The reality is that mobile app development as we know it today will be very different in 5 years’ time. While the changes may seem minor, they can have major implications on the way we develop apps and the way our users interact with them. Luckily, there are some hurdles you can take advantage of today to ensure you won’t miss out on them. So, what are these 7 custom mobile application development challenges you need to focus on in 2022? Let’s find out!
1) App monetization
While smartphone users are expected to spend $200 billion on mobile apps and services by 2023, and global spending on mobile apps will surpass $100 billion by end of 2022, there is still a need for strategic planning for making your mobile app successful. A detailed analysis of your target audience should lead to proper segmentation. Making sure that your monetization strategy is good from day one helps reduce additional marketing costs later.
2) Security concerns
Security is one of those online mobile application development challenges that are definitely top of mind for today’s mobile apps. Mobile devices and their myriad apps hold personal information—think photos, emails, and user names—and are therefore a prime target for hackers. The good news is that app developers are thinking about security, with many putting resources toward protecting users' data. In turn, CISOs need to be asking how apps will keep sensitive data safe as they move from place to place, not just on a device but within an enterprise as well. Already companies like Microsoft, along with other cross-industry alliances such as FIDO and Safe Haven Alliance, have created frameworks for privacy standards in a world where trust is becoming increasingly hard to come by.
3) Lack of mobile development skills
Mobile phones have become an extension of ourselves and today, developers are having a hard time keeping up with demand. In fact, there are over 6 million open jobs worldwide for mobile application developers. This means there are plenty of opportunities out there for talented people who want to break into mobile development—but it also means competition is fierce. If you’re looking to land a job as a mobile developer, you better be ready to roll up your sleeves and learn some new skills; keep an eye on newer programming languages like Kotlin and Swift, as well as cross-platform frameworks like React Native so that if an opportunity does arise for someone without relevant experience or education, they won’t necessarily get first dibs.
4) Limited mobile functionality
Developing a great mobile experience has always been challenging, but it’s quickly becoming one of the most important areas of a business. In fact, experts predict that by 2022 it will be standard for customer-facing mobile apps (like those found on banking and retail sites) to have limited functionality. This way, users with small screen sizes aren’t left frustrated when they visit your website. Instead, they have an easy option for taking care of business right away via their phone. To take advantage of these new standards and improve your customer experience at no cost, all you need is open-source technology—which is much easier than many developers think!
5) Not knowing your target audience
The most fundamental challenge is that developers sometimes forget who they are making an app for. An excellent product doesn’t mean much if no one wants it. In addition, trends and competition change every year, so even if your company has been successful with mobile apps in past years, there is a good chance your success will not carry over into 2022 unless you adapt your strategy.
6) Complexity due to changing business models
Business models are changing, and that change is increasing complexity. The advent of mobile apps has created a unique set of business model challenges for developers. How do you make money from mobile apps? If your platform is free (like Facebook or Twitter), how do you get users to pay for premium versions? And how do mobile-first companies like AirBnB deal with regulations designed around old, static business models? How will education adjust as kids learn on tablets instead of laptops? And what happens when medical professionals start diagnosing patients through their phones instead of clinical visits? Business model complexity will become more evident in many industries across society.
7) Narrow customer base
Mobile apps are platform-specific, so mobile developers have a smaller customer base than their web-development counterparts. For example, an Android developer wouldn’t typically develop for iOS—and vice versa. This is changing with hybrid apps (which run natively on multiple platforms) and Xamarin (which allows native iOS, Android, and Windows apps), but developers still need to know at least two languages to work with all of them. Knowing more than one programming language will only increase your career options down the road. The obvious choice here is Java; it’s been around for years, so employers will assume it if they see nothing else listed on your resume or GitHub page.
Conclusion
Most of us have heard that mobile usage will overtake desktop at some point in 2021 or 2022, but those statistics apply to our global audience. If you’re targeting a very specific niche, your audience may not be quite as mobile-centric. In fact, some verticals are still far from reaching that tipping point—meaning there’s plenty of time left for desktop apps. These custom mobile app development challenges will surely help you in creating feature-packed mobile apps.
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