Having an mobile application developed gives you more reach, more flexibility and more potential for making you money and engaging with your audience. So, quite rightly, you?re looking for an app to be developed for your business. But how long will it take? In this article, we?re going to look at the three main types of app development to provide you with an idea of how the development cycle works.
1.
Basic Apps (Data stored on device only)
Even having a basic business application and an app marketplace presence can reap significant benefits. In addition to being the most cost-effective method of dipping your toes in the ocean of mobile applications, it?s also the fastest type to implement. From the beginning of the design stages through to product stability testing and finishing with marketplace deployment, the entire process can be completed in as little as five days. A number of applications such as PhoneGap, MobiForms, Appcelerator or MoSync can decrease the time it takes to have your app deployed across multiple platforms in addition to Apple?s iOS. However, it?s worth noting that using such tools can increase the size of your app?s footprint, making it marginally more cumbersome for devices to run.
Typical development time: 5-10 days
2. Intermediate Apps (Read-only server communication)
If you?re something of a technophobe at heart, don?t be scared of the terminology here. Apps such as these (also referred to as data-extraction apps) simply mean the app receives information from a computer which is somewhere else. A good example of this might be a weather-related app or perhaps to one to check on currency exchange rates. Notice that both of these apps will need the latest up-to-date information for the user and it?s that benefit which is on offer with this kind of application. So, if you needed a mobile business app for London clients, you could send out all relevant information to them for that location. Features may include displaying the latest offers or events for your company. An example may include an application which provides locations of restaurants in London or other areas. However, with such applications you will not be able to make a reservation as that involves sending info from the client?s iPhone or other device, bringing us to the final type of app.
Typical development time: 2-4 weeks
3. Advanced Apps (Two-way server communication)
This version of application is similar to the one above except that information can be sent to you from your client or potential client, in addition to you sending information to them. This feature opens a vast array of possibilities in terms of communicating with your audience and also gathering information on how to best win their business in the future. The possibilities are genuinely endless and the New York Times quote should be a good testimonial to this fact. Also on offer with such business app development is the option to have the information stored locally should there be a connection unavailable at any given time. Because the potential on offer is so vast, the development time depends on the complexity of the software and the requirements of data handling. More or less anything you can think of is achievable and it?s recommended to have a conversation with our technical team to find out how to best implement your idea.
Typical development time: 4-12 weeks
Understanding the App Development Cycle
If you?re considering having a custom application for your business, it?s good to understand the processes behind the development cycle. An entrepreneur armed with this knowledge will gain a clearer insight into how to develop the idea for the application and how to communicate with the design team. You will need to consider which platforms you want to target. For example, Apple iOS, Android, Windows 7 and Blackberry are among the most popular choices. Also, the timescale may vary based on your choice of phones to support and whether the application will run on phone or tablets, or even both.
As a broad overview, the development cycle is as follows:
Design mockups for the user interface (or UI) Fine tuning the design to fit your brand and direction Development of the app where the features and interface are brought to life Application testing where all bugs are worked out to create smooth operation Publishing the complete product on the marketplace
