Any app development company dreams about developing their own app which will become a hit as soon as it hits the market. But nothing comes easy. Here’re some tips for developing a successful application.
Determine your goal
Any project should start with determining business goals. It’s important not only to determine them but also to write them down in order to be able to check them during the project progress. If not, at the end of the project you may find out that the app solves all the tasks except for the ones necessary.
If the app is a product, you need to answer two questions before developing it: why users need it and how users will use it? If your app is a communication channel for providing services, then you need to take a look at another side: apart from consumers’ “why” and “how”, which business problems will it solve?
Requirements analysis
Development work starts with detailed analytics – from product idea to a detailed documentation of functional and non-functional requirements. At this first stage it is important to get a detailed and precise description of what will be built later. At the same time the work on test-cases begins. These test-cases will be used for controlling competence, quality standards and functionality.
Unfortunately, not always can you turn all your ideas into the reality of application. After studying back-end and checking the business process requirements, it becomes clear that the project should be simplified, because technically, the app can’t do everything planned.
Design and development
Having performed the analysis, it’s time to get down to design and development. At the stage of initial design wireframes, screenflow, use cases and software architecture are created. Usually, apps work with servers so there’re some requirements to the server part as well (called API specifications).
With basic prototype done, you develop a detailed design for the app, which undergoes usability testing. Such testing is necessary in order to understand if our design decisions are ergonomic and allow users to solve their problems effectively. The data received are used for interface and design correction.
It’s also important that designer controls the process of development. And it’s role is not only to control but also to make corrections to the design when necessary. At this stage it’s essential to have a working server which will be used for debugging client-server cooperation.
Security analysis
Such people as security assurance specialists need to participate in the development as well, especially if your app will be working with users’ personal data (for example, when we speak about financial apps, it’s almost always the case).
Testing
Alongside with the development process the app should be constantly tested for bugs and problems. Thus you’ll be sure about the quality of your product. It’s also worth noticing, that most web development companies provide both automated and manual testing for the apps they develop, thus minimizing the possibility of bug appearance and keeping the quality of testing at the highest level.
When the development is done, check app performance with the help of all user-cases, checking its conformity to initial requirements. If everything is alright, you need to start thinking about app promotion.
Tech support and further development
When the app is released it shouldn’t be neglected and forgotten. Tech support should be active and help users to solve their problems with the app. It’s also important to understand that all successful and great apps don’t become such since the very first release. You need to keep analyzing user behavior within the app and release new improved versions. The fact is that the app needs support up to the moment of its utilization.
