Mobile Apps are ruling the world of technology now. Without these apps, our mobile phones and tablets would be just some boring devices.
It is these apps that make them interesting and worth having. Many individual app developers have made thousands and millions of dollars from creating cute applications for mobile devices. Also, lots of companies have spent money on creating apps for their businesses to make it easier for their customers to get access to them and their services.
But creating a mobile app is no small deal; it could cost anywhere between $1,000 and $4,000 to create a very good mobile app, and this cost, of course, would depend on the type of app you want to develop. Some of the costs of developing mobile apps are analyzed below. A lot of factors determine the cost of developing apps, some of them include:
7 Factors That Determine the Cost of Developing an App
a. Type of app
The first factor that would be taken into consideration when determining the costs of creating a mobile app is the type of app you want to create. Mobile apps could be classified into the following groups-:
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Game apps
These apps are usually more expensive to develop, especially when you want to incorporate 3D effects and other built-in phone mechanisms. However, an interesting and well-developed game app can fetch you a lot more money that other types of mobile applications.
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Business apps
These kinds of mobile applications are usually very complex to build because they come with content and database management systems.
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Basic apps
These kinds of apps are simple and cheaper to develop as they only come with basic functionalities.
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Enhancement apps
These kinds of apps are designed to enhance the experience of mobile phone users. They include camera apps, battery management apps and several others.
b. Developer’s fees
Another factor to put into consideration is the cost of hiring a mobile app developer. Most developers charge per hour and you can be expecting to pay anywhere between a hundred dollars upwards per hour for a good developer. Again, this would depend on the functionalities of the app you want to create.
You can also choose to do it yourself as there are app development tools that are designed to help non-professionals and learners to develop their own apps. However, you would still need some basic knowledge and skills to be able to do it.
c. App design
In some cases, you would need to pay someone who is quite knowledgeable in this field to help you create a unique and attractive app design, which would have all the basic things required.
d. Registration on app stores
To register your apps on some stores, you would need to pay some registration fees. Therefore, you have to consider which stores you would like to have your apps on and find out what it costs to register your app.
e. Marketing and promotion
Without creating necessary awareness for your newly developed mobile app, it is doubtful that you would be able to make a lot of revenue from it especially if you are developing an app to make profit. Therefore, you must find creative ways to advertise and promote your app and include the costs in your budget.
f. Legal fees
When you contract a developer to create a mobile app for you, you would need to protect yourself from legal squabbles in the future by having your lawyers draft out an agreement between both parties. Such agreements would cost you some money, which has to be paid to your lawyer for his services. You might also need a business plan for your mobile app.
g. Maintenance fees
Apart from the initial costs of development, you would also need to include the costs of maintaining the app in your budget. You would have noticed that most of the apps on your smartphone updated from time to time due to new bug fixes, new functions, and improvements. This would also come as an expense to you so you have to be prepared for it.
Average Cost of Developing an App
Taking into consideration all the factors mentioned above, the average costs of developing a mobile app would be between $1,000 and $100,000. Some complex apps could cost more to develop.
The mobile app market has become extremely competitive, and considering how much goes into developing one, it is only fair that you would want to look for ways to make more money from your app. The key to increasing your income earning potential is to create innovative apps and not follow the crowd. You should also ensure that you spare no time and costs in promoting the apps.