App development: Balancing budget and quality

When it comes to developing products and apps, there’s a balancing act to be done: budget over quality, or quality over budget?

It’s not an easy balance to strike, either. Go too far one way or another, and you could end up either out of pocket or with a poor product.

Fortunately, with the right steps in place, you can negate the risk and strike the balance just right. For example, with a solid discovery stage in place you can take away the guesswork straight away.

Then, it’s about picking the right partner to continue on your app journey with. Or, it’s about the long-term support you offer and the regular updates you put into place.

However, businesses should understand that building a quality mobile app might be expensive to begin with, but it pays off in the long run – as we discuss further on. It’s also about thinking about the best experience for the right platform – the same UX won’t translate across multiple platforms.

Let’s get into it.

Why the discovery stage is make or break

Whilst it is sometimes prudent to work backwards from your end goal to work out the best path forward, with app development, the beginning is the best bet.

The discovery stage of app development is critical to the success of the product, and we’d go as far as saying that it’s make or break.

Identifying the end user’s needs early on means that you can plan the entire scope of work around what’s best for the user.

User experience can also be make or break, which is why it’s so important to understand the why ahead of the what.

Getting all the facts out on the table early on means that designers and developers alike can begin to plan for the most seamless experience possible.

There are a few key areas that the discovery stage impacts:

Understanding requirements: The discovery stage helps identify and clarify the project requirements. By having a clear vision upfront, there's a reduced risk of costly changes and rework during later stages of development.

Estimating costs: Estimating costs for any development is key, as it allows the team involved to estimate the resources required and feedback to the client. A more precise budget is better for all involved, as there are then no nasty surprises at the end of the project.

Risk management: During discovery, potential risks and challenges are identified, analysed, and addressed. By proactively tackling these issues at an early stage, the development team can avoid costly surprises and delays later on, which might otherwise impact the budget and overall quality.

Expectation setting: Expectation setting is all about defining scope, timeline, and key deliverables so that all involved are clear about what they’re expected to deliver and when. This helps to avoid any conflict further down the line, when either party might be confused as to what is expected of them.

Defining an MVP: In some cases, app development might be constrained by budget limitations. The discovery stage allows the team to identify the core features necessary for the app's initial launch—the Minimum Viable Product (MVP). This ensures that the essential functionalities are prioritised and developed within budget constraints while maintaining a certain level of quality.

Obtaining a user-centric approach: Understanding the target audience and their needs is essential for building a successful app. The discovery stage facilitates market research, user interviews, and feedback gathering, enabling the team to design an app that resonates with users, thereby increasing its potential for success.

Partnerships are everything

Partnerships in app development can play a crucial role in balancing budget and quality by leveraging the strengths and expertise of external entities. Collaborating with the right partners can bring a number of benefits that directly impact the app's development process, efficiency, and overall success.

For example, striking up a healthy partnership can help distribute development costs among multiple parties, reducing the financial burden on each individual partner.

Furthermore, partnerships can also provide access to expertise in design, development, testing, marketing, and more, leading to higher quality outcomes when partnering with a company that fills the skills gaps you have.

Partnerships are also a fantastic way to beat attrition, as the workload is shared between the two partners meaning that the project can maintain it’s energy.

Further, the in-house training costs are also minimised given that the skills are already held by the partner involved, which contributes to decreasing the overall cost of the project.

Long-term support and regular updates – engaging end users

Engaging end users and making their experience seamless can save money in the long run. If you focus on getting it right the first time and iterating as you move forward, you can save on new designs or additional features and updates further down the line.

Long-term support and regular updates, along with engaging end users in app development, offer several cost benefits to app developers and businesses. These practices not only improve the app's quality and user experience but also contribute to long-term cost savings and overall success.

• Reducing development costs through user feedback and focused feature development.
• Lowering customer acquisition costs through word-of-mouth marketing.
• Increasing user retention and lifetime value by addressing user needs.
• Minimizing churn and negative reviews by prompt bug fixes and improvements.
• Adapting to OS and device updates, saving on major rework.
• Ensuring continued revenue generation and extending the app's lifecycle

Takeaways

Balancing budget and quality in app development is crucial, and it starts with a solid discovery stage to understand user needs and plan accordingly. From obtaining an MVP to setting realistic expectations, there’s a plethora of reasons to focus on getting the discovery phase right.

Partnerships are also a great way to maximise on cost and quality, through distributing costs and accessing specialised skills.

Finally, long-term support and engaging with end users can lead to cost savings as well as increasing the quality of the application.