The application development lifecycle has 6 proven stages that lead to the application’s release. In reality, the development process never ends with the initial release. There are always brighter ideas, new features, and enhancements that take you back into the development phase. Later, these ideas become the 2.0 version of your application. That’s what we call the “ongoing development process”.
Get better with each release
None of the market leaders such as Facebook, Instagram, Airbnb or Uber started with the functionality they have today. The initial version these giants released had almost nothing in common with the design and functionality we see today. Their key to success was continuous development that allowed them to stay competitive and win more committed users.
There are no rules that say you have an obligation to release a new version of your app regularly. However, the willingness to release new and improved versions of your application is what speaks to your readiness to have an ongoing dialog with your users. The more engaged your users feel, the better the ratings and reviews your application will have.
Think about your app 2.0 version from the start
Ongoing development requires scrupulously outlining the business process as well as the process of development itself. Obviously, no one can foresee every possible scenario for their particular application. But, you can rely on the analysis of the user’s response and marketplace requirements. And with a business analyst team, you will build the most appropriate product map. Together, you will outline the goals that the application should hit within a specific timeframe to win its audience.
So it shouldn’t be surprising that to stay competitive you should put your energies into the process of development.
The importance of ongoing development
From our experience, these are the considerations we recommend discussing with business analysts to determine the future state of your application.
- We stick to the minimum viable product approach when leading the product to market. At the start of the project, our business analysts discuss with clients the functionality they want to have in their apps. As a rule, our specialists recommend implementing crucial features first. Desirable features are second and become the points in the plan where updates are undertaken after receiving the user reaction.
- As you get the first batch of reactions, the users will probably report bugs and inconveniences you couldn’t foretell. What is more, they may suggest a direction to develop your application which is obvious for them as for users but wasn’t clear for you as the developer. Afterward, you must take this feedback seriously and set milestones and priorities for further development. As an example, one of our customers ordered an app that allowed for rating and advising restaurants. This customer desperately wanted to add an interactive map as well. However, the users of his app wanted to have an opportunity to chat and share their experiences.
- Marketplaces regularly update their requirements to apps in the stores. You can compare the requirements for 2018and for 2019 to see that the industry constantly works to ensure the safest and the highest quality products. Accordingly, you will have to upgrade your app to meet the industry standards.
- As the number of users of your app grows, you might require scaling of your application to maximize its performance. By doing this, you ensure that your application can handle the massive traffic it will receive.
- Progress never sleeps. The hardware, operating systems, programming languages, and libraries continue developing. As a result, you will constantly see new opportunities for improvement. And of course, this will motivate you to set new milestones in your plan for updates.
Plan your updates ahead
You need to require updates to stay ahead of the competition. And the better the strategy you outline, the more successful your app will be. When planning your ongoing process of application development the best possible strategy you can take is the following:
Prepare the first version of your application and while it is passing the quality assurance, start planning updates for the next iterations.
Take advantage of our experience
DB Best can make maintenance easier for you. We here at DB Best believe in the importance of ongoing application development. Finally, we want to stress how much the well-tuned process depends on the team supporting the application throughout its lifecycle. Developers can’t work with somebody else’s code as well as with their own. And again, none of the giants change their development teams in the middle of the process. That is why you should better consider a reliable application development partner to build trustworthy relationships
Ongoing development is the only proven way to keep your user’s attention and keep good rates on the marketplace. At the same time, it’s an amazing mean of communication with your audience. You listen to your users and build the roadmap based on their wishes. This is how you can build the best possible version of your application.
