Challenges Associated with Mobile App Development

Can you picture yourself leaving the house without your smartphone? Have you imagined how you’d spend a whole day without using a mobile phone? It would probably be a nightmare for many. After all, smartphones have become an imperative part of our lives, and we are all witnessing the accelerated utilization of mobile app development technologies.

Users worldwide have already accepted that their smart gadgets will provide them with a reliable source of information, a 24/7 communication channel, and a problem-solving tool.

According to the statement by Gartner and mobile app statistics, demand for innovative applications in the market will increase at least five times quicker than the ability of the tech departments to deliver them up to 2021.

Hence, it is wise to say that mobile apps are showing a great measure of success. In light of this success, it is quite natural that many companies and well-established organizations are looking to develop mobile applications to give a newer edge to their existing business.

If you are all set to develop a high-end mobile application and compete in the market with your offerings, you have to map out the process you have to follow, what to avoid, and how to deal with possible challenges during the development procedure.

Mobile app developers often face several challenges throughout the mobile app development life cycle. To simplify the task, we have made a list of challenges in developing mobile applications and offered solutions to overcome them.

12 Big Challenges with Mobile App Development

• Market Research

Researching the market thoroughly is the most significant challenge in the mobile app development process. With cutthroat competition in the market, it is essential to determine the market needs and requirements for an application that will stand out. One must answer a set of questions to determine the market’s needs.

Some of the questions that you can ask to specify the market standard, what app to develop, or what features to include are listed below:

1. What is the purpose of your application?
2. Is there any original and unique idea behind your application that will make it stand out?
3. What is your app’s target market or market size?
4. How much does app development cost?
5. Is the app accessible for other developers to surpass?

Without answering these questions, developing an application might not meet your expectations. If the application features do not resonate with market needs, it is impossible to reach users. Therefore, focus on what you are introducing in the market.

• Choosing Development Technology

Choosing between hybrid, native, and cross-platform development technologies is also a technical concern when developing a mobile application. It is important to pick the development technology based on your offering and your target audience.

This concern can be resolved by conducting deep market research and analyzing the requirements. Choosing unfit or inappropriate technology will make you spend more, showcase poor app performance, and dull user experience. In this scenario, getting help from professionals and experts in the same field will give you a more detailed and clear picture of all the platforms simultaneously.

Also Read: Native VS Cross-platform Development: Which One is The Best Option In 2023?

• Finance & Funding

After market research and choosing the appropriate development technology, the next most important challenge in mobile app development projects is determining the application’s cost and managing the funds. The development cost varies greatly depending on the application’s complexity and nature.

Determining how much app development cost is a great challenge for most of the developers. However, the team can reach out to different investors, banks, and joint venture companies to manage the funding.

• UI/UX Design

In order to ensure the application’s long-term success in the market, it should offer users an appealing and convenient UI/US design. Maintaining constant user interest is challenging but can be achieved by offering evolving features and a friendly app interface.

The user interaction with the application relies on the font colors, the graphics, and the overall design. Focusing on the UI/UX design should be the priority of any developer in building a successful application. Small and mid-size enterprises may choose to develop an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) to test how their application will perform in the market rather than going for a full-fledged application in the initial stage.

Also Read: Top Mobile App Prototyping Tools For Great UX Design

• Device Diversity

Every day, we witness different mobile phones entering the market to grab the audience’s attention. However, it is essential to note that the audience uses different devices and screen sizes in their daily lives. This factor creates the need for application adaptation on diverse devices. With the expanding number of mobile phones and tablets, it is a challenge for developers to build an app that optimizes the combination of devices.

• App Performance & Scalability

App performance is a major factor in user satisfaction, and it should also be able to scale as requirements increase. Many organizations in sectors like healthcare and finance face difficulties with mobile application performance because these sectors need high-end features.

App performance and scalability issues generally arise due to poor planning and management. When user interactions increase and overload the server, the application constantly bugs. So, it is important to build a platform that can scale itself as per the increased engagement, and the user does not have to compromise with the app’s performance.

• Cross-Platform App Development

Another important measure in the app development process is deciding which operating system to use for the mobile application. Building a cross-development application resolves the issue of creating separate frameworks for different operating systems, such as Android, iOS, and Windows. However, it is important to understand when and where to use cross-platform app development. Additionally, it is necessary to choose the appropriate framework for the application’s functionality.

“Explore the cross-platform app development frameworks that are trending right now: Consider These Trending Cross-Platform App Development Frameworks”

• Third-party integration

An application requires many features and tools to meet user standards. Now, it is a bit time-consuming to code and develop each feature from scratch that is already available in the marketplace, such as adding payment gateways. Therefore, developers decide to integrate third-party applications with the new platform. The main difficulty with third-party integrations is that there is not always full access or permission to the other apps, security concerns, and inefficient usage.

To address these integration challenges, it is necessary to involve highly skilled API developers in the app development process.

• Branding and Promoting

Branding and promotion are the later steps that come after the successful development of the mobile application, but they also play a vital role in an organization’s growth. Therefore, app developers should pay attention to the app marketing parameters, which consist of the following:

1. How to make the app discoverable in the app store
2. How to convince users to install the app
3. How to engage users in the app

In addition, there are ways, such as ASO(App Store Optimization) or networks, to drive app installs and traffic.

• Battery Consumption

One of the challenges in the mobile app development process is the high battery consumption of the device. Every smartphone user expects an application that does not drain their phone. This creates a challenge for developers to develop an application that consumes limited battery and does not hamper the overall performance. Experts must minimize background activities and data usage while ensuring seamless application performance with battery optimization.

• Keeping it simple

One must note that the more minimal the application, the more likable it will become. However, being simple is complex, and the app development challenges associated with it require the developers to design a self-explanatory app while showcasing its original purpose.

• App Security

Despite the advancement of technologies in app development, security is still a major concern for developers. Malware and fraud problems continue to rise, threatening user data. Aiming to provide high security, developers must ensure that apps handle user data responsibly, including implementing transparent data collection practices, providing options to opt out, and enabling easy deletion of personal data.

These are a few of the app development challenges, among many others. Due to the changing trends and advancements in technology, the challenges are likely to increase even more. For your understanding and convenience, this blog contributes to providing a few solutions to cater to these challenges, which you can go through.

Ways to Overcome App Development Challenges

• Define Clear Requirements: Establishing detailed goals prior to beginning the development procedure is critical to preventing scope creep. When the goals, necessities, and app requirements have been pre-defined, it will be suitable for the developers to work on the defined goal.
• Adopt Agile Development: Utilize agile methodology for flexibility and quicker iterations.
• Prioritize User Experience: The user experience is the utmost priority for any developer, and the design and response should be based on it. Emphasize intuitive UX/UI for better application engagement with users.
• Test Early and Continuously: The work does not stop after ultimately building an application. Constant modification and adding new features are required to stay relevant to the market. Conduct regular testing to catch bugs before they escalate.
• Plan for Scalability: Build with future growth and increased users in mind. The mobile application should scale on its own as the requirement rises, or it will affect the application’s performance.
• Ensure Strong Security: Security & privacy is a major concern for the user and the developer. Implement encryption and authentication to protect user data.

Bottomline

There is no question that developers will face many issues and hurdles while entering the mobile app industry. One must be ready to face the challenges that come in a way and create apps mindfully.

When struggling with the development process, it is best to reach out to professionals and get consultations from industry experts. By following all the important measures, delivering an innovative and unique app solution to the market can take you to greater heights.