When we talk about the app development timeline, clients usually tend to underestimate it and give out an unexpected time limit to the software development houses in terms of creating a mobile application.

While each application is different from the others, the outline and the architectural framework that goes into it are somewhat similar in all cases. What differentiates them from each other is the intricate details and codes that go into the creations, the factors that make the application unique and special. This is where the actual hard work begins.

If you are wondering how long does it take to develop an app, then there is a lot that goes into the creation of an application. To make things easier for you all, we have created a complete app timeline that usually a custom software development company follows when given a mobile application development.

Developing an idea from scratch into a full-fledged and functional product is something that is labor-intensive and requires a ton of resources as well, so it requires time, attention, and complete care, which will turn it into an amazing product.

If you are wondering, how do you create a timeline for an app? Then the average software development timeline consists of the following phases, and each of these phases is locked into a specific and realistic timeframe, which are as follows: 

Mobile App Development Timeline – An Overview

Ideation & Formation: 1 – 2 Weeks

Toss around ideas until you agree on the one that fits best for your brand and validate it with the help of our top consultants, and appropriate discovery workshops. You can also walk through a mobile app RFP document to better understand the requirements of a mobile app development project.

Research: 1 – 2 Weeks

With appropriate research, plan the best course of action for your app, that is sorting through your competitors and finding a unique factor with suitable functionality.

Features & Functionality: 1 – 2 Weeks

Next in line is sorting through the technical factors and selecting the appropriate platform, suite, and tools for your app to shine through the crowd.

Software development: 3 – 6 Months

With all the research, planning, and features in place, the framework and development phase begins. This includes the UX-UI design, frontend, and backend development for the entire project which may take a few months to complete altogether.

QA Testing: 3 – 6 Weeks

An app is never ready without undergoing a thorough quality assurance process where all the performance testing and load testing occur. Teams also get rid of any bugs that they may come across. 

App Launch: 1 Week 

The final week is spent finalizing the nits and bits of the app, and polishing the design and functionality before its release on the app store. 

Post-Launch Support & Maintenance: 2 Weeks

While the application is shining through and getting all the love from its customers post-release, we keep a close eye on it to make sure it is functioning flawlessly.

7 Stages of the App Development Process

Typically, the average app development timeline is broken down into these 7 phases, these phases are covering everything, from the beginning to the end. They are as follows: 

Idea and Formation: 1-2 Weeks

The beginning of all great projects is an idea. But not every idea gets to see the day’s light, and some areas experimental as they can be. But, it’s good to jump around from one factor to another, and tossing around ideas can be the ultimate way through which you can eventually reach the idea that is meant to be.
As simple as it may seem, a lot goes into the initial plot development and idea formation. You can pick any idea, but when it comes to creating that idea into a full-blown application, there are a ton of things one needs to discard. The practicality and rationality of an idea need to align with the brand, current scenario, and the need for it in general.

Research: 1-2 Weeks

Every idea seems great, until you start researching about it, and find out that you aren’t the first one to come up with it. You’ll find numerous applications on iOS and Android, along with websites that are already doing so much, and successfully, if we may say.

What makes your idea different from theirs? What unique factor do you think of bringing in with your application? If you have a sure short answer for that, then congratulation, you are ready for the next step, which is bringing that idea to life. It’s not as simple as you think it is, because creating functionality from those features that users can understand and utilize is one primary task that we need to succeed in. 

At VentureDive, the appropriate time is given when it comes to the research and development of an idea. It is necessary to carefully cater to all these factors to ensure that the plan is foolproof and doe not require any more discussion or edits. Locking things here will give you a clear sense of direction in terms of what features you can introduce in your products and how you can enable those features while aligning to your brand value and product.

Features and Functionality: 1-2 Weeks

After getting all the required research and data aligned with your product, it’s your turn to decide on the features and functionality of your product. When we say features and functionality, it means all the unique factors that you want to be added to your product, all the technical elements that will make your mobile application exquisite and top-notch.

One great factor of planning ahead is the budget estimation that you can provide along with the platform you would prefer for the development of your mobile applications, i.e, Hybrid app development or native and so on. With the selected items, you are ready to move on to the next step, which is the key ingredient in our mobile app development timeline, the actual software development.

Software Development: 3 – 6 Months

After all the pondering and research comes the next big thing in the app development timeline, the development of the architectural framework itself. This is perhaps the longest process in the whole app development timeline, and rightfully so. Software development is no piece of cake, as it needs to be completed with perfection, without the possibility of any bugs or crashes which are some common mistakes that occur during development.

Most brands hire software houses based on how little time they invest in software development, and while we do understand where they are coming from, that is to save as much money as possible, it still doesn’t make sense why would they compromise the quality of the application. 

Design (UX UI)

UX and UI design is another crucial phase in the software development timeline that builds an effective system where a user can smoothly navigate through all the processes and effectively complete a task. 

A UX designer plans the screens with all the desired keys and buttons that will be involved in completing an action by the potential user. This includes accessing the site to complete a sign-up process or smoothly completing a purchase through various payment methods.

UI designers have the key role to make the application and all the functionalities of the application visually appealing. This factor is achieved by using different sets of color schemes, transitioning effects, animation, font sizes, and graphics, that will bind in to create not only an aesthetically appealing application but one that users can easily navigate around, promoting a great user experience along with the interface. 

Backend Development

The backend development consists of all the codes and behind-the-app factors that make the application functional. And it is a long and tedious process that requires a lot of alterations and testing as it goes along the way. 

Developers need to mind all the bugs that may be detected during programming and must work on eliminating them at all times. It is necessary to do so because, with a bug-ridden back-end program, the whole foundation of the application will come down crashing, no matter how hard you have worked on the architecture of the software. 

A faulty back-end code or the program will topple over all the hard work that Devs have put in on their application development, and even if the mobile application does take off, it won’t survive for long. 

Frontend Development

Whatever happens at the back end, is eventually displayed on the front end of any application. It’s what the users see and navigates through when they open the mobile application. Hence front-end developers work hand-in-hand with the UX and UI designers, making it a fully functioning application. 

People often mistake front-end development for the basic task of making the application visually appealing, but there’s more to it than one can imagine. Front-end development is no piece of cake because with technological growth, came various tools and technicalities for a developer to get familiar with and later implement effectively on the app.

QA Testing: 3-6 Weeks

Custom software development is incomplete without quality assurance testing. This is the final and perhaps the most important phase in the software development timeline where the final product is evaluated and experimented with end to end to see if it works smoothly or not. 

Quality assurance is essential, because designers and developers may not be able to see the glitches in their phases, until and unless all these elements are put together in their complete form and tested on various platforms by multiple quality assurance engineers. This activity will expose all the minor and major bugs and glitches that we may not be able to see prior to this exercise. 

Furthermore, quality assurance’s role is to fully study how the users will experience the application when they tune into it, and how they will perceive things from a user’s perspective and experience.

Hence to further enhance the quality of the product, the testing phase is further divided into 3 parts which are as follows: 

• Performance Testing: Going through all the features and functionality of the application along with its potential to scale and handle numerous users and load at the same time.
• Security Testing: To decipher the storage of data in the right places and to detect any date or sensitive information leakages. 
• Usability Testing: Testing the app on various devices in various settings to check the ability of the app before its final release.

After a thorough review and experimentation of all the versions and using the application on different devices, it is now time to decipher whether the app is fulfilling all the criteria that were set at the beginning and whether you as an owner are satisfied with the hard work and efforts the team has put in to create something so precious, that it may change the way things work in the tech industry in coming years, once publicly released. 

App Launch: 1 Week

Now that the application has gone through all the required tests, it’s time to officially launch the application and bring it to the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. For the Apple store, the application has to go through a thorough review by the Apple engineers who test the app based on their guidelines, and if deemed fit, it will appear on the App Store in a couple of days or even a month. 

Post-Launch Support & Maintenance: 2 weeks

The final role of any custom software development company is to keep a close eye on the reviews and ratings of the application. The required feedback will allow the company to maintain flow and remove any unexpected bugs immediately. These lessons and reviews will help the development firm to curate an effective expansion plan for the next fold.

Mobile app development timeline – Conclusion

As far as we can tell, this blog has pretty much covered all the factors and answered all the questions that revolve around how long does it take to develop an app and walked you through all the factors and features one needs to look out for when researching about the complete software and app development timeline.

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We went on an extensive bandwagon before this, explaining all the traits of a good custom software development partner and the factors you need to look out for when choosing one for your brand. Meanwhile, there are various aspects that companies do not ponder while looking for the right custom software development partners, and often tend to make mistakes that turn out to be major blunders on their end, costing them hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

Blunders like these may not be reversible if too much time has already been invested, but they can be easily avoided right from the beginning. Big contenders in the market tend to avoid these issues, and most of the time, startups and various newly emerged brands – who are in the process of establishing a base – try to get their hands on the first company that fits their budget, which in itself is not the right thing to do.

This is just the tip of the iceberg; you must look for many factors while selecting the best custom software development partner. At the same time, there are some grave mistakes that we should be aware of. Numerous companies looking for outsourcing partners often let go of these factors, thinking of them as insignificant, but they make the most difference. Those are as follows: 

1. Vendor reputation & prior projects
2. Disdain latest technology & trends
3. Zero collaboration and communication
4. Not having a dedicated team
5. Lack of proper requirements

Common mistakes while choosing a custom software development partner

1. Vendor Reputation & Prior Projects

To be fair, anything done without proper, comprehensive research is doomed for good. To top it off, bringing in an outsourced development team or staff augmentation service should never be done without proper review and analysis; it’ll be an extremely expensive mistake you’ll be making otherwise. 

Conducting thorough research not only consists of how long the company has been in the market or its reputation but also how well they have been performing over the years. Their clientele and work ethics are impeccable, to say the least. Read up on what former or current clients have to say about their services and how they are performing with other companies. 

If you ask us, research does 99% of your work for you, and finding the best custom software development partners will relieve you of all other issues that would normally come your way. 

2. Disdain Latest Technology & Trends

One of the major benefits of outsourcing custom software development companies is the extensive toolset and technologies they have acquired to fulfill their tasks at market-competitive rates and high quality. Keep in mind that these companies should have an updated skill set along with all the latest technologies under their hood, indicating how dedicated the team is to provide an exquisite technological solution for their clients. Anything below that is considered obsolete and below industry standards. 

Hence, never fall for companies that may possess a good outer aura but are way behind on their trends and skills. Better technology vows better and more advanced skills that users will definitely enjoy, and it will be prone to scalability. With an outsourced custom software development partner, this factor is a given.

3. Zero Collaboration and Communication

Various companies make the mistake of handing over the entire project to their outsourced custom software development partners with little to no say of their own. Contributing factors include the lack of basic knowledge about software development or the common know-how of what’s going on in the project and the necessary requirement. This just isn’t enough anymore.

A client is always expected to be one step ahead of the software development partner when it comes to what they want in their product and what features would be suitable for an effective UI and UX. A company or brand can never create a product without proper collaboration from both teams. This ranges from the design sprint to the deployment. A debate, trial, and error process at all stages of the product’s development will create a product to your liking and ensure your company has a strong bond and communication with the partners. 

Moreover, when the final product is ready to take off, as a company, you will always be involved in every activity, and nothing will feel overwhelming, nor will it be something you disapprove of as a whole. Every decision will have your say in it, making you feel like your product’s rightful owner. 

4. Not having a dedicated team

Not having a dedicated team can be a major hassle that can cost numerous delays, mix-ups, and a lack of individual attention that your project may require. Numerous companies do not disclose the size of their workforce while onboarding new clients and startups are already shorthanded on staff, making their schedules tighter. 

Risking your product in the hand of someone who already has their hands full makes it tough for them to cater to all your needs and prioritize your tasks. It also can become a major cause of constant delays in the launch of your product. Furthermore, not having a dedicated team also means the company lacks specialized, expert individuals who know all the technicalities. 

A custom software development partner or company is known to be great when they have a dedicated team of QA engineers along with software engineers like VentureDive. Quality assurance is a must for every great piece of custom-made software, not only for the product’s longevity but also for the quality and the time it took to create someone’s dream project. For example, more often than not, many software apps are made with a better focus on the UI than their usability, which leads to functionality issues in the long term. Such problems can be avoided with a usability audit.

5. Lack of Proper Requirements

Well-reformed and proper requirements at the start of any project are a necessity. These requirements set the foundation of your project for not just the software development company but your own clarity. It’s a well-structured plan of what you have in mind and what you want to achieve with your project. 

Without a detailed structure and blueprint for the development firm to follow, the project will experience a lot of missed opportunities and failure to achieve the desired goal. Leaving you and your development partner on different bandwidths, eventually plunging your initial budget and elongating the project.

Conclusion

There are various companies looking for outsourcing partners for their software projects, and numerous times they end up with companies that may have a budget that suits them, but they just don’t qualify to be the best custom software development partners that brands deserve. The factors that promote making those mistakes seem minor but aren’t. The great news is that they are easily preventable with our major pointers; thoroughly read them out and go on to create the best custom software of all time.

FAQs

Finding the best custom software development partner is the ultimate goal that can make or break your business. You can talk to a number of custom software development companies to make your dream project come true. Having said that, dream projects don’t just happen; they require extensive work, an expert team with years of experience, professional tools, and a proper budget to come into existence. 

That’s just the beginning – there are a ton of technicalities that one needs to ponder upon in order to select an appropriate custom software partner. A reliable custom software partner is a one-stop solution to all your requirements. From the budget to the final software development proposal and flawless execution. 

It takes a lot to finalize a custom software partner that fits your approach and ideology well. For the magic to happen, a few factors must be considered. Let’s talk about some of these. 

Research: How to narrow down the list?

First, start by creating an extensive list of all the best software development partners in the market, broaden your range globally, and list the best names listed on the web. From that list, narrow down the ones that fit well against your product requirements. 

Do a lot of research on the partners that made the shortlist. Find out about their areas of expertise, strengths, work ethics, and methods. Check to see if they can meet all of your software needs, whether it’s web development or making apps for your phone. Take your time and find the best match for yourself before signing them up for your product. Make sure the services they provide align well with your brand image and ideology.

Experience: How good is their portfolio?

Reviewing a potential custom software development partner’s past projects and figuring out how much experience they have is important for more than one reason. Their portfolio can define the extent of their services, deliverables, the scale of projects they tend to board, and whether they are suitable for any future projects.  

Picking a company that is familiar with your project and idea is a huge advantage on your behalf since the custom software development company will already be familiar with the challenges that may occur while curating a similar product and will have a definite workaround for them. This ranges from product design to deployment. Look for a software development partner that is an expert with extensive work experience and a proven knowledge base for all sorts of practices that they advertise themselves for.

Communication: Are you being heard?

Seamless communication is integral to finding the best custom software development partner. This is often overlooked while other factors are considered deal-breakers, like pricing, services, and so on. But communication and building a suitable understanding are as crucial in this regard as all the factors mentioned above. 

By all means, ensure that there is no communication gap between your company and your custom software development partner. Building an initial understanding of your requirements and demands is necessary. Ensure that you are being heard and that any questions you have been successfully communicated to the software development team by the project manager so that they can be addressed as soon as possible. 

Location: What works best for you? 

When looking for a software development partner for your business, location can be one of the most important things to consider. It is also one of the prime factors that one needs to have an eye out for. The base location of the company you have selected can be one of the following: onshore, offshore, or nearshore. 

Onshore

Any company that is available in your hometown or country will be labeled as an “onshore” company. Not only are they in your time zone, but there is also a 100% possibility of a one-on-one meeting whenever required, providing room for establishing an understanding and smooth communication. 

One downside to this is that onshore companies are usually extremely costly. So one must allot a hefty budget to secure one of the local software development companies. 

Offshore

This one is self-explanatory; offshore companies have their bases in foreign countries. Their companies may be located on international grounds, but they offer services across the globe at affordable rates, which is why businesses go for an offshore custom software development company. 

Despite the cheaper cost and good service, a major disadvantage is different time zones and a one-on-one communication gap due to that. Online meetings can be set up, but when time zones clash, one or the other has to suffer by giving in time after work hours to schedule meetings. 

Nearshore

When you hire a custom software development company from a country close to your own region or a direct neighbor, that’s called “nearshoring.” Hiring a nearshore company is a win-win situation because it is not only cost-effective but also in a similar time zone, which will make scheduling meetings super easy for both parties without having to work outside business hours. 

Pricing: How much is too much? 

The prices that a certain software development partner offers signify the service they provide. However, this does not mean that companies with a hefty price tag are offering the best services; certain unnecessary expenses are involved in that regard. Meanwhile, do not be tempted by a low-cost package from any company, as they lack various technical skills and tools required to create a top-notch software application. 

Some of the best custom software development companies will cost you money, but it will be absolutely justified based on the services, dedication, and ideology that they implement while executing the product. 

If you can not afford the best companies, wait until you can. Rushing to create a subpar product from a cheap software development company can result in a larger loss. In this case, waiting is the best option – save up enough to be able to afford the best. 

Tools and Technologies: Are they using the best?

In the long run, top-notch software development companies that use the best and most emerging technologies for scalable and reliable software applications tend to be the best choice. It’s important to have the most up-to-date tools for making software because it needs to be modern and flexible, and come with the best tools and plug-ins for the best user experience and interface. 

Moreover, the company must create transparency between themselves and their clients by giving them access to their project management tools. Transparency ensures trust and keeps the client in the loop regarding the progress of their product and the technology used to create it from scratch.. 

In the End – Choosing the Best Custom Software Development Partner

After thorough research and examination, it eventually comes down to selecting reliable custom software development partners. It may be a complex task, but a well-researched selection will benefit in the long run. Take your time and consider all the major factors mentioned above, and then come up with a decision.

FAQs for custom software and over-the-shelf software

Offering a digital solution for clients is the ultimate futuristic goal of every company, whether it be e-commerce, healthcare, or on-demand service delivery. But lately, this has become more of a necessity instead of a company’s “5-year plan”. 

The post-pandemic era has forced numerous businesses to move their modes of work to a much more digitized and remote platform that is easy to access and control from anywhere. These digitized platforms are classified into two categories, custom software development (CSD) and off-the-shelf software. The real struggle arrives when it comes down to choosing any one of the two software.   

Before we begin, there are numerous factors to consider when narrowing down the options and technicalities of either type of software. To make an informed decision, the first step is comparing the two setups, and having a basic understanding of when custom software or off-the-rack software is required. What are they, what distinguishes one from the other, and most of all, how are they going to benefit the client and their business without causing much disruption to the system? 

Custom software vs. off-the-shelf: what are they?

Off-the-rack and custom software are polar opposites. Despite offering similar services, they are extremely different from each other. Let’s take a look at what they are. 

Custom-made software

Off-the-rack and custom software are polar opposites. Despite offering similar services, they are extremely different from each other. Let’s take a look at what they are. 

Custom software application development is a dream project that every software development company loves to work on. It is completely custom-built, made exclusively by following a brief provided by the client. 

Custom Software Development focuses on the client’s product goals and needs, targets an idea, and works around it to cater to market needs. VentureDive plays a vital role in executing that idea into reality, with an in-house team of expert engineers and designers working extensively on individual custom-made products. Companies opting for custom software development usually have a clear understanding of the service and the approach that they need to create an amazing product, and VentureDive takes it one step further with its top-notch skills and execution.  

But why do businesses opt for CSD? Well, there are a number of factors that give customized application software an upper hand in the software development industry. Some of these include: 

Time: Creating custom-written software is a lengthy process, to say the least. It takes months of hard work, research, and a highly-skilled procedure of quality assurance to finally create a product that is well suited for the client’s needs. It may be time-consuming but is definitely worth it in the long run. 

Cost: The high initial cost is a given with this bespoke software, but if you look at it in a way, it’s a long-term investment that will only generate tons of revenue and branch out in the long run. And keeping this in mind will relieve you of the need to pay frequently for minor upgrades or bug fixes.

Maintenance: Speaking of bugs, one of the major advantages that custom-made software has is that there is barely any need for frequent maintenance, as it is built by experienced developers and engineers with flawless execution. The only maintenance it may require is when the software requires an update.

Scalability: With custom Software development, the possibilities for expansion are endless. Modification and customization according to the client’s needs and demands is a huge benefits of custom solutions. This leaves room for scalability in the near future as the business expands and grows, without having to strip down the existing UI and create everything from scratch.

Off-the-shelf software

What is off-the-shelf software, and what features and advantages do it bring to the industry? Off-the-shelf software may have been under the radar for quite some time as it is a great opportunity for small businesses to dive into the digital market. Off-the-shelf software is ready-made software, which may have different packages available for sale. It usually comes with a set of pre-installed features and plug-ins that you can utilize for your business. 

Time: A perfect solution if you are under a time constraint, or need go-to-market results quickly. Off-the-shelf software solutions are easy to acquire, as they are ready-made and available in the market at all times. Since it’s readily available, it is the first option for countless small-scaled businesses that have little knowledge about software development, and reach for an option that is simple and quick.

Cost: Off-the-shelf solutions applications are extremely cost-effective initially. The readily available setups are generated for the masses, with a ton of potential buyers who are trying to build a business on a budget. But there are several hidden costs attached to off-the-rack systems that clients are unaware of in the beginning. These are the costs of frequent updates or maintenance to fulfill the client’s needs which are otherwise not being met, giving them another reason to switch to custom-made software. And not to mention the subscription and licensing fees like we get to see in SaaS.

Large Community Support: The best feature of off-the-shelf software is that you have a large community to turn back to in case you run into an issue with your program. Since it’s a commonly available setup, acquired by numerous businesses, a chain of similarity runs throughout, which means that others must have faced the same issues as you have, and they might have a solution for it that you can use. 

References: Prior user experience and references of off-the-shelf software are of great help for businesses, to decipher whether the application is suitable for them or not. A trusted system and setup will help clients get an idea of what awaits them, and can even opt for a trial run before investing in the product completely.

Custom software: pros, cons, and everything else

Pros

• A custom-built setup is made from scratch, tailored to the client’s needs mentioned in their requirement brief.
• Works on a “you dream, we create” basis, where there is no limit to what functionalities you can feature in your product. 
• No hidden charges or frequent upgrades and maintenance on the product.
• Custom software can not be replicated in any form, giving you an upper hand over your competitors in the market. Your product will remain relevant and unique in all forms.
• Undergoes thorough QA in all development phases of the product, with back-and-forth communication for smooth transitioning. 
• Fool-proof setup with no bug-ridden issues and flawless design and UI.
• A team of specialized engineers and developers familiar with the product will be available at all hours for immediate fixes if needed. 

Cons

• Custom software takes months to get ready and reaches perfection after thorough testing and development phases. If you are looking for a quick fix, this is not it. 
• It is expensive! Custom software development is something that will cost you a lot, but it is a one-time investment with no hidden charges and does not require you to pool money for every upgrade. 
• The client will always be dependent on the company creating the software for any fixes and upgrades, in case they are not available, it can lead to several issues caused by the delay. 

Off-the-shelf: pros, cons and everything else

Pros

• Off-the-shelf software will save you a ton of money and time. Not only is it cheap but also readily available for clients to license and acquire. 
• Small-scale businesses have a huge advantage with off-the-shelf software; it can be the best platform for them to enter the digital market, with promising results leading to a successful business. 
• Clients won’t have to think much while acquiring off-the-shelf software, as there are numerous reviews and references available on the web, vouching for the reliability and functionality of the product.

Cons

• Off the shelf solutions are temporary. In the longer run, it will not support your requirements, and you will have to shift to a custom software as it offers reliability and scalability.
• Off-the-shelf software will not be able to cater to all the client’s requirements and will demand frequent and expensive upgrades to fulfill their specific needs. 
• You will have to pay for services that you may never use, and it might cause your software to lag and interrupt functions of the existing services in use.
• It’s impossible to alter or modify according to your project’s needs, you will have to work around the existing features that may limit the functionality.
• Off-the-shelf software is easily replicable, no matter how hard you have worked on your project, your competitor has an advantage over you, and they can easily reproduce your work.
• Companies are going to outgrow OTS soon when they reach their full potential, leaving them back to square one on what they should do to further excel their product and brand. 

Final verdict

In this off-the-shelf vs. custom software race, it’s clear as to why businesses prefer custom software solutions over off-the-shelf software. Not only is it the best setup for a rapidly growing business in the vast industry of digital marketing, but it is also a fruitful investment that will give back to your company as well as fulfilling its purpose rightfully.

FAQs for custom softwares and over the shelf softwares