20 Common Mistakes All Founders Make While Developing a Mobile App

The number of mobile applications available for download in app stores is rising. Although the figures are striking, app stores frequently remove poor-quality content from their app stores. Even if users download your app, there is no guarantee that they will keep it. The statistics show the opposite– over 90 percent of downloaded apps are only used once and then deleted. 

But why? Didn’t the app meet the users' needs? Did they have a poor user experience? Was the app not engaging enough?   

To ensure that the mobile app you develop covers applications’ best practices, we advise avoiding a few serious slip-ups before jumping into hard coding. Here is a list of 20 mobile app development mistakes you should avoid to guarantee that your development process goes smoothly, leading your app to success. We will also share Artkai’s expertise in mobile app development by reviewing our case studies, such as ProCredit and Red Rocks. 

Not Setting Up The App Goals

Whether you are an experienced entrepreneur or a growing start-up, defining your application development objectives can ensure a product/market fit. 

The objectives you decide will serve as your compass as you create, release, and maintain your mobile app. Since the mobile app market is overcrowded, establishing measurable goals and objectives enables you to assess your app's performance and see how users interact. Therefore, focusing on precise positioning in solving a particular problem will help you ensure the success of your app.

Not Paying Enough To Research

Some web and mobile development companies need to pay more attention to the meaning of in-depth research and business analysis of what they do. To do sufficient research in UX design, organize the Discovery phase to validate the idea and reveal inconsistencies as early as possible, not get back to them at the end, and redesign everything several times. 

At Artkai, we test our client’s ideas and marketability with a thorough discovery phase and consulting. This service will clarify your requirements and vision, help optimize development costs, ensure proper alignment with your business goals, and prevent the majority of risks and bottlenecks that arise throughout development. 

Failing To Understand What Your Users Want

Having an innovative idea for an application will not guarantee your success. You need to support your app development idea with a thorough understanding of your target market. The better you understand your users, the more likely you are to design and develop an app that works well for them. Therefore, user research is crucial to developing and promoting an app–the two most crucial components. 

Refrain from assuming anything about the requirements and actions of your potential consumers. You must ensure that your user research is accurate enough in addition to simply conducting market research. You can use the Golden Circle model by posing these three crucial questions to ensure your research is user-centered:

Poor Budget Management

Poor budget management is one of the common mistakes in mobile app development that may lead to app failure. Most apps on the market cost their creators hundreds of thousands of dollars to release. According to Clutch, a budget helps you manage the costs associated with the app development process. It aids your company in prioritizing the work required to build a functional mobile app.

Consequently, if the budget is not correctly controlled, you will have budget discrepancies that will cause problems with further updates, marketing, fixing errors, etc. Making a clear budget plan and diligently adhering to it are the best ways to prevent budget inconsistencies. Of course, it's challenging to foresee all unexpected expenses, so your budget should include an account for unforeseen problems, the need for additional team members, setbacks, etc.

Involving Too Many Stakeholders

While having many project stakeholders (for example, executives, employees, board members, and shareholders) might be a benefit, failing to manage them effectively can result in bottlenecks. Stakeholders frequently argue to have their viewpoints given priority. To deal with this, project managers must implement a project management plan where the roles and interests of each stakeholder will have different hierarchical responsibilities, such as decision-making, providing feedback, and making recommendations.

Not Building An MVP

Going forward with pricey software product development without first experimenting and fine-tuning your business concept is risky. A Minimum Viable Product (MVP) allows you to test your product in various situations. If you refuse MVP, you fail to test your initial product at an early stage and get priceless feedback from the early customers while development is still on. By making your MVP, you more readily comprehend your audience’s desires and necessities, plan an application that fits it, and provide the best customer experience. 

You may reduce time and financial waste risks using quick and affordable MVPs. At Artkai, we provide speedy execution and simple project scoping with MVPs that can identify design flaws and demonstrate the appropriate course of action before substantial investments are made in your app development.

Poor Communication During Development

Poor communication during the development process is one of the primary causes of mobile app failures. While most concur that good communication is crucial during a project, only a few think it works well in their companies. The resolution of any issues, however, should start with communication. 

Overcommunication is not real; it is better to repeat and double-check than forget to discuss essential requirements. You must inform your partners, coworkers, development team, or other team members of your progress or suggestions. Daily Scrum meetings and other team meetings will enhance communication in your team.

Not Paying Enough Attention To UI/UX Design

To think that no one cares about UX on mobile devices is a huge mistake to avoid. Not considering the mobile app UI/UX design is one of the common app development failures nowadays. The truth is that some poor UX/UI are the top reasons why individuals uninstall their apps. So, this idea should be kept away from no matter what, and instead, you must develop design apps with the latest UX/UI best practices.

Replicating Your Website Or Desktop App

Now that you know that mobile apps convert better than mobile web, you might be interested in developing an app. However, if you duplicate your website in the app, you will only waste time and resources. 

Mobile and web apps have different user experience requirements—both functionally and aesthetically. Customers typically have varying patterns of using their cell phones and desktop computers. Therefore, the feature list and design decision should account for this distinction.

Your app can be similar to your website, such as color design, theme, and brand image. But in general, your app should provide additional functionalities and a new user experience for your customers. 

Failing To Test Properly

Quality Assurance is something you should not forget about, either. QA specialists ensure an app will work under different circumstances and conditions. Not testing in different versions of OS, phones, and other devices may cause a consequence of various future problems. It’s vital to run tests on multiple devices for higher testing coverage, primarily those most frequently used by your target audience. 

Making The App Too Big

Smartphones and other mobile devices still have much less storage space than desktop computers, which is perhaps why most mobile users delete programs that consume a lot of data and slow down their devices. So, minimizing the size of your program should be a top focus. You should remember some crucial points: 

By making your app as light as possible, you improve the likelihood that users will install it and provide them with improved performance.

Building For Too Many Platforms

There may be a temptation to make it accessible to as many users as possible. While there are undoubtedly benefits to mobile app marketing, the cost of developing an iOS and Android app will probably be double that of a standard native mobile app. If you're creating a native app, focus on just one platform rather than expanding your early development costs and starting something you can't handle. Alternatively, you can use an app builder to develop iOS and Android simultaneously.

Overcomplicating The App With Features And Functions

Your budget will undoubtedly suffer if you build a complicated application, but that's not the only cost to consider. The development process will take longer as you add more features. Also, packing your app with features increases your risk of not meeting users’ needs. You can assume that your users will adore a particular feature but may not need to use it. Therefore, the MVP approach to app development is considered the most secure and advantageous in the long run.

Having A Never-Ending Improvement Cycle

Without question, it's essential to continuously improve your mobile app to ensure it succeeds in the market. Though you need to understand where to draw the line, though. No matter how hard you try, producing a perfect software product is impossible. You will eventually have to acknowledge that there are some things you will find out only after your app is released. Making an MVP will take you to a safe route, aiding in hastening the app improvement process and expediting the release of the finished product.

Measuring the Wrong Metrics

Tracking unrepresentative metrics is next on our common app development mistakes list. Doing this could give you a false sense of security and success, ultimately hindering your company's expansion. Let’s consider the number of downloads as an example. If you're only tracking this metric and see the number increasing across all platforms, that may seem like a success, but it is not always true. 

Monitoring the number of downloads alone does not accurately reflect client behavior. They can download and remove your app after five minutes. For this reason, in addition to tracking the number of downloads, you should also monitor user retention, customer lifetime value, etc. Check out our article about product development KPIs in our blog.

Not Preparing For Updates

Most mobile apps are updated frequently. Updates are a part of the app's life cycle. However, some app developers neglect to prepare the app for future updates. They forget about them, delay them, or choose not to release them for whatever reason. That is a considerable flaw from the customer's perspective. Updates address issues and bugs, enhance the app's functionality, and provide new features. Therefore, updating your app regularly is vital.  

Ignoring User Feedback

Never ignore any user feedback, especially if it is negative. If numerous customers complain about the same issue, mobile app developers should unquestionably consider implementing the essential modifications. User feedback on your app is one of the most valuable sources of information regarding potential mistakes and unfinished functions. The sooner you gather input by routinely monitoring app ratings and reviews, the better for the project.

Not Marketing Your App

Your product will eventually die slowly if you don't have an intelligent marketing plan. A crucial step in acquiring new app users and maintaining the app's profitability is app marketing. Your app marketing efforts should combine pre-launch and post-launch tactics for the best outcomes.

Market research, engaging your target audience, and developing a branding strategy for your app are typical pre-launch marketing activities. It's crucial to employ App Store Optimization (ASO) to drive organic traffic once your app has been released. You should also consider other advertising strategies, including sponsored advertisements, referrals, and viral loops.

Focusing On Downloads Instead Of Retention

The number of app downloads is frequently cited by developers as the definitive indicator of a successful mobile app. But this is merely the beginning of it all. App success does not always correlate with high download rates. Paying equal attention to user retention could result in significant marketing cost savings.

Existing app users can be a potential jackpot for generating a significant Return on Investment if they are appropriately engaged (ROI). Beyond only making repeat purchases, loyal customers take further action. They also provide valuable feedback and free word-of-mouth advertising for your brand. Making and keeping a fantastic app is just one step in optimizing your app for higher retention rates. High retention and high download rates result in a truly successful app.

Not Planning App Launch Thoroughly

Even when your mobile app is almost ready, not planning the product launch may cost you a failure. You’re making a huge mistake if there’s no proper plan for the mobile app launch and you don’t determine the appropriate period to introduce the app to the market. Also, pay extra attention to the onboarding process of your newly-made mobile app. You should know if the objectives are met without devising the app’s idea.

Artkai Expertise in Mobile App Development

Artkai is a customer-centric digital product development company building cutting-edge mobile apps that will astound your customers with superior functionality. We create scalable, secure mobile solutions for various platforms while keeping an eye on the most recent app trends to guarantee your commercial success and steer clear of typical mobile app development mistakes.

To rule the competitive digital app industry, our specialists create and publish feature-rich apps based on in-depth market research. Let's examine a few of our success stories.

ProCredit Georgia: Mobile Internet Banking

Our client, ProCredit Georgia, set out to entirely digitize banking services, reduce staff workload in call centers and physical branches, and enhance the efficiency of current instruments. 

The Artkai team completely redesigned the mobile banking app, adding video identification for onboarding, smart login, the My Finances feature, and bank account registration. For web banking, we also developed a dashboard and simple navigation.

Our efforts have had significant results:

Red Rocks: A Financial Wellness Application

Red Rocks, a company that offers a financial wellness app, hired Artkai to conduct extensive market research and create the rationale for a new system. It was based on a conceptual analog model of people's thoughts about money. We were able to make this vision a reality with the aid of our team's proficiency in research, UX/UI, business analysis, gamification, testing, and pre-development tasks.

Artkai created a thorough and reliable mobile app for Red Rocks based on a data-driven methodology. The software promotes the development of solid local support networks and aids users in making sound financial decisions. Following its release, the product received much positive feedback from businesses. By enhancing the Red Rocks app's features, Artkai will expand the environment for monetary wellness.

Master Your Mobile App Development with Artkai

Now that common app development mistakes are defined and underlined, unlikely you will make them again. Following the software product life cycle will help you to avoid most of the pitfalls in your app development process. Adhere to the best practices at every cycle stage by setting clear goals, planning your budget, understanding your users’ needs, communicating effectively with your development team, and testing and marketing your solution. 

If you need help, Artkai design and development experts may boost your mobile app success via a research-based approach at an early stage. Our customer-centric development will help turn your idea into a business-oriented product with fewer fails. With our innovative mobile solutions, you will dazzle your customers and accelerate your business growth.

Contact us to discuss your app idea and get an estimate.