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Mobile mistakes

Four blunders most enterprises make when developing their first mobile app.

Marius Visser
By Marius Visser, CEO, director and co-owner of Return True.
Johannesburg, 15 Jul 2014

Companies that have a mobile strategy and embrace mobility today are truly expanding the value and reach of their business. More and more companies are losing relevance, as competitors gain an advantage by leveraging new technologies to create context-aware mobile applications that are transforming business processes and client engagement.

An effective mobile strategy is needed to break into this new and exciting world. Here are four make-or-break strategies that can determine the success or failure of a company's first mobile app.

1. It is not just another project

The first mistake is to treat the company's first mobile app like just another project. Starting mobile development or creating the first mobile app will result in failure and a waste of time and money if it is treated like just another project.

Mobile applications require different timelines, data management and user interface design to traditional Web or desktop development. Data persistence and the user experience are completely different, with touch and gestures taking preference. Mobile devices use contextual gestures, and have cameras, gyroscopes and location devices, and each of these must be taken into account in the design and development of mobile applications.

Users know how to use their phone and its features, so the application needs to make use of these.

If the mobile app project is treated like just another normal development project, and the normal thought processes, user interface experiences, data management and current skills are applied, then it is bound to fail. This brings me to the second mistake.

2. Don't use existing skill sets

A sure-fire way to doom a mobile strategy is to use existing skill sets to create an app. Mobile applications require a different skill set to normal programming.

However, leveraging existing skill sets on the service layer and integration layers, where they belong, do make sense.

Make sure to provide adequate training or refined training to skill the developers and the business analysts properly. This investment will pay for itself and ensure the mobile apps are current, have up-to-date user interfaces and can be maintained easily.

Current skill sets of developers should be enhanced to include user interface design considerations, gestures, data management both online and offline, proper versioning of apps, continuous builds and frequent updates.

If native development is needed, developers must skill up in the various native platform languages. This will take some time and effort on the developer's part. Also, expect the first apps to take a lot longer than expected because of the steep learning curve.

Even if a cross-platform development platform is used, which promises code-sharing and rapid development, the learning curve to use such a platform will also be longer than expected, especially if the app is complex. These platforms normally have their own quirks and nuances that can trip up developers for days or even weeks.

3. Don't ignore data collection and statistics

If collecting data and statistics about the app and its usage is ignored, the biggest advantage mobile applications bring to the table will be missed. Not only does it include data about the frequency of use of the app, it also includes where the app is being used and how it is used. It is much more than just data about the user or the demographics.

Collecting data about an app could be the biggest differentiator in the company's app world. A winning strategy is to build data collection into the app from day one. Equally important is to effectively analyse the data on a regular basis. Some of the finer points of data collection often missed are gathering any and all errors or bugs found in the application. Getting this information allows for the problem to be fixed even before users know they have them (presuming the app manages the errors gracefully).

This allows the developers to produce a more stable version to their users quickly. Problems can be picked up on certain pieces of functionality by recording load times, execution time and also time spent on screens, etc.

Recording this information, analysing it and reporting on it, provides a good handle on what's happening with the app out in the real world, how it is being used, how it behaves and where it is being used. It also offers an active user base, allows insight into current running versions, and eliminates errors and bottlenecks in the mobile app in a very short space of time, which promotes a stable, usable app.

There are many ways for a company to accomplish this task, from rolling its own aggregation service to buying one off the shelf. There are also many free services like Google Analytics to provide the perfect platform to accomplish all the above tasks across iOS and Android platforms easily. The fact remains a company must plan and provide for such a service in its strategy to survive in the long run.

4. Don't choose one tool for the job

Sticking to one tool or language to do all app development projects is another mistake many enterprises make. A company has to choose the right tool for the job.

Mobile applications require a different skill set to normal programming.

The current choices are native development, cross-platform development tools and hybrid development. Both have advantages and disadvantages. Choosing one development option for all projects is a common mistake. The key is to choose one over the other per project.

Each project could have different users, objectives and complexity. These projects might also be created for different kinds of devices, which will influence the company's choice.

There are myriad blogs, white papers and articles on the Internet available to help developers make a decision around the technology to use for a specific project. It is not an easy choice and each one has its own specific learning curve and pitfalls. If there is a choice, people or groups of people will be skilled in each specific language or tool. Over time, cross-skilling should be done so the skills in the enterprise can be leveraged based on the project to be delivered.

In today's fast-changing world, mobile technology is reshaping the way people connect, work, and play. No enterprise can afford to fall behind. Setting up a mobile strategy to stay ahead of the competition is not an easy task and should not be taken lightly. Hopefully, the four common pitfalls highlighted above will raise awareness and help to create a more effective mobile strategy.

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