5 ways to make the most of your mobile app development budget

The importance of mobile apps in the enterprise is unquestionable, especially as we move towards a fully tech-dependent society where customers are purchasing and paying virtually. However, a recent survey by Gartner revealed that enterprise spending on mobile app development remains slow. In fact, mobile accounts for only 10% of the overall application development budgets, which is 2% lower than last year.

“Demand for mobile apps in the enterprise is growing, but the urgency to scale up mobile app development doesn’t yet appear to be a priority for most organizations,” said Adrian Leow, principal research analyst at Gartner.

There are particular ways on how to maximize the mobile development budget to be able to get the desired return on investment (ROI) with less effort. Read on below how.

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1. Simplify everything

To keep up with the budget, simplification must be applied across the board. Start by asking app developers’ to simplify all tasks to be able to reduce their time, which will eventually help reduce cost. Make this possible by providing all the necessary information from the images used to the themes and colors applied on the app. There are other ways on how businesses can simplify app development, according to Locassa, such as releasing the app with only the basic features and functionalities.

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2. Clarify all details

To further reduce costs while doing less work, clarify every point to the developers before the production starts. Create a clear note on the specs sheet, including targets to focus on (expected end of development date). If you have no clear idea on where to get the important details, you can undertake research, surveys, or webinars from the targeted users. Be confident in conveying the requirements, as some developers charge more when they feel the client/s are new to the industry.

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3. Choose a mobile feature to highlight

Different mobile devices mean different operating systems and features that developers can use for the business app. First, choose the compatible OS for the app. Will it be limited to Android or iOS only? There are others available on the market such as Samsung’s Tizen and the OxygenOS on the OnePlus 3, which O2 said is “a simplified yet impressive operating system based on Android.” Second, pick out a particular mobile feature that will be highlighted or used by the app. It can be mPayment or the biometric sensor. By identifying said features, marketing the app becomes easier as you were able to easily find its unique selling point (USP).

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4. Build an effective budget

The most important thing that needs to be done is to build an effective budget based on the targeted goals. Smart Insights cited a way on how to calculate mobile development budgets. “To calculate the budget you should first establish how many users you should have, or if your funds are limited, how many you can afford to acquire. Then you will need the cost per install to arrive to a total daily ad budget,” according to the resource. If the app is intended for a large audience with an objective to acquire new users, then it’s going to be important to also plan an advertisement campaign budget.

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5. Beta test your own app

Beta testers’ insights are important as they offer a valuable outside perspective that help immediately catch issues with your app. It’s not only the details regarding bugs that matter – all the information that will make the app user-friendly needs to be determined. Instead of having to pay beta testers to test your app, you can test it yourself. Use analytics tools to help see all the important output. This will reduce costs and help you immediately point out things to fix before releasing it to the public.

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_{Exclusively written for Eurekasoft by TechnoloJVB}