All You Need to Know About Rapid Mobile App Development

Did you know? Mobile apps are expected to generate over $935 billion in revenue by 2023.

In simple terms, mobile App Development is the key to success in 2021. It can be defined as the process by which applications that function mainly on mobile devices are developed.

The mobile development ecosystem keeps improving every year, because of the demand for more app development in the market.

While the Apple App store has 1.96 million applications for users to download, the Google Playstore has over 2.87 million applications.

Earlier, app developers only focused on building consumer applications but in the last few years enterprise applications have become the main priority for many mobile app development companies. Having a mobile application has now become vital for businesses to survive in the market.

With the Covid-19 pandemic taking over the world, there has been a major shift in consumer behavior and this had led to many organizations re-evaluating their strategies. Companies are increasingly realizing the importance of going digital and being accessible to as many users as possible. According to a report by Statista, in 2021 there will be approximately 7 Billion smartphone users globally. To reach such a large chunk of your target audience you must invest in Mobile App Development and especially in Rapid Mobile App Development.

Here is comprehensive guide on Rapid Mobile App Development:

What is Rapid Mobile App Development?

Rapid mobile app development (RMAD) is a subset of rapid application development (RAD) that focuses on mobile applications. It is based on the assumption that various streamlining techniques will speed up application growth. The main feature of Rapid Mobile App Development is the use of “low code/no code” tools, which are platforms that eliminate some of the programming tasks that developers or programmers usually work on. While working with RMAD platforms, you can reduce 60% of your app development time. App development becomes easier with RMAD platforms as those who have minimal coding knowledge can also build applications without any hassle as they include useful features like business process mapping, automated code generation, form construction, drag and drop editors and component assembly.

Advantages of Rapid Mobile App Development:

·          Cuts App Development Costs:

Rapid Mobile App Development is cost effective, as the time, resources and money spend on these no-code/low-code platforms are often worth it. To measure the true cost of any app development process businesses, need to take the Return on Investment (ROI) on the developed applications into consideration. A great deal of time also goes into testing mobile applications before they are released into the market, with Rapid Mobile App Development platforms testing and maintenance becomes easier and inexpensive for organisation. On RMAD platforms applications are not built from scratch and thus, companies do not have to spend money for hiring developers or creating an in-house tech team.

·          Allows Organizations to Respond to Changing Demands:

With a high volume of applications already present in the market, it becomes important for businesses to get competitive and to stand out in the eyes of their customers. In the Rapid Mobile App Development Model, companies have the flexibility to modify their application based on new findings or a change in the user demand.The RMAD platforms have a point and click functionality that allows developers to make as many changes as they want in the application until it reaches perfection.While using Rapid Mobile App Development you will not only improve your applications but you also get the chance to market these changes before your competitors. Do note that being user-friendly will ultimately lead to an increase in app installs over time.

·          Great for New Developers:

Hiring expert developers can be stressful, time-consuming and expensive for companies, with RMAD platforms in the picture, companies can easily introduce and train their existing technology experts in app development. In team projects, wherein new developers are working alongside experts, these rapid mobile application development platforms can come in handy, as these platforms are no/low code. RMAD platforms encourage creative thinking as developers can spend less time on coding and more time on ideating.

Disadvantages of Rapid Mobile App Development:

·          Futile Without User Feedback: Rapid Mobile App Development can only be beneficial if the user feedback is being collected as well as being used in the app development process. Without taking any feedback developers will not know how to make the application flawless, usable and intuitive in nature. Working with these platforms can prove to be futile, if the user feedback collected is not used or is misinterpreted by developers. Researching the trends and studying user feedback is critical for successfully developing applications on RMAD platforms.

·          Difficult to Manage:

While creating applications on RMAD platforms developers are concerned with how unmanageable these systems are.  Organisations may need to develop applications catering to different needs if they take the RMAD approach as it is tough to develop comprehensive applications on these platforms. This disadvantage makes Rapid Mobile Development difficult to manage as the applications developed may not perform well on all operating systems and will not have any customisation options.

·          Limits Scalability:

Applications must be scalable so that when its demand increases end-users will also look forward to upgraded features. To satisfy users and to beat competitors launching similar applications it is important to focus on the user experience. Native applications can be upgraded and scaled up over-time, unlike applications developed on RMAD platforms. These platforms cannot build applications that can performs at full scale and may fail to live up to the stands of native applications.

Undoubtedly, Rapid mobile app development is only a cost-effective solution for developing mobile apps, it also allows companies to create simple applications faster. IT managers and app developers can create more inventive strategies for improve customer interactions as Rapid mobile app development platforms do not need coding knowledge.

It is important to note that entering the mobile app market is not as easy as it seems: you must carry out in-depth research, be dedicated to the process and plan your strategy extensively.

Author Bio:

Poorvee Kalyani Alla is a mass communication graduate, copywriter, and an avid blogger who writes on technical and lifestyle-related topics for West Agile Labs, Exegy Consulting, Jewellerista, etc.