Did you know that around 90% of startups fail right after their launch? That’s quite a high percentage indicating that many things need to go right for a business to succeed. The reasons for this may vary reliant upon various factors. It can be due to the underestimation of market research power or engaging with inexperienced experts.
Businesses that aim to survive in such a saturated market have to think differently. Through this article, we are going to discuss the costly mistakes every web application development business must avoid.
Validating Your Idea
Validating your idea saves you time, money, and effort at an early stage, before investing too many resources. The deeper you get down the development cycle, the more difficult, costly, and unappealing it gets to claw your way back up and start over. Another reason is to spare the world from yet another unnecessary or mediocre product.
Thorough research on the product, customers, competitors, and deep analysis of the potential of the market is vital. This can help you evaluate whether your idea is worth investing in or not. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Does my idea solve a real problem?
- Is there a need for it? Should it be done?
- Is there a market for the type of application I want to develop?
- Are customers happy with the existing solutions to the problem I want to solve?
- Is there a way I can bring additional value to get ahead of my competitors?
Neglecting Target Audience
Identify who is your web application for, and whom do you wish to attract. If it fails to meet the expectations of the target audience and solve their pertinent problems, then creating it is pointless. You must keep in mind that business products should always be customer-oriented. If you miss this point early on, you will have to invest extra time and money, in the end, to refurbish your application to fit your consumers’ needs and expectations.
Not Creating a Prototype
The next big step is to create a working application version to show to the investor. A huge mistake made by some businesses is that they develop a fully-fledged running web application, instead of making a prototype. Just imagine, after spending so much time and money on creating the web app, there is no investor for it, all your efforts and investments would go down the drain. This is why creating a prototype would be a wise decision. It is an interactive mock-up demonstrating the web app’s design and user flow. Though it is far from a fully-fledged working application, it shows what features are truly necessary or what ought to be removed/added/changed.
The development phase starts only when the investors are interested in the idea. Businesses must believe in the power of prototypes if they desire to avoid web application mistakes.
Skipping MVP Development
After getting positive feedback from the investor, developers tend to start with the full application development. This is a huge mistake on their part, why? Because the feedback provides a hint of the need and preference of the investor. Nothing else! Let’s not forget that it is extremely important to collect the initial feedback from users the web application is meant for. You are making an application for your target audience so it has to be appealing to them. Otherwise, it’s pointless.
Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is building products with only the minimum, but essential set of features. It is crucial for getting a general understanding of the final product and for learning how to use it as well as to test the product and make alterations later based on customers’ feedback. The core of the product is evaluated with an MVP; hence it is less likely for there to be any need for the complete product to be redesigned and rebuilt.
Businesses that don’t evaluate the viability of business ideas fail to survive due to the fierce market competition. The choice is all yours. Would you like to be among businesses that make millions and billions, or would you like to skip MVP and be among those who fail in the first year of their business?
Saving On a Software Provider
The best and most convenient way to initiate building a web application is by finding a software development partner. Tech teams with little to no experience lack creativity and inventiveness. This may lead to low-grade development, with a lack of scalability, and the worst UI/UX. Thus, finding the right fit is crucial as compromise can lead to disastrous outcomes.
Want to know how to find the right software provider? Let us guide you:
Domain Expertise
First and foremost a good software developer is someone who has experience in handling complex web apps and a solid background in providing customized web development solutions.
Relevant References
It’s tough finding the right development partner among hundreds. Such popular platforms as Clutch and Trustpilot will help you with this. You can extract a list of reliable software companies based on crucial factors such as their market presence, relevant experiences, and testimonials and reviews by real customers.
Narrow Technology Stack
Partner with a software provider that is specialized in a few technologies. This shows that they are more focused and can produce brilliant results. Let’s not forget, jack of all trades and master of none is of no use.
Portfolio
Don’t forget to check the web development samples the company has delivered. The portfolio section of the software house can help in estimating their potential. Through case studies, various web development companies share their success stories. These case studies will prove that the company delivers user-friendly and intuitive products.
Creating Needless Functionality
Some developers feel pride in introducing exclusive features in the web application. However, not all new or exclusive features are worth the time and effort. A lot of functionalities can make the whole user interface and user experience complex. It also takes extra time in development, leads to a waste of budget, and causes a delay in the launch of the final product.
Start with the most required functionality and then, gradually add new functions. The MVP development discussed above will help you with this task.
Neglecting the Testing Stage
Another popular misconception is that you can go ahead without testing. Initially, it may seem that your application is functioning flawlessly. But later they can fail and the reason can be missed errors and bugs. As a result, users may get disappointed and give up on using your application, leading to the ultimate failure of the application. Therefore, it is highly recommended to continuously test the web application before its launch. This way you can identify and resolve the bugs and errors beforehand so it doesn’t get in the way of your web app’s success. The image below displays the place of testing in the web application development life cycle.
Cutbacks on Hosting Provider
After the web application is ready to launch, it is time to find the right hosting provider. Unfortunately, the majority of startup owners fall for unauthentic hosting providers. Sadly, there are several pitfalls and snares at this final stage, such as:
- Choosing an option that is solely dependent on pricing
- Going for a provider with no refund policy
- Free-of-charge hosting solutions
- Opting for the platform without analyzing its terms and conditions
Here is a quick guide to help you in finding the correct hosting provider:
- Know the type of web hosting you require
- Go through terms and conditions every hosting provider has thoroughly
- Do not cut down on better choices based on price
- Always go for tried and tested provider
Bottom Line
These are some common mistakes that can cost a fortune to any startup owner or entrepreneur. It is vital to choose a legitimate and trustworthy web application development partner to minimize any chance of loss. For many years at Golpik, we have been associated with several complex web application development projects.
We believe in quality and avoiding web application mistakes to save time and money for both parties. With years of experience, we can help businesses in crafting customized solutions. Contact us today to get a free realistic estimation from us.
