Mobile App Development Cost

Globally, dependence on mobile apps is on the rise. Recent research suggests users spend 90 percent of smartphone-based internet time on apps. Taking cognizance of that, this article is for entrepreneurs who wish to jump on the app development bandwagon, but have concerns regarding the cost of mobile app development.

We are going to give 10+ handy tips in this post that will help business persons to keep the app development cost in their control.

Let’s start with some crucial questions that can play a vital role in determining the cost of your business app.

Which platform do you want to choose for developing an app- Android, iOS, or hybrid?

Do you want to opt for an app marketing campaign?

Do you wish to get regular maintenance and technical assistance for your app?

What is your take on change management or suggesting changes during the app development process?

Accurate answers to these questions will help you get a little idea of the app development cost. In the next step, we will go through some considerations that can help you reduce the app development cost.

Requirements and Selection of Right Platform

Extensive research on market trends and business requirements can help you build the roadmap of developing mobile apps. A detailed analysis of requirements is very important for entrepreneurs to decrease the number of changes during the development project. The app developers can also get a clear picture through proper documentation. It helps them to come up with innovative app solutions. You can take help from experienced business analysts in collecting the requirements and formulate them.

Another important thing is the choice of the right platform. You need to take the target audience into consideration while selecting the platform. For example, if you want to address Asian or African people, it is better to come up with an Android app development solution. If you own a startup, it is essential to select the right platform to save bucks and serve the purpose effectively. The mobile app development company can develop native and cross-platform apps, but if you have budget restrictions, you can bring a native app for either Android or iOS depending on the audience and business needs.

2. Plan Well to Augur Well

As an entrepreneur, you know the importance of planning in your business. It is necessary to plan for the business app also because your app is just like a product that can enhance the brand value online. You should discuss and brainstorm every aspect of your future business app with teammates.

You can get useful information through a brainstorming including:

Innovative ideas to implement

Diverse viewpoints and more insight

More data to make an informed decision

While planning for your app and its features, it is advisable to keep the end users in mind. The mobile app development process needs a lot of efforts and money. Proper planning can help you reduce the number of efforts, development time and cost.

3. Consider Cross-platform App Development

Let’s face it! Native apps for Android and iOS are expensive to develop. There, the cross-platform app development is a useful option to reduce the development cost and time. The cross-platform apps run on a single code across multiple platforms. Xamarin, Ionic, and PhoneGap are some noteworthy app development tools that develop cross-platform apps.

The cross-platform app development process is based on ‘write once, use everywhere’ approach. It can save a lot of time and money while reducing the TTM (Time to Market) for your business mobile app.

However, cross-platform app development has some limitations also. If your business app is very complex and requires a native interface, then this development method is not suitable. It is better to ask the app development team whether the app performance and user experience will suffer if you opt for a cross-platform business app. If things seem favorable then cross-platform app development can be proven the best option for your business app.

4. MVP can be Good Option to Start with

Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is a good option for businesses that have budgetary limitations. MVP is basically a prototype of a business mobile app with all important features and functionality.

In other words, MVP can act as a basic business app and offers the following benefits:

A cost-effective option of a mobile app that does not require many efforts

Entrepreneurs can get instant feedback

Development and redevelopment costs are less than that for an actual app

Companies can evaluate the market demand for the app and take further decisions

MVP is a boon for the businesses. On the basis of the user’s suggestions, you can bring a new app with the necessary features in the future. MVP can assist companies to reach customers and get an investment for developing an actual app. In addition, it can also ensure entrepreneurs against the failure of a business app.

5. Outsourcing is Preferable

Outsourcing is preferable as it is cost-effective and offers many benefits to the company. When it comes to mobile app development, you can either build a team of developers for in-house app development or hire app developers.

Obviously, hiring app developers is more cost-effective than building your own app development team. But, when you hire app developers, you need to check their hourly rates. Let’s understand with this example- Suppose, your business is centered in the USA or Canada and you hire mobile app developers from there to build a mobile app. Now, the US or Canada-based developers charge higher per hour rates as compared to their Asian counterparts. In other words, outsourcing is very cost-effective and also gives you a benefit of the timezone difference.

Related Reading: Top 30 Mobile App Development Companies in USA and India

When you outsource a business app project, the team of developers works exclusively on your project and you can get many options to choose from in terms of designs and themes. It can save a lot of money because you do not need to pay a regular salary or additional charge to the app developers that you have hired.

6. In-house Facilities are Better

In today’s competitive scenario, it is necessary to find a one-stop destination for all your mobile app-related needs. Let’s take an example. An app development company offers just mobile app development services and your app does not get assistance for marketing from the same company. What will be the result? You need to put more efforts to find the app marketing agency and may end up in spending more bucks.

The mobile app development is a collective process that involves multiple operations and different departments. Will you prefer the past app developer or find a new Android app development company for developing an Android version of your existing iOS app? The answer to this question shows the importance of having all the app-related services under one roof.

7. Emerging Technologies should be Utilized

These days, many mobile app development companies have included the advancements of emerging technologies like IOT, AR, and VR. These advancements can make your business app ready for the future in a cost-effective way. At times, it is costlier to integrate the desired feature after necessary customization as it takes more time of developers. There, the emerging technology can lend a helping hand and offers a necessary functionality.

For example, if your business app needs to provide a safe and quick transaction, the bitcoin technology can make it possible. The mobile app development company can give you more information about it and optimize the emerging technologies to meet your business requirements.

However, it is better to ask for the impact of integrating necessary functionality on the development cost to avoid any ambiguity.

8. Integrate Most Important Features Initially

Now, this is tricky! Your business app is an online solution for complex business processes and the customer’s demands. You need to identify the most important features for your business app. It requires a careful study of market trends, user behavior, and competitors’ apps.

If you want to keep the cost in check, you can consider only the most important features for the first version of your app. You can add other features in the subsequent versions. Many startups and SMEs get failed in achieving the objectives of the mobile app just because they could not find the most useful app features for their customers.

Here are the factors to keep in mind while choosing the most necessary features for your business app.

Market Trends

Your Business Model

Objectives of Your App

Target Audience

Competitors’ Moves

User Behavior

You can also consult entrepreneurs who have already brought the app similar to your app.

9. Consider Hourly Rates

Let’s recall the outsourcing option. We have mentioned the hourly rates of app developers. As the cost of app development largely depends on the complexity and development duration, the hourly rate can be a game changer.

Let’s understand how the variation in the hourly rates affects the cost of mobile app development through this example. The US and Canada-based app developers take anywhere between $150 to $200 for an hour. If your app is developed in 200 hours, you need to pay them around $35000. Indian app developers, on the other hand, take just $30 for an hour. Considering this rate, you can get the app in just $9000 including all other charges.

10. Work on Change Management

Last but not least. Change management can assist you to keep the cost within your budget. The mobile app development is an ongoing process and changes are inevitable. But then, frequent changes can distract the developers from the original concept. Change requests can be considered as a powerful internal force that can bring a slowdown in the process. It ultimately results in higher development time and cost.

Simply put, you need to stick to the app objectives and features as much as possible. It is also a good idea to make a product requirements document during the phase of conceptualization to meet the goals.

Well, that’s not all! Here we mention other essential aspects.

Simple app design

Simple is beautiful! You should never fall prey to a few development companies that claim to develop complex apps at competitive rates. Customized graphics and superfluous UI are costly, and it is possible that your customers may not like them. Instead, a simple design can ensure a seamless performance. All you should focus on the navigation and functionality of buttons. What’s more, a simple app looks in line with market trends and saves development time. In a way, it is easy to reduce the development cost with simple app design.

Use of Readymade solutions or plugins

Readymade templates can be customized for implementing a few UI (User Interface) features. Some ready-to-use solutions are free of charge and make your app feature-rich at affordable rates. Payment and mapping domains have many such readymade plugins. Push notifications can also be integrated through a push notification plugin in both iOS and Android apps.

However, the integration of such solutions may make your app unstable and reduce its scalability. Therefore, you should consult an iOS or Android app development company for integrating them properly. The experienced team of developers knows the extent to which these ready-to-use plugins or solutions are used.

Regular Supervision

You may wonder: How can regular supervision help you decrease the cost? Well, regular communication and constant monitoring of the development process can minimize the chances of human errors or overlooking any important issues. Remember, even a slight mistake can hamper the performance of your app, and at times, results in a longer development duration. Also, the identification of issues in the early stages is more beneficial than that after the release of your app.

When you hire mobile app developers, the development company assigns you a team consists of a project manager, app developers, designers, and a QA executive. You can rely on them, but regular communication is essential to keep them on their toes!

Wrapping it Up

Mobile app development is a costly affair, especially when you want an enterprise-grade app for your business. Hope these factors will help you keep the app development budget in your control. A reliable mobile app development company can cast light on these aspects, and assist you to get a future-ready mobile app without spending a small fortune.