10 Best Mobile App Development Companies in Singapore for Creating Smart and Impactful Apps That Customers Will Value

How to Pick Out a Mobile App Development Team That Boosts Your Digital Presence on Mobile

In 2021, according to Statista’s global figures, mobile internet traffic grew by 10% (from 37% to 47%), while desktop internet traffic gradually declined (from 49% to 48%) – and this trend is expected not only to continue but to grow even further, with mobile platforms usage possibly overtaking desktop computers or web apps this year. In 2022, the mobile traffic market share in Singapore was at its largest in July at 60.91%

Unsurprisingly, this is mainly through the use of mobile applications. Every mobile phone user is estimated to have at least ten mobile applications installed on their mobile device, including apps for shopping, which recorded a 40.1% increase in usage in the recent years. Users spend about 65 minutes per week browsing e-commerce and other retail apps. Of the 5 million people in Singapore who use the internet, 90% have searched or bought products online, with 51% of those completing the transactions using mobile phones.

Shoppers also spent an annual average of $1,000 on online purchases, which is considerably higher than the global average. With remote working, business apps have seen download growth according to Sensor Tower’s Data Digest, with its peak at 176% above pre-COVID-19 levels.

All these figures show that companies will enjoy the following benefits from taking advantage of mobile apps: increase brand awareness and engagement, compete with larger businesses, communicate directly with customers, build a brand following, and increase leads and sales.

Here’s everything you need to know to start planning a mobile app for your business.

The Mobile App Development Process

Mobile application development is quite similar to web app development, although there are a few key differences. For example, mobile apps focus more on interaction design while web apps emphasise information architecture.

Below is an overview of the traditional software development process for making a business or e-commerce app for mobile devices.

• Defining the Strategy

Mobile application development begins with an idea. It may be that you want to improve on the features other competitors have or that you wish to market your products with a different approach. Some apps are also developed to take advantage of and enhance the functionality of native applications in certain devices.

Once you have that idea, you need to look at other examples from similar apps. Checking which features customers most often use can greatly help, as well as reading ratings and reviews of other apps. The developer can show examples and give recommendations from industries similar to yours that also have a mobile app. This will give you an idea of how you can compete, fill in gaps or offer new solutions. With this information, the app's goal and roadmap are defined.

At this stage, you also need to decide whether monetisation in your app should be included and how much you will need for the app's marketing.

• User-Experience Design

To design an app that creates good user experience, the developer needs to determine the following: information architecture, wireframes and workflow.

First, information architecture must be established. The data and functionality of the app must be decided, as well as how it is organised. A list of features is usually created. Next, wireframes are created. These are screens with assigned functions and data. They serve as visual guides and illustrates how your application works. Third, the workflows are done. These are pathways within the app, meaning what the users can see or do and how many clicks are needed to execute specific actions. Wireframes are tested through click-through models.

• User Interface Design

The first step is creating a style guide that will serve as the foundation of the mobile app design. The app’s design should be based on factors such as the target audience, how often and when the app will be used, and your budget for creating and running the app.

Next, rendered designs are created using the wireframes and replacing the elements with those decided in the style guide. Only then can the click-through models be rendered so the mobile application can be tested.

• Mobile App Development and Iteration

The mobile developers and designers must work together to ensure correct implementation. Different approaches and programming languages are considered for building mobile applications. Whatever you decide for your company depends on your budget, resources, types of products and services, and your goal. The mobile app's front-end development and backend services are done at this stage.

Later on, testing, reviewing, and improvements are made. The tasks are sent back to web developers if there are any issues. Some apps may also go through comprehensive reviews before deployment. Even then, the app is monitored for performance to keep improving the user experience and the app itself.

Enhancing the accessibility and availability of products and services is just one of the many benefits of a mobile app. It also rewards loyal customers in ways not possible only through brick-and-mortar stores.

8 Essential Elements of Great Mobile App

How do you create a great mobile application? It’s not enough to pique people’s interest and have them install your app – if they don’t find it helpful or suitable to use, it will take them literally just seconds to uninstall the app. To keep this from happening, you must observe the following elements that make people continually use the app:

• Easy Navigation

The most important thing to remember when it comes to e-commerce or enterprise apps is that if customers cannot find the product they're looking for or relevant information about it, they probably won't make any purchase at all. Therefore, apps should have an intuitive and straightforward navigation design, allowing users to quickly see what they’re looking for.

• Text Legibility

Font size should be big enough to make the text readable but not too big to disrupt other page elements. The leading (which is the space between baselines) should be close, so that mobile users can easily follow text lines. Have ample white space as it lets the users’ eyes rest and creates balance to the elements on the page. Line length should be kept to 30 to 40 characters

per line, as this is found to be the ideal length that people can read easily on mobile phones. If you need to include longer texts, put it on the mobile website instead.

• Data Input

Simplifying the data input fields means that there should be less typing or input required, especially on a mobile app. When it comes to design, shorter is better. Buyers don’t like long, complicated checkout processes, so input fields should be kept to a minimum (no more than 15). Users should be able to fill up the forms and make their purchases quickly.

• Hand Position Controls

About half of smart devices users operate their mobile devices with one hand, using their thumbs to click and scroll. Use this to your advantage. Put elements that you want users to activate such as the purchase button on areas where the thumb rests typically (the center and bottom left quadrant of the screen); and put harmful elements, such as the cancel or back buttons, on hard-to-reach areas (upper left and lower right edges of the screen).

• User-Friendly Interface

The user interface is divided into the following categories: input controls, navigation, information, and containers. Keep the interface simple, with each element having a definite purpose and transparent organisation. Improve user experience by maintaining a consistent design; use colour and typography to guide users to where you want their attention. Lastly, make sure that the design is readily responsive to user commands.

• Security

Because most e-commerce apps will need sensitive information like credit and debit card details from buying customers, the app must be tightly secure. The app should be written in a secure code with all data encrypted. Ensure that your users are protected from identity theft and fraud, and any information that may travel over the network should be intercepted by the safeguards added.

• Speed

Keep in mind that e-commerce apps are expected to have fast-loading high-volume content (before your users’ whim to buy passes). Thus, your refresh page and search results should appear quickly – ideally, in less than two seconds. Your app must be compatible across different devices, have an effective caching system, and does not disrupt any native app in the users'

phones. Other guidelines should also be observed, such as image compression and minimising launch delays.

Quality Content

Aside from high-resolution photos of your products, you need to have engaging content for your mobile application. All the vital information about the products – its price, brand, model, shipping fee, estimated delivery time, and other specifications – should be easily visible and all in one place. Include a section of similar or related products so that users can easily find better deals and other products they might also like to buy.

5 Key Design Principles in Mobile Application Development

Each mobile app is unique and comes with a set of features modified based on design choices. However, a good mobile app does not just look good aesthetically; it must also observe all the principles of usability, which refers to the ease with which users interact with the app. 

Ease of use is vital – if users feel that they need to make an effort to use your app or find it time-consuming, difficult to navigate, or simply unrewarding, they will quickly close and uninstall your app.

To avoid this, the following quality components of mobile app usability are observed:

• Efficiency

This means that first-time users should be able to understand and remember the basic tasks in the mobile application once they have learned how it works. It should not require any complicated guesswork for your users to navigate the app.

• Errors

The app should allow your users to make errors that they can quickly undo or fix. The best practice is to ensure that no error occurs if the app is used along with native applications within the device.

• Learnability

This refers to how easy a first-time user can complete basic tasks in an app. Keep in mind that despite the popularity of smartphones, not all users are tech-savvy. Users should quickly become familiar with the app and make good use of its features and capabilities.

• Memorability

Users must be able to remember how to use the system after they test it for the first time, even after a substantial time-lapse between visits. It can be easy for many people to move on and delete the app if they find it too difficult to use.

• Satisfaction

The design of the app should create a pleasant experience for the user. How is this done? When focusing on user experience (UX) design, you need to remember the following key points during the mobile application development:

• Prioritise important content (keep in mind that the attention span of users is just 8 seconds on average)
• Complete tasks through clear pathways
• Keep the interface elements minimal
• Give people some degree of control through their actions
• Take advantage of hand position controls (remember thumb positioning) 
• Minimise the motor load or data input

Securing Your App's Functionality

Though they may have similar aesthetics, a mobile application is different from an e-commerce website. A good, intuitive design becomes more critical considering smartphone screens have considerably more limited space than desktops and laptops.

Ease-of-use is also paramount since smartphone users only use one or two fingers to tap and make commands, rather than the more versatile computer mouse. Again, your app must work across all popular mobile devices and multiple operating systems.

Before launching the app, it must be tested first to determine its usability, as well as to find errors and possible vulnerabilities. A standard testing method is an iterative design. This refers to testing different versions and interface ideas among a group of people to understand better what they are looking for in a quality user experience. Iterative mobile app development allows for a steady refinement of the app with more tests made.

The following are the critical points in making sure that the user interface (UI) design works well:

• Feedback Principle

The users should be informed about their actions or the errors and changes relevant to what they are doing when using the mobile applications. The information must be clear and concise.

• Reuse Principle

The design should utilise the external and internal behaviors and components to maintain consistency. This will make it easier for the users to remember their actions and the information they were provided.

• Simplicity Principle

The design should make communication clear and the tasks easy. There must be shortcuts to functions related to more tedious procedures so that even users who are not tech-savvy will find the app easy to navigate.

• Structure Principle

This refers to the organisation of the interface so that it is valuable, consistent, meaningful, and recognisable even to first-time users. 

• Tolerance Principle

The design should reduce the cost of misuse and mistakes. This can be done by letting the users redo or undo their actions. Varied sequences or inputs must also be tolerated, and reasonable measures interpreted adequately.

• Visibility Principle

All the essential materials and options for a task should be free from distraction and visible to the user. Any redundant information will only confuse users or overwhelm them with choices they do not need.

How to Look for Mobile App Developers

If you're looking for a mobile application developer, you should keep a few things in mind.

First, consider the company's size and the project's scope. You'll want to find a developer experienced in working with companies similar to yours. This will ensure they understand the unique challenges and opportunities of developing a mobile platform. Check their portfolio to determine how well they performed with previous projects and what their clients have to say.

Next, consider the specific skills and experience you need from a developer. Do you need someone well-versed in design and user experience? Or someone more focused on the technical aspects of development? Knowing what you need from a developer will help you narrow down your search. Ask about their development approach or how the work is divided and organised, what technologies they use, and how long the project will take. On average, the development can be completed from 5 to 9 months.

Finally, consider your budget. Mobile application development needs a lot of resources, so you'll want to find a developer willing to work within your budget. The general cost of

development starts at $20,000 and can run as high as $90,000, depending on the platform and device. Most businesses today have apps that work equally well in both Android and iOS.

Mobile applications have been popular with many consumers lately, thus it makes business sense to invest in a well-designed app to connect with customers and deliver a better purchasing experience and reach beyond your target audience.

Discuss what mobile app strategy synergises best with your marketing and advertising campaign with one of our recommended teams of mobile app developers in Singapore.