9 of 10 Mobile Apps Fail: AVOID THESE PITFALLS!

What You Need to Understand About App Pitfalls

The mobile application market has been highly oversaturated for a considerable amount of time. At this point, data has shown that less than 1 in 10,000 apps find any financial success, that’s 0.01%. Despite that dismal statistic, new mobile apps are being developed and launched into a sea of counterparts every day, carrying the hopes and dreams of developers the world over. However, the almost ludicrous level of app market oversaturation is far from the only barrier that these applications need to overcome to find success. Many other obstacles need to be understood and addressed by developers throughout the entire app creation process. 

Related: The FIVE worst developers to build your app (ranked).
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Why Mobile Apps Fail: The Three Big Picture Problems

While several factors contribute to the 0.01% success rate that mobile apps have to contend with, many of them exist under the overarching umbrella of these three primary issues:

App Development Costs

This issue is generally the first to become apparent to developers, even before commencing in the primary stages of the app creation process. It is incredibly costly to develop and maintain an app, especially a successful one. Even basic apps can require as much as $10,000 to $25,000, and that’s just the starting cost. This issue puts an immediate end to the app development dreams of many entrepreneurs, and it makes accruing a substantial profit exponentially more difficult for those who can afford it.

App Market Oversaturation

As stated above, the market for mobile apps is already critically oversaturated, and this issue is only growing more significant as thousands of new apps are released every day. Though these apps are driven by high market demand for new content with premium functionality, it also means more competition than many apps can reasonably contend with. Even top-quality apps with excellent user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) are often unable to make an impact.

The Effects of Free Apps

Many apps are free, which has led users to become accustomed to getting content and functionality for free (or close to free). This development has created a market where users are much less likely to pay for apps, making it very difficult for developers to monetize them in a way that can result in any form of profit.

Are you searching for a top-quality development team to help you bring your app ideas to life? Reach out to the experts at Strides today to learn about how they can help bring your application to life in record time.
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The Four Levels of App Development Pitfalls

While the number of stages involved in the app development process is up for debate, generally speaking, there are four levels where most app development pitfalls can be found.

Software Development Pitfalls

The primary pitfalls that can kill your app’s chance at success before it’s even launched on the public market include:

• Development cost issues
• Timeline crunch issues
• Inadequate and outright bad technology  
• Unfriendly UI and UX functioning
• Quality assurance (QA) testing holdups
• Inability to pivot or change the direction of an app

Execution Pitfalls

Any effective app developer should be aware that apps, in many ways, function similarly to businesses and therefore require an effective business plan to have a chance at seeing any form of market success. Without a business plan, apps are much more susceptible to:

• Cash and funding shortage issues
• Market demand and consumer desire conflicts
• Developer team issues
• Inability to stand out amongst the thousands of competing apps available
• No monetization plan or an inability to effectively monetize the app (whether through paid advertising, the sale of in-app features, subscription charges, or other methods)
• A lack of secondary revenue sources (websites or products that work with the app and bring in additional revenue)

Related: Is there an idea you’ve been dying to turn into an app? Read this first…

Marketing Pitfalls

In theory, every app is capable of earning some revenue, even if only a tiny amount. But an app is much less likely to do so if it falls into any of these pitfalls:

• No advertising or marketing strategies
• An unknown initial audience
• Inaccurate market placement
• An ineffective app description
• Unclear or nonexistent branding

Post-Launch Support Pitfalls

Your project isn’t over once your app has been successfully launched on the public market. There are several elements that developers need to keep on top of when their app is released to keep users happy and satisfied. Otherwise, they’re likely to encounter some of the following pitfalls:

• A lack of adequate customer support
• A nonexistent review or rating option

Statistically speaking, any app released onto the market at this point has a very slim chance of ever seeing financial success. Still, the possibilities become even narrower if developers find themselves encountering even one of these critical pitfalls. All app developers must understand these potential issues and actively avoid them throughout the app creation process and beyond.

Related: Here’s who you need to think about having on your app build team.
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The Bottom Line

The process of app development is hard enough, to begin with. Any application’s chances to turn a significant profit are almost dishearteningly low in the current market climate. That being said, working diligently to plan your app with a range of strategies and understanding the potential pitfalls you may end up facing can significantly increase your odds of success. Every app developer should have an effective business plan established long before development begins. They should take their time at each stage of the development process to help avoid all of these commonly encountered obstacles.

Are you looking for an expert app development team that will work with you every step of the way through the app creation process? Consider reaching out to the spectacular developers at Strides today to find out about what they can do for you.