You’ve finally put the finishing touches on your mobile app and launched it. However, it’s important to understand that with mobile apps, you can’t just forget about it.
In fact, apps do need maintenance and it’s a very vital part of the entire app development process. You should plan to put aside a budget for maintaining your app so that it stays updated and the user experience is smooth. Keep reading to understand more about mobile app maintenance.
Do Mobile Apps Need Maintenance?
Without regular updates and care, your app won’t work well indefinitely. Every app on the app store receives regular maintenance, which is why they are still running smoothly.
A common misconception is that apps don’t need as much maintenance. From new OS releases to design changes to functional needs, every app needs maintenance fairly regularly. That’s why you’ll notice the apps on your own phone changing or needing updates every so often.
Even if your app is well-built from the start and properly launched, it will still need app maintenance. It’s crucial to focus on how you’ll update and maintain your app.
Mobile app maintenance isn’t just about little changes to the design and software updates. When you perform regular maintenance on your app, you’re able to monitor its performance and ensure that it’s still working how it’s supposed to.
Routine updates keep your app running seamlessly and provide users with the experience they want and deserve. Maintenance keeps your app relevant and helps it continue to work on multiple types of devices. This lets your app remain in the app store and available to interested users no matter how long it’s been since it was launched.
Reasons to Plan For Regular Mobile App Maintenance
If you set aside time and budget for regular mobile app maintenance, you prevent it from becoming obsolete. As technology changes and your app attracts more users, you’ll notice it needing maintenance more regularly and you shouldn’t overlook it.
1. Minimize Uninstalls
Over 70% of users will uninstall an app within the first few months of downloading it. This can be for a number of reasons, but one of the main reasons is because it didn’t receive regular maintenance.
Apps that are unmaintained will develop bugs and crash more and more often as the app ages. These apps often bring more frustration than joy to users which can lead to your app being uninstalled.
Only apps that receive regular maintenance and updates continue to run smoothly and these are the apps that people enjoy.
2. Get the Latest Version of Operating Systems
Your app isn’t the only thing that needs updating. Even iOS and Android operating systems receive regular updates and maintenance as technology continues to advance. As their systems are updated, your app will need to be updated or it may not be compatible with the system.
As operating systems are updated, your app may struggle to run. Certain features may act strangely or stop working altogether. To avoid this frustration, your app will need maintenance as well.
Once it’s been updated to run on the new operating system, it will go back to running smoothly and efficiently.
3. Improve Software Libraries
Your software library consists of prewritten codes, configurations, and routines. Over time, this library will need to be updated and improved and this can be done during your regular app maintenance schedule.
If you leave your software library for too long, your app will become vulnerable. You can prevent many major problems by regularly checking and performing maintenance on your app.
4. Deliver Better User Experience
No one is going to use a bad app. In fact, if your app doesn’t impress them shortly after they download it, their next move is going to be to uninstall it.
Without regular maintenance, your app can’t deliver stellar user experiences and you’ll see the impact.
By monitoring your app’s performance, you’ll know how to deliver an even better user experience with your next update. Keeping track of user feedback can also show you how to improve your user experience and attract new users.
It’s no surprise that happy users will continue to use your app and regular app maintenance certainly plays a part.
5. Keep The Pace With Your Competition
Your app certainly isn’t the only one of its kind on the app store and it’s very likely that your competitors are giving their apps regular maintenance.
While someone may download your app, that doesn’t mean you’ve won them over. Unless you can prove to them that your app is better than another, they might switch.
If you update your app and make sure that it never crashes or slows down, you’re one step above. Regular maintenance keeps your app robust so it’s secure for your users.
6. Reduce App Maintenance Costs
Although it may seem counterintuitive, performing regular maintenance on your app can greatly reduce maintenance costs. You won’t have to pay for a handful of large updates that may cost a fortune. Instead, you’ll only spend a small amount on regular maintenance.
Regular maintenance also reduces the risk of more major problems. You won’t have to fight a major hacking problem if you take care of smaller attacks as they arise. Monitoring your app and improving it helps prevent costly maintenance checks in the future.
7. Incorporate Technical Elements
Technology changes fast which mean that as time passes, you may have new technical elements available to you. This can include new programming languages, new platforms, and new features. There will be more elements available to you in a month or two from now than ever before.
With regular app maintenance, you can incorporate new technical elements to help strengthen and improve your app.
These new elements aren’t just for the sake of user experience either. Some of them may boost your app’s security and provide a more stable platform for your app to run on.
8. Maintain a Positive Brand Name
If your app was built as an app for a business, then you’ll want to be certain that your app is functioning in the best way possible. Imagine if Facebook’s app glitched or lacked certain features. Imagine if Twitter was difficult to navigate or never changed their security system.
An app that runs poorly reflects badly on your brand. Even if your business isn’t that well known or you’re only putting your name on it, you still want it to run well. Regular app maintenance keeps your app running smoothly and gives your brand a more positive image.
9. Allow Continuous Improvements
As mentioned above, your app can always be improved. New features are made available and operating systems are updated. With technology changing so often, the last thing you want to worry about is fixing a load of minor problems before you can think about that new update you want.
With regular app maintenance, it’s easier to make continuous improvements. Even when there aren’t any major changes you want to make or sophisticated features you want to incorporate, regular app maintenance makes everything easier. When you do want to implement a major change, the work won’t be as difficult.
How to Choose Your Mobile App Maintenance Contract
To help ensure your app is getting the best maintenance it can, it’s best to find an app developer with experience. While you may know your app the best, you might not have the necessary experience to update your app without accidentally causing more issues.
App maintenance is important but how should you choose a maintenance contract? Almost every app development company will offer a maintenance package.
If you outsourced your app’s development to a company that offers an app maintenance package, then it’s probably wise to stick with them. If not, you’ll need to root out the good contracts from the bad ones.
Criteria for Choosing an App Maintenance Contract
One of the most obvious factors is cost. If you’re working with a company that isn’t familiar with your app, then you’ll have to spend extra money on the time it takes for them to understand and learn your app. This is often known as the discovery period.
Although it may seem tempting to skip the discovery period entirely, it’s important. If the people who maintain and update your mobile app don’t understand how it was designed and how it works, then they may not be able to service it as efficiently.
Another factor to keep in mind is response time. How long does it take for the agency to get back to you? Do you feel like you aren’t hearing back from them as often or as soon as you should?
You don’t want to choose an agency that isn’t easy to contact. If you have to wait days for a response, then they’re not the best choice. The wait time can be frustrating and lead to miscommunication in the future.
Some agencies may offer different contract types: incident-based or time-based. You should also consider their ability to manage backups in order to prevent data loss.
Ask the agency how experienced they are. You want to know that their app developers have the experience necessary and are familiar with all sorts of technology. If they have limited experience, you should consider looking elsewhere.
Conclusion
You’ve spent a lot of time developing and launching your mobile app. The last thing you want to think about is all the extra work you’ll have to spend on it after it’s launched.
However, in order for your app to continue attracting users and run smoothly, you’ll need to pay attention to its maintenance too. Without the proper app maintenance, it’s only a matter of time before your app becomes obsolete.