We get this question every day here at Appifany App Development and in short, there is no exact timeframe that it takes to build an app.
That being said there are some indicative time-frames that we can break down for you to give you a better idea of how long it takes to build your app.
Please note that these are just simple indications and times may vary due to the size and complexity of your project.
App Research Phase
Expected Timeframe: (2-4 Weeks)
We recommend that you start with a deep dive into the research phase.
This means exploring a plethora of things that will go into developing your app concept including things such as industry analysis, market research, competitor analysis, pricing analysis, monetisation strategy, branding research, trademark research and development of your unique value proposition for your app to say the least.
In this phase, you should really start to hone in on exactly what you are going to build and who you are going to build it for.
It is important to understand the existing solutions and how your new app is going to resonate with the customers you are trying to reach.
This can be done with a small team or as a solo expedition.
If you are building an app for your business you want to really dive into what it is about the app that will delight your customers.
For existing businesses, there are many value adds that you can create not just for customers but internally as well.
The app can reduce administrative costs, cut downtime for recurring tasks and help your team to be more productive.
There are a lot of great resources to help you do this.
All of your research should go into one large working document that you can share with your team and developers to help them understand your goals and the future of your new app.
PRO TIP: Creating a multi-levelled monetisation strategy that is affordable for your target audience is key to creating an app that makes money in the long term.
RELATED ARTICLES: 10 Reasons Your Business Needs and App (6-min read)
User Interface Design/User Experience Prototyping/Branding Phase
Expected Timeframe (2-6 Weeks)
This is one of the most important phases in the creation of your new app.
You may want to kick this off by producing some wireframes for your new idea.
This can be done very simply by drawing a few iPhones on a piece of paper and then starting to plan out the screens that you will want to have in your app.
We would recommend that you research great user design and your favourite app to see how they structure the app's user interface and consistent design elements that apps use such as navigation menus and unique user design flows that delight users.
Once you have the basic flow of your app down on paper, it's time to design it and get your app idea into some beautiful design software.
There are many options such as Figma, Sketch and Adobe Design Suite that can help you bring these ideas to life.
You want to make sure you design for specific device types and export these assets into the right sizing format for your chosen app development software.
Once these have been designed, you should start to work on the user experience prototyping.
This is a great way to get your idea in the hands of your target audience before you go to work on building the back end of your app.
We strongly believe that a great app comes down to an amazing user experience and great value proposition so it is very important that you spend the necessary time to ensure this is to a very high standard.
A prototype is a great thing to help you gauge your potential users and this is one thing we always do for our clients here at Appifany App Development.
You should also look to create a custom content management system which is your engine room for your app.
This is the web portal you will be able to log into to manage your users, monetisation, and app content as well as see all the real-time data that goes into your app performance.
Additionally to this, you want to create a memorable brand that speaks to your target audience.
This should be unique and resonate with your app category in a way that makes you stand out.
If you are doing a real-estate app, we suggest not using a generic brand like a house.
This sort of thing has been done a million times and you will not stand out amongst the crowd.
PRO TIP: Researching a great user interface and creating a great user experience is an absolute must for anyone wanting to build something great.
RELATED ARTICLE: Why Bad User Experience is an Idea Killer. (6-min read)
Want to work with a team of specialist app design, branding and user experience experts? Speak to our team today!
App Design Integration
Expected Time (4-8 Weeks)
Yay! You now have an awesome brand, a killer app design and a breathtaking user experience that your future customers will love.
It's now time to get to the nitty gritty and turn all those pretty designs into workable code.
Here you should really focus on picking the right platform on which you will build your app.
As we spoke about here in our article there are 3 different types of apps you can make.
Once you choose the correct one for your project it's time to put that coding knowledge into play and get those pretty designs functional.
There are a number of different coding languages you will need to know and each development platform has its own way of processing your app and getting it onto your phone.
PRO TIP: Ensure you pick the right platform for your app to be developed on from the get-go as it’s always harder in the future to change this and may require a significant amount of rework.
RELATED ARTICLE: App User Experience, Why Is It Important? (5-min read)
Back End Development/Databases/API Development/Server Integration/CMS Development
Expected Time (14-30 Weeks)
Here comes the tricky part…
Pulling all your stunning front-end user experience into a functional app that has all the bells and whistles you will need to delight users and keep them coming back.
This is a very involved process and as we spoke about earlier this will involve a set of specific coding skills to bring it all together.
You will also need to create all the databases for in-app interactivity of manageable fields.
If you are incorporating things such as existing systems or other integrations such as social login or external payment gateways, API Development here will also be necessary.
There are always lots of resources available that can help with this and you should read the developer documentation in order to understand how each API is integrated individually.
We recommend that you use a scalable server as well in the back-end integration.
There are a number of options here, you just want to ensure you comply with local laws and ensure that the data is hosted in your local country.
If you are hosting data in Europe you will want to make sure that you comply with the GDPR laws as well.
Another important part of this phase is connecting your custom content management system with your app.
This is the engine room of your app so you want to have the necessary permissions enabled to control users and make updates to the app in real-time.
This can be a daunting process and require specialists that understand this so you don't pull all your hair out trying to figure out every small detail.
PRO TIP: Integrating software that can help with debugging will help in this phase.
RELATED ARTICLE: 15 Best App Integrations (6-min read)
Want to work with a team of specialist app development experts? Speak to our team today!
App User Testing & App Debugging
Expected Time (2-4 Weeks)
You are a superstar, well done!
You now have an app that you can test with potential users.
You should be able to get this on their devices and run a small little feedback session,
We recommend that you get at least 20-100 people to complete this testing and to give you feedback.
A word of warning though
Lots of users will have lots of ideas about your app.
You do not want to delay launching your app due to extra features unless they are deemed 100% necessary.
PRO TIP: Create a user survey using Google Surveys to get this in the hands of users
App Store Deployment
Expected Time (1-2 Weeks)
Congratulations, you have an app people are loving and you’re ready to put your app on the store.
You want to ensure your app is optimised for the app store.
Each app needs a Title, Description, Keywords, Designs and a chosen category.
You will also want to decide what countries that you want to make your app available in.
Here you should have some eye-catching design for your app as well as killer copy that captures the user's attention.
Depending on Apple and Google's approval times will affect how quickly your app gets approved.
If your app gets rejected, don’t panic.
This can happen for a number of reasons and they will always give you a detailed explanation of why this has happened.
PRO TIP: Ensure your app store optimisation has been completed thoroughly to give your app the best chance of success on the Apple and Google App Store.
RELATED ARTICLE: App Store Optimisation Tips + Tricks (5-min read)
TOTAL APP DEVELOPMENT TIME
Expected Time (25-52 Weeks)
As we said, developing an app properly can take time and a lot of expertise.
App Development can be a very tricky world to navigate and we often find that if these steps are not thoroughly taken there are a lot of missed opportunities from apps that have huge potential.
Working with experts that have lots of experience in all the required fields of expertise is key to building the right app that will generate revenue.
If you are wanting to speak with an experienced local development team that will help turn your good idea into a great app get in touch with the Appifany App Development team today!
PRO TIP: Work with an experienced team to turn your good idea into a great app business!
RELATED ARTICLE: Becoming an Apprenuer (6-min read)
OPTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
APP WEBSITE
Expected Time (2-4 Weeks)
Having a website can be a great way to get users when you’re building your app.
You can also harness the power of SEO to create a new customer discovery journey towards your concept.
We do recommend building this early on in the app development lifecycle.
You should include all the basic information about your coming app as well as a place for them to sign up to be the first one to get the app when it goes live.
As you develop your app your app concept updates the users who have signed up and the website to reflect the changes.
PRO TIP: When your app is approved on the store interlink this with app store icons and include a smart banner for mobile users to quickly download your app.
CHECK OUT ONE APPIFANY MADE: Cocktail Builder App Website
APP MARKETING
Expected Time (On-going)
So you now have an awesome app and you need customers to start bringing you a return on your investment.
App Marketing is the next step in this process.
There are lots of ways you can bring your users to your app and start to make money.
We recommend having a strategy that fits your business objectives and a plan in place to execute this with data-driven insights.
You will need a well-thought-out strategy, content design, scheduling and lead funnels that convert as just a few things in your marketing roll-out.
PRO TIP: Work with a team who has experience in marketing apps and designing specific app marketing strategies.
GET IN TOUCH WITH OUR LOCAL APP DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND APP MARKETING TEAM TO FIND OUT HOW WE CAN HELP TURN YOUR GOOD IDEA INTO A GREAT APP BUSINESS or GIVE OUR LOCAL TEAM A CALL 1300 ANY APP
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