Application Development Guide: Types, Benefits and Best Practices

Quick Summary: Applications have become an integral part of everyone’s lives, leading to immense popularity in app development. Cutting-edge technologies with ideal tools and methodologies are the key to developing top-notch applications. Here is everything you need to know about application development, from its types to examples to best practices.

Applications, be for mobile, web, or desktop, have a significant impact on our daily lives. Apps exist in several shapes and sizes to meet the specific demands of various users, ranging from gaming to lifestyle. And all thanks to the internet, finding and downloading the ideal apps has never been simpler.

For instance, you see the news headlines immediately after waking up or buy a beautiful dress from your favorite shopping app. You use an application in your daily schedule for several things. The list goes on and on, from reading the news to seeing the temperature to paying your bills to booking a taxi online.

There is a connection between people and applications practically everywhere, from when we wake up to when we doze off at night. Hence, applications have become vital and so have app development company and services.

Individuals, industries, and different sectors can create dynamic applications and utilize them in these ultra-modern times to get flexibility in their careers, personal lives, and business fields. On the brighter side, since it’s ubiquitous and the cost of developing an app is much less than it used to be, there are no restrictions on developing applications per your needs and requirements.

Several sectors, like retail, enterprise, automotive, electronics, health, education, construction, telecommunications, etc., build and use applications for different purposes. These applications keep the workflow and operations of these industries relatively straightforward.

But what about its development? Is the application development life cycle complicated or simple? Diving into the past a little, the application development process was difficult a few years back. However, developing an application has become simpler in this digital era. So, don’t worry; we’ll help you walk through the fundamentals of application development and everything you need to know before developing one.

Let’s start with the basics!

What is Application Development?

Application development is the process of designing, developing, prototyping, testing, and making ongoing improvements to software applications that run on specific platforms like mobile or web. It involves technical skills, creativity and a problem-solving approach to transfer an idea into a user-friendly application that runs on various platforms. App developers utilize various web programming languages, like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build a responsive, high-performance application.

Many types of application software help people and businesses automate procedures and boost productivity in many areas. These areas include everyday discussion, communication, calculating expenses, scheduling meetings and reports, amidst much more.

Every application development process includes similar steps: gathering data following the client’s requirements, creating prototypes, testing, implementing, integrating, etc. Therefore, the entire process is called Application Development Life Cycle (ADLC), which completes the app development project as rapidly and effectively as possible.

Although to accomplish this process, different application development methodologies are used.

Why is Application Development Important?

These days, it’s imperative to build applications because of their countless purposes and advantages. Globally, many distinct applications and forms of development exist, including desktop, web, and mobile development.

To meet their distinct needs, businesses or their employers use off-the-shelf or custom application development services. Therefore, several application development methodologies like Waterfall and Agile, Rapid Application Development, with many more can be used to achieve various goals.

Significant Advantages of Application Development

Robust application development software enables businesses to manage their tech-biz portfolio using the best software efficiently. Here are four main benefits that application development offers:

1. Customization: Application development enables you to create tailor-made apps that can be adapted to meet the unique requirements of your business. You can include features and capabilities that off-the-shelf solutions may not offer. Customizing solutions is the key to solving specific problems and improving processes.

2. Integration: Applications can be designed in a way that they can easily integrate with the existing systems and technologies, which not only facilitates data exchange but also automates workflow. This integration capability allows businesses to make the most of their existing infrastructure, improving operations.

3. Performance: Using custom applications can optimize performance, leading to rapid response times, efficient resource utilization, and improved UX through tactics like code optimization, database tuning, and caching.

4. Innovation: Application development can serve as a steppingstone to innovation by enabling companies to generate unique ideas and determine which technology to utilize. Custom-developed apps empower companies to unleash their creativity and develop new ideas to drive business growth. This, in turn, champions an innovative culture within the organization.

Now, let’s move to the next section of our article and understand the different types and subtypes of application development, along with out-of-the-box tips and tricks and best practices to develop an efficient application.

What are The Different Types of Application Development?

There are three types of applications used by people worldwide. Let’s go through these different types of application development one by one.

1. Web Application Development

Creating web-based applications utilizing the best application development platform is known as web application development. These apps are provided to users through the internet and are stored on distant computers.

Whenever a company wishes to have an online presence to reach consumers globally, they develop a unique web application. Web apps are dynamic, user-input-enabled pages that run and operate on a web server. The web application is different because it is hosted online and can be accessed via a web browser. Additionally, they are more secure, simple to back up, and more economical than others.

These apps are commonly contrasted with native applications, which are installed on a device’s platform and created specifically for it.

2. Mobile Application Development

The process of developing mobile applications to operate on different mobile platforms is known as mobile application development. To be more specific, a mobile platform is a mobile operating system. These platforms have distinct rules, limitations, and specifications for creating mobile apps.

Because it is simply impossible to design an application and port it to every platform, experienced mobile app developers do the job seamlessly as they are familiar with the nuances of each platform.

A big thanks to those developers!

Now, let’s explore the different types of mobile application development.

What is a native app?

The term ‘native app’ refers to a specific app that runs on a mobile device such as an Android phone, iPhone, Windows phone, etc. These applications are created natively for a certain platform or operating system (OS).

What is a mobile web app?

Mobile web applications are specifically designed for use on mobile devices. Web applications are significantly mobile-friendly versions of websites. These can function on any mobile device because it is provided through a mobile browser and functions like a native application.

What is a hybrid app?

In essence, hybrid applications are a blend of web and native applications. The native app covers both. The most common way to get the stated applications is through an online marketplace or digital store.

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3. Desktop Application Development

In today’s time, web and mobile applications are the popular ones, but people rarely discuss desktop applications. So, you might be wondering - what is desktop application development?

Software applications known as desktop apps work with the operating system directly as opposed to web-based and mobile apps. Therefore, desktop application development refers to creating software for desktops and laptops.

These applications are usually designed for desktop operating systems like Windows, macOS, Linux, and others.

It’s significant to know about the different types of application development before you hire custom app developers and start building any application. We hope you’re clear with these terminologies. Now, you must be wondering how to develop an application.

A successful application, indeed!

Important Stages of the App Development Process

Developing a successful app need more than just coding; you need to follow a systematic, step-by-step approach with careful execution. Here are the key steps you need to follow for the best results:

1. Planning and Analysis

First of all, you must cross-check your app idea to define objectives, target audience, and functionalities. It’ll be the blueprint for your app development project.

2. Design and Prototyping

At this stage, developers create the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design and develop mockups or prototypes. The aim is to make the app both aesthetically pleasing and functional.

3. Coding and Development

This is the core phase where coding comes into play. Using programming languages and other crucial technologies, developers transform the design into a functioning app.

4. Testing and Quality Assurance

After the development phase, it’s time to run various tests to catch bugs, check functionality, performance, and security of the app to make sure everything works flawlessly.

5. Deployment and Launch

It's showtime! Developers will now launch your app into the app stores (App Store, Google Play, etc.) or your preferred platform. They also handle the technicalities to make your app available to the world.

6. Maintenance and Updates

Lastly, you need to keep monitoring the app performance, gather user feedback, and implement updates to keep your app fresh, secure, and in line with evolving technologies and user expectations.

Best Practices for Successful Application Development

Although creating and maintaining apps is not always simple, organizations can assure speedy time-to-market and consistent success by adhering to these best application development practices. Moreover, these best practices develop applications to high-quality standards with little risk of disrupting bugs.

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1. Prepare Your Team – Focus on team training around new apps or existing app updates. Also, make them understand and learn about different application development tools; this is important because your internal team needs to be well-versed in your application and its development to produce the best results.

2. Work with Experienced Partners – A reputable application development company can be incredibly helpful for developing and maintaining high-quality applications. Choose a partner with experience who is open to communication and provides ongoing assistance for the greatest outcomes.

3. Document Your Plans – Ensure adequate record and distribution of all the plans and strategies of the application development process to all the stakeholders involved.

4. UX Assessments – An application’s success depends on the user experience. Run tests from the end user’s standpoint to detect and fix potential bugs.

5. Communication is Key – Communication is important if you’re employing an external application partner. To collaborate as effectively as possible, communicate with all the external and internal development teams regularly.

6. Be Versatile and Adaptable – Your apps should be flexible enough to adapt to your organization’s structure, market, and resource changes.

7. Keep Your Composure – To ensure that your applications are compliant and protect you from any compliance issues, stay up-to-date on application requirements, policies, and protocols.

Examples of Application Development

As user expectations rise, scalable and flexible architecture and an intuitive user interface have emerged as essential criteria for designing apps. Today, application development encompasses many enterprise systems, including business intelligence apps, CRM apps, SCM systems, data management solutions, marketing technology software, cloud-based mobile apps using IoT, and many more. The days when application development was limited to mobile and web apps are long gone. There are several examples of application development in the market worldwide, such as Instagram, a popular social media mobile app; Shopify, a widely used web application for e-commerce; Salesforce, a powerful enterprise CRM tool; and custom applications like Slack, which have transformed team communication.

Today’s top application development companies utilize cutting-edge app development tools like TFS, Visual Studio, SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), and VSTS. They also use cutting-edge technologies like .NET 4.5, jQuery, C#, MVC, MVVM, and VB .Net, to create reliable applications that directly improve process efficiency, quality assurance, and workflow handling. Organizations can realize a significant throughput improvement with lesser time consumption, resources, and overhead expenses, all thanks to a well-developed application.

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Tips for Successful Application Development

The development and maintenance of software applications are a must for providing excellent user experiences to end users. According to the latest mobile app usage statistics, web and mobile applications are the most effective means of reaching a sizable market and generating good revenue. The estimated revenue in 2024 is USD 522,717.51 million. That is why it’s a good idea to remember a few pointers, given that millions of applications are released every day:

• Describe your application’s requirements as thoroughly as you can.
• Recognize the best tech partner/company if you’re opting for one by properly understanding the services and application development guidelines the respective company provides.
• Analyze different application development platforms and select the one that best suits the requirements of your company.
• Ensure the procedures focus on continuous improvement and iterations to incorporate new features or address bugs.
• Make security your primary consideration when creating your application.
• Update and test your application development software frequently to ensure enhanced performance, high security, and a seamless, bug-free user experience.

Application Development: Most-Common Tech Stack Scenarios

Here we have mentioned the popular tech-stack scenarios for different application development types right from Android apps to Desktop apps. You may modify the given stacks as per your specific business requirements.

1. Android App Development

• Languages: Java, Kotlin - For Android apps, developers use Java or Kotlin as programming languages. Java has always been the main language for Android development which consists of a comprehensive collection of libraries and tools. Nevertheless, Kotlin has been adopted for its modern features and nuances working with Java Code.
• IDE: Android Studio - Android Studio is the official IDE developed exclusively for Android app development, offering all necessary tools for designing, coding, and debugging purposes.
• Frameworks: Android SDK
• Database: SQLite, Room

2. iOS App Development

• Languages: Swift, Objective-C - The most used programming languages for developing an iOS platform are Swift or Objective-C. Swift has become the de facto language for iOS development due to its safety-netting abilities and modern-language features. While Objective-C is still seen in some legacy projects, it’s being replaced by the newer languages Swift.
• IDE: Xcode - Xcode, the official IDE for iOS development, provides the outlets to design user interfaces, implement code, and examination for bugs.
• Frameworks: UIKit, SwiftUI
• Database: Core Data, Realm

3. Cross-Platform App Development

• Languages: JavaScript (React Native), Dart (Flutter), C# (Xamarin) - The most commonly used general-purpose frameworks across all platforms are React Native, Flutter, and Xamarin. React Native is based on JavaScript and allows for code reusability in iOS and Android. Flutter is coded in Dart and combines a single codebase for both iOS and Android, providing native performance. Xamarin is a cross-platform development framework that uses C# and enables developers to share the same kernel across iOS, Android, and Windows platforms.
• IDE: Visual Code Studio (Flutter, Xamarin); Android Studio (React Native) - Visual Code Studio is a lightweight, open-source IDE by Microsoft. It supports languages including JS, TS, and Dart deploying frameworks such as React or Native and Flutter. It provides features such as IntelliSense, debugging, and Git integration. On the other hand, Android Studio focuses on developing Android apps. However, it also supports cross-platform frameworks such as Flutter. It contains a large package of tools for building, deploying, and troubleshooting Flutter applications, along with features specific to Android development.
• Frameworks: React Native, Flutter, Xamarin

4. Hybrid App Development

• Languages: HTML, CSS, JavaScript - These languages can be used to create the UI and program logic that functions inside the native sandbox, serving as the app container on the device. The benefit of using web technologies is being able to write the code once and deploy it to a range of platforms such as iOS and Android smartphones.
• Frameworks: Apache Cordova, Ionic, PhoneGap - These frameworks package up web technologies in a native container that enables web developers to get access to the native device features using web technologies.
• IDE: Visual Code, Xcode, Android Studio

5. Web App Development

• Frontend: HTML, CSS, JavaScript - These front-end frameworks are the main building blocks in developing the interactive interface and the user experience.
• Backend: Node.js, Python (Django, Flask), Ruby (Ruby on Rails), Java (Spring) - These backend frameworks are part of the server-side logic layer and are used for data storage activities.
• Database: MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB

6. Progressive Web App Development

• Technlogies: HTML, CSS, JavaScript - PWA make use of these modern technologies as well as service workers and web app manifests which support features such as offline support, push notifications, and home screen installations.
• Frameworks: React, Angular, Vue.js

7. Desktop App Development

• Languages: Electron (JavaScript, HTML, CSS), Java (JavaFX, Swing), C# (WPF, WinForms), C++ (Qt, GTK+) - These technologies provide developers with tools to create native desktop applications so they can access features and functions exposed by OS.

The Wise Way to Selecting an Ideal App Development Company

As far as taking the call to outsourcing your app development is concerned, the below-mentioned factors can play a critical role in paving the way to success for your project -

1. Expertise and Experience: Make sure to consider a company that has already shown some success in the app development business and particularly in your niche. Scrutinize their portfolio, customer reviews, and case studies to assess their level of expertise.

2. Technology Stack: Ensure the company uses modern and effective technologies for app development. This consists of a variety of languages such as Java and Kotlin, frameworks such as React Native and Flutter, and databases such as MySQL and MongoDB, etc.

3. Development Process: The company should adhere to a systematic development cycle like Agile or DevOps to ensure timely delivery and quality of the developed product. This includes constant communication, sprint planning, and CI/CD.

4. Design and UX: Attention to intuitive design and seamless UX is what makes app wins. Be certain that the company has expertise in UI/UX design, and they can come up with interfaces that have an aesthetic appeal.

5. Security Measures: App security must be the top priority. Make sure the company is using strong encryption, secure authorization procedures, and protection against common vulnerabilities (e.g., OWASP Top 10).

6. Scalability: You may also check out how the company is ready for future scalability. Designing a scalable architecture for continuously growing users and new features without major refactoring of the code should be one of their goals.

7. Testing and Quality Assurance: It is of paramount importance that stringent testing procedures be in place from the beginning to fix and detect bugs. Make certain the organization performs extensive tests such as functional, performance, and security testing.

8. Post-Launch Support: It would be good to find a company that maintains its functionality and controls it after the application is launched. This may include bug fixes, upgrades, and compatibility with newer OS versions.

9. Cost and Budget: While cost is surely a vital factor, it ought not be the single one. Determine the long-term worth of your services with respect to quality.

10. Communication and Transparency: We cannot stress the importance of clear communication and transparency all through development. Assure that the company provides regular updates, and it should be responsive and attend to your complaints and feedback.

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Future of Application Development

In the blink of an eye, new software development trends appear out of thin air. Therefore, the application development landscape will experience several changes in the coming years. Let’s look at these yet-to-come trends.

1. AI Integration in Applications: In the future, AI technologies like Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing will be increasingly implemented in app development. This will allow apps to provide personalized experiences, predictive analytics, and automation of repetitive tasks. As per the top mobile app development trends, you may also witness integration of emerging technologies such as blockchain, beacons, 5G, etc.

2. Empowering Business Users with Citizen Development: Citizen development is where non-technical individuals, called “citizen developers,” create applications using low-code/no-code platforms. This trend allows business users to develop applications specific to their needs, reducing dependence on the IT department.

3. Boom of No-Code and Low-Code Development: No-code and low-code development environments will become more common, allowing users to develop apps without extensive coding knowledge. These platforms use visual interfaces and pre-built components, resulting in faster app development, shorter time-to-market, and reduced costs.

ConclusionWe hope we have clarified the question, ‘what is application development?’ and the different aspects related to it. Businesses use various application development tools and resources and follow best practices to ensure that their apps stand out from the competitors and are useful to end users.Moreover, to provide value to the end user, applications allow corporate organizations to automate a wide range of routine tasks. However, to be honest, developing applications is not a piece of cake and requires expertise.Do you have any upcoming application development projects? Connect with Radixweb – as a leading custom application development company, we have experience offering rich digital experiences for mobile and web platforms for over two decades.Get in touch with us today to learn how your company can profit from our application development services.