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How to Make an App: Development Blunders to Avoid Like the Plague

Are you in the middle of developing an app for your business? Here’s what NOT to do!

App development is a complicated process; a process many struggle with.

We all have experience using apps, but very few people go through the stages and steps of actually building one. When it comes down to having to create an app for your business, you may feel confident you can create a product people actually want to use, simply because you’ve had so much experience using apps. However, overconfidence can be a dangerous thing and development hell could just be one mistake away.

If you’re wondering about how to make an app that eludes problems, be sure to carefully avoid these common blunders that could ruin your project.

Over-engineering Development

According to customer data, 85% of internet users prefer using a mobile app over a mobile website. What draws them is easier access, increased functionality and a better overall user experience.

What users want is something that provides them with an easier platform to browse and experience your business. They aren’t looking for you to reinvent the wheel or offer something that transcends their expectations.

In the survey mentioned above, 55% of respondents said that they preferred apps because they were more convenient. Other major reasons were that they are faster and easier to browse.

Investment in creating something that goes above and beyond what your current platforms offer is likely to be wasted money and effort.

Unless you are running a business within which you see your app playing a fundamental and unique role, such as a company like Uber, don’t expend excessive effort producing something users don’t want. Focus on what they do want: a more accessible, streamlined experience of your current business.

Favouring Functionality Over Design

It’s very, very easy to get bogged down in thoughts of functionality for your app. You want it to do something specific; that’s why you chose to develop it in the first place.

This might mean you want an eCommerce process that runs like clockwork, or a booking and reservation system that trounces that of your competition. If you focus on functionality, you are likely to succeed in creating something that meets your expectations, but on the road to perfection, you may end up sacrificing something: usability.

A great app works on two levels. It has functionality and features that produce an experience the user cannot find elsewhere, adding extra value. However, it also flows and moves well, is intuitive to use and attracts repeat visits through carefully considered design.

An app that is functional but is tough to use is not going to inspire anything but a swift tap of the delete icon. If you want to know how to make a strong app that brings people back, you need to understand that it is a marriage of strong design and clever app features. One without these features will leave you with a product users just don’t want.

Improperly Testing Your App Before Launch

Product testing is essential to successful launch — no matter what the product. Yet, too often, apps and software are not tested to breaking point, which means that somebody else will end up breaking them instead.

The temptation is obvious. You’ve built and developed your app, and the longer it takes to appear on the app store, the larger the bleed of profits you experience. But, rushing this process could end up cutting your margins even deeper.

Finding errors and bugs post-launch is going to prove far more costly than finding them during development and testing. If your users were to find issues, it will damage your reputation, could cost you sales and the error may even go unreported. Add to that, you’ll have to either remove the app from the store while it is fixed or invest money in producing a quick fix, and you’ve got a nightmare on your hands.

Catching errors prior to release on app stores is vital, which means you must undertake rigorous testing. Beta test the app. Do it yourself, have friends and family test it and ask your best customers to do so also.

What’s important to remember is that other people may use the app in a different way to you. The haven’t been involved in the production process, so they aren’t as familiar with the layout, design and functionality. They are likely to find errors you are not and vice-versa. Once you’ve found errors, fix them and return to testing.

Only once you are confident the app is error-free should you launch it.

Got more questions about how to make an app? Need support in developing your own small business app? Get in touch with our expert team at Apps4U and we’ll make sure your development process avoids these mistakes and creates an incredible app.

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