The need for app maintenance
When your app goes live after all the planning, mobile app designing, development, and all other aspects, all you feel is joy and success. But it doesn’t stop there when you create an app – you have to go the extra mile for real success. You then step into the new stage of mobile app development. This includes mobile app maintenances for its users for all devices. This simply means you have to keep checking for factors such as:
– Is your app stable?
– Is the app up-to-date?
– Does the app appeal to users?
These all are incredibly important when you create your app. You must ensure that the app has a good payoff eventually. Well executed user retention plans with minimal, yet thought out processes can bring great profit via the app. With less than 10 percent of user-focused updates, you can profit by up to 95%.
So how does this entire app maintenance plan work? What are the costs? In this article, we’ll tell you more about that. Keep reading below to know more about the extensive details to keep in mind about app updating and the costs based on various factors.
How do you scale the required app maintenance?
You can’t rely on a single source for advice on how much app maintenance would cost. This can lead to more doubts and lack of confidence in your app. That is because your app software could be a lot more different than a previously created app whose budget you might be familiar with.
One of the most important factors that require investment is the app stores – be it Google Play, App Store, or any other platform. These platforms could be native or cross-platform in nature. We’ll get talking about both these topics soon.
Your best bet is to assume that maintenance should cover about 20% of your app development costs due to various factors. But you must make sure that to keep this cost percentage in check, you have to keep many key points in mind. Let’s learn about these factors.
1. Software barriers
When your app has more features and functions – you require more panels and other assets. This leads to greater maintenance investments. You have to keep in mind what framework you use when creating your app – whether it is created for a specific software or is a readily accessible framework. What structure you select determines how you develop and maintain your app.
Updates will take up more funding when they are cross-platform based. So when you build your app on different OS like Android and iOS (using tools such as React Native), you end up creating two separate apps – which can be pricey.
As a developer, you must also consider the number of third-party mergers you use. Many channels such as payment sources, social media, etc are counted in this list. When you have a higher number of third-party channels, your maintenance costs rise.
2. Source of your Development & Design Panel
When you develop your app, is your team an in-house development panel, or are you hiring an external agency or individual? Where your developer is based will also greatly affect your costs. It is important to consider whether you want to work with your current team or recruit external help.
Mobile App Development costs vary greatly all across the world. Some countries have extremely high rates (US ranges from $50 -$100 per hour) whereas many countries and regions have lower mobile app development rates (Central Europe ranges from $25 – $55 per hour).
3. Application Interface
When diving into research and development you must always work with professionals to create an efficient and well-structured app. When you create an app that is not well planned or structures, future errors could cost more during updating.
These application-related problems can be solved if you delve into the post the MVP phase. You must keep a steady team handy when you develop an MVP and a following full-fledged app. This enables ease of maintaining, updating, and budgeting for later stages of your app in order to improve it.
What factors are involved in Mobile App Maintenance?
There are many factors involved in maintaining a mobile app. These could range from foundation development to more external services such as marketing and a user support team.
Mobile App Design and Mobile App Development Upholding
There are always certain major areas of development that are prioritized when you create an app. These areas could be in terms of how your app looks, or how well it functions. These developments could take place by studying user patterns or focusing on MVP based user reviews.
Mobile App Development Upholding
There are many factors that should be involved when dealing with the maintenance of your mobile app development. The key factors are:
– Bug rectification
– improvement in UI and Third-Party based modifications
– Addition of new features to the app
Mobile App Design Upholding
When your app begins to look outdated and dull, your app will lose user retention. You will lose your users when they shift to more useful or captivating apps. Along with the user interface, you will have to pay attention to making your app smooth in compliance with newly added features. Your app should provide a great UI and UX for users with every feature update.
This can be achieved via consumer feedback or an expert opinion (via surveys, analysis, etc). This will be especially important when you carry out major updates with the app. Post all the analysis, it is crucial to remember that your app must change features and other aspects to remain relevant to users. The app could also require a complete change at a later point.
Mobile App Security
One of the most cost-consuming aspects of app maintenance is mobile app security and its safety features. When you involve third-party applications, it is important that the app development team stays updated. Mobile App developers and designers will need to make sure there are no security violations or faults from the third-party apps.
At the same time, many factors such as changes in the laws, etc. need to be kept in mind when updating the app. There are many external rules and regulations that change how the app works, so your team must be prepared to deal with such matters. This can only be done when a solid budget is kept aside purely for mobile app security.
External Factors and Infrastructural Resources
When you update the app and its software, features, etc. you will also have to keep in mind the external factors such as infrastructure and location resources, third-party fees and cover charges, as well as panel hiring costs (salaries, etc). Many other factors also require budgets – such as offices/warehouses, network management, and services for the app software.
External servers, performance criteria, employee performance, and many other factors taken care of by the team have to be accounted for as well.
Mobile App Analytics
Any creator must be aware of the type and amount of interaction that takes place between their app and its users. This gives app developers an idea of how much users utilize the app and in what ways. Once this information is acquired, developers can understand what features need to be worked on. This can be done via analytical tools.
What are the most sidelined maintenance aspects for Mobile Apps?
Mobile App Marketing
When you create an app, it’s a given that you need to onboard users for your app. For this, you will have to make sure you have the right marketing budget for Google Play, App Store or any similar app platform. App Search Optimization will be required in order to accomplish the app’s marketing goals – this will in turn increase your app’s user base.
There are many ways to carry out Mobile App Marketing. Some of the ways include advertisements, social media marketing, influencer marketing, etc.
User Administration and Consumer Queries
When users use your app, they are bound to communicate for feedbacks or queries. You will need a team to manage communication with your users to ensure satisfaction and to deliver user messages to your developers. For this, your app will require a Content Management System (CMS) for sorting and arranging all users’ data.
You want a team that interacts and represents your app correctly. Whether your user base is large or relatively small, you need to scale and size your team accordingly. The only aim for this is to keep users happy and maintain user retention.
Wrapping Up
It’s simple – you need to create an app to solve user’s problems to create an app that stays in demand. But what you really need to keep your app in demand are various steps and procedures. You need to add and update your app features, focus on marketing, and on physical assets as well – and this requires proper funding and budgeting.
Some sensible investments are always going to be required if you want an app that keeps users hooked on to your app.
If you like this article on app maintenance, make sure you check out our article on How to Make a Profitable App.
