8 Common Mistakes to Avoid for App Development

The app economy is booming, with more than 2 million apps available on the major platforms. But not all apps are created equal. To ensure an app is successful, there are some common mistakes to avoid for app development. 

Statista estimates that about 90% of mobile applications earn no revenue, and only 0.01% of apps make it to the top charts in their respective categories. Even with numerous downloads, plenty of apps have failed the test of time.

Examples include Vine and Yik Yak. These were two of the most popular social media apps in recent history, but both have since been discontinued. With 40 million users, Vine could not provide the features and updates users wanted. As a result, Twitter had to shut the app down in 2017. 

Yik Yak was a popular anonymous chat app among school and college students. However, it could not control the cyberbullying that came with the anonymity it provided. 

As you study such apps, you will find some common points that caused their failure. Here, we have discussed the most common reasons that can kill your app. 

Common Reasons for Failure of Mobile Apps 

Mobile apps are popular, with more than 90% of Americans owning smartphones. Yet, there’s one problem: 80% of mobile apps are abandoned after the first use. Why?

The answer can be found in several factors. Here are the five most common reasons people leave apps:

1. Poor user experience

It may seem simple enough to create an app that’s easy for people to use, but this is only sometimes the case. You must ensure that your app is intuitive and easy for users to navigate so they will be satisfied when using it. One of the biggest examples of poor UX includes MySpace. The social network giant was once the king of the internet. But it’s complicated design made it hard to use and hard to love.

2. Lack of value

Mobile apps are expensive – many companies use them as a supplement rather than the main focus. But it might not be worth the investment if you don’t have enough content or features for users to spend time on your app regularly. If your app doesn’t have enough value for users or doesn’t follow the recent trends, they won’t return after trying it out once or twice.

3. Poor onboarding process

The first-time user experience (FTUE) is crucial for any mobile app — particularly those in the B2C space — as it sets the tone for how users will interact with your product moving forward. If you don’t clearly explain what your app does and how it works, they won’t use it again.

4. Not enough features or options

When developing an app, it’s essential to consider the target audience and what they want from the app. You need to include all the features that will make your app stand out from others in the marketplace and persuade users to download it. If you don’t have enough features, users may feel disappointed with their experience while using your app. Vine is such an app. Though popular, it failed to retain the audience because of too few features. The void was later filled by TikTok. 

5. Too many features or options

You need to make sure that your app has just the right elements to be manageable for users with fewer things to do at a time. If you have too many options, users will get confused and frustrated trying to figure out how everything works together and may give up on using your app altogether.

6. Inconsistent design and branding

If your website and mobile app have different designs or branding, users will need clarification about which platform is right for them. They may also think your company only cares about their needs if your mobile app is up to date with its desktop counterpart.

You’ll notice that people abandon apps due to mistakes made during app development. If you avoid the errors described below, the chances are that your app will succeed in the marketplace!

Watch this video to learn expert-backed tips to build a successful mobile app. 

8 Common Mistakes to Avoid for App Development 

Many factors can go into creating an application. If you’re not careful, you can spend more money than necessary or make other mistakes and then company fails to deliver. Here are eight common mistakes to avoid for app development to ensure you don’t kill your app. 

1. Neglecting Research

A lot of developers do not do enough research before starting an app build. If you want to create something that people will use, it’s essential to understand their needs and wants first. This means having a good idea of what makes your target audience tick. It also means knowing what other apps are doing well and why they’re successful. Yik Yak neglected proper research regarding their target audience. What it lef to was improper use of the app and its subsequent banning. 

2. Poor Budget Management

The cost of app development may vary considerably depending on your app’s features, design, and complexity. However, it is essential to remember the development costs. There are other factors like marketing and maintenance that you will have to consider as well. A good developer can estimate all these aspects so that you can price of an app is not limited to its development costsake well-informed decision about the price of an app is not limited to its development costs budget for your app.

3. Skipping MVP Development

Every good business needs a test case, and apps are no different. You need to prove that there’s a market for your product before spending too much time and money on development. So many startups opt for minimum viable products (MVPs) before investing in full-blown development. An MVP gives potential customers a chance to try out the product before they commit any money — and if they like what they see, you can go ahead with full development.

4. Poor UI/UX

This is one of the biggest mistakes that first-time developers make. They spend a lot of time coding and need more time designing their apps. You need to understand that no one will use it if your UX/UX is bad, no matter how good your app is or how much money you have invested in it. So always focus on creating a great user experience for all users and keep things simple and consistent throughout the entire design process.

5. Improper Testing

Testing is an integral part of any software development process. It helps ensure that your app works properly and meets your users’ expectations. However, there are so many things that can go wrong during the testing phase. This includes incomplete testing or inadequate testing techniques used by your team. If you don’t test every aspect of your app thoroughly, you might end up with bugs in your code or errors in functionality that could cause problems for users later on. Google Wave, for example, was launched prematurely. As the app wasn’t ready for the audience, its management fell apart. 

6. Building For Too Many Platforms

Building apps for multiple platforms is good. You want your app to be accessible on as many devices as possible. But if you’re building an app for Android and iOS, you must remember that these are two very different operating systems with different requirements. If you try to develop a single app that will likely run on both of them, one or the other will likely perform poorly.

For example, an app built for iOS and Android must be reviewed by both Google Play and Apple’s App Store before it can be released. This can take weeks — time you don’t have when trying to launch a new product quickly. To avoid this problem, consider building two separate apps or a cross-platform app. 

7. Picking up a mobile app development company/Freelance app developer without enough research

When it comes to mobile app development, it’s important to do your research before choosing a development company or freelance developer. There are different categories of mobile apps, such as financial, educational, eCommerce, on-demand, and more, and there are also different types of mobile app developers.

Before you begin your search, you should determine your budget, the platforms you want to target, the complexity of your app, and the domain it belongs to. Once you have a clear idea of what you need, you can begin researching mobile app development companies that fit your criteria.

As you narrow down your list of potential developers, it’s important to ask them the right questions to ensure they are a good fit for your project. For example, you may want to ask to see their portfolio and client references, as well as learn about their app development approach.

8. Not taking Feedback

While it’s important to choose a development team that fits your needs, it’s equally important to listen to feedback from users. After all, the app is being developed for them, so it’s crucial that their needs and preferences are taken into account.

Iterating based on user feedback is a vital part of the development process. By making important changes based on what users want, you can ensure that your app is successful and meets their needs.

9. Including Too Many Features and Functions 

You should start by deciding what your app needs to do before building it. This will help you focus on what’s essential — and ensure that the features you include are helpful.

If you try to cram everything into one app, the result may be confusing and poorly designed and implemented. Your users will need help navigating and using all those features. And if they’re overwhelmed, they won’t keep coming back for more!

10. Not Preparing for Updates 

One of the most important things you can do when building an app is to prepare for updates. While some developers think that updates are unnecessary because the whole point of an app is to be up-to-date, there are still some good reasons why updates are necessary.

For example, updating your app will make it more stable and secure if there’s a bug in your code or if you need to add new functionalities. It also ensures that users have access to all the latest features and capabilities they need from their apps without worrying about downloading them again with every new update.

How Can Idea Usher Help You?

Idea Usher’s expert developers ensure that your app is built perfectly. We have a team of 40+ mobile app developers who are highly qualified, certified, and experienced. All our developers work with the latest technology and tools to deliver the best quality work on time. Our team has proven its expertise in building apps for startups and enterprises, using different technologies like Java, Swift, React Native, and many more.

We take care of the complete app development process, from ideation to deployment. Our experts will help you design your mobile app and provide valuable insights based on which you can make informed decisions. With Idea Usher, you can expect an outstanding user experience (UX) and excellent app performance.

We’ve put together five steps through which our development team avoids the most common mistakes for app development:

1. Research the market and competition

This may seem obvious, but it’s easy to overlook. Before you build your app, you must know what products are already out there. 

• Are similar products selling well? 
• How do they differ from your idea? 
• What makes them different? 

These questions will help you determine whether or not there is room for another product in the market, what features you should include in your app, and how those features should be implemented.

2. Identify business goals

The next step in avoiding mistakes during app development is understanding your business goal for creating an app. Is it to increase sales, provide customer service, or increase brand awareness? Once you know your goal, it will be much easier to determine if your developing app will help you reach that goal. If not, then it’s time to rethink your strategy.

3. Define requirements and analyze them

This is done using various methods, such as interviews, surveys, and user testing. During this phase, we research what users want and expect from an app.

The requirements include the number of users, general purpose, target audience, and other details. It is essential to know who the end user is to design an app that caters to the client’s needs. The next thing to do is analyze your target audience. What kind of apps do they use? What kind of features do they require? This helps us to understand what features need to be included in your app.

4. Prototype app and testing 

When an app is developed, it is vital to ensure the user experience is exemplary. As a result, you should create a prototype of your app and test it with people who have never seen it before. This will show you if there are any mistakes in your design or functionality. You can also include some testers who have been using similar apps to give you feedback on what they like and dislike about your app.

5. Test the app after development

Our testing team will ensure that your app is error-free, secure, and works according to your requirements.

We test our apps using three methods: 

• Functional testing – This comprehensive testing checks whether all application features are working correctly.

• Compatibility testing – This testing ensures that an application has been developed, keeping all the possible screen resolutions and devices in mind. It also provides that it will work seamlessly on all devices irrespective of their operating system version or other technical specifications.

Security testing ensures that the application has no security loopholes and vulnerabilities; it includes checking for viruses, malware, etc., which may harm your data or affect its privacy.

Wondering about app development? Connect with our experienced developers today!

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone Numbers : (+91) 946 340 7140, (+91) 859 140 7140, and (+1) 732 962 4560

FAQs

Q. What are the most important things to consider while developing a mobile app?

A. The key factors that make an app successful are user experience, performance, and security. 

Q. How long does it take for an app to be successful?

A. The answer to this question depends on a lot of factors. Some apps have been successful in the first few months, while others take years to find their audience.

Q. Why do most apps fail?

A. Most apps fail because they don’t have a clear and meaningful purpose. Apps are like any other business: they need to answer the question, “What’s in it for me?” before they can be successful.

Q. What common mistakes can be avoided in mobile app design?

A. The most common mistakes to avoid in mobile app design are:

1) Not knowing the target audience and designing for yourself instead of them

2) Not taking advantage of the unique capabilities of a mobile device,

3) Not considering how your app will be used when designing it