There is no doubt about the fact that with 350 billion app downloads worldwide, businesses are looking to get the same attention. It’s very normal for a business to inquire about the app development process and the app development cost.
TL;DR
- There are four stages in the app development process and each takes their own time.
- Research and forming ideas take about 2-3 weeks, planning the entire app takes a month and the actual development takes around six weeks.
- Testing the mobile app after development is done to ensure its smooth functioning.
- Mid-project changes, inexperienced developers and complex technologies slow down the development process.
- MVPs and Cross-platform development speed up the process.
Usually, businesses like to know how long does it take to make an app, the cost of app development and all the efforts involved. As soon as they learn the benefits of having a mobile application for their business, they wish to get on with it. Hence, the question of how long does it take to develop an app.
Now, usually, the timeline looks like this in most app development cases –
But there is no definitive-ness. And thus this article.
In this blog, we will not only look at the app development process, factors affecting the time of app development but also will determine how long does it take to make an app.
Key Stages of The App Development Process
The app development process has different stages and all of these stages require different time slots. From the planning process until the launch of the application, the entire process is interdependent on each other and requires proper attendance. It is quite obvious that apps with different sizes and different features have different app development timelines.
Each development stage is discussed below to answer the question ‘How long does it take to make an app?’.
Stage 1: Forming ideas and research
It’s easy to get great ideas but it’s not necessary that everyone will agree to it being great. The idea formation and research part very much affect how long it takes to build an app. This stage involves starting with an idea and then researching it for more improvements.
Even if the idea of the app seems right, a test must be run to keep things as real as possible. This can prove to be a very important step taken in the initial stage. Testing application ideas also ensure that when the app is launched in the market, the users are going to love it.
Another thing that this stage involves is targeting the right audience. It is in this initial stage that the right audience is targeted for the app. Defining the target audience not only helps in boosting the app after its launch but also in shaping the app in the right direction.
Different apps have different size and ages of the target audience. For instance, Facebook has all ages of people on its platform whereas Tinder has a younger target audience. Targeting has made these apps so successful therefore is suggested that proper targeting and research should be done.
Analyzing the competitiveness of the market and the app is also necessary. During the research about the app, one should also gather information about the competitors and potential threats. This will prepare the app owners for any difficulties after the app launch.
The entire research takes several weeks. By the end of the research, you should know all the strengths and weaknesses of the competitors, the app strategies and defined target audience.
Stage 2: Planning it all out
The next stage is the planning stage. Once you know all about your market, its time to plan out the app development process. The planning stage involves decisions regarding the configuration of the app. These decisions include making a choice between iOS and Android, native or hybrid, cross-platform or not, web-based app or mobile app, etc.
Once these plans are made, its time to add on the features. Now the features of an app should be such that neither does it complicate the app nor slows it down. There are many basic features that an app should have such as search bar, social media sharing buttons, profile building, login option, etc. These features make a basic app much convenient for users.
As the app size increases, the features are more and more directed towards the type of app. For instance, any e-commerce app will have the ‘Add to cart’ feature. Similarly, social media apps have the option of media sharing and various other features for engagement on the app.
All these planning is quite complex and will require a month or so.
Stage 3: Development stage
In the development stage, there are three elements that need to be built: the UI, Front End and Back End. Once all the planning is done, the developers and designers will work their magic and start building the app. So how long does it take to make an app? Well, the development and designing stage takes about six weeks.
The UI of an app is taken care of by graphic designers. This gives the apps an appearance to enhance the user experience. UI is important for any app to flourish in the market because the users seem to like visually appealing apps more.
The Front End and the Back End are also very important components of the app development process. The Front End is what users see and how they act in an app but nothing will make sense until the Back End is developed. The Back End connects the UI with the system and allows the proper functioning of the app. So, how to make a mobile app without either of these? Well, you cannot.
Stage 4: Testing
What does it take to run an app? To know whether the app is even going to run after the development is finished, we need to do test runs. We cannot deny the fact that the app will have some or the other bugs that need to be fixed before the final launch. These bugs can be identified with the help of tests.
There are many ways to test a mobile app’s performance and functioning. We, at Appinventiv, have our own strategies for testing mobile apps. The quality assurance tests are run so that users don’t find any issues when they first use the app making the app more likable.
Alpha and Beta testing are done on the app to make the app error-free. After the testing, the app is launched. Post-launch whatever feedback is gathered from the users, the necessary changes are made.
What Slows Down The App Development Process?
As seen in the section before, the app development process usually takes about 2-3 months. But there are some things that delay the overall process.
Mid-project changes
App development is a continuous process where all the stages are connected to each other in some ways. If there are sudden changes in the plan in the middle then the process is bound to get slower. These mid-project changes can also affect the app’s performance since too many changes in an already built code base can do that to the app.
Unexperienced developers
What does it take to build an app that is successful? Great ideas, proper budget and a good developer, for sure. Often business especially start-ups make the mistake of hiring developers that aren’t up to the mark with the work. This results in slowing down the process as well as a poor app for the business. Our team of app developers is highly skilled with good experience at hand which has allowed us to launch high performing apps one after another. We also have helped our clients with their app ideas so that they get the best outcome for their business.
Complex technologies
Technologies like machine learning, artificial intelligence, VR, AR, etc. cause the slow down of the mobile app development process. There’s no doubt that these technologies make the app a better experience but everything good comes at a price. And the price of using the latest technology is that they might slow down the app development process.
The reason why this happens is that the technologies are a bit complex and takes time to fit in the app.
Industry-wise difference
The industry for which the app is being built also plays an important role in the app development timeline. The answer to the question of how long does it take to make a social media app is 1-2 month(s). Whereas on-demand apps take more time to be developed. Therefore, the industry is another factor that affects the time of app development.
How to Speed Up The Time of Application Development?
With the fast growth of mobile apps, one cannot afford to slow down in the development process. Businesses, be it startups or enterprises, are looking for app developers who can develop apps faster without compromising the quality of the app.
There are no problems without solutions and the same goes with app development timeline. When it comes to startups, then gathering a massive crowd is a survival goal and for that mobile apps are the solution.
By now we know how long does it take to create an app and what factors affect the app development time. It’s time to see how can we reduce the time of application development.
MVPs and prototyping
MVPs or prototypes are a great way to save time. They can be built easily and resemble the original idea of the application. Once the MVPs are out in public, the actual app can be built by adding features and making improvements. Many businesses like Airbnb, MailChimp, etc. started as MVPs before the actual implementation.
Go for cross-platform
Android vs iOS is the biggest debate of all times and sometimes people get so confused that they don’t know which to choose. The timeline and cost of app development of both the platforms individually are relatively high. But cross-platform app development is a solution for this. With tools like Xamarin and PhoneGap, great multi-platform apps can be built which take less time.
Hire a professional developer
A professional app developer for your app is the best you can do. Not only will the app have amazing UI/UX but also will take less time to develop. Any professional app development company will have a good experience when it comes to app development and will basically make your work easier. Appinventiv is also a professional app development company that has developed several successful apps for clients.
White label solutions
White label solutions are products that were produced by one company and then is rebranded and made to look like other company’s. This will save a lot of time since there will be no need to build anything from scratch. However, this will not result in a good application especially not the one that generates huge traffic or sales.
This was our take on the mobile app development process timeless and some ways to reduce app development time. Feel free to contact our app developers at Appinventiv for any further queries on how to reduce yours.
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