11 things that programmers need to remember when they want to develop mobile applications

Do you have the idea to develop a mobile application? Great. However, did you know how to do it? What are the important factors to consider before you start and how does your application get "premature"? These are obvious questions that any developer must ask himself before making a decision to program a phone application.

Here are some statistics that are synthesized by Devsaran website to give you a clearer view of how the mobile market is developing.

1. There are about 4.43 billion mobile users worldwide in 2015 and this number is likely to reach about 5.07 billion people by 2019.
2. There are about 1.6 million Android apps on Google Play Store.
3. There are about 1.5 million applications for iOS devices on Apple 's app store .

These statistics show that the demand for smartphones and mobile applications is constantly increasing. However, the quality of mobile apps does not correspond to these figures at all. In fact, developers need to make sure that their application is useful, easy to use, and above all meets the needs that users expect.

Here are 11 useful tips that developers need to consider before starting to develop applications, including Windows Phone, Android or iOS.

1. Careful research on the market

Before starting to develop an application and considering putting your product on the market, you should conduct a market survey carefully. The current Market Analysis will help you get Insight (implicit facts) about your current competitors, their strategies, strengths and weaknesses; at the same time, avoid repeating the mistakes that the opponent has encountered.

In addition to competitors, the research process should also be conducted with customers by gathering feedback (feedback) and their reviews when using the application. These reviews can help you understand what users are interested in and don't like about each type of application.

Make sure you have important notes about the market situation and correct the problem that users are having. By doing this well, you will have the opportunity to win customers from other developers.

2. Effective

A "mantra" for you is "If you are doing something, do it with the assurance that it will achieve 100% efficiency and accuracy, otherwise do it" . This is what users expect from every application.

Although half of the US population owns a smartphone, this doesn't mean they naturally know how to use them. For this reason, mobile applications need to be as simple as possible to ensure that "newbie" knows how to use it - Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance.

The effect here also includes data efficiency. Smartphone applications that use 3G or 4G data that exceed the limit allow it to be downloaded only once and then, "abandoned" forever. If you do not want your product to fall into such a situation, make sure that the app is mobile-friendly as best as possible, not taking too much time when running in the background and optimizing it for most. all models.

Once you have a draft, give it to family members or friends who "blind" the technology and make a comment. Is your app intuitive and user-friendly? Are the buttons on the screen large and easy to see? Are the terms easy to understand? Take notes and focus on the limitations of the application - new users will leave very quickly if your product is too complex, confusing and confusing - Kelly Azevedo, She's Got Systems.

3. Create something different

Have you ever wondered why recently opened restaurants in your area are living or somewhere that creates such an interesting feeling? Why do people like to visit new restaurants and places? Simply because they like to look for new and different things. That is the nature of people - there is always a tendency to be bored of something very easily and quickly.

The same is true for mobile applications, especially when there are now millions of mobile apps on the store and many of them bring similar features. Users always want to serve something different. Therefore, what you need to remember is always to create superior benefits that can keep users longer than products that have been released before.

4. Don't make users wait

Ask users to wait while the application is loading a "death warning" sign because they will think your application has problems at some stage. At the same time, the negative impression right from the beginning also made the User Experience later not very good.

To avoid creating this feeling for users, try using Indicator bars. Loading or dynamic effects to ensure that your application is still running and users will understand that they need to. must wait for the app to connect to the system. An index bar is still a better proposition for developers.

5. Set the application price accordingly

Price is one of the core and most difficult factors that developers should not ignore. This is a very important factor, affected by many other small factors and also considered as the first factor that many users consider when deciding whether to buy an application or not. In many cases, the free app is still more noticeable than the paid app, regardless of the difference in quality and experience.

6. Know the target user

Determining the target audience is important because users have a great impact on the app development process. All questions such as who will be the user, what benefits they will receive and who is willing to pay for your Premium packages are questions that need answers from the beginning. If it meets the user's expectations, the product is likely to be popular.

7. Let's start with a platform and then, expand to other platforms

One of the most important questions that Dev should answer before developing the application is whether that app will be available on how many platforms (Platforms)? It is best to start taking over an operating system (OS) first and when it is successful, continue to expand to other platforms.

Every day, users access applications on multiple devices - desktop, web, mobile and tablet. So make sure your app is available on all of these platforms with full functionality and convenience - Clay Hebert, Spindows.

8. Focus on marketing strategy

Building a good marketing strategy before launch is the deciding factor whether the app will receive positive feedback from users and how many users want to try it out. However, this is also the point where many mobile application developers fail because they lack the knowledge and ability to capture the market.

Logically, the marketing process, application advertising should be done about 2-3 weeks before the app officially launches.

9. Application testing (Test) before launch

Application testing (application testing) is an indispensable step that developers need to pay attention to. You need to experience your product before the user to check whether the components are functioning properly and expected.

Testing in mobile applications is a fairly new field but it can create extremely powerful impact. You can use Artisan to increase the effectiveness of these testing processes. Robert J. Moore, RJMetric.

After successfully testing the Alpha phase, the application can also be put into test run at the Beta stage with the participation of registered users. At this point, please actively connect with the Testers, collect their feedback and opinions, then conduct analysis to improve the experience and performance of the application. Certainly, when the official launch, your product will be much better.

10. Pay attention to the description (Description)

For those who first find the app on Google Play or the App Store, the information describing the app is the first thing they notice. Even for some people who lack knowledge about mobile applications, they will most likely touch the Download button immediately after reading the Description as long as they notice with the app, the problem they encounter will likely be to handle.

The App Store usually displays about 2 to 3 lines of application description, so users will often have to touch the Read More button to read the whole. Therefore, writing content in these 2 - 3 lines is very impressive and will help you get potential customers very easily.

11. How much is the investment budget?

All steps of developing a mobile application involve money. Therefore, knowing the budget and allocating them to each stage is essential, and closely monitoring each spending process will help you control the costs arising from the beginning. until the application becomes popular.

There is no guarantee of the success of anything you do, however, knowing the right advice will help you be more prepared and avoid unwanted mistakes. Developing an application should be the same.