Tips to Reduce Mobile App Development Costs for Start-ups

Let’s accept it: Mobile app development cannot be an afterthought for any business, irrespective of their type and size, even if the business is on a shoestring budget plan to start with small and gradually scale the application. Skyrocketing revenues are pushing businesses forward to build a mobile app to reap long-term benefits.

However, the high development cost and quality mobile app development are still challenging for businesses. The development cost can be reduced following a couple of intelligent tactics and preventing mistakes after knowing the factors impacting the development cost.

Before delving deep into the tips to minimize the development cost, we will understand mobile app development costs by considering reliable figures.

There’s no ballpark cost for mobile app development because the app development requirements vary in length. Simple app development with a basic set of features ranges between $12,000 and $20,00, while a complex app with the best mobile app features and intuitive UI design costs approximately around $30,000. The advanced app development, say custom solution development for enterprises with emerging technologies (AI, ML, AR, VR, and IoT), leveraged to surge the cost estimate to $70,000.

Having the initial understanding of mobile app development costs helps you assess various aspects affecting development pricing and make the right budgetary decision.

Factors that affect mobile app development cost

The overall budget for building a mobile app depends on several parameters that must be considered to avoid cost overruns.

• App development for multiple different platforms such as Android, iOS, and others surges cost proportionately.
• The project scope reveals business goals, deadlines, and deliverables within the specified time.
• An increase in several features and their complexity directly impacts the development cost.
• Several developers and their seniority level based on experience increase mobile app development cost estimation.
• The geographical location of developers increases or decreases the hourly rate of developers, which ultimately influences the overall cost of mobile app development.
• Adding the latest technologies and tools to the tech stack increases the requirement for experienced developers, development time, etc., adding to the development cost.
• Several third-party integrations and robust architecture creation need more time. Effort and resources that uplift the cost of building an app.

Top Proven Ways to Reduce Your App Development Cost

The above seven parameters showcase the factors that impact the development cost. There is no easy way to minimize the development cost, but strategic ways help truncate costs. Consider a few tips that help start-ups to reduce or keep their app development costs within budget.

Validation of your idea in advance

The end users do not equally regard the million-dollar app idea valued by the start-ups. Before heading on to the app development journey, researching the niche market and target user base is essential to validate the idea of shaping into a mobile app that meets the users’ needs. Otherwise, it leads to resource, money, and time wastage.

Research using online surveys, one-to-one interviews with customers, and social surveys helps to know that the product is serving the purpose and that the users well-received the USP. The earlier research and validation through research results prevent errors that are costlier at a later stage.

Outsource

While entrusting mobile app building, the start-up can be in a dilemma regarding whether to hire an in-house team or outsource it. Outsourcing options considerably lower the budget, but hiring an in-house team can cost the company dearly.

Outsourcing mobile app development allows access to a global talent pool of top mobile app developers, eliminates the need to build and manage in-house teams, alleviates the need for creating infrastructure, etc, which is a cost-saving exercise. Also, when we go by location, outsourcing projects to top mobile app developers in India helps get a team that readily works at low hourly rates than many other countries, significantly reducing development costs.

Choose the expert

A dedicated app development team can make or break the app’s success. Before sealing the deal with a mobile app development company, identify if the dedicated team has the required knowledge, expertise, and experience in related app development. A wrong selection is a fatal mistake and results in spending more than the budget set aside.

Ensure hiring a professional development team that’s perhaps expensive to hire, but no compromise on quality app development investment pays off. However, start-ups can opt to select experts from South Asian countries that facilitate development at comparatively lower rates than US and Canadian companies.

Go for MVP

An MVP is a prototype of the final version. It features the basic functionality of the end product that helps understand user responses earlier. Later, the mobile app is enhanced on top of user reaction by adding secondary features. The initial user response helps tap the users’ mood and improve the app by incorporating the required changes.

Building an MVP using one of the best mobile app development frameworks helps avoid wasting time and money on developing detailed interfaces and branded designs. It allows business masters to raise small funds initially, and profits will allow them to enhance the app gradually.

Opt for progressive web apps or cross-platform.

With the surge of multiple devices with multiple platforms in the market, it becomes imperative to have an app that works equally well on all platforms. The most popular platforms are iOS and Android, each with its user interface features. However, building an app for each platform individually will end up making a hole in the company’s pocket.

The seasoned developers employ cross-platform frameworks that allow the creation of apps similar to native analog. Hence, there’s no need to build apps separately for different platforms, thus saving the mobile app development cost. Similar is the case with PWAs, built once and made to work effectively across all devices, just like their native counterparts.

Choose agile

The incremental approach of agile methodology allows the developers to make changes as and when required on the road to the complete and final product. Agile methodology allows the incorporation of changes at each stage of development, testing, and deployment, making it easier for the developers to deliver the finished product.

Thereby, dynamic changes enable mobile application developers to make changes as required or fix issues immediately, which are otherwise costly after the mobile app development in terms of more time, effort, and resource investment.

Limit third-party integrations – use only what you need

Third-party integrations allow developers to incorporate functionalities without building them from scratch. However, limitless integrations make the app crowded with a lot of features that are not essential and negatively impact the app’s performance. Fixing the performance issues increases time and cost investment.

Start-ups should plan effectively for features to include and third-party plugin integrations. It results in optimal solution development within budget.

Build effective UI/UX.

The current UI/UX design trend has shown a preference for minimalist designs and simple outlooks, which are user-friendly and convenient. A simple design can be a new, modern, inexpensive solution instead of a complex design with too many functionalities and graphic elements.

Ensure creating minimalistic designs that are well-received by the target audience and require minimum cost to craft.

How to Create The Best Mobile App UI Design?

Keep an eye on the timeline/milestones.

Never be in a hurry to get the end product from the developers. Constant haste causes mobile app developers to make mistakes, and fixing the errors takes a lot of time, which may lead to missed deadlines and additional expenses.

It’s good to ensure the developers build the app according to milestones set and constantly check if there are delays in deliverables, which ensures the app is developed before the deadline.

Get your app developed within budget!

Start-ups pour in hard-earned money for mobile app development. Optimizing the mobile app development cost considering the factors that increase app development cost and following a few tips that help reduce the app development budget is essential to ensure budget development. What’s more? Get connected with one of the reliable mobile app development companies while staying cautious with these tips to develop an app that ensures maximum ROI.