According to the most recent data released by the International Data Corporation (IDC), Android dominated the worldwide mobile operating system market with a 78% share in the first quarter of 2015. The massive popularity of Google’s mobile operating system encourages modern enterprises to launch Android apps to reap a number of benefits. When the Android app is customized according to the business’s specific needs and objectives, it helps the enterprise to make its processes more efficient, increase the productivity of employees, beat competition, and reduce cost. However, it is also important for the business to make a comprehensive custom Android app development strategy by focusing on a number of important factors.

10 Factors a Business Must Consider while Planning a Custom Android App

1) A Simple Action Plan
When you decide to develop a custom mobile application for your business, it is important to make a simple action plan. Like business strategy, the action plan will help you to clearly understand some key factors. You can easily make the action plan by answering questions like what the app will achieve, why people will use the app, who will be interested to use the app, and how to ensure that the app will achieve predefined objectives. The action plan will make your approach clear, and help you to decide the right way to proceed.

2) Know the Users
The target audience will differ based on the type of custom mobile app you decide to build. For instance, you can create the app to promote your products or services by targeting potential customers, or to facilitate collaboration between your employees. If you want to create commerce opportunities through the Android application, it becomes essential to identify the people who will be interested to use your app. At the same time, you must analyze the age group, location and demography of the target audience to make the app deliver different and richer user experience. Once you identify the targeted users, it will be easier for you to decide how to keep them interested and engaged through the app.

3) Define Your Objectives
While planning the custom Android app, you need to clearly define what the app will achieve. The objectives will further help you to assess the performance of the mobile app in the longer run. For instance, you may want to application to get higher number of downloads, seduce customers to come back, promote your products or services, deliver better customer support, or gather contact information of potential customers. The predefined objectives will make it easier for you to decide the app’s features and functionality.

4) Other Business and Marketing Tools
You can always enhance the Android application’s functionality and performance by integrating it various business, marketing and social tools. As the app will be used as a tool to execute your business’s marketing strategy, you must consider integrating it with other components of the marketing strategy like online coupons and location-based marketing. At the same time, you can make the app more popular by integrating it with some of the most popular social networking platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

5) Features that Make Your App Unique
While planning the app, you must not forget that users have option to choose from loads of similar apps available in the Google Play Store. So you must make your custom Android app score over other applications by including the right features and functionality. It is a good idea to browse through the top free, paid and grossing apps in the Play Store that is similar to your mobile app. You must note down the features included in these apps, and use the information to decide how to make your app completely different and better. You can consider either including out-of-box feature in the app or make the app perform the tasks in a better and quicker way.

6) Keep the Custom Android App Simple
Often business owners plan mobile apps with too many features and functionality. The additional features will make the app score over similar apps. But these features often make it difficult for users to find what they need quickly. So you must identify the features that will be detrimental for your custom Android application, and remove them to make the user experience richer and more intuitive. While planning the app, you need to clearly decide its features and functionality while focusing on the user experience.

7) Focus on the User Interface
The user interface of the app will have a huge impact on its popularity and user experience. You need to ensure that the user interface is customized according to the app’s usage and functionality. At the same time, the user interface also needs to be simple and attractive. It is also important to make the user interface of your custom app completely different from other Android apps. You must ask the developers to avoid using existing themes and sample code to make the user interface of your application look fresh and distinct.

8) Opt for Documented APIs
The developers have to create a variety of APIs for your application to make it communicate with the server seamlessly. Often developers use internal Android APIs to save both time and effort. But you must ask them specifically not to use undocumented APIs. There are always chances that the APIs will become obsolete once the Android SDK is updated. So you need to ensure that the programmers are creating customizing APIs for your Android app, and documenting them adequately.

9) Consider Layout and Orientation of Various Devices
To make the app popular, you need to ensure that it delivers richer user experience across a wide variety of Android devices. You must ask the developers to create the app by focusing on smartphones, tablets and phablets powered by the popular mobile operating system. The programmers must keep in mind the screen size, features and orientation of individual Android devices to make the app compatible with any device used by the customer.

10) Testing the App Thoroughly
While planning the custom Android app, you need to ensure that it is tested thoroughly and repeatedly. The developers must use test automation tools to assess the application’s look, feel and performance across many Android devices. At the same time, they must check the features and functionality of the custom Android app to ensure that it is flawless. The flawless Android application will enhance your business’s goodwill and credibility among customers.

Each business also has option to build the custom Android by deploying in-house developers or outsource the project to a competent offshore developer. The offshore developers have made it easier for businesses to launch custom mobile applications without putting any time and effort. But the enterprise still needs a detailed plan to clearly convey the requirements and objectives to the developers. Thus, it is important for each business to keep in mind these important points while planning the custom Android application.