Keeping Your App Fresh with Post-Development Support
When deploying an application to the masses, the launch is often celebrated as the main major milestone. This is often just the beginning, as supporting mobile applications post-launch is often just as important as the development phase.
The true test of a mobile application’s value and its potential for lasting success relies on the post-launch phase and its support to keep it functional and in line with its environment.
Discussed below are some of the main important reasons your organisation needs appropriate post-launch support after deploying an application.
Bug Fixes
While the app may have undergone rigorous internal testing prior to launch, many of the bugs, glitches and issues only become apparent after it gets in the hands of users.
Post-launch support ensures that the app can remain functional with quick patches and fixes if issues arise. These issues can be anything from minor visual glitches to functional crashes.
Proactive support and monitoring by an effective support should resolve these issues quickly. A helpdesk should always be made available to users allowing them to report issues to the development team.
Software Updates
The app needs to continuously adapt to its environment. The technology landscape is always evolving, meaning organisations need an app that matches this evolution. An effective solution needs to remain compatible with the latest technology, security standards and industry best practices.
Regular software updates ensure that it remains functional and optimised as new features, security patches and bug fixes are released by third-party libraries or platform providers.
Post-launch software updates ensure that the app will remain compatible with future operating system updates, greatly increasing its lifespan.
Security
Security vulnerabilities are always a threat to any software solution. Malicious groups are always looking for new ways to exploit vulnerabilities to gain unauthorised access to sensitive data.
App development teams should offer continuous security testing and vulnerability scanning to clients, to ensure the solution’s integrity is maintained.
Regular audits of the software and its interactions with other aspects of the business should be conducted to ultimately reduce the risk of a potentially damaging cyberattack or data breach.
Performance Monitoring
Mobile app performance can significantly influence the user experience. Slow load times, crashes, high memory usage, or unexpected battery drain often leads to frustration, poor reviews, and uninstalls. On the other hand, optimising app performance can lead to higher user engagement, better app store ratings and overall customer satisfaction.
Your organisation should use analytics tools to monitor app performance metrics, such as load times, crash rates and network requests.
Regular performance audits will help you identify and address issues before they affect users.
Regulatory Changes
In areas such as finance, healthcare or government, regulatory compliance is of the utmost importance. Laws and regulations update regularly, and your app needs to be compliant with these changes.
An effective post-launch support team monitors regulatory changes in industries it operates in and will address any changes the software needs to meet these requirements.
Continuous Improvement
The development team should always request feedback from users over time to ensure needs are being met and to take into consideration any suggestions to improve the application. It’s essential for the team to gather feedback to understand pain points.
These suggestions can be used to advise future updates to the service. This iterative approach ensures that the software evolves with user needs and business goals, keeping it relevant and valuable over time.
By continuously iterating on the application’s software, businesses can stay ahead of their competition.
Are you preparing to alter your tech stack this year? If so, contact us today on +353 1 8041298, or click on the link below to our contact form.
