With millions of apps available in the Google and Apple Stores, it isn’t easy to stay aligned with Mobile App Development updates. Having an up-to-date app saves a lot of maintenance costs down the road. As a result, many popular apps are updated, often weekly. In this blog, you will learn about different methods that one must use to be competitive with app development updates.
Introduction
The world is constantly changing and evolving from a technological standpoint in the mobile app world. There has been a great debate among tech users regarding mobile apps and their key features. Some argue that a mobile app is useless without its features, while others put forth their thoughts on prioritizing essential UI/UX features. However, everyone would agree that a fully functional app only becomes popular when everything is perfectly developed. By deciding which specifications should be changed as per customer feedback, your app becomes better and attracts a new user base.
Ways to Stay Competitive with Mobile App Development Updates
You might remember the guidelines that must be followed to prevent app rejection. Apple and Google are both known to feature updated apps that have changed their functionalities as per guidelines to promote their platforms. Being one of those apps leads to incredible promotions that otherwise would be unattainable in the first place.
Essentially, there are many other benefits to keeping your app up-to-date, but the key question remains – how do you know the right time to update? And what updates should you prioritize? Below are some key considerations that you should follow:
Opt For Native Development
The changes in app guidelines are only sometimes automatically made available to third-party apps. To take advantage of these core updates, developers often implement them manually. Moreover, compatibility issues with app installation become unmanageable with other devices if these updates are neglected.
Whereas, if an app is kept up-to-date, it releases quick fixes every time a new bug pops up. Therefore, it is advised to develop a native app that aligns well with the device’s operating system. By working on two separate codebases, you can easily update the app whenever there is a new update on the platform.
Clear All Reviews
By pushing out a new app version, old reviews, and past feedback are moved to the back burner. That means that on the app store, you can clear all reviews after uploading a new version. This happens because stores promote showing new apps to users who want to see the latest platform updates.
The picture is very clear. Most users often install those apps that are highly rated and greatly reviewed. The better rating an app carries and maintains, the better the chances of business success beyond the obvious technical benefits.
Follow Communities
App development is a challenging field, and it could become even more difficult if you don’t have a support system. With the many languages, frameworks, tools, and libraries available, having someone who can guide you significantly increases your chances of success. That is why there are communities for those who want to share their experience and mentor others without any boundaries.
It is incredibly helpful for someone who is going through the tough task of developing a complex app for the first time. Having some sort of guidance prepares for the rework ahead and major changes in the updates. However, if things aren’t in check, it would prevent things from getting settled down and easily carried away.
How Often an App should be updated?
Updating an app must be done appropriately. Too many “bug fixes” and people will start to think that your app is broken. The same can be said for your team if the app needs constant care for minor things. Even your target user can uninstall out of frustration. Therefore, updates aren’t nearly as annoying if you are letting people know what the heck you’ve changed.
Modern developers have opted for a consistent timeframe that they follow to make in-app changes. If you think one month is too long for your app maintenance, try adopting a bi-weekly update cycle. It will attract renewed attention with little to no negative results instead of making pointless updates.
Remember, an update is the only way you have to fix a bug, and there are always some bugs to squash. And by the time you’ve worked on all of those, you’ll probably have a new Google Play Store or Apple App Store feature update waiting. Pacing with the market is the only way to stay relevant. Look up feedback, see the competitive edge, and you will be able to tell what your users want next.
What Does an Updated App Mean for Your Business?
A freshly updated app shows up as new on the user’s update list. Needless to say, customers love to see what’s new in an app. Therefore, it is enough to re-engage them with your business. Moreover, a good update description urges more downloads, followed by reliable reviews, pushing your business back into action.
Whether it’s an on-demand delivery business or an e-commerce one, new features mean that past complaints have been fixed. As a result, your app bumps back to the top charts in the “New” section of the App Store. This technique to go viral overnight also improves your business’s reliability in front of future investors.
However, you must understand that constant app updates require more time and money. By making a separate budget for post-launch maintenance, you can keep your app development budget from going over the top.
Moreover, apart from updates, you must also expand your app business and get new registrations. To do that, one must add new features and services by going through the user data accumulated over time. Keeping this in mind, you can balance out the priorities easily and land on the best time to make updates. The key here is to see which issue is bigger and needs quick attention to resolve.
Conclusion
Keeping your own app competitive and highly rated is like changing the oil in a car. Professional app developers always advise entrepreneurs to maintain a frequent update cycle. To increase the chances of being featured or found by exploring users, updating frequently with small, measurable changes is the way to go to maintain that 4+ star average that everyone looks for.