Development cost is a major concern for any app development project. During the development, many things can change and the early cost estimates can fluctuate drastically. Therefore, it is imperative for business owners to find ways to cut costs wherever they can. The limited budget on the table even derails the idea of developing a project, losing new business opportunities. The mobile app development cost is constituted by several factors that meet you at different stages of the process and then, the duration of the process also unleashes to be a contributing checkpoint to the total expense. So, the question is: how to reduce the development cost of an app?
And in this blog post, we will discuss ten ways you can use to reduce your mobile app development cost.
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How Much Does App Development Cost?
There are many factors that affect mobile app development costs. While the iOS app development cost can be in contrast to Android app development, there are many other checkpoints such as the cost of hiring the mobile app developers, features, and marketing.
Here are some of the major factors affecting the development cost of an app:
- Type of app
- App development team
- UI/UX
- Features
- Platform
- Testing
- Updates and maintenance
The project development process introduces several spots where you have the scope to reduce the cost and time to a significant amount. It requires understanding the project well and paying attention to each and every step of the way.
Let us now move ahead to discuss ways to reduce mobile app development costs without compromising the quality.
Tips to Reduce the App Development Cost
Specify your Requirements
Thorough planning and detailed description of your idea play an essential role in the success of your mobile app development project. You will need to bring every requirement related to the process to the paper which will enable your team of mobile app developers to understand your requirements. It is also crucial that you detail your goals to every possibility as it will increase clarity and block any misunderstanding from ruining the final product.
Describing your app development projects involves:
- Clarity about your purpose
- Functional aspects
- Platforms your app will work on
- A list of all the factors that will help the user
- UX/UI and more
The development cost of an app will be concluded based on the detailed description of your project. Using these checkpoints, developers will be able to come to a mobile app development cost estimate which will allow you to plan and implement the work that can be done to minimize the cost figure.
Have a Prototype
Composing a prototype for your mobile app is a practical way to reduce the cost of app development. You can take a hand from your team of developers to cook a clickable prototype using tools such as Figma or Adobe XD. Your prototype will represent the entire working of your app and get you to navigate through the rights and – the wrongs. You can then leverage this to refine the user experience of your app and see if the development process is all set to gear up.
Take it slow with MVP
An MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is all about a project that only has essential features. It is an approach based on creating different versions of a product, monitoring the results, and then making the next move to enhance the product to make it more profitable.
Moreover, MVP allows you to create a sales roadmap and examine it. It involves parameters like consumer choice and the demand for specific features. But how does an MVP help you reduce the cost of developing an app? Well, when you have an MVP:
- You stop spending your budget on developing a complete product that your customers don’t even need.
- You realize the features that are actually in demand.
- You spot the room for improvement in terms of features and functions and tech aspects of your app.
- It gets easier for you to change the flow of the process and reflect on your goals, target audience and the right plan to attract profits.
Start your project with a certain amount of money and focus on understanding all those features that are not in demand and the ones that are. The very first version of your app should help you navigate the operational aspects and enable only those functions which are non-negotiable for your target audience.
Don’t Compromise on Quality Testing
Even if you are not commencing a big project, you should not sideline the idea of QA specialists. Quality Testing is pivotal in a typical app development cost estimation and it is not negotiable to spend well enough on this procedure. In fact, the testing process undergoes more endeavors than you think.
You can let your team of Quality Assurance experts keep a strong eye on the scope of errors which might translate to additional mobile app development cost post-release. Preventing the flaws at the development stage will save you from negative reviews.
Choose the Right Platform for Mobile App Development
One of the most effective ways to reduce app development costs is to find the right mobile app development platform. The platform solution you choose is also going to affect the cost of marketing. Whether you are considering iOS or Android, it is imperative to conduct market research.
The cost of app development can vary depending on the platform you choose for your project. If you are opting for Android native app development, it can be a costly deal – owing to the amount of time consumed in the process and maintenance. On the other hand, iOS native app development can be carried out comparatively at a faster pace and it is usually cheaper. However, it takes time to bring an iOS app to the app store. This is where we meet the middle ground – cross-platform development.
Cross-platform development is an incredible alternative to the native development approach, especially if you are finding a way to reduce app development cost. A cross-platform app functions on Android, iOS, and Windows with a single codebase which brings a remarkable drop in the development costs.
Hire Mobile App Developers
Hiring mobile app developers for your project development paves another way for you to minimize app development costs. In-house developers may sound like a great idea from a certain vantage point but hiring a team of mobile app developers for your project can drastically reduce the cost.
Finding in-house developers is not as easy or cost-effective as hiring a mobile app development company for a specific project. The former brings the expense of recruiting and maintaining employment. Hiring a mobile app development company helps you with a team of developers that has the right set of skills for your project. It saves both time and money that is otherwise spent recruiting the team.
Check up on the Guidelines
When mobile apps are devised in pace with the guidelines of the OS, they make an extra way into an appealing look and familiarity for users. It gets more seamless for users to navigate the behavior as well as the arrangement of the app. Furthermo+re, they become able to solve issues more effectively and get to make the most of the user experience with the app.
Consider Third-party Tools
When you already have third-party integrations to accompany you throughout your mobile app development journey, why would you take the long route and bear on the mobile app development cost? It is only the loss of time and money to bring a totally new component into the picture when the desired work can be efficiently done with the help of ready-made frameworks that only demand a configuration procedure from your end.
There are a number of frameworks, APIs, libraries, and solutions available that you can utilize to accentuate certain features and simplify the implementation of your project. If you have a team of experienced developers, they will definitely be able to help you with the decision-making on the components and you will have an easy way of deciding if it is a good idea to rely on a ready-made solution.
Go for Automated Tasks
When you come across repetitive tasks in your app development process, the best way to treat them is to treat them out with automation. Recurring tasks such as changing notifications, testing, etc. bear the increased chances of error, and thus, the most workable idea is to automate them as doing this will help minimize the development cost of an app and save your time.
Don’t Rush It
While the goal is to reduce the app development cost and wrap it up in less time, it is not a sound plan to demand that your developers reap you the fastest release of your project. Pushing the project to haste is more likely to disrupt the hard work and unfold an unwanted result. In a rush, the product may turn out to be a disaster or miss out on the sheen which you expect it to be studded with.
In the heat of fueling the development speed, the pressure of time, and immense pressure to bear the expected outcomes within a strict deadline, developers often end up dodging the quality. It leads to mistakes that turn out to be billing more time to fix the disaster and the costs hit the roof. Sounds terrible, right? So, the point is to set realistic deadlines, leave room for extra time and not force the pace.
Bonus: Offer Feedback
Sounds cliché but the delivery of constructive feedback can bring about a predominant effect on the overall cost of mobile app development. Even if you are going to hire mobile app developers, it is vital that you keep offering your feedback. Paying attention to every detail and offering feedback will enable your developers to understand what needs to be done and what looks perfect to go.
Summary
The mobile app development cost is not necessarily a pocket-pleaser. However, you can enjoy the possibility of saving up big on the cost without even needing to compromise the quality if you have your project in the hands of the right app development team.
A thorough plan, adopting the right technology, keeping up with guidelines, optimizing functional details, and a number of other ways in the article will prove to be useful in reducing the app development cost and rewarding you with great returns.
If you are looking for an experienced team that you could rely on for the development of your project, we are just a call away. You can share your idea and project description with us and we will have your back in transforming everything you aim for into a spectacular outcome.
