The process, costs and timelines for Android app development for business, how to choose a developer and how to fund your project for growth and resilience
Looking to strategically grow and expand your business with tech?
In Africa, Android is the way to go.
With Android owning a cool 87% of the mobile operating systems market on the continent and 82% in South Africa alone, it means that there are 5 Android users for every iOS user, making Android app development your go-to for strategic tech expansion.
Success in app development for business requires knowing how to:
Here’s what you need to know about Android app development for your business.
Android app development involves creating applications specifically designed for the Android operating system, used by billions of devices globally.
Unlike entertainment apps, business Android apps serve strategic purposes, such as:
These apps are essential tools for modern businesses of every size to use tech to reach strategic goals. Consider the future opportunities in mobile app development.
Though the rewards are considerable, building and maintaining applications is an equally large investment, so you always want to be clear on the exact purpose and strategy of the project.
Before diving into development, it’s crucial to define what you aim to achieve with your app. Whether it's enhancing customer service, increasing sales, or streamlining operations, having clear goals will guide the entire development process and ensure the app delivers tangible value to your business.
See the 9 key questions to ask before you start developing an app, the emerging trends and opportunities in app development in South Africa and a look at the future opportunities in mobile app development.
Understand your target audience’s needs, preferences, and pain points. Analyse your competitors to identify gaps and opportunities. This concept validation phase helps in shaping a unique value proposition and ensures that your app stands out in the market.
Discover the 7 reasons why you need to test your app idea first.
Choosing Android as your primary platform is a strategic decision given its extensive user base and flexibility. Unlike more restrictive platforms, Android’s open-source nature enables app developers to customise the user interface, integrate unique features, and optimise performance to deliver a seamless user experience.
Android is also often a little more cost-effective to develop because the tools and resources are a little easier to come by.
That said, you don’t have to stick to just one platform – you can always expand by developing cross-platform. Also, explore different options such as mobile app development or web app development.
A successful business app must be intuitive and user-friendly. Employ a user-centred design approach to create an interface that aligns with user expectations and behaviours. This involves extensive user research and iterative design testing to ensure the app meets user needs effectively – see the latest trends in UX design.
What’s more, you can integrate your corporate branding into the app’s design to maintain consistency across all digital touchpoints. Custom branding reinforces your brand identity while building trust and loyalty. See how to engage users with emotional UX design.
Get a detailed view of the entire app design process, as well as your app design costs and see how long the UX/UI design process will take with our in-depth guide to app design timeframes.
Also see how to incorporate user-friendly design in e-commerce apps.
Once you've validated your strategy and designed a user-friendly interface, the development stage requires a structured approach to keep everything on track. Building the application itself typically takes weeks or even months, with different teams working on various parts of it in focused bursts.
Fortunately, we have specific project management approaches to help ensure that your software is built functional and ready to use at any time, during various stages.
Adopting Agile methodologies can significantly improve the development process. Agile promotes flexibility, collaboration, and rapid iteration, enabling your team to adapt quickly to changes and deliver a high-quality product. Roles such as product owners and scrum masters (see what it takes to build your own app development team) are essential in managing the project efficiently.
At Specno, we’re an app development company, so we have vast teams with various skills and experience to build complex software – see what a week in an Agile development team looks like.
The development phase involves writing robust code, followed by rigorous testing to ensure functionality, performance, and security. Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) practices are vital for an app development company to maintain high standards and ensure smooth deployment.
Get the full picture with our in-depth look at the entire app development process.
Developing a new app can take anywhere from 3 to 12 months, depending on its complexity. But you won't have to wait until the very end to see progress. Apps are built in stages, which means you can launch with core functionalities in the first month and gradually add more features over time.
At Specno, we specialise in speeding up this process. Our efficient methods and experienced teams can help you deliver high-quality apps 3 times faster.
Explore how long your app will take with our in-depth guides to app development timeframes.
The price of a top-tier app can vary between R1.2 million and R4.3 million, depending on its complexity and development timeframe. The good news for African businesses is that development costs here are typically 25% less compared to Europe or the US.
At Specno, we take it a step further. Our specialised teams and strategic approach help ensure you get a game-changing product. We optimise it further with low-code options that can reduce costs on simpler apps by up to 90%.
Get the full picture of app costs in South Africa and how much to budget for with our guide to managing app development costs.
Partnering with the best Android app developer is key to your project’s success. Look for a company with both the technical skills to build your app and the business sense to understand your goals. Their past projects should show experience with similar apps, and a variety of work means they can adapt to your specific needs.
Here are some things you can look for:
Need to build an Android app for your business?
Our tech consultants will help you make all the right decisions.
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