4 Stages of Ecommerce Mobile App Development
Do you know that there’s a wake-up call service app, Wakie? Instead of an alarm waking you up, you get a call from a stranger who keeps talking until you’re ready to start your day. Also, an app known as RunPee that tells you the perfect time to run to the bathroom during a movie. It even gives you a synopsis of what you’ve missed when you’re back.
Interesting, right?
To be honest, we can’t imagine what these little boxes in our pockets can do. From finding us a date, home, job to delivering groceries, and letting us control our TV and gadgets, the possibilities are endless.
Not to deny that they play a major role in businesses too. After all, all these apps that we use are built from the perspective of gaining profits or an audience.
Here’s what the stats say:
- Mobile apps generated $111 billion in 2020.
- By 2024, 40% of UK sales will be driven by mobile apps.
And yet, most apps fail because 67% were not making enough to sustain them, and 49% of developers developed an app solely based on their needs. Hence, it’s essential to follow the development steps to get the most scenic view during the launch.
Let’s see the steps your iPhone app development undergoes from top to bottom.
Step 4. Execution
What’s the first thing you do when you download an app? You go through it, its features, and whether it’s working well. If the navigation is smooth and the purchase process is easy, you keep it. What if you can’t make a purchase? Or there’s some issue with the checkout process. In terms of the game, what if it keeps getting stuck?
You’ll abandon it. If you’re like me, you would probably uninstall it within 5 minutes. So, to make sure that it doesn’t happen, there’s a quality assurance testing team who ensure that the application is stable, usable, and secure. They prepare test cases and undergo rigorous testing to check user experience, functionality, performance, and issues.
Along with it, they review the app to meet the app store. Like, for iOS app development services, the team will review whether the app meets the guidelines set by Apple.
Similarly, while undergoing iPhone app development or Android, you need to make sure that your business app undergoes the testing methods before launching.
Because, first, users see how the app works!
Next, they move on to – What’s missing? What features could’ve been added? What’s unnecessary? Etc. So, the next important stage in development.
Step 3. Development
It is the most crucial phase as a single wrong step can get you to step zero. The development stage brings the app to life. This is the stage where – features are attached, linked to one another, and an app is built. To make it easy, developers define:
- Technical Architecture
- Technology Stack
- Development Milestones
They then bifurcate the process into three parts:
- Backend Development
- APIs
- Frontend Development
Backend development is the core of an app. It’s the behind-the-scenes working of an app that makes it smooth at the front. It includes maintenance, functioning, user account authentication, account management, push notifications, third-party integrations, data sync, etc. Everything that’s necessary to support the functioning of an app is covered in this part.
Next, is the API (Application Process Interface). It creates a connection between the front end and the backend of the app. Everything that the user inputs on the frontend gets updates in the database, thanks to API.
And with that comes the front end that makes the first impression on users. It involves developing user interfaces, icons, buttons, and presentation layers for user interaction.
Other things to be considered during the app development are:
- Security: How secured is the app? Ensure that only entitled people can access the data.
- Dynamic Functions: If you have features that pull data dynamically, you need to add reliable sources and a way to access them.
- Difference between First and Last Release: Don’t consider the first iteration to be the last and every version to be perfect. Undergo agile methodology so that you can swap out the functionalities in the modular stage if priorities change.
But is development possible without a wireframe or a mockup?
How would you know whether the Checkout button has to be at the end or a Login button in the right corner? It all comes down to designing.
Step 2. Designing
The purpose of designing an app is to deliver an exceptional user experience. After all, it defines how users perceive a functionality. Hence, before developing or creating a wireframe, developers create a requirement document.
- Concepts and Document
Here, they determine the data that you want to show to the users, data the app would collect, user interactions with the product, and the user journey within the app.
They create workflow diagrams to get the flow of the app. This step helps them lay the foundation of the design, i.e., wireframe.
- Wireframe
Most app designers start with sketching an app on paper, like how the homepage would look, where the icons should be placed, etc. Wireframes are digital frameworks. They give a visual structure to the app. Here, the focus is on the user experience and not the color and style. In short, positioning of every element. So, whether you go for iOS app development services or Android, a wireframe is essential.
- Style Guide
After creating a wireframe, you need to establish a style guide. What fonts will the app’s text use? What would be the color contrast? How will the design reflect brand image?
- Mockups
By applying a style guide to the wireframe, designers create a mockup. It’s the final rendering of the app’s visual design. They give an overview of how the app would look like. All the required changes in the architecture and designs are made here.
Mockups ensure that there’s no idea problem in the development phase. For ideas to evolve into a successful app, you need thorough planning.
Step 1. Planning
And this is how you come back to the origin, where the actual process begins. We read above that the app fails because most of the developers develop it based on their needs.
Do you know what successful app businesses do? They research the idea they have. Say they want to build an app like Slack. So, they will research the market, whether that kind of app is in demand, in which region it might be profitable, what kind of customers use it, etc.
They will gather all the information about the competitors, big giants in the same field, learn how they work, what difference they provide, how they market, etc. And accordingly create a buyers’ persona – how will be their target audience, their demographic, psychological, behavioral aspects, considering everything.
Once this is done, they will plan their business model. From app’s working to revenue generation, planning budget and all the in-between requirements will be listed down.
So, to make sure that your app doesn’t step back into the competition, research. It’s important!
In a Nutshell
An iPhone app development process is similar to a physical store setup. You decide your niche, research the market and competitors, ideate a plan, head over to designing, create a mockup, start the actual development, and launch it.
Just like clearing legalities, you need to comply with the App Store. However, app development is an ongoing process. And one that needs constant updates. If there’s a scratch or crack in the wall, you can run the store. But if an online link breaks off, say, the checkout link is broken, it would impact your business on the whole. Thus, you must follow all the stages properly to opt for iOS app development services or Android app development services.
Author Bio
Maulik Shah is the CEO of Biztech, ios app development services from India. Maulik likes to explore beyond his comfort zone. When it comes to writing for the blog, his contribution is priceless. No one else on the team can bring the deep industry knowledge to articles that he has. However, his door is always open and he is generous with sharing that knowledge.
