The Stages In A Great App Development Strategy

The process of product development in every industry requires prior research that helps build a robust strategy. Mobile or web app development is no different. Many a time, the stages included in a great app development strategy determine the success or failure of the app. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of app development and the stages that add to the sturdiness of a strategy.

To begin with, let us understand why businesses need to invest in app development. Both mobile and web app usage is increasing every day. Users are relying on business apps to perform various tasks, including financial transactions, resolving issues, entertainment, etc.

Some of the benefits that developing and deploying apps can help businesses achieve include:

• Enhance customer engagement
• Build a stronger brand
• Improve customer loyalty
• Create new revenue streams
• Improve employee experience
• Find valuable customer insights
• Provide better customer service
• Develop a culture of innovation

Each stage in app development is vital to the success of the final product. These stages can also be broadly divided into two categories, the preliminary part of ideation and idea validation and later planning, development, and deployment. However, it must also be agreed that the app stages are not linear and might vary according to the product and client requirements.

Here is the list of the stages that we follow for developing dynamic web and mobile apps at GeekyAnts.

1. Requirement analysis or Idea generation

The first step we take after a client approaches us with an idea is the requirements analysis. It includes thoroughly understanding the requirements of the product from the client’s perspective. We engage in rounds of comprehensive discussions with our clients to gather quantifiable, relevant, and detailed information about their idea of the solution they want us to provide.

In other words, some of the activities that we carry out in this stage can be summarized as follows:

• Define the purpose of the app
• Establish the user profile
• identify the client requirements from the app

2. Competitive analysis

Once the client requirements are finalized, the next step is to do market research and analyze the competitor solutions. This step helps understand what features the competitors in that segment are providing in already existing solutions. It is crucial to gather this information in order to create stronger business strategies, thrive through the competition, and capture a higher market share. This also leads to innovation and adding to the currently existing services.

One of the simplest formulas to ascertain the importance and priority of features to be included in the app is the:

• Must have
• Could have
• Should have
• Would have

3. Scope of the project

The scope of any project is a detailed description of the project that includes defining the activities, resources, deliverables, and timeline of completion. Here, we define and finalize what exactly we are going to build. In this stage, all the documents, such as the statement of work or scope statement, that help communicate the process of the app development process for an idea are created. This step can be viewed as a part of the project planning process.

4. Prototyping

Once the scope is finalized, the project goes forward to the designers. A prototype can be seen as the demo version or the simulation of the workflows, functions, and interaction of the elements in a product. This prototype is then reviewed by the designers, developers, and stakeholders. They can suggest improvements or changes to enhance the application's functionality or UI.

Determining which tech stack to use to work on the prototype is the next step. At the end of this stage, we get a finalized design and know what tools to be used to build it.

5. Project management

Project management is one of the most critical steps in the app development strategy. It involves determining the exact resources that will be assigned to the project, how the progress of the project will be tracked and managed, who will manage the project, important milestones, etc. This stage is meant to set the roadmap of the project. Once these details are decided, they are shared with the stakeholders depending on the complexity of the project to make the whole process transparent.

6. Development

After every minute detail of the project is decided and planned, it is moved to the development stage. Here, based on the sprints and task lists, developers work on building the digital solution. There can be different teams working on the different aspects of the project, including backend, API, frontend, etc. The first step is creating an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) that contains the core functionalities and elements of the app. Other features are added later after getting user feedback. There are regular review cycles as previously decided in the project management stage.

7. Testing

The purpose of this stage is to find out if the functionalities built actually work as expected. This process of testing can be divided into various phases, such as the whole system testing and unit testing. At GeekyAnts, the process of testing varies based on the project requirements. The general flow first includes complement testing by developers and then meticulous testing by the testing team. We also understand the importance of user acceptance testing before rolling the product out.

8. Roll out

After the testing is done, the app is ready to be launched. This launch or deployment is done based on the requirements of the client and the project. In an average case, the MVP is rolled out to gain more insights into user experience and the requirements for any changes. There are sequential rollouts of different versions of the app. Each version contains new updates that add to the user experience and app functionality.

9. Support

After launching a new app, users might need to be trained to make efficient use of the app. To help make them aware of all the features and how-tos, we provide support after deployment. The iterations or extent of support that is to be provided will be as defined in the scope of the project.

At GeekyAnts- App Design & Development Studio, we believe in keeping the client requirements at the forefront of everything we do. Over the years, we have suggested and encouraged our clients to be a part of every stage of the app development process. They are able to provide further suggestions to improve the product, and our team of developers implements those suggestions after a feasibility study. The sole purpose behind this practice is to ensure client satisfaction.

Based on our experience, app development strategy plays an important role in the success of the end product. The investment of time and effort into studying, understanding, and building this strategy does ensure valuable returns. Putting the right amount of thought into deciding the course of action is the only viable option to go further toward achieving your dreams. GeekyAnts evaluates each product requirement and strives to provide a perfect app solution to every client, every time.