Mobile apps are on the rise today, thanks to the popularity of smart phones. A look at some of the successful mobile apps can easily fool a beginner into believing that mobile apps are very easy to create. The truth is, even with the best mobile app, you may not be as successful as you had imagined you will be. Developing your first mobile app can be an exciting, yet challenging thing. This is why it is important for startups to take time to understand some of the challenges they could face along the way, so that you will be well prepared when the time comes. Here are some of the critical challenges when developing mobile apps to be on the lookout for:

1. Making the initial technical decisions

Making the Initial Technical Decisions
Since they are just beginning, a startup may not realize how important planning for the development is. This is because there are so many ways to build an app, though with proper planning, this might not seem like a big hurdle to cross at all. There are many programming languages for you to choose from, and typically you should only choose one. Planning is important and it starts with asking the right questions. Choose the best development approach and stick to its frameworks, technologies, and languages that can be used in that approach. Without proper planning, you will be faced with scalability problems, performance and also maintenance issues down the road.

2. Not knowing when to look for help

Not knowing when to look for help
Everyone has their own weaknesses and strengths. It is good to understand what you can do and how much you can do for your app, then let the professionals handle the rest. There is nothing wrong with looking for help especially on matters that you cannot fully handle on your own. There are startups that only look for help in programming and decide to do design, copywriting and marketing on their own. In as much as this is good and could save you some money in the end, it is important to know that there are people who have great skills and experience in doing these things and they can guarantee success for your app.

3. Navigability

Navigability
Even if your app looks simple to you, it may not be simple to the end user. You should think of this as a startup developer in order to ensure that your users will have an easy time navigating your app. You have to be as simple as you can and be clear, providing helpful tutorials and instructions where necessary just so your users can use your app with ease.

4. Choosing when to launch

Choosing when to launch
Deciding when to launch a mobile app is not an easy thing. If you launch too early, you may not get the best reviews because your app has not been marketed well. Waiting for a longer time may leave you spending too much money before you can even receive your first feedback. There is therefore a real challenge in making such a decision. You can test the app first, then ask your first users how they are finding the app. If there are changes or additions that are needed on the app, do this before the launching.

5. Device compatibility

Device compatibility - Challenges Developing Mobile Apps
With so many mobile devices in use today, it will be a challenge for a developer to be able to create an app that will be compatible with all the available devices. It will not be easy for a startup to ensure that their new apps will work the same on all Smartphones, tablets, iPhones among other mobile devices.

6. Marketing the app

Marketing the app
It is not easy to market a mobile app and it costs so much money. This is something that startups are usually not well prepared for. Many startups assume that if they have created a great app, users will automatically flock to it, but it is not what happens in the actual sense. Another thing is that marketing the app on your own, however good you are at marketing will not be easy. You need good and reliable contacts of people who promote apps in the app store to help you out with your marketing.

7. An overcrowded market

An overcrowded market - Challenges Developing Mobile Apps
There are more than a million mobile apps out there already, and more coming up every day. It is therefore not easy to come up with an idea that is unique and one that will solve people’s problems in a different way. You can create a really good app that will be better than its already existing competitors and still achieve success. The challenge will be on how you will penetrate the market in order for your app to be seen by potential users.

8. App performance

App performance
This is a very important thing to consider because even if all goes according to the plan. If the app fails to perform well, you will not be as successful as you had hoped in the beginning. Your app needs to have fully integrated solutions with a properly planer lifecycle.

9. Early reviews

Early Reviews - Challenges Developing Mobile Apps
Reviews can be used to determine the success of an app. A good review about your app can prompt a potential user to download your app. However, early reviews can really mess you up especially if they are not positive; you might end up losing the few users you have already acquired. What to do is to look for a group of family and friends who can give you a good review to back up your app so that in case of any negative review, you will have a few positive reviews to fall on.

10. Funding

Funding - Challenges Developing Mobile Apps
Developing a usable app and marketing it is a costly affair. This is the challenge that many developers face. A lot of them have a very good idea for an app but they are unable to bring their dream into a reality. You first of all need to have a strategy for funding your app. You can decide to borrow money from family and friends or look for a good investor who will believe in your app.

All these and many more challenges mean that developing mobile apps for startups will not be easy, but if you have a good plan and you know what to look out for, you will enjoy great success.