A Step by Step Guide to Mobile App Development Process: For 2022 & Beyond
Published: 2022-07-19 16:58:07

Do you want to create a mobile app? If yes, you're not the only one. Given that the projected revenue of mobile apps via the app store and in-app advertising is about to hit $693 billion, many people are looking to have a piece of the pie. 

But, will all of these apps become successful? 

The stats say otherwise. [Gartner predicted once](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2014-01-13-gartner-says-less-than-one-tenth-percent-of-consumer-mobile-apps-will-be-considered-a-financial-success-by-their-developers-through-2018) that only 1 in 10,000 apps have the chance of being financially successful, and seeing the current scenario, I can say that things haven't changed much.

The only thing that can make your app stand out from the 9999 apps and succeed is a well-defined mobile app development process. 

A mobile app development process contains seven stages, and in this blog, we'll learn about all of them in detail. Let's begin:

## Understanding the Seven Stages of the Mobile App Development Process

**Stage 1: Strategy**
Laying out a strategy is the first step to bringing your app idea to life. A strategy will help an app development team have a clear picture of what you want so that they can take the necessary steps towards achieving your vision. 

Following are things we do in the strategy phase of the [mobile app development process](https://www.netsolutions.com/insights/how-to-make-an-app/):

- Identify the target audience for your mobile app.
- Research your competitors to see how they're doing things.
- Identifying the gaps in the market.
- Establish the goals and objectives of your app.
- Choosing the right platform (iOS/Android) for your app.

**Stage 2: Planning & Analysis**
The planning and analysis stage is when your mobile app idea starts shaping. Here's everything that happens during the planning and analysis of your mobile app:

- The phase begins with defining use cases for your app and capturing the functional requirements in detail.
- Once we have identified and captured the functional requirements, we prepare a product roadmap to prioritize mobile app requirements and group them into delivery milestones. We prioritize an MVP for the initial launch if time and resources are a significant concern.
- The next step is to identify the skills and resources we need for developing your apps, such as the technology stack and core members of your app development team.
- Choosing a unique name for your app is also a part of the planning and analysis phase.

**Stage 3: UI / UX Design**
The next stage in the mobile app development process is to design an appealing, intuitive, and feature-rich user experience that can keep users hooked. This stage is critical because people perceive your app based on its look. There are times when even the best apps fail to be impressive because the user experience is sub-standard.

Here's everything we do in the UI/UX design phase:
1. Laying Out the Information Architecture & Workflows
The information architecture and workflow of an app determine how your app will display to users, what data it will collect, how users would interact with your app, and what would be their journey within the app.

2. Creating Wireframes
Sometimes also referred to as low-fidelity mockups, wireframes are the conceptual layouts that give a brief overview of the visual structure of your app's functional requirements. These wireframes ensure you can focus on the aesthetics and the user experience of the app - not just color schemes and style.

Essential Tip: Always consider device-specific design while creating wireframes for your app. It will ensure the user experience appears seamless on each device.

3. Defining the Style Guide
A style guide is a document containing the design standards your organization follows. Following are the thing an organization's style guide includes:

- What font you'll use in your app's text?
- What would be the color scheme?
- How will the app reflect your brand?

4. Creating Mockups
Mockups are the final rendering of your app's visual design. We create them by applying your brand's style guide to the app's wireframes.

5. Building Prototypes
Prototypes are click-through versions of your app's mockups. They simulate the user experience you would expect from a fully-furnished app. 

**Stage 4: App Development**
The app development stage is when the actual development/programming effort starts. But before that, there are many things you need to do, such as:

- Defining the technical architecture
- Choosing a technology stack
- Defining the development milestones.

Also, there are many [software development](https://www.netsolutions.com/software-development-company) approaches you can choose from, such as waterfall, agile, Kanban & Scrum, etc. The choice of the process depends on your app's size and features.

**Stage 5: Testing **
Testing in mobile app development is as essential as planning, designing, and development. It ensures your application is stable, secure, and free of vulnerabilities. 

Test cases are the most crucial aspect of mobile app testing as they ensure that no part of your mobile app remains untested. Besides, test cases also help you keep track of fixes for retesting. 

Following are the types of tests we conduct during the testing phase of the mobile app development process:

- User experience testing
- Functional testing
- Performance testing
- Security testing
- Device & platform testing

Note: One approach that would help you during the testing phase is to include your QA team right from the analysis and design phase. It will help them stay familiar with your app's objectives to produce accurate results.

**Stage 6: Deployment 
**Once your app is ready and approved after rigorous testing, it's time to deploy it on the Google play store or the Apple app store. For this, you'll need a developer account.

Besides, here are a couple of other things you need to release your app on the app store: 

- A unique name for your app 
- App Description
- Category for your app
- Relevant keywords for your app
- Launch icons
- Screenshots

As iOS apps go through an in-depth review process, it may take a few days to a few weeks to publish on the app store. However, we don't need any such review process for the Android app, and they become live just a couple of hours after the submission.

**Stage 7: Maintenance & Support**
Maintenance & support is the most crucial step in the app development process - partially because it never comes to an end. Once your app is live, it becomes your responsibility to monitor its usage and look for ways for improvement. 

To offer successful maintenance and support, always encourage people to share unfiltered opinions and suggestions about your app. It will help you pave the way for the further iterations of your app. Besides, you also need to stay on top of your technology game and routinely update your app for new devices.

End-to-end support is another factor you shouldn't miss. Ensure you acknowledge the problems users face with your app and fix them on time. 

## In a Nutshell
So, you learned about seven crucial stages of the mobile app development process. Now, you might know what it takes to create a successful app from scratch. You might have also understood that app development is a continuous process. Here, you keep looking for new ways to improve your app and entice users because that's what most successful apps have been doing for years.

Still, if there is anything you want to know about the mobile app development process, feel free to share it in the comments. I would be happy to help.