As technology is constantly evolving, so are mobile apps! The way people use smartphones has changed dramatically in the past few years due to the availability of high quality smartphone devices that do almost everything directly through software.
With all these new features and apps, there’s always something new to try out. If you want to start developing your app skills, here are five common mistakes that beginner app developers make. These can be made during either the early stages of app development or even later if they are not fixed soon enough!
You probably already know some of these by now, but it's never too late to learn more about them, right? Read on to see what they are and how to avoid making these mistakes yourself.
Not making your app useful
Apps that do not fulfill their purpose are frustrating for users to use. There is already an overabundance of apps in the market, so if you have an idea that seems interesting, go ahead and create it!
But before you launch your app, make sure it adds value to people. You should consider how much value your app gives to others and whether or not it is worth paying for.
If you feel that your app can be copied or replaced easily, then it may not add enough value to keep up with the competition.
Also, make sure your app does not violate any laws. We cannot tell you how many times we heard about an app that allowed users to steal money or hurt other people. Both of these things are illegal, so please make sure your app does not contain such content.
Not testing your app
Even if you have no idea what to do with apps, or even how to use them, it is important to test yours.
Testing means trying out your app by yourself or using a person who will not mind if your run into problems while using it. Testing can be done at home, in a private room, or online.
There are many ways to test an app. You can try searching the app for functions or features, looking up reviews for the app, and then experimenting to see if those work.
By doing this, you will learn a lot about the app and how easy or difficult it is to find things in it!
And remember, whether you are testing as a user, developer, or both, there is no reason to go hard on the app unless it has failed its purpose already.
Not having a launch plan
Even though you have made your app, uploaded it onto the Google Play or Apple Store’s mobile platform, and even got some feedback, nothing happens! You spend all this time creating your app and launching it, and there is no success whatsoever?
This isn’t very motivating!
You start to feel discouraged and take breaks before diving back in, but then what? You will lose all that hard work!
Luckily, most people make these mistakes because they don’t have a launch strategy. They just kind of give up and think “well, I tried my best”.
Not knowing marketing
Marketing is an integral part of creating successful apps. You cannot develop a great app without it! Luckily, there are lots of ways to market your app effectively, and you do not need expensive tools or fancy strategies to get results.
Most people start by trying to gain attention for their app through social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. They will add links to their website and put up posters and billboards around town. While these are good starting points, they can be very costly and time consuming. It is much better to try other more cost-effective methods first.
There are many free online resources that offer marketing tips and tricks. Some of the best websites out there have a beginner’s section with easy to understand lessons that don’t require too much knowledge of internet marketing. These tutorials can help you create a buzz about your app, increase its exposure, and draw in new users.
Infohesia is one of the top smartphone review sites that has helpful content for both novices and advanced marketers. Their articles focus on different types of marketing (social media listening, paid advertising, etc.) and how to implement them into your business.
They also write short reviews on different services and products related to mobile technology, which can help give you some ideas while you're looking to spread your app's name.
Lack of proper research
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As mentioned before, research is one of the most important things app developers must do to ensure their apps are successful. If you’re looking to take your career or current project to the next level, make sure you have done enough research to know what works and what doesn’t in the field that you want to be part of!
Researching different aspects of an industry is very valuable as it gives you insight into how professionals within that area conduct business and what worked for past projects they completed. By doing this, you can pick up some great tips and tricks from them!
By investing time in learning about the tech field you are working in, you will not only improve your own skill set but also learn something new every day. This will help you be a more productive worker and keep yourself motivated, especially when you find there is little motivation in your workplace.
Disregarding the feedback
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As we can see, most of these issues are caused by developers ignoring or dismissing user feedback. If you ever find yourself in this situation where people complain about an app feature or bug, take some time to read up on what changes the developer has made recently, and whether those changes have improved the experience for other users.
If possible, give the developer your input and tell them how to fix the issue! They’d be surprised at just how many times someone with a similar problem has already fixed it.
It is very common for experienced software engineers to assume that things work properly so they do not look into why something does not work as expected. This was definitely the case for me when I first started programming. It takes a lot of effort to recognize there may be another person who knows more than you, and learning from their mistakes is always worth it.
Inadequate budget
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As mentioned before, creating an app is not cheap! Even with the most cost-effective ways to create your own app, you will still need to purchase some apps that contain features like fonts, graphics, or UI components.
Most of these apps are already built up so all you have to do is install them and add features or changes onto the app. This way you can get almost everything needed for free!
By buying these apps as blanks, you will be able to edit them and make your app look its best. There are many free online resources such as Adobe Photoshop or Microsoft Office where you can easily modify anything.
What are the major challenges faced by Android app developers?
Being able to use both Java and Objective-C as programming languages is one of the most fundamental things that any mobile app developer must be familiar with.
However, not every company will give you direct access to these tools unless you work at their level.
That’s why this article will focus more on the challenges faced by new android app developers who are looking to get into developing apps full time.
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Beyond just knowing how to use Android or iOS, what software development tools are available for app makers is another key factor in becoming a successful developer.
There are many free and paid apps that can help you create your own applications or make it easier to develop their already-existing ones. These include apps with visual design templates, prototyping tools, animation programs, interactive stories, voice recording apps, and more.
Some of these apps have been made specifically for developers to easily add components into new projects. For example, some organize all of your project resources (think Dropbox) so you don’t have to go looking through files, documents, and notes yourself. This saves you time!
And while not every professional designer has the creative talent to contribute something beautiful to an application, there are plenty of free image and font libraries out there where anyone can contribute. You might be surprised at the things people will share if you ask nicely enough.
What mistakes should you avoid in mobile app design?
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As you can see, there are several ways to go wrong when it comes to app design. Luckily, however, we have some tips for you as mobile application developers!
Here are five of the most common mistakes that new app designers make. If you’re looking to take your career or personal app design skills up a notch, then be sure to look out for these pitfalls.
As an app developer, you need to stay on top of your game by paying close attention to what apps are doing well and how they fit into the market. How much better your apps are depends on whether you make the same mistakes that other developers do!
There are several types of mobile apps that fail for one reason or another. Some don’t work because there isn’t enough interest from people to use them, while others lose momentum quickly as users find their ways to solve the problem.
Whatever the cause, most failures come down to one thing: bad design. Unfortunately, too many creators give up way before they should because they don’t think their ideas will ever be seen.
Don’t let this happen to you. If you have an idea that can help other people, go ahead and share it.
What could go wrong when creating an app?
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As we have seen, creating apps is not easy. It takes time to hone your skills as a developer, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you make a mistake.
As you gain experience, you will learn how to avoid making these mistakes, but even having just one error can cost you significant amounts of money in terms of wasted hours.
So what could go wrong when creating an app? Here are five common types of errors that new developers often make.
1. Not testing his or her app on different devices
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This seems like a silly thing to say, but it’s very important! If you plan on putting your app online, then you must test it on at least one smartphone model (e.g. Samsung Galaxy) and one tablet model (e.g. Apple iPad).
Why is this so crucial? Because people use various sized phones and tablets, and the screen sizes vary greatly from country to country. In some countries, there are only phone screens with small screen real estate, while others have large mobile device screens.
If your app does not look good on all size screens, then users may end up downloading it if they live in a country where it looks better, or perhaps searching for another similar app that works better for them.
This would hurt your app’s reputation, and potentially lower its sales because people might choose not to buy it or return their purchases.
As with anything else, there are always ways to do something wrong when you make apps. Some of these mistakes are so common that they really hurt your app’s reputation even before it has a chance to be seen by potential users!
Here we will go over five such types of errors that new smartphone app developers often make. Pay close attention as we dive in and learn how to avoid each one.
1. Using Poorly Nouned Titles For Your Apps
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Many people start their search for apps by typing the name of the app into the Google Play or Apple Store mobile app. This is a very good idea since both companies pay per minute spent looking through the store lists, but only if you actually find a match first!
The problem comes after you click “buy” and then discover that the app no longer exists or isn’t what you thought it was. Why would anyone buy something called “X Best Foods” instead of “Y Best Foods�”?
Luckily, this happens less than most think. A recent study found that just under one third of app buyers get confused about the title of the app.
Conclusion
Being an app developer is not for the faint of heart or inexperienced users. There are many things you will need to learn, and there’s always something new you can try your hand at.
If you want to make money as a mobile game designer, then starting off by making simple games isn’t a bad idea. Or even better, why don’t you start off by designing some apps? You could easily pick someone else's app to improve upon, or create your own!
As with anything creative, it takes time to perfect your craft, so don't feel like you have to do this alone. Read up on tips and tricks, talk to experienced designers, and keep yourself organized.
