Things to Look for in a Mobile Application!

The mobile application development market is constantly growing and improving.  It seems that with every passing moment, another developer is building some unique and brand new mobile application to be used by millions on the Android, iPhone and complete arsenal of mobile devices.  As more companies dip their feet into the water, many are discovering the benefits of today’s mobile technologies.  Businesses from all sectors are wondering where the mobile application development industry will be after the next big wave of technological advancement.

Mobile apps are hitting the market faster than anyone could imagine.  Perhaps the only number that is increasing faster than the number of mobile apps is the total number of smartphone users.  Worldwide, smartphone users are vast approaching the one billion mark.  When you consider this staggering number, combined with the fact that the average smartphone features 23 applications and that many users add to that list on a daily basis, it is easy to see why the demand for custom mobile apps is greater than ever before.  To accommodate for this increasing demand, more mobile application development companies are emerging in the industry.

Successful mobile applications have one particular thing in common – they are unique.  Still, it’s easy to see how, despite a massive mobile market, that so many mobile apps are able to find and maintain a desirable level of uniqueness.  Mostly, this is because of the plethora of options available in today’s mobile app development industry.  When it comes to mobile games and programs the possibilities are literally endless.

With so much to consider, what should you look for in a mobile app?

To start, mobile apps should be smooth.  Mobile apps function best when the transition from one section to another goes unnoticed.  Features are important, but keep in mind that mobile apps should be as light as possible.  A fine line exists between boasting powerful features and keeping the mobile app light.  The trick is to tread carefully along that line to provide the best overall user experience.

Mobile apps need to be straight-forward and easy to use.  Avoid cluttering an app with thousands of useless features or options.  Many users have a small touch screen and clutter tends to make mobile apps more difficult to use.

Most people would agree that taking a full-blown version of Photoshop on the road through a mobile device would be something worth trying.  The problem with a scenario like this is that most users would not be able to work with such a feature-rich application on a smartphone.  An app that can do basic manipulating and conversions to prepare files for editing on a large computer would be a much better suited app for a device like a smartphone.

Mobile apps today mostly cater to audio, video, imaging, organizational and games.  Most mobile devices have excellent built-in media players that accommodate audio and video files, although simple apps can make these popular features even better.

The most important element to mobile applications is a useful and beneficial design.  We can’t put every single feature into a mobile application that we wish to include.  We can, however, design apps in a manner which allows us to manipulate files and later export them to a proper computer app for the complete job.

Mobile games are different than most other apps as we don’t use them to manipulate files.  Mostly, games serve the purpose of entertainment and wasting time.  For mobile games, a successful app is generally lightweight, addictive and fun but without skimping on graphics.

Akesh Gupta is President of Light Speed Solutions.  Akesh and his team strive to deliver quality mobile application development services on time and on budget.