Defining the Cost of App Design in 2022 – 7 Tips to Consider

The SaaS industry is booming as more companies are switching to hybrid and remote collaboration models. Add to that, brands are becoming more open to hiring experts from all over the globe and working with them on a per-project basis. The health crisis, the gig economy, and the comforts of modern life are all inspiring more SaaS solutions to arise.

That also means that individuals and businesses are willing to develop their own dedicated apps, be it as a way to improve customer experience, or to simplify internal operations. Apps have the potential to help companies build competitive advantage, establish a stronger foothold in their industry, and increase employee engagement.

Knowing the return, however, doesn’t define the investment that clearly. So, you first need to establish the budget you’ll need in 2022 to build a competitive, highly efficient app. That will allow you to define the investment and prepare yourself properly for this intricate endeavor.

Settle on the right app type

To put it simply, building an app for different platforms comes with a different price tag. Why? Because some platforms (or a combination of several) can be more demanding than others, which means that you would require more hours on the project, more developers, and perhaps more experienced professionals that charge more.

Some businesses want a web app, while most today aim for a mobile app or a hybrid app that will be compatible no matter if it’s used on a laptop or a smartphone. Since most people today rely on their phones for everything from shopping to reading the news, companies most often need to accommodate that need.

Depending on your app’s purpose, whether it’s customer-facing or meant for your employees, you’ll know how to create a mobile app that appeals to your specific audience. If your market research shows that your future app users rely only on Android phones, then a native app meant for this system will make sense and it will define the scope of work and the budget itself to a great extent.

Choose your niche and purpose

The complexity of your app will be one of the key factors to determine the cost of its development. The more intricate it is, the greater its cost will likely be. Greater security needs and ongoing maintenance might also be more expensive. If you’re aiming for B2B software development and you want to impress your clients, you need to conduct thorough market research first.

This will help you understand the competition and their available apps and the kind of features you should include. Ideally, you will use the data to refine your app’s purpose and select the right target audience for it.

Are you looking for an app to manage inventory, a project management app, or a creative collaboration app? Perhaps you want to build an app to track subscriptions for your startup. With many options at your disposal, choosing the most in-demand app niche will help you increase your chances of success. Narrowing down the purpose of the app will also mean cutting any unnecessary expenses with extraneous features that your clients don’t need.

Build the right team

Now that you know exactly what kind of an app you want (be it native or hybrid), and what its purpose will be, you can find the right people to build it. Keep in mind that no matter how brilliant your app idea might be, its quality and function will depend on the developers.

Hiring developers for your app is another budget-defining step in your strategy. At the same time, it might be the costliest one of all, but it can also mean eliminating unnecessary app design issues right from the get-go and thus saving thousands.

Be sure to focus on hiring the developers that specialize in the type of app you want. Ask for their portfolio and references to see if you’re on the right track. Don’t forget that if you plan to keep app maintenance in-house, you need to factor in the developers that will do the job after you launch the app.

Both for the app development process and the post-launch maintenance, some companies might benefit from working with external experts such as Devathon. Both the in-house and outsourced methods have their perks, so it’s crucial to evaluate which approach makes more sense for your business.

Start with an MVP

Having the most vital monetary projections for your app is a great start. With the type, purpose, and development app needs defined, you can move on to the actual development and its related cost. To reduce unneeded expenses and focus on what can be monetized, define your app’s MVP version – minimum viable product.

Investing only in the development of the most basic features will help you test your app with your target audience properly. Then, based on the feedback and the apps’ performance, you can upgrade the app if necessary.

Define your monetization strategies

To justify the spend, you should immediately assess your app’s projected profitability. That can be simpler if you research all available app monetization strategies for your niche. From various subscription solutions, in-app upgrades and purchases, all the way to advertising, you have many different options.

In 2022, it will be crucial to build apps that are competitive in terms of pricing, but also profitable for those who build them. Compare the expected profits with the initial investment you need to make to develop the app in the first place – as well as the timeframe for this return to occur.

It’s crucial to have the estimated numbers before you kick-start the project. It will help you determine any gaps in your strategy and perhaps discover more ways to turn a profit and eliminate drains in your budget.

Follow the latest UX design principles

Just like in previous years, your target audience greatly shapes your app development goals and expectations. After all, it’s all about providing a super user experience at every touchpoint, your app included. That said, good developers know that design trends change from time to time, so they keep track of all the design trends in their specific field.

To define your design process and create an app that is both exceptionally functional and user-friendly, you should research the emerging UX design trends. Be sure to implement design elements that appeal to your target demographic and that the entire experience is superb. That way, you will keep your design costs lower if you prevent any major design changes too late in the process or post-launch.

Brace for testing and regular maintenance

As much as you anticipate certain budget requirements, you also need to leave some wiggle room for your development team to tweak the app after its initial launch. This is especially crucial for enterprise-level apps whose usability cannot be impeded by design issues.

Aim to improve your app’s usability over time, and never allow your software to stagnate. That means that you need to make room in your budget for ongoing testing and app maintenance, be it in-house or outsourced. In that sense, the budget for any app development project isn’t linear or fixed. It fluctuates depending on all the listed factors and it can change with emerging trends or bugs.

Over to you

Every profitable project starts with a sizable investment both in terms of time and funds. To make sure that your app is worth the investment, make sure you evaluate all the essential stages of app design and development and their associated cost. Do your best to keep track of industry trends, as well, so as to create something that will be purposeful and authentic in order to be lucrative.

In 2022, your app will have the right potential to succeed if you know where and how much to invest. Hopefully, this breakdown of budgeting for app design will guide you in the right direction and give you the right foundation for a successful app development project.