Apps have been around for years, but they are used more and more. Statista predicts that more than 6 billion users will own smartphones by 2027. If you plan to create an app, it is important to optimize your app for mobile users.

Today, mobile apps are essential for more than 4 billion users who search for information, buy products, access services, and more on their mobile devices. Whether you're building an entire business on an app or intending to make your services more accessible, apps are the way to go.

I’m Peter Lee, CEO at Pave Agency. Over the years, we have helped founders build apps that their customers find useful. At Pave Agency, our goal is simple, we want to create apps that solve real problems, whether web apps or mobile. And that’s what we did for 200+ startups and established companies.

In this article, I’ll show you how to develop an app in a detailed steps and launch it on app marketplaces.

_{What should you do before building an app?}

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App development requires a significant investment. So don't build an app until you understand your market and audience.

_{Understanding the Mobile App Landscape}

The mobile app industry is rapidly evolving. Ideas that were feasible a few years ago may no longer be feasible in the coming years. For example, mobile app games used to dominate app revenue, but entertainment and photo/video applications are expected to take the lead in the near future.

However, the mobile application market looks generally promising. By 2027, worldwide app revenue across all categories is expected to reach $673.80 billion. While the United States and China lead in terms of app usage, Brazil is expected to overtake it soon. This gives you a clearer idea of ​​which market to target.

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Expect emerging technologies like artificial intelligence to shape the course of the mobile app market in the coming years. In particular, generative AI, which has impressed audiences with its ability to create realistic content, will play a more central role in mobile applications. In fact, startups like Hamlet AI have approached our team to build an AI-powered text synthesis web application.

Whether or not you are thinking of building an AI-based application, pay attention to security and data privacy. As more applications are released, users and authorities are concerned about data breaches and cybercrime. Ensuring application compliance with laws such as HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and GPDR is essential if you develop health services, fintech, or other applications governed by the relevant regulations.

If you have an idea to create a GenAI app or integrate this technology into your app, check out our generative AI services page. We created a PoC in just 2 months and shipped more than 25 AI solutions to our customers.

_{Find your winning app idea.}

The idea is essential for startups to create a strong foundation for their app. Without spending time brainstorming and validating ideas, you can't create an app that fills a gap in the market. More importantly, it puts your startup at risk. According to a survey, the lack of research is one of the main reasons why startups fail.

So before you learn how to create an app, start asking yourself if there is a market for it. You can do this by:

• Conducting market research
• Estimate the size of the market.
• Define your target audience.
• Identify if there is a problem to solve.

We use these methods to create successful applications, which I will explain in detail in the next section.

_{How to Create an App in Proven 9 Steps: A Step-by-Step Guide to Success}

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_{Step 1. Start with ideas and brainstorming:}

Make sure the app is in demand before starting development. This is the first thing we do in our software product development life cycle as part of the discovery phase.

Some developers think their app will be a huge success, only to be disappointed after launch. So think about what problems you want to solve with your app. For example, do you want to help retailers make online shopping easier? Or help people organize self-care by providing access to online hosts?

How to define a reasonable idea.

• List several ideas.
• Then assess the risks and opportunities of each using a framework such as SWOT.
• Consider whether your idea fits your goals and business model. For example, if your startup focuses on environmental goals, your app should reflect that theme throughout the customer journey.

And, consider the skills, technology, and budget you can use to create the app. If your target audience is mostly Apple users, you can start by creating a native iOS app. If not, you may want to create an app for both platforms or choose a web app.

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_{Step 2. Do product analysis:} 

At this point, all you have is a hypothesis. To continue, you must try. The best way is to attract and research as many users as possible. First, prepare the proof sheets. You will conduct interviews to understand their challenges and be willing to pay for a solution. You can use their feedback to refine the needs of your app.

Sometimes you can find better ideas by looking for user feedback. This is what happened to Yaza, one of our customers. In the beginning, they wanted to create a social app with the ability to visualize. However, after going through the discovery phase with our team, they realized that it was better positioned as a real estate project.

In addition to surveying users, analyzing your competitors is also important. Explore the features of competing apps and read reviews to find out what users like and don't like. It's a great place to find sites that you can use for your application.

For starters, you need to be productive. So check out how other apps make money. Even if you are planning to promote a free app, there are ways to get paid. For example, some apps run ads, while others allow users to purchase credits to use advanced features. You can learn more about app monetization here.

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_{Step 3. Design the app} 

Next, decide on the features you want to add to the app. Some companies make the mistake of including too many features in the first release, which increases cost, complexity, and time to market.

Instead, we recommend starting with a minimum product (MVP). MVP creation is faster and you can quickly test your product in the market. It includes core functions that are important to solving user problems.

It is important to create a detailed plan to ensure you stay on schedule. This plan will outline the entire application development cycle, including:

• Development milestones such as UI/UX, coding, and testing
• Required skills and technical stack
• Funding
• Security and compliance requirements
• Post-deployment support

Listing requirements allow you to anticipate potential challenges and prepare accordingly.

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_{Step 4. UI/UX Design:} 

If you want to learn how to create a mobile app, you need to know the basics of UI / UX design. There's no point in creating apps with powerful features if users have trouble using them. Successful apps focus on user interaction throughout the journey by balancing action and thought.

Keep in mind that mobile devices have limited space, and UI/UX designers use a minimal layout that makes common tasks easy to access. It also organizes the components on the screen in a logical flow to avoid confusion while using the app. Additionally, choosing colors, fonts, icons, and other visual elements also helps create a user-friendly app.

At Pave Agency, we use phone calls to visualize the customer journey. Wireframes act as a skeletal layout that allows developers to understand the logical flow of an application. From there, our team will create an assembly or prototype that is more detailed to perform testing for validation.

You can think of a prototype as a beta version of the product you want to build. This will help you decide if the idea is feasible before investing in it. In addition, crowdfunding increases your chances of raising money compared to just ideas on paper.

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_{Step 5. Choose the right development methods:}

With the prototype in place, you need to decide how to build the app. From technical packages to talent, there are important decisions to be made.

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Maori vs. hybrid

Native applications are developed and run in separate programming languages ​​and frameworks. For example, we use Swift when building iOS apps and Kotlin for Android. An embedded application developed for one platform cannot be installed on another.

Currently, hybrid applications can run on all platforms. Instead of building two different applications, we build a single code base with tools like Flutter. In this way, our customers save development time and costs. Unlike native apps, you don't need to hire separate iOS and Android developers to create a hybrid app.

But that doesn't mean hybrid apps are better than native apps. Hybrid apps are more expensive to build, but they don't have access to the advanced database features that native apps can. Apps work better internally and provide a better user experience.

Ultimately, the best approach depends on the needs of the application. If in doubt, contact our team.

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Low-code vs. coding from scratch

Another decision you need to make is whether you want to build your app with a minimal codebase or start from scratch. Low-code platforms allow you to create an application without any coding. You use a drag-and-drop interface to design layouts and flow logic. Then configure how each element behaves by entering parameters.

However, manual coding is more labor intensive. Developers start from a blank canvas and create the functionality the app needs. They often use libraries, plugins, frameworks, and APIs to speed up their work. Even so, manual development can take weeks or months.

Again, there is no single solution here. Low-code platforms are great if you want to build a prototype quickly, but you can't customize your app like you would by hand. Also, you're locked into a small codebase, which limits scalability. At this point, you have full control over building your app from scratch.

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Inside vs. Development

Finally, decide whether to hire in-house developers or outsource to an outside firm. Some companies hire an in-house team because they want more control over the entire development process. However, this option is rarely useful for startups, especially those with limited funds.

Please note that if you are hiring internally, you must apply, interview,, and present the entire team. You also have to pay their wages, holidays,, and other benefits because they are full-time employees. Long-term capital expenditure can be a burden for startups that prefer to run smoothly.

This is why many startups decide to outsource their app development to an external partner. By letting them pay the actual price. In addition, they can save development costs when working with external partners from high-cost regions such as Ukraine.

Consider paying developers from the US. You should pay $100 per hour for their services. In Ukraine, the average salary for a developer is $50 per hour. Not only will you be able to keep costs down, but you'll also have access to a wider talent pool that offers quality work.

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_{Step 6. Develop the app.}

This is where the developers put the different parts of the app together. This includes coding, integrating, and applying business logic to the production architecture. Depending on the path you choose, this process can be complicated. Durability lies in the software development process and team communication.

For example, changes and bugs found should be communicated quickly among team members. If you use the traditional waterfall development model, you will run into software problems after the entire development is completed.

It is more difficult and more expensive to redo a project that is completed later. Because the type of developer development method is important. At Pave Agency, we practice Agile. Agile is a framework that allows us to implement small changes over many cycles.

Instead of running a large part of the program, it breaks it down into smaller tasks. So we work in "sprints" that are short (usually 2 weeks). This will make it much easier for us to get the founders involved in the sprint meetings.

In the development phase, clear and accurate communication between you and the developers is important. A lack of communication can hinder progress and result in a project that doesn't meet user expectations. At Pave Agency, we use project management tools like Slack, Jira and Zoom. Keep your customers updated and ask for their feedback.

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_{Step 7. Quality Assurance Tests}

Ideally, you should test the application at each stage of development. Continuous testing decreases the chances of bugs and performance issues manifesting in the production release. It also helps you comply with security and privacy requirements.

These are tests your QA engineers can perform when developing the app.

• Unit test to determine if individual functions are performing as they should
• Performance tests to assess software functions when they are exposed to specific workloads
• Integration tests to ensure various software components can function seamlessly as a whole
• Security tests detect possible vulnerabilities in the code.
• Usability tests allow select groups of users to test the app and report their experience to the QA team.

QA engineers create test cases for each test, specifying the testing conditions and expected outcomes. Remember that these tests are performed in the testing environment, which isn’t sufficient to ensure your app is ready for real-world usage. For this, you should try the beta version.

In beta testing, QA engineers run the app in a production environment, and the public signs up as beta testers. Beta Testers use the app and share feedback on functionality, user experience, performance and other aspects. Your app developer will make the final updates to get it ready for launch. 

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_{Step 8. Launch the app:}

To launch the app, you may need to publish it to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Both marketplaces have different policies, the App Store being the more complicated of the two. If your application does not meet the information, technical requirements, or other requirements, your application will be rejected. Since the review process takes several weeks, it is best to read the instructions.

Once approved, your app will be listed in the marketplace, but that's not the end of your career. Make sure your marketing team is doing everything they can to attract signups. At the same time, put your developers in charge of fixing issues after launch.

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_{Step 9. Collect feedback and change}

Unplanned. Market conditions change, user needs change, and bugs appear over time. Regardless of the reasons, do your best to keep improving the project.

If you have analytics features built into the app, you can review performance data, such as retention, duration, and usage time. This data will help you identify potential UI/UX issues that may change existing workflows. Additionally, your application should have an error reporting system that automatically sends event data to facilitate debugging.

Relying on in-app analytics is not enough to make your app attractive. Instead, analyze the comments that users leave on forums, forums, and social media to understand how they feel about your app. Then apply the changes, test them, and release the next update to the market.

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We have expertise in app development. We know how to create apps that drive serious results for our clients, and we can do the same for your business. Speak with one of our experts today by calling +1 (213) 214-2379 or contact us online by filling out our form to get started with industry-leading app development consulting services that will take your business to new heights.