Challenges and Opportunities in Mobile App Development

Mobile app development presents unique opportunities even today. The Apple Store approves close to 30,000 new apps every month, which shows the huge investments that are still going into research and building. Naturally, mobile development also experiences challenges due to competition, fast evaluation, and the skills needed to build and maintain apps. With the right advice, though, it’s possible to navigate the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities along the way.

Here are some common challenges.

Picking the Platform for Mobile App Development

Before beginning any development process, businesses must decide whether they want a native app, a hybrid one, or a web-based mobile application. The choice will depend on the use-case of the app and the roadmap it will take going into the future. The UI/UX needs will also influence the choice of platform. Apps that need a very intuitive experience for users will probably need to be built natively. Your business will need to conduct research to find out the implementation that competitors may have implemented.

Device Compatibility and Screen Size

A major point of consideration for mobile application developers is the compatibility of the app with the various devices it will be used. Today, users expect a seamless interaction with an app across all their hardware devices- mobile phones, tablets, and computers. A poor experience on one device will create a negative perception of the app. Users have become accustomed to switching devices seamlessly with no drop-off in the quality of their experience. That’s the standard developers have to match.

The same goes for the various operating systems where an app will be used. The development team has to decide on how to cater to both iOS and Android mobile users.

The challenge is that sometimes customizing the app for numerous devices is likely to rack up more development hours and thus the cost. When resources are limited, there might need to be a trade-off between costs and customization.

 

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Getting Traction for the App

If your business is attempting to build an app to solve a particular problem, chances are that tens or hundreds of similar apps already exist. During the market gap identification phase, your business needs to identify what the competitors haven’t tackled well and then solve it better.

Even with proper market research, it’s difficult to get your app noticed owing to all the competition that exists. Businesses often rely on paid marketing to get people to download. They hope that once people have interacted with it, they will keep using it.

Hiring developers is expensive. Being able to hire a well-resourced team and then carrying out a sustained marketing campaign for the final product is an expensive endeavor.

Still, when the money is there, there must be a well-laid-out strategy to convince people to download and use the map. Proper app store optimization must be done with the app being listed in the correct categories. A PR strategy is also required so that influential people in the industry can write reviews and publish them on their platforms.

Maintaining High Performance

A truly world-class performance is necessary for an app to earn or drive revenue sustainably. Businesses need to be ready after launching an app to fix any bugs detected. This needs to be done quickly. It’s important to ensure that the app is robust enough to handle the expected growth in user numbers. Performance should also be looked at from the point of view of modules in the app doing what they are supposed to.

Many businesses are investing in DevOps for their applications so that they can release updates and improvements quickly. When an app is continually releasing improvements, user experience improves over time and users’ loyalty improves.

Despite these tough challenges, numerous business opportunities exist through having mobile apps. Mobile phones are now the de facto way to access the internet for 7 out of every 10 people in the world. That statistic is only set to grow. It, therefore, makes sense for businesses to build applications to help increase chances of interaction with the audience. When a user has your app installed on their mobile devices, the opportunities are quite numerous.

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Giving More Value to Customers

Through mobile app development, a business can improve how it serves its clients. A shopping store that has thousands of goods can present a well-laid out and up-to-date catalog to customers via its app. Customers can shop online, create a Wishlist, get discounts and loyalty points through the app. A mobile app is an opportunity for a brand to show care and concern about customer experience. The app can serve as a medium of communication through chatbots that can help users find information quickly or set up tickets for users instead of having to make a call.

The App is a Branding Opportunity

Creating a great mobile app is an opportunity to strengthen a brand. Companies need to be deliberate about the UI of their apps. The choice of colors and placement of the logo throughout the different pages on the app should help strengthen the brand.

The company also can use data collected through the app to implement better marketing and branding strategies on other channels.

By making the app as useful as possible to users, people will spend more time on the app. Increased usage directly leads to the strengthening of the brand.

Better Conversion of Leads

When a user downloads your business’ app, it’s much easier to convert them to a customer compared to when they have not interacted with the app. The app user can make use of the chat feature on an app to ask questions about a product. Quick responses increase the chances of conversion. Their browsing behavior and search history can also be used to show them personalized recommendations. These increase the chances of conversion.

Creating a Competitive Edge through Mobile App Development

If your app performs better and has more utility than what competitors are offering, it can be the source of a competitive edge in your sector. Introducing new features is a great way to blow the competition out of the water. Further, you could monetize the new features on the app so that you earn revenue when your competitors aren’t.

Other ways to offer competitive value include pricing and a great UI/UX. Your first lot of users will serve as ambassadors if they have a great experience using the app.

Maximizing the Customer Lifetime Value

Mobile applications help a brand maximize the customer lifetime value of clients. By having a single dashboard where they can access the company’s services, they are more likely to make a purchase compared to visiting a shop or browsing through a website. Within the app, the brand can develop customized messages to various customer segments. It can also personalize products and prices to fit a customers’ profile.

Banks can do this by offering loans of different amounts and prices based on a profile they’ve developed on an individual customer. Travel companies and airlines also use this dynamic messaging and pricing to grow customer loyalty and increase the frequency of travel.

The Right Mobile App Development Strategy

A successful mobile development project needs proper planning and execution. It must be clear from the onset what problem the app seeks to solve and whether there exists competition. The business must have differentiating factors for its app in order to navigate the challenge of finding an audience. A marketing budget is necessary to create a buzz around the app. Once it’s launched, a business must ensure that the performance of the app is truly world-class. Bugs must be fixed quickly, and improvements made progressively.

All this will assist in unlocking the numerous opportunities mobile apps offer. The business is likely to grow revenue, strengthen its brand, and maximize lifetime customer value.

If your business would like assistance in developing a mobile app, NS804 can help conduct market research, develop, and market your app. Learn more by scheduling a consultation here.