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What is a mobile App? App Development Basics for Businesses

02/01/2022
Contributed by: Tripadvisor author

Mobile is an industry that is growing and draws businesses from all markets. This is no surprise - the revenues from mobile apps are predicted to be close to 980 billion dollars in 2023. The exploding popularity of tablets and smartphones has led to mobile app development becoming an increasingly sought-after trend for entrepreneurs worldwide. What exactly is a mobile application? What benefits can it provide to companies? What is the process of creating an app for mobile take? We have created a guideline that answers these questions and more! Find out everything you should be aware of about mobile apps and their development. This knowledge is derived from 9 years of experience we've accumulated through our work as an Android App development business and an iOS application development firm. Let's discover App Development Basics for Businesses

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1. What's a smartphone app?

A mobile application is an application that runs from a smartphone which could be a tablet or smartphone computer. While they're typically small, software-based units with little functionality, they can provide users with high-quality services and experiences.

In contrast to programs designed specifically for desktop computers, mobile apps are different from integrated computer systems. Each mobile application is a standalone application with limited functions. It could be an application for playing games, a calculator, or an internet browser for mobile devices.

App Development Basics for BusinessesApp Development Basics for Businesses. Source: Proreviewsapp.com

Due to the hardware limitations on the first mobile devices, mobile apps were unable to perform multi-functional functions. Even though the current instruments are more advanced, mobile apps are still merely functional. This is because the owners of mobile apps allow users to select the features the devices must perform.

2. The types of mobile applications

Mobile apps are available in a range of formats and sizes. They are among the most well-known kinds of mobile apps to help you understand current trends in the mobile market.

Gaming applications: It's the most popular type of mobile application. You'll be amazed that many users download games on their smartphones. Companies invest a growing amount of time and money developing mobile versions of the most well-known stationary games because it's an incredibly profitable market. According to a new study, the mobile game market accounts for 33% of downloaded apps and 74% of the total spending of consumers, and 10% of the time people spend using apps. The most successful games for mobile devices like Candy Crush Saga or Angry Birds are gaining popularity across the globe.

Entertainment applications: These apps permit users to stream videos, search for events, chat, or stream content online. Furthermore, video streaming applications like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have become extremely popular with people around the world. These apps typically boost users' engagement by informing them of updates or new products.

Education apps: This category comprises applications for mobile phones that assist users in acquiring new skills and learning. For instance, language learning apps such as Duolingo are gaining immense popularity because they provide users with the flexibility they seek in their learning. Educational games are an excellent tool for children. Many educational apps prove to be popular with teachers as well, who use these apps to help them organize their classes more effectively or educate themselves further.

My 10 Favorite Learning Apps, Source: Youtube, Keep Productive

Lifestyle-related apps: This broad class covers fashion, shopping, virtual fitting rooms, workouts dating, diet, and fitness apps. They focus on various aspects of your personal life.

M-commerce applications: are the most well-known shopping apps such as Amazon or eBay, providing the same experience as their desktop counterparts for mobile users. Mobile commerce apps provide users with easy access to their products and payment options that are seamless for the best shopping experience. Find out more about the definition of mobile commerce and the various types that mobile commerce can offer.

Applications for business or productivity: They hold an enormous market share because users are more likely to use tablets and smartphones to accomplish a myriad of tasks while on the go. Apps can, for instance, aid users in booking events, making emails, or keeping track of their performance. The apps for businesses are focused on increasing productivity and reducing expenses since they let users perform a range of tasks, ranging from buying new printer cartridges to hiring an office manager.

The 10 Best iPhone Productivity Apps in 2021, Source: Youtube, Thomas Frank

Utility applications: These are so evident that we do not even notice that we're making use of these apps. Utility apps typically have the shortest time to use - users make use of them to get work accomplished and then go on to other things. The most well-known utility apps include barcode scanners, trackers, and healthcare applications.

Apps for travel: The central concept of this category is to assist users in traveling with ease. Travel apps turn the tablet or smartphone into a travel journal and guidebook that allows users to learn everything they'll need about the destination they're visiting. The majority of tourists are tech-savvy travelers who can use applications to benefit. What do you think traveling could be like without Google Maps, Airbnb, or Uber? 

3. Mobile app statistics

Here are the most critical data that show the current mobile landscape and its future.

  • A typical mobile app usage across the United States has over 100 apps running on their mobile device. 
  • A typical mobile user checks their phone at least 63 times per day. 
  • Eighty-seven percent of people use their phones for at least an hour before going to bed. Of those, the majority, 69%, check their phone for at least five minutes before going to bed. 
  • Seventy-nine percent Of users will leave an online product after just one day of usage. 
  • Mobile apps are now responsible for over 50% of digital media consumption. 
  • In 2021 more than 7 billion people worldwide will use mobile devices.
  • In 2022, the number of mobile app downloads will be 258 million. This is a significant rise from 2017, which was 168 billion. 
  • At the same time, spending on apps will rise by 92%, bringing it to an astonishing $157 billion across the globe. 

4. What is mobile app development?

The development of mobile apps is a procedure that is akin to the traditional process of software development. It's primarily designed to create software that uses the unique characteristics of the hardware used by mobile devices.

The most straightforward way of creating a mobile application is by taking an application based on a desktop and transferring it to a mobile device. However, as the application grows more robust, the process can turn challenging.

The best approach is to design specifically for mobile devices. This is a method that maximizes the advantages that mobile devices can provide. It considers their limitations and can help entrepreneurs balance costs with functionality.

App Development: Process Overview, From Start to Finish | Udemy instructor, Angela Yu, Source: Youtube, Udemy

For instance, applications that use location-based features, such as maps, are developed from scratch using mobile devices in mind. Location-based services on desktop applications make no sense as desktop users aren't portable.

Modern tablets and smartphones come with Bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC), GPS, cameras, gyroscopic sensors, and other features. Developers can use these features to develop applications that incorporate virtual or augmented reality technologies, barcode scanning, location-based services, and additional. The most well-known and popular mobile apps use smartphone features most efficiently.

"Optimal performance is a major objective of mobile developers. Mobile devices like tablets and smartphones differ from desktop-based devices in a variety of ways. Expert software companies are aware that mobile apps should be developed and designed with performance in mind"  by Wojtek CEO of Droids On Roids

The issue of hardware on mobile devices adds another layer of complexity:

When developers create applications for iOS will only be able to expect the applications to run on two kinds of devices (iPhones and tablets), Android developers can't declare the identical. In reality, for them, every tablet and smartphone could be running on different hardware and other variations of Android's operating system.

5. How do you build an app for mobile?

 If you're planning to create a mobile application, it is possible to pick from three choices:
  • Create an internal development team,

  • Hire a specialized software development agency,

  • Depend on the knowledge of freelancers.

How to Make an App for Beginners (2020) - Lesson 1, Source: Youtube, CodeWithChris

This is a brief outline of each of these choices, along with their pros and cons, to help make the right choice for your mobile app development project.

5.1 The creation of an internal team

Choose to establish an in-house development team to work on your app. You'll be in complete control of the developers' direction when developing your mobile application. However, this could be costly.

You'll not just be paying for developers' salaries but also a variety of overhead expenses such as workplace or office space, benefits and perks, software licenses, hardware, and many more. This is particularly challenging when you're in a region where hiring mobile developers can be costly.

If you opt for this option, be prepared for an extremely high price for your application. The risk of your project will be increased in addition to that since you'll be responsible for the performance that your group does.

5.2 Finding a Freelancer to Hire

By hiring a single freelancer to create your mobile application, You will benefit from the benefits of a more straightforward development process. Communication will be much easier, and you'll not have difficulties in collaboration because just one person is responsible for building the application.

Find & Hire Your First Freelancer, Source: Youtube, The Futur 

But it is difficult finding a trustworthy and reliable freelancer can be a difficult task. You will be more likely to base the success of your project based on one person's abilities and knowledge. Even if you employ a skilled mobile developer, they could be exceptionally proficient in backend development, but they aren't knowledgeable about frontend development. If you design an app that is functional but is not appealing to the user interface, the product is likely to suffer.

Employing a freelancer is an economical option. However, it comes with a variety of risk factors that can affect the development of your application at each step.

5.3 Hiring a software development company

Various companies develop software and specialize in mobile application development. When you work with these companies, they will delegate the task of developing the application for you to a group of experts that will offer you a range of options, such as:

  • UX/UI design,
  • product development,
  • frontend and backend development
  • testing,
  • Quality guarantee (QA),
  • and project and management of projects.

The most important advantage of this type of service is the ability to benefit from the collective knowledge and knowledge gained by the team when they work on projects that are similar to those you've completed. You can verify their skills and expertise by looking through their portfolios and asking for recommendations from customers.

We encourage you to find additional tips regarding selecting the proper app development firm for your app development project.

What to expect when hiring a software development company! Source: Youtube, Zibtek

This option offers outstanding cost-quality balance mainly if you decide to contract this project out to a group located in an area where development costs are less than those in the local. It is possible to evaluate your assignment using several software houses to assess their services and discover the mobile app development costs by 2021.

This is the end of the story in comparing the three above models. To get a more thorough analysis of both an in-house and outsourced team, refer to our guide:

  • In-house contrasts with. outsourced software development Comparison
  • Outsourcing software development advantages and risks that every app's developer should be aware

6. Conclusion

We hope this article can help you understand the current state of the market for developing mobile apps today. In the coming years, we'll witness even more creative mobile apps using cutting-edge technology such as technology like the Internet of Things, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and many more.

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Hope this article is useful to you, thanks for reading.

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