Development of a mobile application from A to Z is a rather long and labor-intensive work, feasible only for a professional team. However, technologies do not stand still and services gradually appear that allow you to create full-fledged applications on your own.
What are these services and are they really suitable for solving complex problems? We will talk about this and much more in today’s article.
Do I need a mobile app?
Flurry Analytics and comScore statistics show that users spend only 14% of their time surfing the web. The rest of the time is spent on applications – these are games, programs for health and development, delivery services and much more.
The installed application is a direct link to the consumer. If you have your own business, then for its development you can not spend money on advertising – the mobile application will take care of everything. It is only necessary to provide the user with the necessary functionality so that he can quickly and without any effort get what he came for.
We can also compare an application to a web browser that opens a single site. The user will install it only if he is interested in the services provided.
The one who installed your application is the customer who is ready to buy the product. So that he does not close the application in a few minutes, you need to work out all the details correctly: usability, design, speed, and so on. We’ll talk more about this later, but for now, let’s look at the cases in which a self-written application is suitable.
When do I need to create an application
If you have ever dealt with website development, you should understand what users need. Most often they come because of the content or functionality of the resource: visitors want to buy something, comment or learn something. In the case of mobile applications, everything is similar – customers are looking for information or making purchases.
If you have experience in website development, then you should understand when it is done by yourself. This is usually due to a lack of money for professional specialists. In such cases, entrepreneurs try to understand systems such as WordPress, Joomla and others. In a good scenario, this results in good resources that were made without the involvement of specialists. With applications for mobile devices, everything is the same – you can spend a lot of money on professional specialists or do everything yourself. In the first case, of course, the best result will come out, but for novice businessmen there is nothing better than saving money.
Here are some more cases where self-development of the application would be appropriate:
- If customers need a simple program for smartphones and tablets. In this case, converting the site into an application is suitable – you can do it yourself, without involving specialists.
- If an app built from a template suits your target audience, then go for it.
- If your business is fully functioning offline and does not yet require an application to be connected. In this case, a large field for experimentation is open for you – you can try to create your own application with any functionality, the poor performance of which will not affect your business in any way.
- Even professional developers are not always fast. Not only will it take a long time to develop, but you will always be completely dependent on them. A little something happens – for this there is always an additional charge. When working with the designer, you can fix everything yourself or contact technical support.
You may find your own reason for wanting to create an app. If it is, then let’s move on – let’s talk about what you need to know in order to develop it.
What you need to know before developing an application
Before moving on to developing your own mobile application, you need to understand at least the basic theory. A functional application is not just a window with buttons. This is a whole machine in which everything is interconnected.
What is a mobile application
This is a program that works on tablets, smartphones and smart watches. With its help, the device user satisfies all kinds of needs that a mobile device can solve. Each application consists of two parts – a front-end and a back-end. The first is responsible for what the user sees, for example, an application form or an image on the main page. The second is the server part, where the main engine of the program functions.
Applications are usually downloaded through stores such as Google Play and the App Store. Sometimes users download programs via the Internet, but this option is available only on Android devices.
If you plan to run your application through the constructor, then there are two things to keep in mind. First, the service must provide hosting of the application. The second is that the service should provide the ability to place the application on all popular sites.
How to determine the functionality of an application
One of the most important steps is defining the functionality of the application. Here it is important to correctly formulate the goals and objectives that the application will solve. In other words, you need to answer the question why this application is being created at all. Put yourself in the place of the client and think about the purpose for which you will install and use your application.
For example, if you manage your own online store, then in this vein, a mobile application will help customers choose goods through tablets or smartphones – this is the goal. To implement it, you need to provide the following:
- Convenient navigation. In an online store, without this, there is nowhere now – the client must be fully provided with all the functions that may be useful to him in certain cases.
- Purchase block. Care must be taken that the application includes a shopping cart, a payment system, and order status tracking.
- Personal Area. There should be such sections as “Purchase History”, “Desires”, “Favorites”.
- Push notifications. They will inform the user about new promotions and arrivals.
This was an example for an online store, but applications are often similar in their structure. I recommend researching your business area in order to accurately formulate goals and objectives. Look at examples of competitors – find out what sections their applications include. Please note that we do not touch on the topic of design, since at this stage it is important to focus solely on the functionality of the application.