iOS Application Development: Expectations vs Reality
In 2020, 68.1% of all website visits globally happened via mobiles. Within mobiles, iOS and Android have always been at war about which is better. Among those global mobile users, 1 Billion people use iOS, which makes it a dominant contender in app development.
iOS development has generally been regarded as more straightforward yet more stringent than its counterpart, Kotlin. So, what are the things that make the iOS app different besides the usability experience? What are the expectations that an iOS app development service should provide, and what can be the reality? Find out!
Expectations Vs. Reality
Since it is generally considered that iOS apps are easier to develop due to the smaller number of devices and overall end-to-end control over all the development activities. It is easy to get carried away from reality. The following are the most significant expectations that people have that are far from the truth:
- Cost of Development
Expectation: The cost of development of an iOS app is standard worldwide, and the price trend prevails around the world.
Reality: IOS app development costs are considerably higher in the U.S., U.K., and Europe than in other parts of the world. However, just like intricate and complex food, a feature-rich and complicated app will also be costlier. In the iOS app development world, the more features and technologies that go into making the app, the higher is the cost of development. And if you do not have the right people on board that can help offer the right kind of app at the right price with the right quality, then outsource the work to a company like Etelligens that provides a plethora of iOS app development services.
- Application Development Time
Expectation: iOS app development is done on Kotlin, which is easier to work with than Swift and Java on Android. So, the app development will not take much time, and the rollout will be completed within a few weeks.
Reality: The time it takes for an iOS app to be adequately developed depends highly upon the app’s requirements. An app development process comprises ideation, designing, development, testing, launch, and maintenance. If the developers are building a custom iOS app, then no step can be skipped or fast-forwarded. To do that, an MVP needs to be in place already to work on. A business that promises an unrealistically fast deadline with all the features you are expecting will probably offer work without adhering to compliances for approval on the App Store.
- App Submission and Approval
Expectation: Submitting the app to the app store will allow the app to be published and be visible to users from the get-go to be downloaded.
Reality: Almost all apps are rejected from being published in the first go. For an app to be published without a hurdle, it has to be perfect in every way, security-wise. All apps undergo a stringent testing process, and something as small as a short crash can cause the app to be rejected. Using multidisciplinary iOS app developers and a well-documented maintenance and approval process is critical for the app to be accepted in the App Store.
- Post Launch Updates
Expectation: The app does not need to be monitored regularly. Monitoring the analytics will help in deciding when the app needs an update and bug fix.
Reality: An app needs constant monitoring and maintenance for a continued smooth experience of the users. A multilevel iOS app routine maintenance schedule is key to creating a unified application. In addition, the usage of in-depth analytics to draw insights about how to improve the app post-launch is key.
- Website to App Transformation
Expectation: An app is a transformation of the mobile version of the website to an app, so that is fairly straight forward.
Reality: While it is true that the iOS app is a transformation of the mobile website, working on both is a different ballgame. iOS app development needs robustness, better planning, and faster workability than the website. An app has to be more extensive and incorporate CTAs; a dynamic user experience (UX) is the USP of the app itself.
- Building First Version
Expectation: Most people believe that building the MVP version of the app is easier and does not take long.
Reality: Building the first version takes the longest time and costs the highest since it involves incorporating all of the requirements of the client/business. All app testings have to be performed to ensure that the app’s first version release is bug-free to ensure responsiveness, scalability, security, and stability for future improvements.
- App Store Optimization and Visibility
Expectation: Like a website, app stores also have optimization tactics that can help the app get the traction it needs to be marketed and visible to the target audience.
Reality: Like the content on a search engine, apps also need to be marketed and optimized for better visibility and traction SEO. That, combined with the downloads, will get you the right kind of visibility and better traction.
- Download and Retention
Expectation: Business owners think that the higher the number of downloads, the higher the revenue they will generate from the app.
Reality: The reality is that instead of downloading, the app’s overall value has to be considered for it to stay on the mobile device in the long run. You can only determine the overall customer lifetime value if the customer keeps the app on their phone. So, unless there are in-app purchases made, the download figure is not the same as retention.
Conclusion
While iOS development is simpler and more cost-effective, the vulnerabilities on iOS, in general, have a 167% higher chance of the app developing bugs or the user’s data being compromised. This is because new releases of iOS have lots of patches pending, which leaves a lot of room for improvement till yet.
