Creating a mobile app from scratch may seem daunting, especially as 100,000 new apps get released each month.

Going Mobile: 9 Tips for Creating Mobile Apps

Users demand a great experience and uninstall apps that don’t deliver. Choosing the right platform is difficult too as Android owns the majority share but Apple offers double the revenue.

This article offers 9 essential tips on creating mobile apps.

Learn how to research your market and select the best language. Discover the world of uniform UI standards. And how to quality assure your apps through ongoing testing.

Read on to see how to create a mobile app the right way and watch your installs soar.

1. Research Your Market

You might be tempted to start writing code immediately but consider the end product.

What will the app do? Who will use it and how? Are there specific demographics that are more likely to install the app?

Conducting market research helps answer these questions and underscores your product’s viability.

The amount of research needed depends on your budget and the methods used. Primary research asks potential users of their requirements. Secondary research lets you access this information online.

In effect, the data you glean will shape both your business plan and the app itself.

2. Consider the Type of App

Creating a mobile app from scratch requires you to choose the type of app to develop. Options include:

• Native apps – only work on one platform
• Web apps – work on a mobile browser
• Progressive Web Apps (PWA) – act as a traditional app but developed as a web app
• Hybrid apps – a web app wrapped as a native app

Traditional apps use the native approach. That means they’re built for a particular ecosystem like iOS only.

Native apps harness the full power of the device including GPS, camera, etc. Web apps can access some of these features but not all. However, web apps work on any device via the browser.

PWAs take things one step further. They’re basically a web app but run within their own sandbox and browser window.

Hybrid apps offer a similar experience to a PWA but grant full access to the device. Yet they’re not as streamlined as native so won’t work as efficiently.

3. Choose a Mobile App Development Platform

It’s decision time: Apple’s iOS or Google’s Android platform?

If you develop a native application, you need to choose between these two ecosystems. You can create a similar app on both, but each requires its own codebase which in turn needs maintaining.

Which platform should you pick?

Some developers believe that iOS is easier and quicker to develop, with development time taking 30-40% less. Apple also has a limited product range to test against unlike Android which has thousands.

However, Android is open source which means it’s more flexible.

You can hook your Android app into other systems. And you can use existing Java code in your project.

Apple also makes you use a Mac to develop on so if you only have Windows or Linux this can be a deal-breaker.

4. Select the Right Coding Language

By choosing a native iOS app, you have two language options — Objective-C and Swift.

The latter is Apple’s new coding solution to create better apps quickly. It’s relatively easy to learn compared to Objective-C with no semi-colons to worry about.

Native Android languages include Java and Kotlin. You can also develop in C++ and C# if coming from a Microsoft environment. You’ll need to install the Android Native Development Kit (NDK) to make these work.

Non-native apps can be developed in JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.

React, Angular, and VueJS development work extremely well.  React Native even creates a native app directly from React TypeScript code.

5. Build Your UI on Platform Standards

To ensure a standardized user experience, Apple and Google recommend using their own UI standards.

Material Design is Android’s solution of components, tools, and guidelines to build a better user interface. It’s guided by traditional print design methods including typography, space, and color.

iOS’s design principles rest on HIG or Human Interface Guidelines.

These ensure clarity, deference, and depth on all Apple’s devices. They also build on the company’s proud tradition of delivering aesthetically pleasing apps to their users.

6. Quality Assurance With Ongoing Testing

The top reason why users uninstall their app is that it crashes.

Quality assurance should always remain top of your agenda. To ensure that, conduct ongoing testing.

Unit testing by yourself is fine but sometimes you need to let your peers examine your work.

Hiring an industry-leading software testing company will reduce problems down the line. You’ll maximize your ROI and get to market faster if your code is quality checked.

Visit https://www.qualitylogic.com/ for a company that provides this essential service.

7. Build Your Store Page

When your app’s nearly complete, you’ll need to market it. This happens on the App Store or Google Play Store and both require a store listing page.

Store pages showcase:

• App name and description
• Screenshots on different device sizes
• Videos of the app
• Terms and conditions

Research your competitors’ stores and see how they market their applications. But don’t forget to optimize the content for ASO.

8. Optimize for ASO and SEO

App Store Optimisation or ASO affects how your app’s store listing will appear in the search results.

Take time to research keywords and incorporate them into your descriptions. Work SEO techniques into your copywriting too as Google indexes this content for its Search service.

A final tip is to include a high-ranking keyword into your app’s title.

9. Monetize Your Mobile Apps

Many apps start off as free but how can you monetize your application?

In-app purchases like digital or physical products will bring you revenue. Subscriptions work just fine too.

Paid versions of your app that offer more features are also valid. Advertising is a great option if you want to keep your app free.

Don’t forget that Apple and Google take a percentage of your sales. Be sure to factor that into your business model.

More Tips on Creating Mobile Apps at StartupGuys

Creating mobile apps requires effective planning and hard work.

Learning new languages and standards takes time. Quality assurance through ongoing testing ensures that your product won’t crash. You then need to build your store listing and optimize it.

By following these mobile app development tips, you have a real shot at creating something special.

Who knows? Your app could go viral. And if it does, share your story on our social media pages.

Don’t forget to read our other articles on how to create a mobile app. Remember to bookmark the site as we add new items on a regular basis.

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