Developing an app is an exciting time often filled with optimism. You’re going to build the best app ever! Everyone will love it! It’ll make you a million!
While maintaining this positivity, it’s also essential to remain practical – and avoid these ten common blunders when developing an app.
10. Having an unrealistic budget
Before beginning work, it’s essential to work out a budget for your app. This must be a realistic figure to ensure all work is completed within budget. Many apps end up costing more than initially thought, so it’s a good idea to prepare for this when planning your budget.
9. Not maintaining a regular backup of your work
When working on any aspect of an app, from design through to coding, it’s crucial to ensure a backup of your work is regularly made. If an unexpected power cut or hardware failure occurs, hours of important work could be lost, setting your app back. It’s also advised to back up your app before applying any changes that could have a detrimental effect.
8. Failing to test and retest
One of the most common blunders of app development is failing to exhaustively test an app before releasing it to users. Without testing, an app can go out filled with bugs and other issues, attracting negative comments and feedback from users.
7. Not taking advantage of mobile functionality
With smartphones constantly implementing new technologies, it’s now possible to design apps that incorporate features such as GPS location and calendar integration. These features appeal greatly to users, so make use of them if you can.
6. Poor UX design
If an app is badly designed and doesn’t utilise good UX design, users may not return. Keep in mind during the design stage that the mobile experience should be intuitive, with an interface that can be navigated easily. First-time instructions should be included for apps with complex functions that aren’t made obvious at first glance.
5. Having too many bloated features
Good apps are often about doing more with less, making them simple to use. Including too many features can overwhelm users and result in an app that is hard to navigate. Ensuring your app contains only a core set of features will increase its ease of use and appeal to a wider audience.
4. Performing Beta testing yourself
Beta testing is essential for identifying any issues within an app before its release, but unfortunately testing on your own won’t cut it. It’s a good idea to instead let family or friends test your app, as they may detect issues you haven’t picked up on yourself. Beta testing also ensures an app can function universally on a wide range of devices.
3. Making an app that replicates a website
If creating an app based off a website, it’s crucial to streamline the site rather than replicate it. An app fundamentally differs from a website and should therefore vary in size, functionality and scope. Users are less likely to read through large slabs of text in an app, so present information minimally for easy consumption on the go.
2. Excessive loading times
Mobile device users expect apps to be fast and efficient. To reduce loading times and increase app efficiency, heavy and complicated files should be slimmed down. If a long loading time is unavoidable, make sure something other than a blank page is shown, such as a fun animation that displays progress.
1. Developing an app for a specific screen size
In today’s digital society, mobile devices come in a range of shapes and sizes, making it more important than ever to ensure you don’t merely develop your app for a specific screen size. Apps need to be designed to scale beyond one screen size.
The team at Appz can help you design and create the perfect app
Appz can create applications that avoid all these common blunders, resulting in a professional and sophisticated app every time. Contact us now and let the specialists at Appz take care of every aspect of your app’s development.