6.5 billion and counting! Globally, these many users own smartphones. No wonder, the number of mobile app downloads is a whopping 230 billion in 2022. This growing penetration of mobile compels business persons to consider a mobile-first approach. Custom mobile apps cater to this requirement and lead modern businesses toward growth.
In this article, we are going to dig deep into the benefits of business apps. But before moving ahead, let’s understand the process of building custom applications for your business.
Step-by-step Custom Mobile App Development Process
Having a successful and seamlessly-performing app can take any business to the next level. But, it needs a thoughtful custom mobile application development process consisting of seven different stages.
1. Ideation
The name suggests everything! Having a brilliant idea can be the first step in creating an innovative app. Then comes brainstorming and market research to get a clear vision. A custom mobile app development company can assist you in research and requirement collection. All you need to define business goals and problems that you want to solve using the custom mobile app.
2. Requirement Gathering
Business requirements play a vital role in custom mobile app development. It is essential to define and specify all the business needs with the nitty-gritty for achieving the desired outcome from a customised mobile app. In this second stage of requirement gathering, companies go for software documentation that has an explanation of the product functionality and clarification of all the project requirements. It also includes the challenges and shortfalls in the process of developing an app.
3. Prototyping
Whether it is a full-fledged app development or an MVP development, you need to focus on user experience to ensure the success of your product. Prototyping is a crucial element in the entire app development cycle for this reason. It enables developers to get the final idea of app design. Prototyping is important irrespective of the industry sector or the development platform.
4. App Development
The next phase after prototyping is app development. It is an active phase of the development life cycle and its success depends on various aspects including software documentation and wireframing. Therefore, every member of the development team should have a clear understanding of the app’s requirements. The custom mobile app development process consists of three major elements- API development, backend technologies, and frontend development.
5. Performance Testing & QA
Once the app is built, it needs to be thoroughly checked for performance and security. QA engineers focus on every part and functionality of the app in this crucial stage. The QA team handles test cases that cover all the necessary aspects before launching the app. Testing is done to identify and remove bugs or errors in the app to maintain the desired quality. Testing procedures include usability testing, regression testing, and functional testing.
6. App Deployment
App launch or deployment is technically the last phase of app development. After testing, the app gets ready for launching either on Google Play or Apple’s App Store. Both these platforms have several different rules to follow. Developers need to consider the iOS app guidelines before sending their apps for review. It is, however, not the case in Google Play because Android has no specific review procedure.
7. 24x7 Support
Once a custom mobile app gets live and users start using it, you can expect feedback based on any issue or bug. You need to either add or modify the feature as per the feedback. You can count on a reputed custom mobile app development company to get 24x7 technical assistance and app maintenance.
Let’s go through seven ways custom mobile application remains instrumental in driving business growth.
Seven Key Reasons to Choose Custom Mobile App for Your Business
1. More Scalability
Be it a startup or an SMB, flexibility and scalability act as pillars of growth. General apps can have basic features to handle limited resources, but if your business grows in scale or size, you need to get a robust app with desired features. Such an app can cover all the parameters and offers your business high scalability with improved customisation possibilities.
2. Enhanced Security
Compared to an off-the-shelf application, a custom mobile app can have more security features. Businesses can enhance security by adding end-to-end data encryption and two-way authentication features in their apps. In a way, customised apps are in a better position to prevent cyberattacks and protect data than their ready-made counterparts. Also, businesses that need to meet legal requirements can get benefits from dedicated apps.
3. Higher Flexibility
An innovative approach holds a key to success for modern businesses. If you want to meet the specific needs of your business while exploring new opportunities, a custom-built mobile application remains the best option in your hand. It not only gives you higher flexibility but also promotes cost-efficiency by optimising processes. You can easily simplify the complexities of core operations and make your business ready for ever-growing competition.
4. 24x7 Availability
One of the biggest business benefits of a custom application is it is available on a 24x7x365 basis. Users can navigate through the app and get the services anytime and from anywhere with ease. It is also possible to add some features that can function well even when Internet access is limited. This directly translates to increased reputation and better customer relationships.
5. Boost Revenue
Custom mobile app development services are designed to address all the hurdles in the way of increasing productivity. You can optimise business processes and boost the efficiency of your staff with the help of a mobile app. As a result, workflow gets optimised and companies can boost revenue over the period.
6. Social Integration
A tailored mobile app enables your business to reach a huge audience at once. You can also get the advantage of real-time reporting and analysis of the customer’s behaviour and other data. A bespoke app acts as a bridge between your business and customers which results in mass interaction. Social integration makes it possible. You can spread awareness about your brand effectively and draw the attention of many users across social media platforms.
7. Improved Services
Any feature-rich mobile app enables business persons to improve their services for existing and potential customers. While staying in the customer’s smartphone, a business app needs various permissions including location, call, messaging, etc. for offering a better experience. Businesses can get valuable data about customers through these permissions and improve their services gradually.
Post-pandemic Scenario for Business Apps
Businesses witness paradigm shifts in the customer’s purchasing behaviour and marketing trends in the post-pandemic age. If you own a brick-and-mortar business, a custom mobile app facilitates you to reach out to local customers and attract them to visit your place. If you run a product-based business, you can expand faster with a dedicated business app.
It is fair to say that a mobile app can reduce processing time and operational costs. It enables your business to stay competitive while eliminating paperwork. The mobile-first approach gained prominence in the post-pandemic period, and you can deliver an excellent customer experience with the help of a custom mobile app. Your employees can also manage various processes efficiently with the help of a dedicated app.
Concluding Remarks
Custom mobile app development can assist you to ensure business growth in the post-pandemic age. All you need to do is to consider your business requirements and core objectives in line with the business model. A feature-rich app can give your company more scalability, enhanced security, and increased user-friendliness which is necessary for growth in the years to come.
ITCC Digital is a leading custom mobile application development company in Melbourne, Australia. Drop us a line at info@itcc.co with your requirements related to web development and design, mobile app development, and digital marketing. Our representative will get back to you soon!
