Building an effective, relevant, and user-friendly app isn't easy. Many of the issues faced during the process stem for poor planning and bad business decisions. Add to that the hearsay and myths that continue to fly around the industry.

To help you better understand, here are six myths about building an app and the truth behind them:

6 Myths About Building an App

Myth 1: The More Complex the App, the Better 

Many app creators don’t take advantage of the frameworks created and modified by developers who already know what works and what doesn’t. Instead, they spend significant time building something from scratch. Most often, if an app takes too long to develop or is more complex than it should be, it defeats its purpose and objective.

Similarly, your app doesn’t have to mirror your website. Avoid adding too many more features than needed as this can result in numerous functional issues.  

Remember, simple often reigns supreme because users want something fast and easy.

Myth 2: You Can Completely Avoid Bugs

No app is perfect and error-free, no matter how straightforward and streamlined it is. That’s why every bug the customers identify shouldn’t put you off. Instead, these should give ideas for how to best update your app or how to improve its user-friendliness.  

Keep in mind that bugs (and quality assurance) are a necessary and natural part of the process. Debugging and regular maintenance are just as important as the ideation and designing part of the app development.

Myth 3: Getting an App Custom Designed Costs Way Too Much 

It can be tempting to go for standard, off-the-shelf software because it seems a lot cheaper.  

However, these ready-made solutions may come with hidden charges. You may need to pay for additional users, subscription updates, and extra features – all of which may add up to a big sum. Also, it can be challenging to adjust your business process just to fit the default features.  

As such, in the long run, investing a little more to have the pros build your app can save you time, money, and headaches in the long run.

Myth 4: The Advanced Tech is the Most Challenging Part 

With an experienced developer, code writing, programming, and other technological aspects aren't much of a major challenge.

What’s truly essential and somewhat tricky is to understand what your target market needs and wants, and to find a way to deliver an app experience that matches what they’re looking for.                                                                                                      

Here are a few points to consider:

• What do you want to solve?
• What would motivate people to download your app?
• How do you keep people interested for the long-term? 

Myth 5: You Can Easily Make Changes at Any Stage

Without adequate understanding of the processes, many change pre-approved requirements and features in the middle of the app development. These minor revisions can affect the system’s architecture, cause bugs and errors, delay the timelines, and imply additional costs.

Before you request interface adjustments or additional features while the project is already underway, be sure that these will significantly improve the product or benefit your business.  

Myth 6: There’s No Need to Market the App

Some people believe that if they create a quality app, downloads and users will just pour in naturally. However, if you don’t actually make effort to promote your product, this won’t be the case.

Having a marketing strategy is crucial in establishing a strong user base, spreading the word about your app, and ultimately in the success of your product. Whether through social media, in-game ads, or content marketing, there are so many ways you can advertise your app.

Here’s the truth: App development is not easy; but it also doesn’t have to be complicated. When done right – simple and efficient – it can be a powerful addition to your company and a vital tool to your business growth.

Contact LSM today to learn about our app development services.