It doesn’t take a genius to see that the app industry is booming. Consumers are projected to download 156 Billion apps from the Google Play Store and the App Store in 2023. Users grow more and more reliant on apps and mobile devices every day. This makes the mobile app development market seem increasingly seductive.

Maybe you feel like you have a solid idea for an app too (maybe even several). You’ll want to get in on the action right away, but slow down! Many people with great ideas have tried to enter the market too quickly. If you don’t do your research and fully understand the process of app development or the industry, you are liable to jump right into some of the more common mobile app pitfalls.

If you want to know what to look out for here are 5 Common Mobile App Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them.

1. Failure to give your users what they want — Of course it isn’t a reasonable thought to give your users everything that they want. Some things simply aren’t possible to give to your customers. However, as a mobile app entrepreneur, you should be doing all that you can to meet their needs and fulfill a good portion of their wants. In this endeavor, user research is your best friend. Prompt your users to answer surveys, leave reviews, and contact you with their wants and needs. Nobody likes to hear what is wrong with their product, but listening to your users will help you create a better app in the long run and create a more loyal user base.
2. Trying to replicate your web app or mobile-friendly website in mobile app form — You will give yourself a lot of headache trying to replicate your web app for mobile, and quite frankly, it’s just not what users are looking for. Mobile-friendly versions of web applications can be too difficult to use when navigating the site with a finger. Users are looking for an experience that is simple, easy to navigate, and familiar. Instead focus on creating a unique user experience suited towards the app specifically.
3. Doing too much at once — A lot of mobile app developers want to put a ton of features in their app at once. Then they face the dreaded curse of feature overload. The fact of the matter is the more features you start with, the more possible issues you’ll have flying in immediately after launch. Focus on the core components of the app and make them well. You can do this by building out a quality MVP. After your app has been out in the world and you’ve got some feedback, check in on that precious user research. See what your users want and need. Then you can incrementally add features as you move forward.
4. Cutting corners when it comes to testing — Make sure you test appropriately and conduct quality tests. There are a variety of testing options and tools available to meet your testing needs. It may be tempting to cut corners in this avenue, but getting it right from the beginning will save you time and money in the long run. It can damage your app’s reputation to launch with several bugs. User retention is key. It’s hard to attract new users so you don’t want to spend all that effort finding them only to lose them again.
5. Building for too many platforms at once — Eventually, you will want your app to be available on several distribution platforms so that you can grow your user base. Unfortunately, launching on several platforms at a time is unrealistic. You want to get a quality version of your product out before you lose any first-mover advantages and risk the market speeding past you. Instead, focus on launching on one platform at a time.

Conclusion

Don’t jump in too quickly and do your research. Reading this article was a great place to start 🙂. Check multiple sources and make sure you understand all the major ins and outs of the app development process before getting started.

Everything is easier with a partner! Consider reaching out to a digital product agency for help. These agencies have experience working on many products like yours and have the resources that you may lack to get the job done quickly and efficiently. A good agency will also help you decide what features to prioritize, saving you lots and lots of moola.

Digital product agencies are an excellent idea, but it is important to choose one that is right for you and your project. When you’re looking for a partner, keep us in mind! At Camber Creative, we have experience designing and developing countless mobile apps and can help you avoid these common pitfalls to get to market faster and reduce overall costs.