Mobile apps have become an integral part of our lives, and their influence continues to grow. Currently, both Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store offer an impressive array of over 1.5 million apps each.
On average, people spend more than 35 hours a month using these apps, and if you take a moment to think about your own smartphone habits, you’ll see why.
In this blog, we’ll take a journey through what mobile app development lifecycle is & what are the different stages of it.
Whether you’re a business owner in the service industry or running a retail store, the thought of creating your own mobile app has probably crossed your mind. And that’s a smart move because having an interactive app that connects you with your customers can bring significant advantages.
But here’s the catch: building a great app isn’t always straightforward. It’s a good idea to understand the ins and outs of the process before diving in. This blog is here to help you get started on the exciting path of mobile app development.
What is Mobile App Development Lifecycle?
The mobile app development lifecycle is a structured process that guides the creation of mobile applications. It typically involves stages such as idea conceptualization, market research, planning, design, development, testing, deployment to app stores, marketing, and ongoing updates based on user feedback.
This systematic approach ensures that the app meets user needs, functions effectively, and remains competitive in the ever-evolving mobile app market.
What are the Stages of Mobile App Development Lifecycle?
The stages in the mobile application development lifecycle are precisely defined below-
1. The Research/Planning Stage
This initial phase is all about laying a strong foundation for your mobile app project. Dive deep into research to understand your target market and analyze existing competitor apps.
Delve into essential details such as the app’s purpose, your target audience, preferred platforms (iOS, Android, or both), the programming language and frameworks to use, and a well-defined feature set.
Assess what features your competitors offer and whether you want to differentiate or emulate them. Create a timeline for development and app launch while considering your marketing strategy. Conducting strategic business analysis at this stage helps in calculating the expected return on investment (ROI), which guides budget decisions throughout the project.
2. Wireframes
After the planning phase, it’s time to visualize your app’s structure and functionality. Detailed sketches and wireframes of your app’s user interface (UI) and layout help bring your concept to life.
Wireframes serve to refine your ideas, enabling you to arrange design components accurately and identify any potential usability issues. This step encourages creativity and ensures a clear understanding of how your functional app will look when all features and ideas are integrated.
3. Technical Feasibility & Back-End Assessment
With a clear visual representation of your app, you need to assess whether the back-end systems can support its functionality. Consider factors like APIs, data diagrams, data integration, servers, and push notifications. Different platform formats (smartphones, wearables, tablets, etc.) may require distinct back-end configurations.
During this stage, you may discover that certain initially planned features are not feasible, prompting a reevaluation and revision.
4. Prototyping
Building a rapid prototype is the next step in mobile app development lifecycle to ensure that your app functions as intended. Prototypes offer a tangible experience of the app’s workflow, allowing you to gather user feedback.
This early user interaction provides valuable insights to guide future development stages.
5. Design
Once prototyping is complete, the focus shifts to coding, with UX and UI designers taking the lead. The user experience (UX) designer establishes interactions between design elements, while the user interface (UI) designer crafts the app’s overall look and feel.
The output here includes visual directions and blueprints that serve as a guide for engineers, conveying your vision for the final product and how it should interact with users.
6. Development
The development phase commences early in the process and evolves as the project progresses. Starting with a functional prototype, development proceeds with core functionalities being rigorously tested.
The app undergoes bug fixing and refinement, and for complex projects, it may be divided into smaller modules to be addressed individually before being integrated into the final app ready for release.
7. Testing
Testing is a critical phase in the mobile app development lifecycle, ideally initiated early to minimize final costs. As development advances, the cost of fixing bugs and technical issues increases.
Comprehensive testing should cover usability, compatibility, interface, security, stress, and performance. Inviting target audience members to participate in beta testing helps gauge the app’s real-world viability.
8. Deployment
This is the moment of truth when your app is ready for submission. Carefully select a launch date, keeping in mind the specific policies and procedures for Android and iOS app development.
Remember that deployment doesn’t mark the end but rather a new beginning. User feedback will pour in, necessitating continuous improvement and future versions of your app. This step requires ongoing resource management and a long-term commitment to the project, marking the start of a new development cycle.
With these stages, you’ve successfully completed the entire mobile app development lifecycle, from conception to deployment and beyond.
Conclusion
Now that you’ve read about these stages, you can understand that successfully completing the entire mobile app development lifecycle isn’t easy.
It’s crucial to know that the app market is highly competitive. When businesses create new apps, they need to be very careful because even small mistakes can lead to losing potential customers.
That’s why many companies prefer to hire expert app developers to build apps that fit their needs.
Netweb Technologies has a strong track record of creating and maintaining apps for businesses of all sizes and industries. We handle everything from start to finish, allowing companies to focus on their main business. If your business is ready for an app to boost growth, don’t hesitate.
Contact us today with your requirements, and you can trust that you’ll have a skilled team on your side throughout the entire process.
