Common Pitfalls When You Develop a Mobile App

How does one popularise a killer idea? Well, the best way to do it today would be to build a mobile app to implement it. Not only will it be actionable, it will be used by millions all over the world. All you need is a level-headed strategy with proper design and implementation. And of course, some spunk. But why doesn't everyone succeed. Well , there’s no paucity of pitfalls. We’ll look at some of them here:

1. Get your platform right

For all practical purposes, it’s two platforms in mobile now: Android and iOS. Decide which way you’re going to go. If it’s the global market that you’re targeting, Android must be your choice. If you are looking at a US centric market, you could go for iOS. If you want to go for both, the costs could outweigh the benefits (if any).

2. Mobile is NOT the same as web

A majority of website owners do not focus on developing a mobile application that is optimized for all mobile platforms. All that they do is rely on responsive website features or consider that mobile app development should be done with just few necessary elements and features of a website.

3. Designer vs Developer

Remember that design is for development. This means you need to ensure the design follows the functionality since we often find that apps where design dictates functionality fail inevitably.

For instance, if you plan to include a search box in your app, and the designer envisions one with a type-ahead search, it would mean considerable effort on the part of the developer.

4. User experience trumps all

When you say what comes to their mind first? Well, it’s not difficult to guess. The reply would be its elegance/user experience. So, it’s important to know that a mobile user is more demanding and intuitive when it comes to UX. This is borne by the fact that 26% of the apps are opened only to be never used again and 48% are opened less than 10 times. Make sure you test your app with Craigslist or better find early beta testers.

What we’ve mentioned are just some of the pitfalls that mobile designers encounter when they set out to develop an app. For more, keep watching this space!