How to Outsource Mobile App Develop – How to Create an App
Outsourcing software development refers to the practice of hiring a third-party company or an individual to handle specific software development tasks for a client. The objective of outsourcing software development is to make use of expertise, resources, and technology that are not available in-house.
Over the years, application outsourcing has become a popular business strategy for organizations seeking to streamline their operations, reduce costs, and increase efficiency. One of the critical benefits of application outsourcing is access to a vast pool of talented developers with experience in various programming languages, software development methodologies, and technologies. This allows organizations to tap into specialized skills they may not have in-house while reducing recruitment and training burden.
Another advantage of outsourcing software development is that it allows organizations to focus on their core competencies while leaving the software development to experts. This can free up valuable time and resources that can be better used to grow the business, increase profits and improve the bottom line.
Despite these benefits, outsourcing software development also has its challenges. One of the biggest challenges is ensuring that the software development team is aligned with the client’s objectives and that the software is being developed to meet the client’s needs and expectations. This requires clear communication, open collaboration, and a deep understanding of the client’s requirements and expectations.
Additionally, application outsourcing software development often involves outsourcing work to teams located in different parts of the world, which can lead to time-zone differences, cultural and language barriers, and differences in work ethics. These factors can make it challenging to manage the software development process, especially when it comes to ensuring that the quality of the software meets the client’s standards.
To overcome these challenges, organizations must implement a comprehensive outsourcing strategy that considers the project’s objectives, resources, timeline, and budget. They should also choose a reputable software development company with a proven track record, a deep understanding of the client’s needs, and the ability to deliver quality software within the agreed time and budget.
A question you (and almost everyone else) have thought about – how to build an app? This question seems like it should have a pretty quick and easy answer, but it doesn’t.
There are plenty of different ways to create an app. Whether it’s you learning to code through a developer course or simply paying someone to bring your idea to life (application outsourcing), there is no shortage of ways to create your mobile app. In this guide, we will teach you both ways. We will show you what going through an agency would look like and the steps to start your app design on your own.
Creating an App – Your Step-by-Step Guide
Mobile app development is segmented into three separate categories – pre-development, development, and post-launch. Before we get into the nitty gritty of each stage, let’s answer some questions you may have before building apps start.
What’s the Best Way to Build an App?
Unfortunately, there isn’t one clear-cut way to build an app. Each app will have its framework and development steps between the different development methods, budgets, and app types.
If you’re in the market for a gaming app, native development will be your best option. If you simply want to make an app for fun or as a hobby, you’ll be able to get away with a cookie-cutter app.
But for most people, using a firm like App Launchers is the best way to get their idea out into the world. Not only will App Launchers create a great app promptly, but the quality of work will also be unparalleled. Regardless of your experience, App Launchers is dedicated to creating an app that is exactly what you asked for. Many mobile app development services will leave you out of the process, but we won’t.
How Long Does it Take to Build a Mobile App?
As most answers with app development, this answer entirely depends on what you and your developer and trying to build. It depends on app complexity, unique feature complexity, and development method. If you are building the app, after a couple of days of work, you’ll have an idea of the timeframe. If you are working with a development company, they will usually have a timeline for you when you initially present the idea and complexity.
Some apps can take a few short months, while others can take well over a year. Generally speaking though, most apps can be developed in a 6-12 month timeframe.
How Much Does it Cost to Make an App?
You can build an app for $1,500, $150,000, and sometimes, upward of $1.5 million.
Like every other you will find, it will take some discovery questions to find the answer you want. What type of features do you want in your app? How complex are you looking to let the app be? What method will you or your developer be working in? Remember, even if you are the one creating your app, your own time costs real money too.
Adding more features, functionality, and complexity will only add money to your project.
iOS App or Android App?
The short answer is to build an app that can perform great on iOS and Android platforms. But if you want the best app version on one specific operating system, iOS will be your best choice, and here’s why.
Apple commands 56% of the US Smartphone market. Apple provides iOS as the operating system that runs on the iPhone. 95% of all iPhones in circulation globally (and you can assume closer to 100% of iPhones in the US) are running the latest version of iOS. Currently iOS 15. Android shows up on 44% of smartphones in the US. However, nearly 60% of android phones are not running the latest version of Android. In fact, 60% of android phones are running an operating system that is two or more years old, with no plan or method available for them to upgrade.
That means that unless you are developing your app on old Android software, it will be buggy and incomplete for most Android users.
Starting Your App
Now that you have all of these questions answered, we’re on the right path to getting your app started. Before step #1 though, we have step #0. Let’s get started!
Step #0 – Your Idea
Before we get to developing, we need to focus on the pre-development stage. When you initially come up with your idea, there’s a general excitement that comes with it. As time passes, that excitement turns to speculation. Someone may already have an idea similar out there, the same app name, the app may already be built, and you’ll have doubts. Not a worry. Hundreds of successful apps out there were spin-offs of very successful apps.
While your app doesn’t have to be 100% original, it does have to solve a problem. Whether that problem is getting your pet’s food delivered on a subscription or simply keeping track of your workouts, it must be a solution. If there is a natural solution, and your idea can separate itself from the other solutions, that’s when you will find success.
It’s also important to note that not all new apps have to be new ideas or ways to do business. It may be an extension of your website, making it easier for customers to have you come over to do their hair and nails or any other service that they can request on their mobile device.
Step #1 – Define Your Success and Goals
Because the app development process can be long and tedious, setting goals and knowing what success looks like before you jump into development is essential.
What is the problem that I need this app to solve? What is my end goal with this app? What does this project look like when complete?
It’s a lot easier to stay motivated and disciplined when you know what you are working towards and you know what success needs to look like at each step of the way. The key to this is to set measurable goals. It comes down to setting “SMART” goals, something that is preached often but rarely executed.
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Realistic
- Timely
We can often write a goal and put something like “Spend more time with my kids,” but that is not “SMART” at all. How are you going to measure that? Is it realistic or achievable? With our app, we need to set goals that are every bit as “SMART” as possible.
Step #2 – Market Research
Once you have your goals written and set in stone, its time to ensure that your app has a market for itself, every app that has made it to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store has been a good idea in theory, but you haven’t heard of 99% of them. Finding and making sure the market is ready for a specific app is something many people never do.
Creating a successful mobile application without a market will waste time, manpower, and resources. Here are some things you can do to test your market.
- Run a focus group
- Research competitors apps
- Create surveys
- Conduct interviews
- Learn how users are solving the problem you are trying to solve
If your mobile apps are going to be an extension of your already existing business, current customers can provide you with your surveys, focus groups, and much more. If you want to create a new idea inside the app, you’ll need to find a group either using similar apps or find more ways to connect with the people you think will download your app.
Step #3 – Choose Your Features
You might want to load your plate up at the cafe here, but put the indulgent activities on hold. When choosing your core features, keep your app’s user experience and core functionality in mind.
Going too big on this section may lead to an expensive app not hitting the exact metrics and performance standards you’re looking for. This is where many mobile applications get lost, which adds to app costs.
Some popular app features may include:
- Push notifications
- Community wall
- GPS capabilities
- Surveys and questionnaires
- Video, image, and audio hubs
- Booking Capabilities
- Web app capabilities
- Calendar integrations
- E-commerce carts
- Menu ordering system
- Customer loyalty
- User directory
It’s better to go big on the simple features of your app rather than spread out the unneeded features to make it great.
Step #4 – Wireframe Creation
A wireframe creation is a rough sketch of your app’s appearance and what it will do. If you are working with a development team, you will be able to get a more formal view of the framework with a digital copy to review on your own.
If you are venturing out and making this app on your own, this doesn’t have to be too formal at all. You can draw it out on a piece of paper, napkin, or whiteboard or use chalk on the sidewalk. Anything that you’ll be able to save for reference down the road.
Don’t stress too hard about making the wireframe a one-to-one relationship with how the app should look. This is mainly for the flow and functionality of what your app should be doing for the user each step of the way.
Look at this from the user’s perspective. What happens if I click button #1? What will happen if I click option #2 and choose option #1? Each possible screen and action should be mapped out. Wireframes will help you and any developer stay on the same page throughout development.
Step #5 – Choose Your Development Method
Agile and waterfall development are the two most popular and prominent application development methods, but the two are two completely different.
The agile process will have very little documentation before you start the project. It’ll be 1-2 week sprints, followed by a review of the code and the next block to sprint to while developing apps. This will allow your app to be more of a consultive build. The waterfall process will have clear and precise documentation pre-build and a few revisions throughout the process. App testing will be at the far end of this process.
The waterfall method will have you know what the app and framework will look like by the end, the exact cost, but you are trading those “guarantees” for lack of flexibility. This type of project will also take much longer to complete, as there isn’t room for a code change with the preset framework in the mobile app design. Even if you don’t like how a push notification appears, that will have to wait. Even a simple app can have problems. Any project manager or developer that likes waterfall likely will ask you to hold off on any suggestions during the essential app building. Luckily, this method’s mobile app development cost will stay the same.
The industry is moving towards the agile method. It keeps the app maker, app builder, and the customer on the same page, it’s a consultive build and always a much more hands-on process for everyone involved. On top of all of this, the agile process will allow you to release the bulk of the app, followed by incremental releases with added features following the original release date. This will lead to a much more smooth user experience.
Step #6 – Research and Analyze Existing Solutions
Part of the pre-development, and one of the most crucial parts of this stage, is understanding your competition. Go to your preferred app store, download all similar apps, and start digging in.
You will find some features you will love and some you will hate. This is precisely where you need to fill in the gaps. If you are frustrated or pleased by an app, your soon-to-be market is also. This entire process of scouting other competitors will save you loads of money, time, and brain power throughout your design and development process.
Step #8 – Set Measurable Milestones
This step is going to feel similar to step #1, and that is because it is. If it is either you or a development team you’re working with, it’s important to have milestones with dates to keep you on track with your app developers or outsourcing company.
The idea is to separate this massive project into smaller chunks. Not only will this make being a mobile app builder much more manageable, but it will also keep the project crisper. You’ll be able to make revisions throughout the entire process rather than all at once near the end. That will happen if you’re unwilling to take breaks throughout the process.
Countless project management software out there will keep you and your team accountable. Find one that works for you, and stick to it. Hold each team member accountable for updating what they’ve done, what they’re working on, and what lies ahead for them.
Step #9 – Create an App
Did we just put ‘create app’ as one step in here? Yes. This is, without a doubt, the most significant and most daunting step of them all. This is where you either deploy your newly found developer skills or turn to a seasoned expert.
What does your new app need to survive in the wild and solve a real problem? Focus on those features and functions first. Everything else is secondary to the objective at hand. App development can be an endless cycle, and without milestones to reach, it’s easy to get distracted and spend time on something less meaningful.
The “nice to haves” functions are entertaining and exciting to build, but they should be deployed post-launch.
Step #10 – Quality Assurance
Once your app idea is more than just a test app but not a complete project, it’s time to start testing. The app will need to be tested on a wide array of devices.
Between iPhones, androids, tablets, iPads, and much more, your product specialist and quality assurance manager will have their work cut out for them. They’ll need to test it in every use case, on every device, and with every variable possible.
It may seem redundant to test each product for the app. Still, developers are notorious for pretending not to see their own mistakes, and the only way to catch them is to be incredibly meticulous in each quality check. This is how you create a wildly successful mobile app. Every app user will thank you.
Step #11 – Deploy and Dominate
The step we have all been waiting for – is the domination of our market and the deployment of our app. It’s time to get your long-awaited product in the hands of your end consumer. Ensure the version of the app you upload to your app store is the exact version you want to be in your customer’s hands-on day 1.
There are various requirements for Google Play Store and Apple App Store apps. Ensure you understand all requirements and guidelines before letting your mobile application go live.
Post Launch
We’re here, we’ve made it! You’ve built your app or at least have discovered the steps to get there. But for better or worse, you’ve got plenty of work ahead of you. Between post-launch and marketing, you’ll be working on this for a while.
It’s essential to plan for this section, it’s as essential as any. Save part of your budget for app requests and marketing to get people to your app and website.
Marketing for Your App
Your business success is contingent on the success of this app, so let’s treat it as such. You could have the most convenient app with an excellent user interface and great widgets, but if no one knows about it, it will be a bust. You need constant eyes on your app. You need people to see what you’ve made, whether it be Google ads, Facebook ads, or app store ads.
Start by driving organic visitors to your website with targeted articles, news posts, and anything else you can do to get people to type in your domain. After that, you’ll want to populate your social media with similar content. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and even apps like Snapchat and Tik Tok can be great places to market your app creation.
Create video demonstrations and ads with live views of your apps. Put them on YouTube, local channels, and anything else you can do to get people in your targeted market to download your iPhone or android app.
Ask for User Feedback
Now that you have a successful app with plenty of downloads, it’s time to improve your idea.
Ask the user to leave feedback during an optimal time for your user experience. You can either direct them back to either the app store from which they downloaded the app or for more price feedback, you can have the user submit a form inside of the app. After all, this is a business application and part of maintenance and customer service.
Don’t be nervous to ask – customers know that if they want an improved product, they will have to be honest with the development team and tell them what they do and don’t like. From there, these helpful users can become targeted beta users and in turn, have them be a part of your success story as a great app developer and your business service.