How Much Does it Cost to Develop a Mobile App

Introduction

The mobile revolution is happening and it’s not going to catch us unaware. Businesses are doing all in their power to be a part of this paradigm shift and this has led to an increase in the demand for custom app development service. Although websites and desktop apps are still in use, mobile apps are slowly becoming the mainstream means of engineering sales.

The Emergence of Mobile App Development
To put this in perspective, about 197 billion app downloads were recorded in 2017 alone. When we consider the rate of adoption of mobile phones and how ubiquitous they have become, it’s difficult to naysay the prediction that this figure is bound to multiply in coming years.
Apart from the rate of adoption, the time spent on the app is another reason to rejoice. Research has shown that an average customer spends almost 3 hours daily on their mobile device. With mobile development services, businesses are able to interact better with their clients and this leads to improved customer retention.
All this may sound appealing.But you’re concerned about the cost of mobile app development. How expensive is it? Would it cause you to go bankrupt? Can you get quality without compromising on the price? These questions will be properly addressed when we consider some of the factors that influence the cost of mobile development services.

Factors Influencing Mobile Development Services
When it comes to custom app development services , there are primary factors and hidden factors. These factors are all discussed below.

What is Your Business Model
The most important factor, when it comes to creating a mobile app, is the business model required to bring in revenue. This is the singular most important factor which determines the cost of building the app. Answering questions which pertain to the monetization of the app, whether or not it’s available for free download, advertisements, etc. should be discussed.
All the effort which goes into making the development process seamless, what makes it functional, and the design. For example, an app which supports in-app payments will prove more tasking to complete as it takes longer to complete. A more interactive e-commerce platform might even raise the cost.

The Platform to be Utilized
After specifying the objectives of the application, the next thing to do is to identify which platform will work optimally. Before you can do this, you should have an idea of your target audience. Making the decision between iOS and Android can be difficult. Although it’s possible to hire dedicated developers who can create for specific operating systems, you can also benefit from the wonders of cross-platform apps.

For mobile app development , some developers assert that it’s cheaper and easier to build iOS apps. People also claim that the user base comprises more enthusiastic users who are willing to spend more money on quality apps. Research has also shown that Apple users have a higher customer lifetime value compared to Android users.

Although, if you consider custom made app development for Android Operating System, Android users make up a larger population of users. Their wider market reach means that your app will reach a wider audience. Also, you get to spend less on updates. Ultimately, there’s no better or worse platform, it all depends on what you’re business needs are.

The Type of App and the Function
This is where you get down to the specifics of mobile app development. What do you really need in a mobile app? There are 4 basic classifications of apps.

1.Table Based Apps
2.Database Apps
3.Dynamic Apps
4.Games

Table Based Apps - $2000 - $6000
These are the simplest apps which are used just to show different types of data. The information provided is very easy to understand and often it redirects to another site which holds a more detailed description.

Database-Based Apps - $6000 - $15,000
Compared to the table based app, these are more sophisticated and complex. They allow your clients to sort through large streams of data. Also, they can create a connection to a website and retrieve information from these sources.

Dynamic Apps - $10,000 - $ 50,000
They share virtually the same functionalities with database apps but the only difference is that apart from retrieving information from online platforms, APIs and other third-party integrations are supported. Custom app development for dynamic apps can prove quite complex to build and as such, a significant budget should be allotted to this.

Games- $15,000 – $300,000
Games are the most difficult to build. They incorporate every feature possible and upgrades are an important part of development. It gets more expensive when the apps to be built have advanced physics engines or 3D environments.

Other Third Party Integrations
Nowadays, it’s almost impossible to build an application without including third-party applications. The presence of third-party apps not only expands the reach of your brand, it enhances ease and flexibility. Your clients are able to carry out diverse operations and also pay using several methods. This is more essential in e-commerce apps as it’s a more ideal way to give customers more options.

Additional Features which Raise Costs

Search Functionality
While this improves the User experience, it also raises the cost. The benefit is that the user is able to navigate the app without any form of friction, thereby improving engagement.

Personal Profiles and Logins
We now have means to login via social networks or login via email. The user profiles which can be saved and updated also help you boost the experience of the customer.

Geolocation
Apps like Uber, Lyft, etc. are great because of their functionality. More importantly because they are able to collect information about a user’s geography.

Conclusion

Planning your mobile app project involves a number of important considerations. When you’ve narrowed down the main functions that you want for your app, that best suits what you want to provide your customer audience, it’s time to start getting some firm quotes. When you’re ready for that stage, Dedicated Developers can help you by providing you a solid quote, and get you started on the road to having the perfect app for your business.

There’s no better time to develop a mobile app for your business than now.