app, you unleash opportunities for customer engagement. Your customers can share their feedback directly through the app. This can help you resolve their issues and work towards improving customer satisfaction.
• Expand Brand Awareness: A key advantage of investing in mobile app development services is that it can help build brand awareness. A dedicated mobile app can enable you to grab the attention of potential customers and gain visibility for your business.
• Use as a Promotional Platform: You can send notifications and updates about your products and services through the app. You can also use the app to extend appealing offers and promotions to your users.  

Key Approaches to Building a Mobile App

You can build a mobile app in various ways. The following are some of the popular approaches followed by mobile app developers:

1. Native App

It is a platform-specific app that can run only on a particular operating system. This means mobile application companies would have to develop an app differently for Android and iOS when following this approach.

While developing a native app is expensive, it offers a good performance and user experience.

2. Cross-Platform App

This app is based on a single, unified code that can run on multiple platforms. So, after coding once, mobile app companies can make it work for Android and iOS.

Since it is a platform-independent app, it is cheaper to build.    

3. Hybrid App

The hybrid app is a blend of two apps. One is a web app, and the other is a native mobile app. When building this app, a mobile app development agency puts a web application into a native shell.

This app is faster and easier to build but may suffer performance issues.

4. Progressive Web App

This web application extends a user experience similar to a native app. Since this app runs on the web, there’s no need to install a separate app for it.

The plus points of Progressive Web apps are that they perform better, consume less data, and enhance engagement rates.

Also Read: The Only Checklist You Need For Mobile App And Web Accessibility Testing

Steps to Develop a Mobile App

The creation of a successful mobile app involves several steps. Here’s a general outline of the steps needed for your mobile app development:

1. Step 1: Plan and Research

Every mobile app development process starts with a basic idea. Once you have an idea, plan and research well to see whether it will be worthwhile to pursue it or not.

2. Step 2: Wireframe Your App’s Concept

Wireframing your concept means creating a rough outline of your app. Conceptualize your app’s functions and decide how they all should work together.

3. Step 3: Assess the App’s Technical Feasibility

During this stage, you need to test the technical feasibility of your app’s design. You may consider recruiting a mobile app development agency to get the most out of your technical feasibility study.  

4. Step 4: Create a Prototype

Build a prototype of the mobile app. It should have the primary functions of the app in working condition. This functional version may not be perfect, but it should be good enough for a trial run.

5. Step 5: Design the Interface

At this stage, you should refine the design components of your mobile app. Seek feedback from your prototype testers regarding the graphic interface and make necessary changes.

6. Step 6: Develop the Code

Decide whether your mobile app will be hybrid, native, cross-platform, or progressive web. Select your platform, programming language, and other necessary aspects, and begin coding.

7. Step 7: Test Thoroughly and Repeatedly  

You need to test your mobile app right from the initial design stage. Continue testing thoroughly and repeatedly through each step. You should have a team of testers to test every aspect of the app minutely. It is a basic rule that even the best mobile app development company follows.

8. Step 8: Release Your App

Get ready to roll out your mobile app to the public! Choose a date to launch your app and publicize it on social media platforms well in advance. Follow the guidelines to submit your app to the app stores for public use.

9. Step 9: Maintain and Update Your App

After you launch your app, pay attention to the feedback from the public. Make adjustments based on the most common complaints or criticism. Also, consider the suggestions to improve the future versions of your mobile app and update frequently.

Also Read: Why Hurix Custom Mobile App Development is Worth the Investment: 5 Benefits You Can’t Ignore

Conclusion

A mobile app is essential for expanding the reach of your business and increasing customer engagement. But for that, you need to build the app first successfully. This is often a demanding and time-consuming process. If you want to develop a highly functional app with an attractive design, consider seeking professional help.

Hurix Digital is one of the top companies offering mobile application development services. With years of expertise, our experts can help you to build any type of mobile app.

To know more about our custom mobile app solutions, schedule a 15 minutes discovery call today!