The right way to start creating your application is by following an app development checklist that keeps you organized and pretty much on schedule. It is challenging for most developers as there is so much to build, whether for oneself or a client.
Unless there is a clearly defined process, keeping the technical and commercial aspects aligned can be overwhelming. Nonetheless, this sync is necessary to position the business for growth. After all, the whole idea behind creating an application is to generate revenues through customer interaction, ads, or some other form of monetization.
It can be a cumbersome process that makes you lose track of what you intend to achieve with the application. The only way to avoid that is by following a well-defined app creation process, and that is what we are about to discuss.
Below is a checklist of all the key essentials you need to define to create a roadmap for the app building process.
1. Choose the platform
Before developing an application, you need to know the platform for which you are creating it. It is more or less a region-specific decision, and, in most cases, the choice is between Android and iOS — the two most popular operating systems in the world.
So, while finalizing between the two platforms, you’ve got to consider the demographics. For instance, the number of iOS users in the North American region is higher than Android users. However, it is exactly the opposite in most Asian countries where the Android OS is widely accepted.
Once you’ve chosen the platform, you can start developing a native Android or iOS application. However, before you do that, you must know that native apps are platform-exclusive, and if you have one created for Android, you’ll have to create an entirely different one for iOS. A better alternative is to opt for hybrid development to deploy the same application on multiple platforms.
2. Prioritize app security
You’d be amazed at the creative ways in which cybercriminals attack applications and use them for nefarious purposes like data theft, ad scams, crypto-jacking, etc. It is done by exploiting preexisting vulnerabilities in the code or by inserting malicious snippets into it. These attempts can be thwarted by strengthening the application security posture, which begins with upholding code integrity.
So, even if budget is a constraint, make it a point to invest in a cost-effective, cheap code signing certificate that comes with the timestamping option. Primarily, the code signing certificate validates the code’s integrity and confirms its credibility. It stands testimony that the app comes from a reliable source and has not been tampered with since inception.
3. Define your objective
An application can do many things — customer interaction, promotion, order management, and much more. You need to know what you intend to achieve with the application, which could be a long list of objects. So, list them out on a priority basis. You’ll be able to distinguish between the core functionalities your app needs and the supplementary ones that can be incorporated later on.
You can identify them by collaborating with various stakeholders like the sales and marketing heads, inventory managers, and the procurement team. Their inputs help you chalk out the core functionalities you need to include in the application immediately and the ones that can be included later. These insights enable you to plan the right technologies and architect the app accordingly.
4. Budget it up
Now that you know the must-haves and should-haves, it is time to work out the commercials, and how you do it depends on whether you have an in-house team or plan on outsourcing the application development. If you have an in-house team at your disposal, you need to work out the number of hours it would take for your resources to build the application.
If you plan on outsourcing, it is always better to get a detailed quotation with a feature-wise breakdown, allowing you to have better control over the developmental costs. Besides development, you would also have to invest in app testing, deployment, promotion, and security essentials like application threat monitoring and response tools. So, make sure to allocate some of the budgets for those purposes also.
5. Form a monetization strategy
The very purpose of creating an application is to generate revenues from it, and how you do it varies depending on your business model. For example, an e-commerce site owner may want to add free shipping and other perks for premium members, while a service provider may offer a live chat support option. In stark contrast, utility app developers may want to use ads or affiliate promotion to generate revenues. So, there might be a difference in how things are done, but having this sorted out beforehand makes the app development process much more fruitful.
6. Test the app
Before deploying the application and making it available to users, it is important to perform internal and external testing. This is essential for the app to work well on multiple operating systems and devices. Also, it helps deal with security issues by identifying bugs, which are best fixed before the deployment. The best way to do this is by hiring a cybersecurity firm to perform extensive device and performance testing.
7. Make use of a threat monitoring tool
An application threat monitoring and response tool is the most prudent solution to enhance your security posture. It lets you investigate the threats, block them, and remediate them as well. You can find many available on the market. However, always make it a point to pick one that offers advanced reporting because that’s essential to remain compliant with laws and regulations like the GDPR, GLBA, and Sarbanes-Oxley, which require immediate reporting of threats to protect personal and financial data of the citizens.
Final takeaway
Application development can be a tedious process, but it becomes more convenient with the above-discussed app development checklist. Therefore, we have provided a granular checklist that lays down the roadmap for businesses to strategically plan their applications and launch them without any unforeseen obstacles. It reduces the time taken to develop an application, which directly impacts the costs incurred. Thus, having an app development checklist makes the entire process more efficient and productive.
