Ruhani Rabin
5 min readSep 26, 2018

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It’s no secret today that picking out appropriate technologies, programming languages and platforms for your upcoming development project can be a painstaking process. Now, in the domain of app development (mobile or web), it is paramount to select the correct technology, because it is the basis of the application system.

Without a solid technology, the application will not function with absolute efficiency. There are multiple options when it comes to choosing the right technologies, and there are also a number of aspects that need to be evaluated to ensure that the company has decided upon the most befitting technology for its application.

That’s why organizations need to consider implementing the following practices in case of picking the appropriate technology.

#1. Prioritize the process of market research

Having a proper understanding of the target users of your app is extremely significant. If you skip this process, you might end up regretting later. Check and study the apps that are available in your chosen niche. Now, create a list of pros and cons about them or you can perform a SWOT analysis as well, and learn from it.

Remember, that your focus should be on what people will achieve from your app. Once you have clarity about what your objective is, it should be simple to determine who you’re targeting. Always aim to create an app that works across multiple niches.

#2. Minimalism is the way to go

It’s always wise to proceed with a minimalistic approach. Think about designing the main app and allow your users the option to pay for the additional features, rather than stuffing the app with a ton of features. In this case, most users may not be inclined to explore all the features that you intend to offer.

That being said, you must also consider that not all apps can be successful. The decisions you make and the functionalities you add will make the app unique and will offer you a sustainable advantage over your competitors.

#3. Spare a thought about the user interface

Your app should be easy to navigate through and easy to use. The interface of an app is supposed to entertain and at the same time help us. If the app is too complicated to understand, people are not going to come back to it, neither recommend it to their friends. Don’t let your hard work in developing an app go to waste because of a rectifiable design issue. Conducting a simple test on the usability of the app can help you avoid potential red flags. Test your app with your acquaintances and friends, get their feedback and input and try to implement them.

#4. Think about the degree of scalability

Scalability denotes the ability of a website or mobile app to deal with the workload. As the number of work mounts up, the app must be efficient enough to cope with this surge. Hence, it’s essential to opt for the technology that can successfully accommodate the future development and improvement of the application, regardless of whether it’s vertical or horizontal growth.

Horizontal growth means that the product is tested on several servers simultaneously to deal with the traffic influx. Vertical growth means that more products can be integrated to prevent the project from collapsing in the future.

#5. Try to innovate and eliminate

When you want your app to come across as striking, you need to determine what features you should incorporate in your app. Whatever ideas you have on your app, you should evaluate each of the following aspects, i.e., problem, solution, benefit, and feature.

  • What is the issue your target audience encounter?
  • How can your app solve their problem?
  • How will the app benefit the end user?
  • What functionalities can you add to make your app credible?

While creating the app, you must think about using the type of technology that comes with the legitimate answers to the above questions. And then you can move on to removing the complications. Don’t attempt to create an over-complicated app when the device is not prepared to handle complex tasks. Keep it simple, and make the most.

#6. Consider the aspect of security

With the digital transformation expanding like wildfire, there’s been a rise in criminal activities as well. According to several studies, cyber attacks are the biggest threat to online businesses. These studies also highlight how the annual financial losses from data breaches are set to scale up to a staggering $2.1 trillion by 2019. Today, governments and authorities are working hard on providing the highest level of cyber security.

So all these things considered, you would obviously want your web or mobile application to be secure. You must come up with the technologies that enable you to develop a secure app.

There are a host of different opinions regarding which programming language is the safest. But the truth is, no language can assure you of a 100% safety.

“Every app development technology comes with its own purpose, so you should select the right tool first and then follow the security guidelines”, says Samantha Ferguson, IT expert from Assignment help. Most app development technologies come with the security guidelines where all the measures for preventing the threats and limiting the vulnerabilities are laid out. You need to ensure that your web or mobile app is created according to the security guidelines.

#7. Go for Open-Source Technologies

It’s often suggested to select an open-source solution when developing an application. That way, there would be no need to work from scratch, which will save a lot of your time. It is also taken to be more of a safe choice. Once you have selected a specific technology stack, examine it precisely to ensure it matches with all the integral elements.

The type of license, a system that comes with required functionalities, monitoring the Github history and stars, easy to decipher code, appropriate documentation to ensure security, etc. are some of the key factors that must be assessed by the organization.

#8. Budget is one major factor

Other than paying for the technology, the organization will also need to invest in a team of developers who will be writing the codes. For more advanced code, more qualified developers would be hired, so the cost of operations would obviously be high. Higher expenditure doesn’t mean that one should compromise on the quality of the project. In fact, organizations must use high-quality programming languages, database, and servers for the particular solution.

As for saving money, invest in a dedicated team that has the experience of working with the required technology. The organization has to reimburse the money for the time needed to finish the project. And once the app is released, the team can be reduced to merely support and maintenance employees.

Parting note

While selecting the right technology is definitely a mainstay of the process of app development, there are many other aspects that make a web or mobile app successful. So, you need to ensure that you are weighing down every option before venturing into the actual design and development process.

Originally posted at RuhaniRabin.com
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Ruhani Rabin

Ruhani Rabin being a tech and product evangelist for two decades. He was VP, GM, CPO for various digital companies. Obsessed with Generative AI now.