When it comes to app development, there’s a lot involved and a lot that has to be right in order for the application to be a success. By knowing what not to do (both as the developer and the client), you can be sure to develop a successful web application.
1. Cheaping out on hosting.
Spending some extra money for a good quality host is one of the most important things you can start with for success in app development.
Just to list off a few of the benefits of a good quality host:
- Better app loading times
- Less likely to have downtime
- Improved security procedures
- More helpful support when things do go wrong
The list really speaks for itself. It’s hard to have a successful application that doesn’t function well at its core. Let’s be real — no one likes dealing with hacks or down time on their site. Spend a little extra here, on hosting, and you’ll thank yourself down the road.
2. Overlooking planning.
Many people overlook planning, but we’d argue it’s the most important part of the app development process! We always say a house requires a blueprint to build, and so should your application. Taking some extra time to thoroughly lay out the details and understand them with the client almost always leads to a smoother project with less miscommunications. The result is a great application that everyone is proud to show off.
3. Having no purpose or “why.”
Each application should have a core purpose. Think of this as a mission statement for your app, a one-sentence statement of why this app is being created. What problem are you solving for the users of this app?
This core purpose helps guide tasks when they get complex or stray from what was originally discussed. It’s important that all team members — from design and copy to development and Q/A — are aware of this core purpose so everyone can collaborate well together.
4. Having no timeline or goals.
Denzel Washington once said, “Dreams without goals are just dreams and they ultimately fuel disappointment.”
If you want your project to go well, you have to set timelines for everything you can. The quickest way for all parties to be disappointed is to realize you’re two weeks away from launch and have PLENTY of app development to go still. It usually leads to rushed development and testing, which ends in an application that doesn’t meet the core purpose (and is likely not a product you’re proud of).
On our team, we try to leave plenty of time toward the end of the project to test thoroughly because it gives us the best chance for a successful launch, and an application that both our client and team are happy with.
5. Having too few eyes on the product.
Hey, we’re all human, and we miss things, especially when we’re looking at it all day. No one should expect the development team to catch every issue in the application, so it’s important to have enough eyes on the product.
An easy way to do this is by having other members of your team who haven’t seen the application yet interact with it and test it. We’ve found that most of the time, a fresh set of eyes on the app can result in the best corrective feedback, which can lead to major improvement — and all it took was a little help from others!
Start Developing Your App!
There are so many variables to app development. Successful teams take years to define and nail down their ideal process. It’s tough to avoid all mistakes when developing, but we’ve found that if you can manage to avoid these five major mistakes, you’ll be on your way to a successful application. Our team has successfully developed many web applications that have improved our clients’ business processes. To learn more about the development services we offer, get in touch with our team today!
