The reason is simple, there are just so many parameters one could improve upon for better user experience. Plus, the competition is so huge that app makers usually lose focus on what is the most important feature and end up including a lot of side features too, just to make sure that the user stays.

While it might sound like a good idea yet, it isn’t half as good because the budget overshoots soon. An app isn’t like a website where you decide the number of pages and finalise the cost structure. Mobile app development is dynamic and hence the budget goes dynamic too. Thus, it is very important that you fix up a budget and work around it.

Also, it isn’t uncommon but most of the firms who go for mobile app development are either early-stage startups or small and medium businesses. The implication of that is that both of them are cash strapped. So, when one is running on a tight budget, the focus is always to reduce cost. Now, while not planning well may make your budgets shoot up, there are some mistakes which you can avoid or some strategies which you may implement to ensure that you are able to reduce the overall app development costs.

This blog addresses the latter i.e. what should one do in order to reduce their mobile app development cost. Let us first look at some of the mistakes one needs to avoid in this pursuit. This will be followed by the strategies one can implement for the same.

Avoid following Mistakes while planning about mobile app development cost

Mistake 1. Wrong UI/UX and QA Testing Cost estimates

The very first mistake that most startups end up making is, a lot of times the features being added will change during the course of development and hence the UI/UX cost will vary accordingly too. While this would be tough to avoid completely, yet a better way would be if you go over the wireframe again and again instead of making the changes once the development starts. 

You need to understand that mobile app development isn’t like writing on the board. Any change means going back again and changing a lot of features because most of them are interdependent. Now, would you want to take up that extra cost? Not really!!

So, whatever you need to change, change at the wireframe stage itself.

Also, the testing bit! Be it an android app development or an iOS app development, the testing will be done for each individual device. The biggest confusion on this happens especially in the case of Android apps which run on literally n number of devices. So, if you are making an Android app, be sure that you have covered all the possible device types!

Now, ideally, we should have given you an example to explain how detrimental a wrong estimate at this stage could be. But, honestly, no one really tells it. So, for easy reference, talk to any of the people you know who are developing mobile apps. They will tell you what the experience is like. That would give you a better understanding of this scenario that we talk of.

Mistake 2. Not Taking into account the cost of updates

Ok so, we have mentioned ample times that you need to plan for your updates. While this cost will not be a fixed one but it would definitely be recurring and will come in different proportions given the kind of update that is to be done. So, when you make your initial budget itself, plan it for at least 6 months post the mobile app launch so that you may take into account the update creation costs too.

And again, just to clarify, when we say the cost of updates, do include the cost for testing as well.

Mistake 3. Not Being Able to Decide Between Native and Hybrid mobile app development

This might be a new concept if you have just started thinking of creating an app and so let us define it for you. A native mobile app is the one which is built from scratch and is developed for a particular platform. A hybrid app, on the other hand, is the one which is developed for multiple platforms. The implication is that a native mobile app development cost will be charged per platform, i.e. two times if you have it created for android and iOS both. For a hybrid app, on the other hand, the mobile app development cost is simply a one-time irrespective of how many platforms you choose to run it on.

This might be a new concept if you have just started thinking of creating an app and so let us define it for you. A native mobile app is the one which is built from scratch and is developed for a particular platform. A hybrid app, on the other hand, is the one which is developed for multiple platforms. The implication is that a native mobile app development cost will be charged per platform, i.e. two times if you have it created for android and iOS both. For a hybrid app, on the other hand, the mobile app development cost is simply a one-time irrespective of how many platforms you choose to run it on.

Now, this would mean that everyone should go for a hybrid mobile app but that is not the case. This is because the Native mobile apps have better performance and overall user experience.

Hence, when you decide what to do for your mobile app, make sure you weigh in these two options and then make an informed choice.

Mistake 4. Ignoring The cost of Adding Latest Features

This one is pretty much an extension of the point which we had mentioned earlier about planning well for your mobile app. Now, as we said, it is going to be tough to make sure that no sudden features get added and hence the best bet is to minimise such occurrences. A corollary to this would be the fact that one should be ready and hence account for the expenses that could come upon this account later. 

Inclusion of such an expense and it would be easier to ensure that your overall budget doesn’t overshoot.

Mistake 5. Not Considering Implementation costs

Sounds very strange that one could even miss it but people do tend to forget including the cost of implementation. Let us take the example of an e-commerce app which will have features like payment gateway, wishlist, product categories etc. All of these features will have to be implemented, maintained and improved. 

One tends to miss out on the cost of implementation because it is sort of a hidden one. But, just because it is hidden, it doesn’t mean that it is non-existent. Hence, make sure that you have accounted for the same in your budget

Strategies to reduce mobile app development cost for startups

We have talked about strategizing enough. So much so that we even have a comprehensive blog about making your idea into a successful app. However, since we are talking about reducing the mobile app development cost in this one, let us reiterate on some crucial points below.

Plan Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

One of the best strategies for a successful mobile app launch is to make a minimum viable product i.e. a product with fewer features at a low cost and then keep updating it over time depending upon what all features are the users looking at having. This strategy not just avoids any kind of time wastage but also ensures that the expense happens in trenches and not at once giving you control over the overall finances. Plus, since an MVP allows the audience to warm up, the kind of insights thus generated will help you plan your update types even better in a more relevant manner.

One can take the example of Enlight Pixaloop which initially offered just the basic features and even came in free. But, over time, it kept improving upon its features and now it is no longer a free mobile app. However, since it has already established itself in the market, people readily pay to have it on their phone.

Use Ready made Templates

We had mentioned in one of our previous blogs about how white labeling your code could be a great way for mobile app monetisation. Now, let us look at it from the other side. Instead of coding your mobile app from scratch, you can simply take a template and start working on it.  Not just would it save your time, it will reduce the overall mobile app development cost. Now, if you may ask if any mobile app developer has done that before? Well, see all the games which are an extension of the original Candy Crush, well all of them have worked on the same basic template, only modifying it to their specific theme at a later stage.

Access Mobile-Specific Features

Well, a simple no brainer but we are still mentioning it just so that it doesn’t skin your mind. Do not spend on having features which you can simply plug in to get from the phone. Features like camera, GPS, call options etc are some things which you can take up from the mobile phone itself. To be frank, every app does this. If you do not, well then maybe you are being a bit careless with your money.

UI/UX Simplicity

This could be called an extension of the MVP point but honestly, a user gets impressed only so much and some of the best and widely downloaded mobile apps have the most basic aesthetics. Be it Facebook, your average photo editing apps, Whatsapp, Instagram, any news app or any mobile app that you can remember right now- if it is famous, its UI/UX is probably the simplest. Hence, until you are developing a mobile app for an interior designing or an art firm and hence need to focus a lot on the look and feel, keep the UI/UX simple!

Hire Skilled Testing Resources

We cannot emphasise it enough because if even a single bug reaches your audience and a few negative reviews pour in in the initial phases, your mobile app and all the money and effort that you had put in will be lost- all at once.

And as we finally close this, do not rush into the process. Of course, you have deadlines to stick to but trying to finish it fast by pumping in more money wouldn’t make sense. Every step in the mobile app development process takes time and hence you need to let that happen. Plus, the hushier you get, the higher would be the probability of mistakes happening. And these mistakes come at additional costs.

Having said that, we feel that we have said enough so that would be all from our side. Should you have any questions though, feel free to call us or drop in an email!

The post Tips to reduce mobile app development cost appeared first on Vibeosys Software Pvt. Ltd..

Mobile app monetization is actually a huge and very critical strategy to make because that is how the app is going to fend for itself and become sustainable. While one could think that most startups get good funding and sustain themselves over time buying them a window to strategize, we feel that that isn’t the right approach to take.

It is true that startups get funded but it is also important to note that startups get funded only when they have a solid plan in place for mobile app revenue generation. So, in the world of free apps, how does one monetize well enough to ensure a continuous stream of mobile app revenue generation?

Well, this blog talks about that!

Signups and Emails

We know, this topic will sound surprising to you and this is precisely the reason we kept this at the top of the list. So, here is how it works. Every time an app is installed, you are asked to sign up. One may choose to do it through either your Google or Facebook accounts or simply the phone but the catch is that you do share your contact information. Now, the service agreement which most of the users do not read, clearly states that the contact information could be used for communication by the brand (that it will not be shared is what the entire security and privacy thing is all about). So, the brand can then send across emails or messages asking people to sign up for paid services. Even newsletters, free as well as paid could be pushed through these contact channels which can eventually realize into mobile app revenue generation. While, this model may not work so well in the silos but for the overall mobile app monetization strategy, it will be at least a good push for a complete brand recall.

Levels of App Usage

So essentially some of the apps have two versions- the free version and the paid version. This section would be more applicable to the paid apps. Let us take the example of one very simple and yet very common app called Choices. It is a game where one has to, as the name suggests make choices for the given scenario in order to advance. This mobile app can be said to be one of the best cases for mobile app monetization. This is because, after a certain level, the ideal or next to ideal choices which the user could make are paid. So, if you do not pay for the paid choice and choose to go with the free option, you kill the fun of the game. Thus, the user end up paying for the stars or the points in order to make choices. The price per choice option is usually less but as you advance, you will realise that through the multiple paid options, the user has spent about ten to twenty times more than what they could have had the app been simply a paid one time version.

Thus, instead of making the app paid, the multiple levels of payment made the monetization more effective.

In-App Advertisements

This one is pretty self-explanatory because even as we talk of a user, all of us have seen so many ads. Surprisingly, online-rummy ads are the most common ones and literally every heavy traffic app earns a lot for them. But it is not about that.

Actually, in-app advertisements are one f the biggest sources for mobile app revenue generation. Also, mobile marketing is in the stage where everybody wants to join the bandwagon, irrespective of whether they understand it or not. Hence, it is obvious that you should make the most of the situation too. The payouts can be based on impressions, clicks or actions. Choose the one which suits your interests the best!

In-app Purchases

Ideally it should have preceded the immediately preceding topic but anyway, here we go because this option carries its own importance for which the context setting for In-app advertisements was essential. So, an app doesn’t really have to depend on advertisements the entire time. It can instead create its own revenue generation model. This can be done by offering in-app purchases.

This is slightly different from the level of purchase option as in-app purchases provide for a bundle of goods or services to be sold. For instance, while purchasing to level up in a game is an example of level of purchases, bundling a hotel service with a personal chauffeur on a travel app would be an in app purchase.

SMS Marketing

Remember how we had in the first point told about users sharing their information to sign up. SMS marketing is an extension of that. Given that not everyone checks their emails daily, sending out timely SMS can help in furthering the reach and improving the intent for purchase. Plus, one can tie up with other businesses too and promote their content at a price. Thus, while the customer’s data privacy remains intact, the mobile app owner is able to monetise the information well. 

Affiliate Marketing

What we left of at in the previous point brings us to our next i.e. partnerships and affiliate engagements. The key thing to note here however is that the partner or affiliate should fit in well in the ecosystem of your services or otherwise it will downplay your brand’s credibility and will result in app uninstalls. A good partnership however can help upgrade your mobile app to a preferred one for your users and while you will make money from the other brands by promoting them, you can over time also start charging commissions from your user base too.

Best example of affiliate marketing apps would be Betting mobile apps or Currency exchange mobile apps where in most of the cases. They earn good referral from various partner sites

Vibeosys Software do not suggest using Betting Apps, Please note.

An Effective Content Strategy

Remember, a mobile app is not just about its use, it is a lot about the content and features too. For that matter, the content strategy can be good for the revenue generation too. For instance, if yours is a consulting app, the blogs and newsletters could be made on a monetary subscription model where the user can read a few blogs for free and for more detailed insights or say after exhausting the limit, will have to purchase the further knowledge base.

For example mobile apps which helps to read books online, provides summary to be read for FREE but whole book reading comes at a price.

Books online is one such example

Subscription Model

An extension of the content strategy bit comes in the form of subscription model too.Only here, it is not important that you sell content only. A lot of things work on subscription model because a subscription ensures a long term flow. Take the example of grocery shopping mobile apps, more specifically your daily milk and poultry shopping. Most Fresh-TO-Home apps work on it. Let us take the example of BigBasket, it work on a subscription model so that not only they retain their customers for a long time but also keep a track of their inventory and better optimize their operations and revenue.

Such a model can work for almost every firm which deals in perishable products and complex supply chains.

We encourage users to make most of subscription model, as there is 99% chance of conversion

Multiple Payment Options

We can take the example of The Economist to understand this option better. So, the publication kept varied prices for its different subscriptions. For instance, the web subscription cost 59 dollars, the print one costs $125 while the combo costs $125. Most people opted for the third option for the obvious reason- that it turns out to be cheaper and offers the flexibility to use either. Such a pricing strategy can help you to sell the various features of your app at a pricing most suitable for the business. Just to clarify, this option will not really be suitable for a free app.

White Labelling the Code

While your mobile app is your IP (Intellectual Property), its code is your IP too which means selling out or licensing the code to others can be a good revenue stream for your mobile app. White labeling of the code would mean that you allow the basic code of your mobile app to be used by others with some modification or even directly. This option can work really well for high-performing free apps. However, be sure of the clauses in the agreement because the legalities involved will eventually decide how sustainable your revenue stream becomes. 

Mix and Match Model

This option would require you to be smart about the multiple mobile app monetization options. This means that instead of choosing anyone, you can actually go for a bouquet of mobile app monetization options and use that mix to best effect. This will ensure that no matter the type of person or their preference who are using your app, you capture them all.

A Data Driven Model

Now, while you may not be allowed to sell the data, but you can always sell the insights that come along. This one model has the potential to be a big revenue source for the free apps in specific since they cater to almost all possible types of audiences. The entire digital marketing scenario and the effectiveness of it rests on getting accurate data and insights. So, if you through the usage of your mobile app can provide it, you will probably end up setting yourself for the long run easily. 

As we had mentioned earlier as well, a lot of new mobile app makers or startups founders feel that the initial source of revenue generation for the app would be through getting investments and hence the kind of effort which could have gone into mobile app monetization get redirected towards investment generation. We would like to specifically point out that this approach is really bad and definitely not good for a long-run sustainability.

The focus should always be to ensure that you make the most out of your app because self-reliance is any day the best form of reliance and the foundation for a strong business too.

The post How do I monetize my mobile app? appeared first on Vibeosys Software Pvt. Ltd..