Are you looking to create a mobile app but not sure about the appropriate development platform that you must start with?
When it comes to mobile application development, there are 2 major platforms or operating systems – Android & iOS.
- Do you need Android or iOS?
- Do you need both of them?
Let’s learn about some of the important factors that will help you to determine the selection of the right platform for your app development.
In this blog post, I have shared 7 important factors that you must take into consideration before even you hire an app developer to get started.
#1 App development budget
What’s your mobile app development budget?
Developing an app for either Android vs iOS is less expensive than doing both the platforms together. So you need to check your budget first.
It would be a great idea for you to go for a single platform if:
- You are a start-up and don’t have a high budget.
- You want to test out a unique concept in the industry for the first time.
- You know that your target audience uses a specific operating system only.
- You have a short time frame to build & launch your mobile app.
Talking about the cost of app development using Android vs iOS, Android is comparatively lesser because iOS takes time to build & deploy on iTunes while Android can be done in a comparatively lesser timeframe.
Additionally, iOS app developers are more expensive as compared to Android developers.
#2 Target audience
Who’s your target audience?
Which operating system do they use?
These questions are also important to ask before getting started on your mobile apps development.
For example, if you want to cover a mass audience in a lesser budget & timeframe, you may choose Android because it has a broader audience coverage.
Or perhaps, you may want to build an e-commerce mobile app that sells only Apple devices’ accessories. In this case, you may want to go for iOS app development only.
#3 Timeline
If you are on a tight timeline, you may consider choosing a single platform to build your mobile app.
Mobile apps development takes more time to build as compared to a website. Additionally, it takes time to deploy & get the approval too, especially in the case of iOS apps.
There may be a situation wherein you want to develop & publish your mobile app in just a few weeks because of some event or product launch. In this case, you can go for a single development platform.
Additionally, you must also consider the app approval timeframe. Getting approval for an iOS app may take longer than an Android app due to the strict & rigid approval policy of iTunes.
#4 Risk factor
Mobile app development & maintenance is a costly affair, unlike a website.
The minimum cost to build a mobile app can be as high as $10K. Therefore, you must consider the risk factor before deciding on the appropriate development platform(s).
For instance, if you want to build an app for your existing business where the risk factor is low, you can go for both Android & iOS apps.
However, if you need to create an app for a new & unique concept that hasn’t been tested yet and the risk factor is higher, you can choose to go with a single development platform.
I have many clients who started their app journey with just Android because they wanted to test the waters first before they jump into building full-fledged apps for both iOS & Android.
#5 Revenue goal
How are you going to make money through your mobile application?
Do you want your users to pay for downloading your app or do you want them to download for free & access limited features and pay for additional features only?
Google Play store has tons of mobile apps that can be downloaded free of cost. Therefore, if you want paid users for your application, you must go for an iOS application.
Does this mean that you can’t make money with Android applications?
No. There are several methods to monetize your Android apps too, such as :
- Ad revenue
- In-app purchases
- Sponsorships
- Upgrade to remove ads
- Affiliate programs
- & lot more
#6 Customizations
The frequency of customizations that you expect to do on your mobile application should also be considered while choosing your app development platform.
If you expect your mobile app developer to make a lot of changes after launching your app, then you can consider building only the Android app first.
Making frequent changes and deploying the app onto the Google Play Store is comparatively easier & less time-consuming than iTunes.
In the case of iTunes, it may take a few days or even weeks to get your mobile app approved however in the case of Google Play Store, approximately 50% of the apps get reviews within 24-48 hours.
Additionally, iTunes has more strict & rigid policies than Google Play Store for approving a mobile application.
This simply means that your app may get rejected multiple times by iTunes and you may have to make changes in order to comply with their norms.
#7 Demographics
Demographics tell us a lot about our targeted customers or audience. The same is the case with mobile apps.
What are the demographics of your target audience?
Are they young?
Are they from developing or developed countries?
Do they fall under a low-income group or a higher-income group?
According to some online researches, most of the iOS users are young, earn good money, spend more on app purchases, and have a higher level of education. So, if you want to target this kind of audience, probably you must focus on iOS apps.
It would be a great idea to know your users’ demographics before you decide to choose any specific app development platform.