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Have you already estimated the budget for developing your app? If you haven’t done it yet, good for you. Today, we will be talking about the hidden costs of app development or simply saying, the cost necessary to develop and run an app that you are unaware of.
App development cost isn’t just limited to building the app. It goes beyond that, such as integrations, content, marketing, hosting. Most business owners like you are unaware of them. And when you realize it, you are out of funds already, making it challenging for you to cover upcoming expenses.
Moreover, some software companies relay information about the hidden costs to the clients when cracking the deal. However, some don’t. So, it is crucial to choose the right firm and ask about these priorly not to surprise and give you a hard time later.
So, what are the hidden costs of app development?
We have listed 10 hidden costs that you might be unaware of.
Ten hidden costs of app development
Servers and hosting
The first hidden cost of app development is hosting. Even if you develop your app, you need a server to host it for the users to download and use it. Service providers such as Microsoft, Amazon, Google, etc., help you outsource the servers to run your app seamlessly. And you have the option to pay either monthly or annually.
Data storage
You might have an idea that your app uses the database to store data. Moreover, users use the app continuously every day. So, more and more data are collected every day. And you need storage to save those data safely and securely. And it depends on the service provider how much they charge.
The most popular cloud storage services are Google, Amazon, IDrive, etc.
Integrations cost
Several APIs and libraries are free of cost and available on the Internet to add and use the specific functionalities to an app. Some are open-source and can be used for free forever. However, some come with advanced features, like a payment gateway. You need to pay before using them. And such costs often increase the overall expenses.
Content management
An app without content looks uninformative. The users want the information to know about the business and its products and services.
If you are developing an app, you need to onboard the users. You should assist them in using the app and informing them what features it includes. For that, you need great content for which you must pay.
Besides, you need to pay for the CDN (Content Delivery Networks). It helps to deliver content seamlessly to the users no matter where they are. Some popular CDN providers are Cloudfare, CloudFront, Akamai, etc.
Multiple platforms cost
Most business owners might be unaware that they should develop the app for multiple operating systems, if not all. You cannot ignore the users who are on other systems. And the most popular ones are Android and iOS, with different programming languages to begin with. With each platform comes various libraries, SDKs, APIs, etc. As stated earlier, some are free, and some are paid.
Cost to release on App Store
It is one of the crucial steps after the development of an app. You need to publish your apps either on Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store. But, you need to pay a certain amount to upload your app and make it available for the users. They might not be expensive, but still, you need to estimate your budget for it. However, most of the time, business owners completely forget about it or are unaware of it.
You need to pay $25, a one-time cost, to release your app on Google Play Store. After that, every service you use will be free.
To release your app on Apple App Store, you need to pay $99 annually. It means you need to renew your subscription every year.
Mid-development changes
Sometimes, in the middle of the development process, the business owners come up with new requirements. As time passes, the features change. They want additional changes in the app. As a result, the initial estimation changes, increasing the cost of mobile app development.
Testing
Bugs are unavoidable when developing an app. No matter how much experienced and skilled developers you hire, errors are bound to occur. Nonetheless, the apps need to be tested for different screen sizes, device types, etc., to ensure it is fully functional. And this cost is what most business owners fail to estimate.
If testing is ignored, even more risks will emerge in the future. So, as a business owner, when estimating your budget, you need to consider the cost of testing the app. And most importantly, providing a seamless user experience is crucial.
At Truemark, we include the cost of app testing into the estimation.
Maintenance and updates
Developing a mobile app successfully isn’t the end. You need to resolve the bugs and errors that occur over time. You need to frequently update your app to adapt to the trends and changes.
Moreover, operating systems like Android and iOS frequently release updates. With each update comes various issues. And you need to see if there is any compatible problem. And to cope up with such difficulties, the apps need to be updated as well, which increases the app cost. And such charges often don’t pop up when estimating the budget.
To improve the app’s performance and stability, maintenance is crucial.
Marketing
After developing your app, then what? The users need to know about its existence. Until and unless you promote your app, how will the users be aware of it? They will be unaware of it and continue to use other apps. The purpose of building the app fails if no one knows about it. So, investing in marketing strategies is crucial.
However, sometimes, business owners forget about boosting the app’s visibility on app stores and search engines. It slips from the mind of business owners.
So, as a business owner, you have to devise marketing strategies before or during the development process. You need to be fully prepared in advance, not after the development process.
If budget is your main problem, then here are some best and effective practices to reduce app development costs.
In Conclusion
While having a mobile app is crucial today, it is also important to estimate your budget correctly. For that, you need to be aware of every cost, including hidden and extra expenses necessary to develop and run the app successfully. So, before estimating, consider these hidden costs of app development to make sure you are fully prepared for everything.
At Truemark, we strongly believe in customer satisfaction. We ensure that the app is built according to the business needs and goals. We make sure that it is within the budget. So, based on your requirements, we make a proper estimation that doesn’t hurt your funds. So, reach us at any time. Let’s turn your dream project into reality.
Cover Image Credits: Freepik
