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Building an app quickly is one of the most rewarding experiences for any business, entrepreneur, artist, or hobbyist. It doesn’t matter what your goal is or who your audience is. Apps help you achieve the unthinkable and connect with others in a mostly-digital world in a quick way.
One of the toughest challenges app owners face is competition. It’s why so many app owners are in a rush to release their app to the world. There are already 2.2 million apps in Apple’s App Store and another 2.8 million apps in Google’s Play Store. That’s a total of 5 million apps.
New apps are released daily, but other apps fail daily. App owners must fight with their back to the ropes when minimizing time-to-market, while maximizing quality-of-work. Most app owners refer to this as the ‘everyday struggle of owning an app.’
At CodeBright, our job is to take that weight off your shoulders – and we’re good at it. We pride ourselves in minimizing time-to-market, while maximizing quality-of-work. We’re going to spill some of our most prominent tips on how to build an app quickly without harming the app’s quality.
Tip #1: Decide Native or Hybrid
One of the many questions entrepreneurs who prioritize building an app quickly face is whether they want to build a native app or a hybrid app. They each contribute to building an app quickly, but it depends on how you look at it.
Native apps are built for a specific device (smartphone vs. tablet) or operating system (iOS vs. Android). When you build a native app for an iOS device, it’s only available on an Android device when you build a separate native app for Android devices.
Hybrid apps, on the other hand, are built for multiple devices and operating systems. It’s a one-size-fits-all solution to getting your app in as many devices as possible.
Native apps are quicker to build if there’s a specific device or operating system you’re interested in. Hybrid apps are quicker to build if the app is being released in several app stores or on different devices.
Tip #2: Utilize Agile Methodology
Developers who use Agile methodology when building an app quickly are much more organized and capable of responding to changes daily. This is important to maintaining the project’s integrity and keeping the customer in constant contact with the team’s progress.
Agile development is an umbrella term that includes a set of frameworks (scrum, extreme programming, and FDD) and practices (sprints, stand-ups, planning sessions, and pair programming). Developers built it for developers, setting a new standard for how we build apps.
Collaboration is the key to Agile methodology, and it’s what allows teams to succeed when using its frameworks. At CodeBright, we utilize Agile development every single day. It helps us remain on-schedule and ensures we give our clients our best work possible in the least amount of time.
Tip #3: Plan Everything in Advance
If there’s one thing app users don’t like, it’s mistakes. That’s why one of the first steps in the app development process is planning, doing your research, and preparing yourself for the journey that awaits. The more we rush into things prematurely, the more likely it is we make a mistake.
In addition to mistakes, app users are tired of seeing the same app recreated time and time again. They want a unique app, one that screams, “I’m different!” The only way you achieve it is by properly researching your competition before development.
Don’t sabotage your project. Instead, work with your developer and create a formidable plan that gives users the most bang for their buck.
Tip #4: Pay Attention to Deadlines
Creating a plan is essential to the development process, but sticking to the plan is even more important. That’s where workflow diagrams come in handy. They keep all your tasks, deadlines, and collaborators under one roof to ensure everyone’s on the same page at all times.
Since apps are subject to many changes, updates, edits, errors, bugs, and more, developers need organization and order in their life. Without it, projects lose steam and run off track with little-to-no warning.
As the project grows with more tasks, priorities play an important role in building the app quickly. It’s how you avoid a one-month project turning into a 6-month project.
Tip #5: Utilize Wireframes & Mockups Early-On
Another great way to minimize mistakes and ultimately minimize time-to-market is with wireframes and mockups. They’re both design elements created in the design stage and used throughout the entire development process.
They’re both visual representations of the app you’re building. Wireframes are more focused on the app’s flow and structure, while mockups focus more on its visuals and colors. It makes sense to use them side-by-side to ensure accuracy throughout the process.
One of the major benefits of wireframes and mockups is the ability to easily change them without changing the actual app. When building an app quickly, wireframes and mockups streamline the process for testing certain aspects of the app during development – in addition to after development.
Tip #6: Start With an MVP
When clients approach us with the goal of building an app quickly, one of the first suggestions we have for them is creating a minimum viable product (MVP). These are essentially a basic version of your app that focuses on the core functions of the app.
MVPs are often far from a finished product, but they’re finished enough that users can start downloading and using the app. It gets the product to the customer in a very short amount of time, allowing you to make further updates as users send you feedback.
The point is to release the core functions first. That way, users make use of them. As they download it, use it, and review it, your updates increase user loyalty in the app. As the app grows, it improves – creating a never-ending cycle of success, especially when appropriately monitored.
Tip #7: Hire the Right Team of Developers
Building an app quickly is easier said than done, but that doesn’t make it impossible. The six tips listed above certainly help in achieving your goal and should be considered throughout the process. Of course, a majority of that success depends on the developer doing all the work.
Quality developers are extremely difficult to find today, especially since developers are a dime a dozen in this digital world. It’s important to practice diligence when searching for a developer, whether that developer is a freelancer or an entire team.
At CodeBright, we combine the three most important traits required in a development team – experience, communication, and skill. We stand ready to serve our clients and deliver them the best possible app as quickly as possible.
If you’re ready to take that next step with your app idea, contact us today, and we’ll send you a free estimate!
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