App development has become an important process for companies since apps themselves are such a useful way to cater to consumer needs. Its position in the market will only increase as technology advances and becomes more commonplace. This means that more companies work both with internal teams the help of an apps development company to develop apps and incorporate them into their business plans.

App development isn’t a short process to take lightly, though. It takes careful planning and efficient execution to pull off a successful app campaign. Without this, apps are likely to run into developmental problems and have a diminished chance of success.

When considering the budget that your business has for an app, it’s important to consider all the factors that could add to the expenditure. Specifically, it’s crucial not to forget certain costs that are more “hidden” during and after the development process. These are some of the costs that come up in app design and release that many businesses don’t think of right away.

Hidden Costs Involved in App Development

App Store Fees

When developers think of costs to their app, they often think of the costs that go into making the app itself. However, there’s also a cost of releasing an app involved. Namely, if the app releases on a major app store such as Google Play or the Apple App Store.

Luckily, these fees are usually minimal but they’re still something to consider. According to MRC Productivity, Google charges a one-time fee of $25 while Apple charges $99 per year.

Infrastructure Costs

What goes into developing an app often includes the cost that goes into programming the features of the app. However, there are additional components to keep in mind such as where the company stores the app’s data, data delivery on the app, and the app’s hosting service. These factors cost money and need consideration when it comes to budgeting for an app.

Technical Support Costs

When any technology or product releases for consumer use, consumers must be able to find help with their problems in a timely and efficiently. Misinformation or a lack of a response at all doesn’t promote continued use of an app. Because of this, most developers keep at least a small technical support team on hand.

Marketing Costs

An app is a product that a company offers just like the goods or services they market on a day-to-day basis. If a business wants consumers to use an app, they have to make sure that customers are both aware of an app’s release and are interested enough to use it when it’s available to them.

Today, mobile apps receive high-level marketing than ever. Mobile games, especially, now often take on ad campaigns that include video advertisements on platforms such as YouTube and even in other apps.

Post-Release Additions and Fixes

After an app’s releases, rarely, money doesn’t go into the app again in the future. Apps are often edited after their initial release to account for customer feedback and fix any bugs that made it through the development process.

Apps are also updated frequently to accommodate new growth in what the company offers and what technology the company has to offer. This keeps the app in common use by the target consumer base rather than letting it become outdated.

Conclusion

Creating an accurate budget is an essential first step to developing an app. Ensuring that there’s enough money ahead of time will prevent unfortunate last-minute changes later in the development process. Yet, to accurately assess this, companies need to ponder on these hidden costs as well as the obvious ones that come to mind right away.

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