Top 8 Mistakes to Avoid When Building an App for Your Business
The realm of app development has grown tremendously in recent years, and the creation of an app is now well within the reach of any business, regardless of their size or budget. There are several mistakes that can potentially be made in the process that can lead to problems, costing a business time and money, among other things. Here are the top 8 mistakes that are most commonly made, so that you can become aware of them and learn how to avoid making these same mistakes.
Not Defining the Purpose of your App
Your app needs to serve some sort of purpose or solve some problem, otherwise who are you targeting and for what purpose? A purposeful app gives some level of value to its users, because it solves some problem they are experiencing. App development is booming these days, but apps without a purpose will only live to see a short and highly unsuccessful life.
Overloading your App with Functions
Trying to stuff too many different things into one app can have seriously negative impacts on the user experience. Although it does seem like more is better, when it comes to apps, users can get overwhelmed and frustrated when they aren't able to simply navigate and do what they need to do.
It's always better to have a streamlined app that does a few tasks really well, than an over-stuffed app that is confusing and doesn't excel at any task in particular” says Deanne Rios, an Operation Manager at UK Writings.
Forgetting about the End-User
Developers will often only see things from their perspective – the functionality of an app, it's features, and so forth. But little emphasis is given to the person who actually will be using the app. Namely, how easy it is to navigate, how intuitive the design is and the overall experience of the end-user. With so much attention being given to the development of an app and how it works, ensuring the users are actually having a positive experience with it is immensely important. Running user acceptance testing (UAT) can help you determine how well the app is working.
Not Clarifying Device and OS Support
When ordering an app from a developer, it’s important that you’re specific with your requirements. One of the most important of these considerations is clarifying the device you want the app to be compatible with and the operating system it will run on. Forgetting to make this clear from the beginning can be extremely costly to both you and the developer.
“By not giving a breakdown of costs in your estimate for app development, you may simply assume that certain things are included, when they may not necessarily be. The easiest way to avoid this problem is by simply laying out the entire cost of development from the start, which includes OS, version and date” says Carol Davis, an App Developer at Big Assignments.
Unrealistic Schedules
App development can take time, especially when it comes to optimizing, testing and making edits until you’re happy with it. Of course, you’re going to be eager during the production process because you want things to be made and launched for your business. However, you need to make sure you’re working with your development team to make sure you have a date in which you can launch that is realistic for everybody involved. With a realistic timeframe to work, the app can be developed and you can work on aspects of building promotional website pages and advertising the launch.
Larry Groover, a Web Designer at Oxessays comments “Start off by being upfront about what things will cost and how much time it will take. Explain the intricacies of everything involved, in order to detail why your costs and timeline are what they are. It's never a pleasant conversation to let a client know that you're behind on your timeline or the costs will be higher than you had previously quoted.”
No Feedback Before Launch
The insight of others is a valuable resource, because it allows you to see things from the perspective of the consumer. Once you've been working on developing your app for a while, you'll start to go blind to the errors held in it. Having someone else review and give some feedback is an important step in seeing the functionality or the app and in catching mistakes it may have.
Failing to Effectively Market your App
There are endless number of apps for users to choose from and search through before they happen to stumble upon yours. So, you've got to use all of your available channels to get the word out and market your app. Social media is a great resource for this, because it's easy to connect and share with other like-minded users.
Not Planning for Technical Difficulties
As much as you may test your app before you launch, there is always an inevitable bug that will pop up post-launch. In these cases, it should be agreed upon ahead of time as to the course of action. By adding room for maneuverability into your schedule, you can ensure that nothing is late and everybody knows what they need to do to get things sorted, as well as how long they have to achieve completion.
As with anything else, it's always best to be realistic and upfront about the complications that do and may occur throughout the app development process. Work to avoid these eight mistakes, and you should have a successful app build and launch.
