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By: Sagar Sharma

Mobile App Development Lifecycle: 9 Steps to Consider

Mobile apps have taken a remarkable rise in the tech market. App stores are overflowing with various kinds of applications. Several businesses have stepped forward in developing their mobile applications to expand their business and achieve success. Mobile applications have become an integral part of people’s lives, which has inspired enterprises to come up with their apps to satisfy their customers’ requirements.

When you plan to develop your mobile app, it is important that you integrate unique features and functionality to make it stand out in the market. Also, it is significant to see that it does not become a common app similar to others. Your mobile app has to have the potential to attract new customers and retain the existing ones as well.

The process of building an application involves a lot of things to consider. Additionally, design and functionality play a critical role in the growth of your business. You can achieve your goals only if you get your mobile app development right the very first time.

The mobile app development is divided into different phases, which contribute to building the application. You need to know these stages of development, which we will discuss in the post.

9 Phases of Mobile App Development Lifecycle

1. Planning & Research

The first phase of mobile app development involves research and planning. It is the most important stage in the entire process of building an application because whatever you will lay down will become the base of your development.

During this phase, it is crucial to do substantial research and brainstorming. While doing so, you will need to answers to questions such as what is the aim of your app? Who will be your target audience? Which platform will suit your application development? Will your app be a paid one or free?

Once you know the answers to these questions, it will be easier for you to identify how you want your app to be. The analysis will help you decide your target audience. Often, the target audience becomes a pivotal aspect in helping you decide the platform of your application, and you will come to know about what category of users will use your app.

Another thing you will need to know is to have a detailed analysis of the competition. For this purpose, you need to make a survey of your competitors’ apps to see what features they offer. Additionally, you can look for the missing features and try to incorporate them into your application to make it stand out in the market.

2. Assessment of Technical Feasibility

Analyzing visuals is not enough for app development. You need to determine whether the backend systems will support the App’s functionality. It is significant to examine the technical feasibility of the idea of your app development.

Additionally, you need to determine the platform of that you will use in the development. Application development has various requirements and they depend on the type of platform you use; Android or iOS, or both.

3. Wireframe & Prototype

When you come to this phase of mobile app development, you will have a pretty good idea about how your application will look like and what features you want to integrate. Now, it is the time to sketch out your application, which will give you a clear picture of its navigation.

The sketching of the app is technically known as wireframing. You can create wireframes of your application through online tools. Also, you should build a storyboard or a working prototype, which will allow you to have clarity about the connections among different screens of the end-user’s journey.

4. Designing the Application

When you are done with defining the prototype of the app, it is the time to start with the design and layout. The wireframe will effectively help you in creating the design of the application. You need to determine the UI/UX in the designing phase of app development. While doing so, you need to consider a few things as below:

  • Make sure you maintain a balance between the content and user interface
  • Ensure to integrate the features while designing the app
  • Do not use a lot of gestures
  • Maintain clarity and consistency in the flow
  • Create an interactive UI

5. Developing the Mobile App

App development involves a number of steps and processes. It is important to set up the actual storage solutions, databases, APIs, and servers for the backend of your app.

Additionally, it is vital to have your developer’s accounts for the app stores that you plan to use to distribute your app. This step can take you several days to complete. Read the app store guidelines thoroughly to avoid the rejection of your app during the review process.

The development process also includes the integration of the defined features into your application, backend technology selection; OpenSource, Java, .Net, etc..

6. Testing the Mobile App

You finally have a complete app concept with exciting graphics and properly placed content. Therefore, now, it is the time to test it for any technical flaws or bugs and correct them right away.

You can go through your original planning and design documents and cross-check everything with the app model to see if the requirements have met successfully. Testing an application has become easier, thanks to the online mobile UX testing tools, which give you real-time feedback and analytics. Make sure you test cross-platform compatibility of images, graphics, and user experience.

7. Deployment

When your application is tested for technical errors and flaws, then it is ready for deployment. In the deployment process, you need to deploy the app on the server and determine whether it meets the security standards defined for the data leakage. You need to make sure that the data does not leak from the server. For this, it is crucial to ensure that the database is secure by all means.

8. App Launch

Once you are sure about every aspect of your application, then the launch time arrives. You can launch your app in the App Stores. It is the final stage of mobile app development.

Register your app over different App Stores apart from the two main stores; Google Play and Apple App Store. In addition to this, it is vital to address your application towards the right audience group, along with the right platform.

9. App Enhancement

Even when you have launched the latest version of your mobile application, you are not done with the app development process yet. Yes, you read it right. The application needs to have continuous updates and upgrades at regular intervals. Also, you need to add new features with every update that will enhance the user experience.

Regular updates will also help you keep your customers and users engaged with your application.

Conclusion

App development does not end at creating the prototype, but it also includes a selection of the right technology. An application needs to go through an array of processes, and enterprises and organizations to take the benefit of the results produced.

The phases we mentioned above will help in the successful development of your mobile application.

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