A new forecast by Data.ai suggests that global consumer in-app spending is projected to reach $288 billion in 2030 alone, this also means that app downloads will increase exponentially. It is estimated that consumers are set to download nearly 2.9 trillion new apps and games between 2021 and 2030. That’s up 123% from the decade prior.
Interestingly the global app economy is only 15 years old. Back in 2008 Steve Jobs spoke to the media and he predicted that the iOS app store might become a billion-dollar marketplace, spotlighting the future of app development services. We are way past that number in a very short time, also the Android App Store has grown exponentially in the last decade.
What does all this mean to an entrepreneur like you who is looking to develop a new mobile application? It actually means that while there is a huge & growing consumer market out there, it also means there is no chance for mediocre apps to survive in this overcrowded landscape. At Interaction Labs, we have made our mission to help entrepreneurs build, grow and succeed in their technology venture right from the inception stage to the final product execution stage.
Biggest challenges today in the Mobile App Development industry are not only restricted to technical aspects so it should be looked at more holistically. We have divided them into 3 broad categories.
However, we will discuss today more from a technical perspective. Let’s dive deep into technical challenges that entrepreneurs should be mindful of when they plan and discuss their App Development decisions with Mobile App Development Companies.
Here are Top 5 Technical Challenges for Mobile App Development
Challenge 1 : Choosing the right technological stack
What should you choose, MEAN stack or MERN stack ? Before we choose any one first let’s consider following queries :
- Deeply analyze project requirements and set overall goal of what a successful project looks like?
- Check if your development team is flexible enough & are they domain experts in any particular tech stack? Availability of talent pool is critical.
- What is your overall budget for the project?
- How willing are you to implement a hypothesis driven approach?
MEAN stack includes MongoDB, Express.js, Angular.js and Node.js while MERN stack includes MongoDB, Express.js, React.js and Node.js.
MongoDB: A NoSQL document database for storing data in JSON format.
Express.js: A back-end web application framework for building APIs and web applications
Angular: A front-end web application framework for building dynamic, single-page applications.
Node.js: Node.js is a powerful framework for JavaScript, providing both versatility in development and robust security features, crucial for any mobile app development company.
React.js: React is a free and open-source front-end JavaScript library for building user interfaces based on components.
- Robust features for building complex & large-scale applications
- Strong community support for Angular.js
- Suitable for enterprise-level applications
- Ideal for rapid prototyping and development cycles
- Ideal for cross-platform app development
- Flexibility & widespread adoption of React.js
- Efficient creation of single-page applications
- Suitable for real-time applications that require instant updates
- Ideal for content-heavy applications due to MongoDB’s flexible document-based model
- Steeper learning curve due to the complexity of Angular.js
- May not be as flexible as React.js for certain use cases
- Can be overkill for simple applications
- May not be as performant as other stacks for high-performance or real-time data processing
- Limited community support compared to MEAN stack
Few Examples
Conclusion : To conclude the MEAN stack is more suitable for large-scale and complex applications that require robust data management and security features. It is also a better option for projects that require a more structured data model. On the other hand, the MERN stack is more suitable for projects that require a more flexible and lightweight front-end framework. It is also a better option for projects that require faster development cycles and a more streamlined development process.
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Challenge 2 : Which hosting & server solution should you consider while keeping in mind the technology stack that you have selected?
To answer this question we need to consider following points:
Performance
The hosting and server solution should be able to handle the expected traffic and load of the application. For example, a content-heavy application may require a high-performance database server like MongoDB Atlas, while a real-time application may require a high-performance Node.js server
Security
The hosting and server solution should provide robust security features to protect the application and its data. For example, a hosting solution that provides secure socket layer (SSL) certificates, firewalls, and intrusion detection and prevention systems may be a better choice than a traditional shared hosting solution
Project Costs
The hosting and server solution should be cost-effective and provide a good balance between performance, scalability, and security. For example, a cloud-based hosting solution may be more expensive than a traditional dedicated server, but it may provide better scalability and performance
Integration
The hosting and server solution should be able to integrate with the MEAN or MERN stack components, such as MongoDB, Express.js, Angular.js, Node.js, and React. For example, a hosting solution that provides a MongoDB database as a service may be a better choice than a traditional database server
Conclusion : For your mobile app development challenges specific to hosting we suggest popular hosting solutions for MERN stack applications like Heroku, Netlify, and Render, while popular hosting solutions for MEAN stack applications include Azure, AWS, and GCP
Challenge 3 : Choosing Monolithic Architecture or Micro Services Architecture
Monolithic architecture is a traditional software design pattern where an entire application is constructed as a single, tightly integrated unit. This approach is well-suited for smaller projects or those with relatively low complexity. Monolithic applications are characterized by their simplicity in the early stages of development, as all components and modules share the same codebase, database, and runtime environment. However, as the application grows, so does the complexity, making maintenance challenging.
On the other hand, Microservices architecture breaks down an application into a collection of smaller, independently deployable services. Each service is responsible for specific functionalities and communicates with others through well-defined APIs. Microservices excel in scenarios where scalability, flexibility, and rapid adaptation to changing requirements are critical. Large-scale applications like Netflix, Amazon, and Uber have adopted the Microservices approach to handle their complex and ever-evolving ecosystems.
Challenge 4 : Which project management tools to select for efficiently managing the app development process?
In summary, Jira is best suited for software development teams requiring advanced features and integrations, Trello is ideal for general project management with a focus on simplicity and flexibility, while Basecamp is a good choice for teams seeking a basic and user-friendly collaboration platform without the need for complex project management functionalities. The choice between these tools should be based on the specific requirements and preferences of the project team.
Want faster growth?
Contact Us Today !
Contact us today to discuss your project & bring your vision to life.
Challenge 5 : Which testing tools to select for managing the overall development process?
Following are few of the companies we collaborate with:
SonarQube For Ensuring code quality & review tool
New Relic For Load testing
Selenium For Testing automation
These are just a few of the many tools that are deployed for the testing processes.
Having discussed at length about the biggest technical challenges in custom mobile app development, let’s also look at what all should an entrepreneur keep in mind while dealing with business & growth challenges.
One of the biggest business challenges might be to keep the overall project under a stipulated budget and allocate almost 5-10x of the product budget in amplification and marketing of the product.
We at Interaction Labs periodically consult clients on the hypothesis driven development and launch approach. This approach not only saves time & hard earned resources of the founder but also takes into consideration that without marketing the product on relevant channels product usage and adoption is very difficult.
From a Go to Market perspective, user acquisition comes as a biggest challenge and the ideal way to deal with this challenge is to create early excitement and intrigue about the product before & after it is launched.
Here are top 3 ways to build initial excitement around product :
1.
LinkedIn Influencer Early Reviews
Today LinkedIn is the largest B2B Influencers’ network. There are top voices on LinkedIn in every category of business & tech. There should be a systematic reach out plan and paid partnership endorsements with these thought leaders. They will review the product, build early excitement by teasers and invite only posts and ultimately increase visitors on launch day. The trick is to curate, reach out and spread the right message among their followers.
2.
Targeting Competitors & Building Comparison Landing Pages
It is highly probable that people are searching about your competitors and want to compare pricing, value for money, features list etc. You need to use the right keywords, bid for them and guide the interested visitor on your landing page. This increases product trials and thus increases user adoption provided the product really solves their requirements.
3.
Blogging & Product Listing Sites
There are tons of sites in each category of tech products. Some of them which we highly suggest are Producthunt, Appsumo, Sortlist, Softwaresuggest etc. They have matured paid plans and you have to invest in the right partner to increase product awareness and adoption.
Conclusion
Custom mobile application development in 2024 faces several challenges that developers and businesses must overcome to create successful apps. Choosing the right custom app development agency becomes very crucial and sometimes make or break for your enterprise.
