It’s no secret that everyone is mobile in today’s world. Whether we’re checking email, transferring money, updating social media, or browsing news, our mobile device has become the new medium for work and play.
As a natural progression, you might be thinking about whether or not a mobile app could be a useful tool for your business. Is a mobile-responsive website enough for your customers?
Typically, if you’re offering a dashboard that your users or visitors need to access and update on the fly, then it’s safe to say that it’s a good idea to have a dedicated mobile app where your users can manage their account. The easier it is for your customers, the more value they’ll see from your business.
While contracting a software development company to build a custom mobile application may seem daunting, mobile app development projects require a good understanding of the framework, expectations, platforms, and more to be successful. Plus, it will save you time, headaches, and resources by hiring experts who have extensive knowledge and experience in this space instead of you taking the time to figure it out.
Each mobile app development project is different. Here are the four primary considerations you need to keep in mind when embarking on this journey.
1. React Native vs NativeScript Framework
After you’ve determined all of your goals and expectations, you need to determine which framework is best for your mobile app. The decision is typically between the React Native and NativeScript frameworks. Which one is right for you?
Techaffinity explains it best:
React Native
“The primary objective of React Native is to ‘Learn once, write anywhere.’ The core goal of React is to build platform-oriented UI. While most of the code can be reused across platforms, React will allow you to build and render unique UI for each platform.”
NativeScript
“The primary objective of NativeScript is ‘Write once, use anywhere.’ NativeScript follows a holistic approach and you just need to write once and it will be running smoothly across all 3 platforms. This is where NativeScript clearly wins the race against React Native.”
We’ll talk through the options with you to determine which one is best for your project based on your needs and wants.
2. Mobile App Platforms
It’s good to know up front where you’d like your mobile app to be available so you can be more realistic about the timeframe to launch. Do you want it be available on one of the iOS and Android marketplaces? Both?
An important thing to keep in mind is the process for getting approved on the different application marketplaces. Your app will not be automatically approved by Apple; it could take anywhere from two weeks to three months to get something approved by Apple, and it’s important to build that into the timeframe to launch.
When deciding who you want to work with for this project, find a firm that has already had mobile apps approved by Apple and knows the process for approval. It will streamline the process considerably.
3. Desktop and Mobile Applications
When thinking about building a mobile app, there are other considerations that need to be taken into account than just the mobile application. Are you just wanting to build a mobile application or do you need to have a backend web application that houses all of the interfaces? Do you need to tie your current web application to the mobile application?
These are important questions to be answered at the beginning of your project. It will help determine the best course of action moving forward. (Bonus: We have extensive experience with building custom applications as well.)
4. Support and Enhancement
After a mobile app has been developed and launched, it’s time to breathe a sigh of relief. It’s done and ready to be used!
But that doesn’t mean your app will not need updates moving forward. In fact, it’s necessary to have an ongoing plan in place to support your mobile application and any enhancements you might want to build in later.
When operating systems make updates, it can affect EVERYTHING. It could break your mobile app if something updates their OS to the next version.
That’s why it’s important to find a firm who stays up to date on the next OS updates and knows how to address any changes your app needs before the updates are pushed live. Having a support contract in place will also make this a more seamless transition and fix.
Mobile apps can be an important part of your business model, and you don’t want to question whether or not your mobile app is up to snuff. Work with a seasoned and experienced team like AxiaTP to make sure your mobile app is exactly what you need it to be.
Request a free consultation with us today to talk more about your project and the best steps moving forward.