Phases Of The App Development Process: From Idea To Post-Launch

An application has become an essential part of every industry. Similar is the case with the Shopify platform. The launch of the app development and integration process has encouraged many merchants to develop the applications, both public and private, and launch them for global usage. Here is a quick guide for you to get started with any application development distributed in several manageable phases and explained briefly:-

(1) Product Discovery and Strategy:

In this phase, you are required to formulate your app idea in a clearly understandable format which you can easily explain to the Shopify experts if you hire one to develop your app. This phase involves getting a crystal clear picture of what your app will serve and who will use it. Product strategy and discovery are essential to identify if your application is serving anything previously built or a unique service. If it is unique, who is it targeting, and if it already exists, what is the competition it might face. This step helps you understand your application clearly and analyze if your basic idea is realistic and practically feasible and who it will address. Shopify App development companies will rule this step out from their end and demand your inputs, and the developers of the app developers will work according to your suggestions only.

(2) Design and building process and Plan:

This phase involves planning the entire app, listing its functionality, limiting its scope, or establishing a timeframe for each step.

Listing all the app functionalities at this stage will help you expedite the design process by a divide and conquer approach wherein different people can work on various features simultaneously. Even if you do not like this distributed approach of work, you may notice that listing out the application features will keep you focused on the tasks.

Limiting the functionality step is essential because our thought may run wild while imagining what we wish our app could do. However, we have limited resources to make it all work. This limitation process will help you keep your Shopify experts on track with what is expected outcome from their end, and hence they need to devote only a limited time.

Planning a timeframe helps you establish a launching deadline for the app and gives you and your Shopify development company a clue about when to finish the application. A slight delay is expected anyway; however, getting the project completed on time becomes an essential aspect of apps.

(3) Idea explorations to meet project goals:

You may not wish to skip this step as it gives you a clear idea to meet your user demands. It is essential to understand that there are applications that users are already loving. These applications may inspire your concept and help you design a more user-friendly application that will deliver better results.

An essential step in this phase is to identify which plans in your idea do not meet any user stories. User stories deliver a canvass saying that this process when performed in my app which gives me a specific outcome that is essential to the user. If some part of your application does not fit in any user stories, you may also plan on eliminating that part. After all, your app is meant to serve your target audience.

(4) Development Phase:

This phase is where Shopify experts will help you rigorously and will work dedicatedly, giving cent percent. This phase is wherein all the work on the application will be done, be it the interface design of the application, the backend coding part, or integrations with APIs or any other aspect. The development phase will decide if your app is working and, if it is, is it committing to all your project plans made at the initial stages.

(5) Testing Phase:

Testing is an integral part of any development process. Both functional and non-functional testing must be performed, and outcomes must be served as feedback to the development phase. It will help you identify problems in your application ranging from elementary to advanced ones. These problems might become a significant challenge for your app’s success. The testing phase confirms that your app development is booming and is ready for launch.

(6) Post-launch:

Just building the app is not enough; you also need to make it reach the users. This part is dealt with in this post-launch phase, wherein the central focus is on the marketing and branding of the application. This step identifies how many downloads or integrations your app will see and how much profit you are making out of your app.

Conclusion

While app development may seem to be a daunting process with so many phases involved, Shopify app development companies are always there to support you. However, the challenges in the process should not stop you from building an application. There is no doubt that applications serve businesses more than anything else and make them earn more significant profits. Therefore, start today, plan well, and get it done!