Developing Applications: The Factors And Costs Involved

There are an approx 2.71 billion smartphone users across the world. Tasks like ordering food, booking flights, and booking a cab be done easily with just a few taps on the phone. On-demand applications is a digital way of making a place in the market that is easily accessible by just a few taps on the mobile.

Mobile apps are being used in every industry nowadays. The count of worldwide smartphone users estimated to be 2.7 billion is predicted to rise to 2.87 million by 2020. Having an application for every business is a necessity nowadays.

These applications aid in running the business more swiftly and expanding the audience to reach. Customers spend 3 to 4 times longer in mobile applications than on desktop and mobile sites. The ease of accessibility and convenience along with a reduction in response time boost customer loyalty.

Aspiring entrepreneurs can often easily kickstart a business with just an app. However, it’s often the costs involved and other factors regarding the development of apps that confuse them. Let’s gain some insights regarding the same.

1) The Revenue Model: 

The core of the journey of developing application software for any business starts from the business revenue generation plans. This is the main driving force for the app development process. There are numerous factors that play a major role in the cost and amount of time being involved to develop applications. Let’s have a look at these factors:

1. The platform being preferred by the targeted audience
2. The product or services you are selling
3. The devices that are required to be integrated to make the app responsive
4. The app is a free or paid app
5. The visual design in the app’s interface

2) Types Of Application:

A mobile application in a layman’s definition is a software program developed to program specifically on mobile devices and tablets. The tasks being performed are the same as the website but the efficiency and user-friendly process take the lead when being compared. Ease of usage is the main prerequisite of app development. There are three different types of applications:

1. Web Application
2. Native Application
3. Hybrid Application

A survey conducted over time concludes that 80% of smartphone users prefer using apps rather than websites. The web apps are just optimized websites for mobile phone users.

Native applications refer to the mobile applications specifically developed for an operating system like Android or iOS. These are complex to develop but offer an unmatched user experience.

Hybrid apps are a relatively simpler application in context to the development of the application. These refer to apps that function on a single programming language.

The cost varies as per the type of application being developed. The cost of developing proportionally increases as the complexity of the application increases.

3) Platform for the applications: 

The application has a wide range of platforms across which it can be made accessible. There are several platforms like iOS, Android, Windows, and Web. The platform to be opted for depends on the customer audience being targeted. The cost varies based on the respective platform and the integrational requirements.

Wondering about the cost required for the respective platforms? In the case of the development of an app for only one platform then the cost doesn’t vary much but development for the cross-platform cost is expensive. The overall result and experience of cross-platform make the cost worthwhile.

4) User Interface And Design of the applications:

The first impression always counts. In this competitive market, the first look of the app is the deal-breaker. The first impression doesn’t only refer to the visual design of the application but all the experience being offered.

A cluttered app that is difficult to understand and operate gets uninstalled quickly. The few points to pay attention to are as follows:

1. Innovative and emerging technology
2. Emphasis on the product and its usefulness
3. Aesthetically brilliant
4. Understandable and easy to use
5. Purposeful
6. Robust and long-lasting
7. Simplicity because we all know less is more
8. Consistent on all devices and platforms

5) Development:

After getting the basics app ideology ready the major task is deciding the development team. The new trend of freelancers sounds good but is an expensive option in the long run. Freelancers are individual developers whose skill set depends on their exposure and experience.

The major concern in the case of freelancers is their skill set and consistency. A freelancer may not be able to completely develop the app due to inadequate skillset and you might need to hire more than one. There is a huge risk of the project being delayed or not even getting delivered.

Hiring an experienced team may cost higher than freelancers but offers consistency and skill set. A team typically refers to 3-10 developers working on a specific criterion app. These teams have experience which equips them with the ability to understand the business and the requirements and offer us a guarantee.

 6) Support And Maintenance of the applications:

The management of updates, APIs, user profiles, databases, and monitoring customers is a crucial part of the proper functioning of the application. Technical support is essential for the constant performance of the application. With on-going processes and emerging technology having an updated app is required for a frictionless experience. Technical support for managing updates, APIs, user profiles, and data and even monitoring customers is a crucial part of an app’s functionality.

Developing an application is a roller coaster ride and with varying costs required for development adding to the spins and twirls. To escape this ride a solution is to get a customized yet advanced application from a trusted source. It’s a one-time investment. Hence the authenticity of the brand being associated with is of utmost importance.

Wondering about the existence of such apps? Here’s an example of one for the Taxi business. Get in touch with our product specialist of Jugnoo to learn more and get a free demo now!