Q: Nobody wants bad apps. App owners do not want to have bad out of their projects. Users do not want to have bad apps on their devices. But what hides behind the vast meaning of the word '' bad ''? And most important, how can software owners avoid building and getting '' bad '' mobile software? Let's start finding that out. What is the definition of a '' bad '' application?
A: A bad app is one that does not satisfy the end users' needs. That's the definition for a developer. Any software must have a direct purpose, a prerequisite task that it performs. Any app must have one. Whether it's a social network, a game or a tool for business processes, or data transmission – every app has a defined audience of end users. It's the purpose and accuracy implementation that are main conditions of making an app good. So if the app lacks these, and it can not perform its intended task, can not meet the needs of audience, it's a bad application.
Q: Are there any other peculiarities that make software '' bad '', unpopular and inconvenient?
A: Yes, I can say a bad app is also one that does not fully meet the needs. For example, a well-working app that does not have a proper UI, or lacks some functionality. This causes inconvenience for users, who are very likely to abandon this app, and try to find a better one. There can also be named support as a criterion; If the users have questions about the app, they must receive feedback; and the software owner has to consider the reviews and improve the application. An app that does not have proper support, becomes obsoleste and unpopular. Speed and security are also very important. It's unallowable to leave a chance for security breach and leaks of corporate data, e-mails, contacts, or any personal information. A good app not only has to bring benefits – it has to cause no harm. Bad software is created without the discussion of these issues between the software owner and developers.
Q: What about any minor problems, bugs?
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A: Problems like these are usually eliminated through quality assurance. Bugs may also lead to dissatisfaction of end users, blocking them from using the app. That's bad. But the major bugs are typically disclosed during the QA process, before the deployment.
Q: What are the main problems an app can face after deployment?
A: The majority of problems after deployment are connected with compatibility of devices and platform versions. For example, Android has plenty of devices, smartphones and tablets. If the app does not use the standard UI elements, for example, there might be problems on certain devices. That's bad. But that can be solved by the precise list of devices the app should run on; and by thorough testing on each device. BlackBerry typically faces the same problem, but to a lesser extent. iOS is a winner here: developers have to consider the differences between iPhone and iPad; and the platform versions – they check if the app works properly on the earlier versions. Or otherwise, if the app is quite old, it should be tested on newer OS versions.
Other problems may include updates. For example, occurs some change in Facebook, some function is added, or some is removed. This may influence the app that has integrated Facebook sharing. This has to be tracked and updated in case of necessity. Then the server maintenance. If hosting stops being supported, a crash of the app occurs. This must also be tracked. As for any minor problems, they are usually easy to eliminate. You really should not allow your app to become obsolete. Updates are vital for good apps.
Q: What are the main mistakes of developers that result in such a questionable exit?
A: This may sound trivial, but good software developers are people inclined to creative work, in some way like composers and poets. Custom software works are often very individual. No developer would know put put bugs into the app. The main mistakes are usually connected with inattention. A lot here depends on the developer's experience. On one hand, an app must be done to be close to perfection. On the other hand, developers can mistake, and do mistake, you can not predict and consider just everything. There may be standard situations that are usually fully considered (what happens if the user pushes this or that button, or all of them simultaniously, or how the app will work in the background). But there are always non-standard situations, such as sudden abortion of Internet connection, or if the server becomes disabled for some reason. These could also be updates in the third-party software, which has bonds with the app. Or differences in screen resolutions, hardware capabilities of devices, like for the abovementioned Android. Non-standard situations are hard to predict. And as a best way out, here we return to quality assurance.
Q: So an app that has not undergone proper QA, has all the chances of being dubbed a bad one?
A: Correct. Developers and QA specialists both vitally shape the app. But while developers create the app, QA specialists must wish to destroy it. That's the opposite activities that work for the quality of the app. QA tests the capabilities of the application, find its limits. The better are the attempts to destroy the app, the more problems are found and eliminated.
For example, apart from developer teams, there is a QA department, that performs testing for the software created by developers, as well as for the third-party software. Testing is an obligatory stage of software development. It's quite convenient to test the software you create, since you know everything about it. As well that's convenience for software owners, who do not have to test their app elsewhere.
Q: Finally, what's the advice for software owners, on how to avoid getting bad software?
A: The more they know about the software that they want to get, the better the result is. Software owners must realize the whole lifecycle of the app; they must realize possible problems and be ready to take measures to avoid or fix them with the help of good developers. And finding a good developer is a separate topic for discussion.
Apart from that, there are some more pieces of advice for software owners:
– Be demanding. But remember, that good works are never created too quickly. Each iteration, each stage needs its time to be performed. If there are strict time limits for some reason, it's better to reduce the number of implemented features, but to implement them with precision. Haste makes waste.
– Do not cut down QA for the sake of sparing costs. QA is the essential way to make sure you will get the high-quality software you want.
– Think of and for your end user. Even if you need apps for internal use, when employees will be obliged to use them, remember, that your custom software works for their convenience first, and for your profits second. Be user-oriented while deciding on software details, and then both convenience and profits will come.
If you consider all the abovementioned points; If you are ready to invest time, resources and efforts in your software project – you will be the owner of good and profitable software.