8 Ways to cut mobile app development cost

You’ve had a great idea and decided to build a mobile application and now want to learn how to save money without quality loss? We are here to help you on this issue! In this post, we’ll consider the question of cutting your expenses for custom mobile app development.

Building a mobile solution is a complicated process requiring a thoughtful approach and right calculation of time and costs for the development. The creation of the product that solves your operational challenges and adds real value to your customers is a key to success. Thus, the game is worth the candle!

However, you need a large amount of money, but don’t despair: first, if everything – from idea validation to testing, –  is made right, chances to make a quality application and meet business objectives increase. Second, there are many ways to cut mobile app development cost. So, let’s start.

 

Ways to cut cost for building a mobile app:

 

1. Prepare a quality technical specification

Software engineers enjoy detailed requirements. So do we! We start each project with gathering and processing client’s requirements and preparing a quality technical specification. This document is essential for effective cooperation between customer and mobile app development company and understanding of the entire project.

Made right, the spec helps to avoid such risks as budget under or overestimation, a different understanding of project tasks and goals, a problem of product acceptance by the customer, nonconformity of the end product to customer expectations.

Meanwhile, the creation of a quality and accurate software requirements document helps both you and mobile app development company to define project scope, project stages, budget, set up deadlines, stick to the planned schedule, and improve mutual cooperation.

Such simplification of work results in saving time for the development and increasing chances of building a successful product. Thus, try to prepare as detailed specification as possible. Or apply to specialists so that they gather your ideas, requirements and write it based on them.
2. Outsource your project

Outsourcing of mobile app development services is another way to cut your expenses. A challenge is to find a proper destination for this goal. But what does it mean?

Choose a software outsourcing company in the country with a similar mentality and business culture – it directly affects communication transparency and effective cooperation. Look for the golden mean between price and quality, too cheap can be dangerous for the result of your project. Also remember to check out company’s ratings, reviews, and project expertise that you can look through in portfolio.
3. Start with MVP development

Start your custom mobile app development with MVP (minimum viable product). Implement only those features that will solve the main customer tasks or user problems. This approach is aimed at saving money and testing your idea. Once the product launched, it is checked on the target audience, you collect and measure feedback and get an understanding of things to enhance.

MVP development allows to cut both application development time and cost: you build only the main functionality and receive a working solution. Then you add new features, make improvements, and release again. Thus, your product is under constant development and improvement.

Learn more about the reasons for starting custom mobile app development with MVP.
4. Hire dedicated development team

Choose dedicated development team model to cut your expenses and save time. The team is formed for your project considering the scope of work, project complexity level, and settled schedule. It can involve project managers, software and QA engineers, designers, business analysts, marketing or product managers.

This dedicated team will work on your project only, from start to finish. You will cut expenses on infrastructure and social benefits as well as avoid staffing risks. A bit about benefits of this model:

• The team will be dedicated to your project – you receive full control over your project (task management)
• You control your budget and save money for infrastructure
• Direct transparent communication – you have direct access to each team member and one or several contact faces for effective cooperation

 

5. Pay special attention to design

Mobile app interface design is an important part of the entire development process. Generally it takes 20% of the total project cost.

Make sure the project team uses design guidelines. Both Apple and Google provide instructions for creating quality application design. Thanks to them designers can make user-friendly interfaces, easier, quicker, and with less money spending.
6. Communicate with your software development team

Communicate with your project team, be aware of the stage the product development is at the moment, participate in task management and scheduling processes. This will allow you to have everything under control including your budget.

Nevertheless, don’t push specialists too hard: being under control doesn’t mean being under constant pressure, which can lead to overwork, high nervosity, and work errors (application development cost increases because of bags, errors, etc.).

Remember, the more you communicate with the team, the better they understand your ideas, goals, and expectations. Effective collaboration is a key to project success, meeting deadlines, and saving money.
7. Make sure your product is properly and accurately tested. Test your product yourself

Quality Assurance (QA) is a complicated process playing a great role in project success. This step is the very one that forbids errors and haste. Testing must be carried out properly and accurately. Make sure that a mobile app development company has their own QA department and products are tested on various devices.

Test your application yourself. It will allow you to check everything out for bags and meeting goals and expectations, clarify some issues, ensure that developers understand you right, and build your app according to the requirements.
8. Choose right technologies

There are two options for custom mobile app development: native and crossplatform application development. Native apps are more quality and expensive as a default. However, crossplatform tools are quickly improving. Also new technologies appear, for example, React Native, created and released to solve developers’ challenges.

Surely, choosing the most suitable technologies is a difficult task, required technical specialists and their high expertise. We advise you to apply to a reliable custom mobile app development company, which will provide you with a consultation to your project and will help you define technical details and prepare technical specification.