It’s a well-known fact that developers’ work doesn’t end with the release of the app. However many clients tend to forget about it and don’t account expenses on ongoing maintenance and support into their budget. Nevertheless the after-launch support is a vital part of app’s lifecycle. Your app will require updates and bug fixing as long as it exists. Usually mobile app maintenance services include the following steps:
- Bugs fixes
- Third-party API updates
- Regular updates
- Adding new features
Bugs fixes
It’s sad but true. Bugs issues happen and happen pretty often, much to developers’ regret. There is no such thing as a perfect, bugless app in the entire world. So keep calm and fix these bugs. They can be of different origin. Sometimes bugs enter the code due to the human error or buggy third-party APIs. Last-minute changes or no version control also can cause bugs.
There can be minor bugs, and there can be bugs that won’t let your app to work the way it should. For example, you’ve downloaded the app, launched it right away, and was about to use it but the app crashed leaving you with nothing but frustration and anger. The best you can do in this case it to delete app that fell short of your expectations. In a day or two you won’t even remember about that app, but for this app’s owner this bug may cost money and reputation. So in order to avoid such experiences and never let down your users, you should perform bug fixing as soon as possible. This way your users will be satisfied with your product and service.
Third-party API updates
Most mobile apps use APIs in order to connect to databases of third-party services. For example, when users want to log in into the app they can do it via their Facebook or Google account. The thing is that APIs provided by third-party services can be changed. In this case you need to update your app with new APIs. Otherwise the features supported by third-party service won’t work.
Regular updates
Every app require timely updates. They help to improve the performance, ensure security and stability of the application. With regular updates you can rest assured that your app is running smoothly and safely. Updates also show your users that your app is up to date and you’re constantly improving it.
Adding new features
Adding features is a usual working process. New functionality helps your app to stay on a par with competitors and follow the popular trends. In case if you entered the market of mobile software with an MVP, and your app is getting positive feedback, you can try and add more features.
Though it’s worth mentioning that sometimes adding more features might be a bad idea. At all times you should care only about quality and not quantity. First of all you should focus on solving the existing problem with a new feature. This way your app will bring value to the users and won’t give them a reason to complain in the comments.
