It doesn’t matter if you have a fantastic app idea; the process will usually fail for reasons other than a bad concept. This post will explain those reasons. If your app build ran over budget or was put on hold without explanation, you are not alone. The problems usually arise from one of these key issues.
1. Lack of a clear brief means you’re unclear about your end goal.
It will be easy to work under the assumption, but the results of the first build may surprise you both and cause a delay of several months. To resolve this issue, document every step and flow of users through the app before writing a single line of code.
2. You didn’t allow time for the discovery phase
Although the feeling of starting app development is rewarding, the discovery phase is where you explore and confirm all your assumptions and architect the app. Changes in the discovery phase are free; changes later on cost more.
3. You selected a provider based on price rather than fit.
The cheaper developer might not have included things like revision time, QA, and ongoing support after the launch, which, in the end, ends up costing you more. Try to work with someone whose communication and business sense you feel comfortable with, rather than just focusing on the hourly rate.
4. Scope Creep is the addition of small features
Any requests for extra features must be added to the backlog and prioritized after the original development stage is completed.
5. Focusing on features over the user journey
Your app should not have many useless features. An app that has one key feature used incredibly well by users is successful. Your initial phase should focus solely on the most crucial element of your app.
6. Thinking the app is completed when launched
Users will interact with the app in different ways than you expected, and you will get immediate feedback once it goes live. If you don’t have a post-launch strategy, bugs will start appearing and cause problems that will cost you much more to fix.
7. Too many decision-makers
Five people to approve each screen brings projects to a standstill. Unpredictable mid-build
change request leads to out-of-scope work. One point person at the client’s office is a project imperative.
8. Lack of dedicated QA
QA is often compressed near the end because the deadline is tight and the application “looks good”. This leads to issues that external users will find that internal ones miss. Testing is not the final step but an ongoing parallel activity throughout the development cycle.
9. Neglecting architecture for scalability in the initial phases
Great at 100 users, the application fails at 10,000. The decisions in month one directly impact a product’s ability to grow. Retrofitting a foundation is considerably more expensive than building the correct one from the start.
Most app development failures come down to viewing development as a one-off transaction instead of a complete process. Choosing a partner, not a vendor, means they will work with you to ensure that your app is a success through a structured discovery process, ongoing clear communication, and support throughout and after the build phase. If your experience wasn’t positive, let us know how we can work with you to create a successful build.