How To Create an App in 12 Easy Steps (2024 Guide)

Between helpful development platforms and software programs that do much of the groundwork, many small businesses are developing mobile applications in-house. This trend has made it easier for startups and entrepreneurs to create their own apps without extensive coding skills.

As a result, more and more companies are embracing the utility of mobile app development for internal purposes or customer use. Although developing an app for the first time can be daunting, it can also be an incredibly rewarding experience.

This step-by-step guide will take you through the app development life cycle to help you create apps, whether you’re creating an iOS app, an Android app, or a cross-platform solution.

What to identify before developing a mobile app

While developing an app is pretty straightforward, planning a strategic digital solution can be complicated. Let’s explore the key factors to consider in the app development process.

1. Define your target audience

Make sure you have a good understanding of your target persona. Understand who your target users are, their goals, their behaviors and preferences, and the platforms and mobile devices they use.

This is where your app marketing may come into play. To help your target audience enjoy using the app, cater it to them. Consider the type of app that would best serve your users’ needs, whether it’s a native app, web app, or hybrid app.

Consider developing detailed user personas and conducting market research to identify specific app needs for your audience. This will help you create an app that resonates with your intended users and provides a great user experience (UX) across various screen sizes and devices.

2. Perform competitor research

Do your research to make sure your idea isn’t already on the market. You don’t want to develop your own app only to find that a similar one already exists, making your efforts redundant. Analyze the Apple App Store and Google Play Store to understand the competitive landscape.

Make sure your app strategy is unique to you or your company and user-friendly for your target users. For apps specific to a business, check out the competition to understand how your app will stack up against others already on the market. Look at their app functionality, user interface (UI) design, and user reviews to identify areas for improvement.

Use app store optimization (ASO) research tools to analyze competitor rankings, functionality, and user reviews. This can help you identify gaps in the market for your new app and inform your app idea. Pay attention to how competitors use keywords, screenshots, and app descriptions to attract users.

3. Decide on your operating system

There are two primary operating systems: iPhone and Android. Will your app be a native app, meaning it’s developed for a particular OS? Decisions on software compatibility will directly affect app functionality and the overall app performance.

A cross-platform framework—an app that works for both iOS and Android—is a simple way to set your app up for sustained success as more users can access it. To help you decide, consider your app’s development goals and the preferences of your target audience.

Consider the following options:

• iOS development. Use Swift or Objective-C programming languages with the Xcode development environment on a Mac.
• Android development. Use Kotlin or Java with Android Studio.
• Cross-platform development. Consider frameworks like React Native or Flutter for building apps on both platforms.

4. Incubate your app idea

Before taking those first actionable application development steps, consider whether your app is a solution to an existing problem. If it is, think about how it will help. Or, if your app is specific to your organization, consider how the digital solution strategy can help your company’s goals.

Pausing to reflect at this stage can enable you to preview your app’s future road map. Finalize your highest priorities for the app, making sure you and your team agree on the top goals.

5. Plan your app design and security

Your app design is key to its success. The program design must have a friendly UI. The easier it is to use, the more inclined users will be to download the app.

Consider using a wireframing and mockup tool like Sketch or Figma to visualize your app’s interface and flow. Follow best practices for mobile app design, and don’t forget to consider different screen sizes and device types. Plan for features like push notifications and social media integration early in the design process.

However, as important as the app’s design and content, don’t sacrifice security for their expense. People have valuable and potentially sensitive information on their phones. Consider data protection features and privacy settings.

How to develop an app in 12 steps

Building an app isn’t something that can be done overnight. Take these steps to ensure your app launches properly.

1. Identify an app idea
2. Conduct competitive research
3. Outline core features
4. Create mockups
5. Plan app security
6. Begin coding
7. Perform multiple tests
8. Gather and implement user feedback
9. Launch in the app store
10. Market your app
11. Continue to push new features and updates
12. Establish a development team
    ‍

1. Identify an app idea

Building an app starts with an idea. Whether it’s for e-commerce, productivity, health and wellness, finance, or any other area, clearly understand what your app does before beginning actual development.

A solid app idea allows you to plan well for what comes ahead. For example, you can figure out the crucial features the app needs to function. To illustrate, if you are building an e-commerce platform, you’ll need a list of products to populate on appropriate pages, a cart to track user items, and payment functionality through secure payment gateways.

To build a successful app, make sure your idea addresses a specific unfulfilled need in the market. For example, if you’re targeting an already congested area, your app should introduce distinct and innovative features to make it more appealing to prospective users.

2. Conduct competitive research

With nearly 2 million apps available to Apple users and more than 2.3 million apps to Android users, you’ll want to understand competitor features and customer requirements to make your product stand out. This research can help inform your app development strategy.

Start by researching the market to find apps produced by your competitors. You can outline what your competitors have done right and where they’ve fallen short. This research can help you gauge specific insights into what customers like and what you should do differently. Monitor user reviews and ratings to understand user pain points and preferences.

You’ll also want to understand the market you’re joining. You should be able to answer why the market needs your app and what you do differently to solve problems. You may want to consider talking with potential users. Interviewing customers for user feedback can give you specific insights into their needs and allow your team to develop features other companies have neglected.

3. Outline core features

Now that you understand what’s missing from the market and what your target users are searching for, you can develop key features that other development teams have neglected. Consider both the functionality and UX aspects of each feature.

Most mobile app developers create a mobile app that’s intuitive, easy to navigate, personalizable, and simple to use. In addition to this basic foundation, list potential features to set your app apart from your competitors. Some must-have features include simplicity, speed, and good image resolution.

Another feature to consider adding is cross-platform functionality, meaning compatibility with both major operating systems. Including a search option is another great utility feature to keep users engaged. While less useful for game-based applications, providing the ability to search the app is an effective option for e-commerce apps and social media apps.

Finally, consider allowing users to enable push notifications or social media linking. These provide users with relevant and personalized information, keeping them active and engaged over the long haul. Also, consider how to implement features like in-app purchases or subscriptions if they align with your monetization strategy.

While there are many exciting features to consider as an app maker, don’t forget to consider your business’s financial capabilities when outlining desired features. For example, while you might want to implement facial recognition for login capabilities, this might be expensive to develop. You can incorporate new features or updates once the app is live.

4. Create mockups

Once the team has gathered requirements and outlined key features, you’ll want to have a UI/UX designer develop a mockup, template, and sometimes a tutorial of what to expect from the app. This step is crucial in visualizing how your app will look and function.

A mockup is a detailed outline of the app’s appearance. Typically, it follows a cohesive color scheme and typography and includes images and the basic layout. When executed correctly, a mockup should give the development team a glimpse into how the app should look and operate.

The advantages of a mockup include:

• Allowing the development team to revise the app’s appearance
• Showing potential investors the app design before the development team begins coding
• Explaining the expectations for the development team
• Facilitating early usability testing and feedback

5. Plan app security

This next step in building apps is among the most important features your app can have: security. A single breach of the app could cost your company a loss of users and potentially millions of dollars.

Make sure the mobile app and platform are both secure through:

• Encrypted data. Use proper encryption of sensitive personal data scattered throughout your app’s software. Proper security steps include encryption of the local database, cache, or API communication.
• Authorized APIs. Application programming interfaces (APIs) are an essential part of the back end of programming development. Make sure the APIs you use for your application meet the verification standards for the platform your app is on.
• Strong authentication. Make sure the app uses the correct cryptographic key management and appropriate user session authorization—or tokens. Tokens are often assigned to each device and contain different session expiration times.
• Tamper-detection software. Consider including mobile-specific security features like tamper detection and other third-party software to stop hackers. For example, interprocess communication (IPC) enables communication among other apps and systems.
• Constant testing for potential breaches. Make sure to test for breaches constantly. Throughout the entire development process, consistently review your code. Identify potential security flaws before a hacker does when the app goes live.

6. Begin coding

Consider a few components before you start coding. First, there’s both the front end and back end to code. Front-end development refers to the “face” of the app—what the end-user will see. Back-end development is about the “behind the scenes” code, which dictates how the app functions.

You’ll want to coordinate front-end and back-end work processes for a cohesive end product. An Agile project management methodology can allow for efficient, adaptable, and flexible coding.

Further, consider coding in a test environment. Set up an appropriate test environment to check the software’s execution. Test environment considerations include the database server, front-end environment, operating system, and network. You can also designate a bug-reporting tool for accurate and granular test data.

Set up your development environment and consider using cross-platform frameworks if you are targeting both iOS and Android. Follow coding best practices and maintain clean, well-documented code. If this is your first app, consider using app builders or no-code platforms to create a basic version.

7. Perform multiple tests

Although you might be tempted to skip rigorous testing when the project is on a tight budget, quality assurance (QA) is one of the key pieces in developing a successful app.

Since app development is so competitive, you’ll want to perform QA throughout development. This way, you can identify bugs and quickly improve the app before going live to customers.

Some things you should think about when testing include:

• Front- vs. back-end functionality. For the front end, does the mobile app look like it’s supposed to from the user side of things? For the back end, does the app function as it’s supposed to? For example, if a pop-up message is supposed to disappear when the user clicks on it, does it? Is the little “X” to click it away properly displayed?
• Device compatibility. The app needs testing on whatever operating system it’s meant for (iOS, Android, or both). Further, the QA team should confirm compatibility with different versions of operating systems (e.g., Android 10 versus Android 14). There are also device-specific considerations, like if the app display fits the screen size.
• App integration. Check that the integrations are functional if the app’s core function interacts with other features, such as the phone’s camera or another app like Google Maps.
• Application type. If the app’s purpose is to work as both a mobile and web app (making it a hybrid app), test it for the full range of functionality across both platforms.
• Installation and storage. Does the app download correctly to the intended device and operating system? Also, keep an eye on the app size. An overly large app will take up a lot of room on the end-user’s phone and may deter them from downloading the app.
• Security optimization. Mobile app security is a hot topic. Check safety by ensuring secure source code, performing penetration testing, and conducting input validation. We also advise confirming the implementation of HTTPS and SSL/TLS security layers.

8. Gather and implement user feedback

After rigorous testing, the app should pass inspection by a test group before launch. Although the development team should have based features on customer needs, testers who don’t know the app can help provide invaluable user feedback so it’s ready for many users with different experience levels.

Testing the app with users from various backgrounds should give you a better understanding of what they want and whether the app matches their expectations. You can use the feedback to adjust key features to better suit a diverse group of users before the app goes live.

Once the app is live, continue receiving feedback to make necessary updates and adjustments. You can gain feedback after the app’s launch by looking at analytics. You can analyze and understand customer behavior and identify any confusing areas for modification.

9. Launch in the app store

The next stage involves publishing the app to the app store. The regulations your app needs to follow depend greatly on the app store where you apply. Different app stores have different requirements for apps submitted to them. Familiarize yourself with the guidelines for the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Developers may only focus on releasing their app to the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Focusing on a single platform can simplify the app development process because your team only needs to develop one app. However, this approach may limit your potential user base.

Developing a cross-platform app ensures good visibility and the potential for more users. Consider your target audience and resources when deciding which platform(s) to launch on.

10. Market your app

Even after your app is live in the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, development shouldn’t end. Invest in a rigorous marketing process to acquire more users and drive engagement. With millions of apps in the app store, marketing can make it easier for potential users to find yours.

Be aware of your target audience’s demographics and behaviors. This will guide you in formulating a marketing strategy that can lead to success. Additionally, have a clear idea of your app’s unique value and then mold your marketing initiatives around it.

You can promote your app using multiple marketing channels. For instance, social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn have billions of users, making them good avenues to reach your target audience. ASO can also allow your app to rank well in search results.

Other marketing strategies include influencer marketing, content marketing, email marketing, and paid ad campaigns. Consider creating a landing page or website for your app to provide more information and drive downloads. While marketing your app, remember to monitor your spending to avoid going over budget.

11. Continue to push new features and updates

User needs and preferences are always changing. Stay updated with the latest trends to remain relevant and competitive. Pushing new and innovative features can help differentiate you from other developers and increase your app’s downloads.

Consider releasing new features and updates to provide value and keep users engaged. Regular updates can also help solve bugs so you deliver a seamless user experience. New features and updates can also ensure your app remains compatible with operating systems like Android and iOS and compliant with emerging industry standards.

But don’t just push features quietly. Instead, inform users of the updates, including what’s new or has changed, so they use the features effectively. Use in-app notifications, email newsletters, or your app’s social media channels to communicate updates.

12. Consider establishing a development team

If your budget allows, consider hiring talent with the diverse skills you need to help with the app development process.

Some professionals you can work with include a UI/UX designer to design appealing interfaces and enhance user experience, a mobile developer to implement code functionality and integrate APIs, and digital marketers to promote the app to your target audience.

Building a distributed team can help you develop a successful app. Instead of being limited to your knowledge or confined by geographic lines, you can pick independent professionals from around the world, each with unique skill sets. To get started, look to platforms like Upwork to find the best mobile app developers for your project.

FAQ for mobile app development

Explore answers to common questions about mobile app development, covering costs, timelines, beginner capabilities, post-launch modifications, and implementing payment functionalities.

How much does it cost to create a mobile app?

The cost to create your new app will depend on multiple factors, including the size of your team, the resources used, and other overhead costs of app development. Outsourcing app development typically costs more than developing an app in-house, assuming you have at least some of the skills and tools.

How long does it take to create a mobile app?

Developing a smaller mobile app takes about one to two months. The more complicated the app design is, the longer it will take. App developers can expect more complex mobile apps to take three to six months.

‍Can a beginner coder make an app?

Yes, a beginner coder can develop an app. Many tools—including those that are no-code or feature drag-and-drop interfaces—make app development simple and easy.

Can you make changes to a mobile app after its launch?

You can incorporate updates to fix minor bugs in the software and improve any app functionalities that may have become outdated since your app launched.

Can you receive payments through a mobile app?

You can receive payments through an app, which enables users to make app purchases. If you’ve developed the app, consider adding mobile payment functionality to the software.

Reap the rewards of mobile app development

Developing an app can be both rewarding and lucrative. Following the 12 steps we’ve outlined can help you develop and publish a successful app.

Many companies and startups have found remote talent to be a powerful tool in finding the industry’s best and brightest to develop a viable product. Let Upwork connect you with an independent mobile app developer to get the process started.