4 Steps to Developing a Successful App | DECEMBER 2022

Mobile apps have revolutionised the way we live, from conveniently ordering late-night cravings to
easily finding your way around a foreign country. And there’s no denying that apps have exponentially
boosted businesses and help reach their goals.

Businesses who develop their own mobile apps provide a better experience for their customers. It gives
the customers ease and convenience, enabling the business to build relationships with their customers
and ultimately gain their loyalty. Afterall, it is reported that Australians spend an average of 3 hours and
53 minutes using their mobile phones each day, with 788 million mobile apps downloaded in the past
year. So, a mobile app for your business means creating new revenue channels and giving you a
competitive edge. Missing out would mean missed opportunities for conversions and growth.

On the back end, mobile apps improve the employee experience. Employees can swiftly access work-
specific information and data in real-time no matter where they are in the world, this kind of
accessibility has become an essential part of every modern-day employee. This not only saves time, but
also streamlines your workflow and boosts employee satisfaction. Check out how we developed an app
that helps our client’s employees effortlessly navigate around their building and locate other employees,
click here.

So, how do you build a successful app? We’re here to breakdown the app development process and give
you a quick guide on what each step entails. Read on!

Analysis & Strategic Planning

First order of business is to define your app’s purpose and the users it will cater to. Once you’ve
established the app’s goals and objectives, it's also important to do some research on your competitors.
See what they are doing and how you can provide a better experience with your app. Identifying your
core concept is crucial in ensuring that you end up with a great final product.

This step involves discussing with the development team and analysing obstacles that your custom app
can solve. Whether it’s a consumer-facing app or an app to streamline your workflow, this phase must
establish your app’s functionality and the best technologies to utilise. That includes deciding if you’ll
build your app for iOS or Android mobile platforms.

UI/UX Design
Now that you have a well-defined strategy and roadmap, it’s time to design your app! The main goal for
this step is to deliver a seamless experience to your users with a branded and polished look. Think about
how you would like for them to feel and what they will learn about your business as they navigate
through your app.

Your app’s success is hinged upon how intuitive, interactive, and user-friendly it is. The design stage is all
about creating the best User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX). With that, collaboration and clear
communication are the secret ingredient to formulating a sleek, unified design with just the right
number of features to keep your users engaged, not overwhelmed.

Here at Lateral, we follow an agile approach in our development process. We put emphasis on what our
clients have in mind and how we can execute successfully with tech considerations. Our app developers
work closely with every client, ensuring that they get the best results that not only meets their
expectations but is also instilled with the expert advice from our seasoned developers on how to
strategically design your app.

Development
To put it simply, this is when your app will be built. After this stage, you will be able to see your app
ideas come to life. To commence this phase, you will need to define the technical architecture of your
app and choose your tech stack.

On the back end, this will include the database and server-side objects that are needed to support your
app’s functionality. Next is the Application Program Interface (API), this will determine how the back end
and app will communicate with one another.

Then there’s the front end, it is essentially the app that your users will install and interact with on their
mobile devices. Apps generally consist of interactive user experiences that utilise real-time data with
network connection between the app’s front end and back end.

This part of the app development process usually takes three to six months to complete, the level of
your app’s complexity determines how much time it will take to complete the development process.

Application Testing
Now it’s time to test your shiny new app! Thorough testing enables you to ensure that your app is
stable, usable and most importantly, secure. In order to provide that quality assurance, you must
conduct several tests that address the different aspects of your app.

USER EXPERIENCE TESTING

This crucial step confirms if your app is aligned with the user experience created by the app design team.
Your app’s visuals will give the user the first-hand impression of your app, so testing will consist of
checking if all the fonts, brand colours, and style are aligned with your business’ branding throughout
the app.

FUNCTIONAL TESTING

While we can’t predict the exact behaviour of every user, functional testing establishes that nearly every
possible behaviour is proven to work. This test also allows you to check out any bugs and iron out the
entire journey for a smooth experience. This test’s main purpose is to ensure that your app’s features
and functionality are working perfectly.
PERFORMANCE TESTING

This test measures your app’s performance based on loading time and response time to the user
requests. The test also checks how the app will handle any usage spikes by simulating the maximum
number of concurrent users.

SECURITY TESTING

Lastly, security must be of utmost importance to every mobile app. Any vulnerability that may be
overlooked can be a hackers way in. Lateral’s security audit thoroughly analyses the app’s level of
security and areas that need further improvement. Our Security Audits are conducted by experts with
over 30 years of experience and a sharp eye for quality and vulnerability.

CONCLUSION

And there you have it; these are the steps to build an app!

Behind every successful app development is a dedicated team of experts equipped with years of
experience in providing robust, custom solutions to a variety of businesses of different industries.

Here at Lateral, innovation and technology are at the very core of our ethos. We’re passionate in
developing perfectly tailored custom solutions to catapult every client to their success.

Ready to turn your app ideas into reality? Get in touch with us today!