Year after year, global companies have made efforts to digitize their companies, taking their traditional businesses online through websites and e-commerce platforms. And although that was enough for a while, right now the use of mobile devices has increased so much that it has also become essential to develop mobile applications to also cover that market.
According to Statista, the number of mobile users in 2021 stood at more than 7 million, estimating that this number will rise to 7.4 million in 2025. This alone is already a valid enough reason to enter the mobile application market.
Any kind of industry can venture into the world of mobile application development: in fact, the video game sector is the market leader, producing 60% of the apps that currently exist and totaling more than 100 billion downloads.
The photography and video, medical and financial apps are also well received by users, since they facilitate many procedures and save time thanks to mobile apps. Mobile shopping and social networking apps are also popular, perhaps the most used in everyday life by everyone.
We have come from explaining how millions of users around the world are turning to mobile browsing, this being one reason why this market is well worth exploring. But we will talk to you here about other compelling reasons to develop a mobile application for your business.
Through a mobile application, shopping becomes super simple. Today there are payment gateways that greatly facilitate the process, thanks to which the user can make a transaction without complications. The user highly values that the mobile app has a UX design that facilitates navigation, that the search for a product is simple. These are aspects that generate a good user experience.
With a mobile app you can increase your sales, since it is a new channel in which you can promote your products, send notifications, apply marketing campaigns, promotions and discounts.
If you want to promote your product to new audiences, a mobile application is the way to reach the youngest sectors of the population. Teens and young adults use mobile devices the most, so it's a good idea to invest in a mobile app through which they can explore your products or services.
Buying online will always be great since, without leaving your seat, you can order anything from the supermarket to household appliances, shoes and clothes. But if we compare the user experience of a mobile app vs a web page, a mobile app is probably easier and faster. In addition, a mobile device can be taken with you everywhere, while optimal navigation on a web page is achieved through a laptop or desktop.
In the technology industry, there are thousands of companies that are dedicated to the development of mobile applications, but you must be very mature and cautious when choosing one, since the success or failure of your project depends on that.
Before starting the search, you must have defined the needs of your company, why they need the mobile app and what are the features and functionalities that you want your product to have. This will make it easier to find mobile app development providers.
Here we will talk about several aspects to consider before choosing a company:
When analyzing what mobile application development companies offer, the first thing you should do is look for references from their old projects, try to contact even a couple of companies that have worked with this service provider before. This way you will have details of the quality of their work, the efficiency of their team and the type of projects in which they have experience. Knowing all this will help you make the best choice of the mobile application development company.
Check if they have experience in your industry
There are mobile application development companies that have experts in various industries and can adapt to any kind of projects. There are also others that usually work only with certain types of applications. You have to find out what kind of projects and industries the provider usually works in, as it can be decisive. For example, imagine that you hire a provider that only makes apps for entertainment and you need a health app. As much as you have the technical knowledge, the provider has no experience on what is needed in a health app.
Ideally, you should find a mobile app development company that has worked on similar projects in your industry, so they have a sense of what you need, and have experience of what works and what doesn't.
The issue of prices is usually the most complicated, since many businesses tend to get carried away by prices when hiring a mobile application development service. To save costs, choose the cheapest supplier, who promises exceptional work… until it fails, wasting not only money but valuable time.
Request a quote for the project, in which the costs are broken down for each of the stages and the time that each of them will take. A structured pricing plan allows you to see the sense of the final price of the project, as well as the areas that are most expensive and the importance. All this helps to have a broader picture of the final cost of mobile application development and improves budget planning.
Never go for the cheapest or most expensive option without asking the reason for said price.
Talk to the mobile app development company about their development process:
- What methodologies do they use?
- What technologies do you use?
- How do you plan and what project management tools do you use with your team?
- How often do you deliver project progress
- What will be the communication channels to use during the development of the project
Being clear about the development times is essential to have real expectations about the project. Each of the stages must be broken down, task by task, and estimate the time that each one can last, to calculate the total time that the development of the project will take. Before signing the contract with the provider, this must be made clear in order to invest the right time and money and not waste money due to inaccuracies or time calculation errors.
Look for a company that cares about innovating, finding new ways to do its job better, and serving customers better. See if their team is trained in the latest technologies, if they have experience in modern and ambitious projects. This will help you to know if the company will only give you a basic service, or if they will give you a service based on innovation and the experience they have in current technologies.
Do you need to develop a mobile application? At Rootstack, we have +10 years of experience supporting global companies in their digital transformation. Contact us!