Ruhani Rabin
4 min readJan 31, 2019

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Nowadays, mobile cross-platform development is becoming a preferred framework for developers and enterprises. It is because as a business you need to deal with distinct types of clients who use different sorts of devices. Hence, you require a mobile app that could work flawlessly on almost all the platforms like iOS, Android, Windows, and more.

This can result in certain issues while developing the app, which is compatible with different platforms to cater to specific needs of every platform. Further, this can result in slowing down of your app development process, which can also affect your business and revenue.

To ensure that your app is able to deliver outstanding performance, offer ease-of-use, rich user experience, and seamless functionality then you have to enhance your Mobile cross-platform Development process. So, here check the best practices to enhance your cross-platform mobile app development process.

#1. Select Native Development when UX is Vital

It is quite difficult for developers to find porting functionalities when developing cross-platform mobile apps. But an important challenge here is usability.

When you develop apps natively, this will always ensure that your app is able to meet user expectations. The native development process enhances the overall gestures of navigation as well as enhances the feel and look of each operating system. Also, it reduces the code bloat, which can creep in when there is the implementation of the platform translation tools.

#2. Consider Good Documentation When Developing Apps Natively

Good documentation is a critical step when you are developing cross-platform mobile apps. You must have detailed and clean documentation of the app build process, particularly the service layer. This will boost your app build on the succeeding platforms.

#3. Go For Hybrid Web Development

If you are creating a mobile app as an extension or a responsive version of your site then you must find the simplest solution to wrap the project up. You can go for different cross-platforms available for mobile development, like Xamarin mobile development.

Alternatively, you can go for other popular frameworks like Ionic, Appcelerator Titanium, and PhoneGap. With a cross-platform development process, it is possible to offer a solid user experience as well as ease of development for the team which is well-versed with web technologies such as CSS, JavaScript, and HTML.

The availability of such native plug-ins will enhance the needed functionality particular to each mobile platform.

#4. Select Tools Which Are in Line with the Native Platform Structure

With more new solutions entering within the cross-platform development space, it is vital to understand the various functionalities that are delivered by these solutions for the mobile platforms you develop to support.

The very first adapters of your app are your clients. Hence, you must keep in consideration their requirements and thoughts while selecting the correct development tool for your app. Make sure the tool you choose is able to meet the requirements of your business as well as your audience. Your site, as well as other mobile apps, will give a clear picture of who your target audience must be.

#5. Gain Knowledge about the Various Cross-Platform Development Tools

It can be time-intensive to learn in details about the various cross-platform development tools available in the market. Make sure that you select a development tool that matches your skills set as well as the skills of your development team. Also, you must look for a solution that delivers complete support needed for the mobile app development lifecycle including the cross-platform build tools, cross-platform device testing, prototyping, and metadata-driven applications.

Also, it must offer excellent distribution capabilities through multiple app stores rather than primary app stores. It must further enable integration with the cloud-based services to control features like notifications, social media incorporation, and data persistence.

#6. Consider Features and USPs of an Application to Select a Right Porting of Your App

Lastly, you must select planned features as well as USPs of your application in order to make the correct decision of porting the app. If you are planning mobile development of cross-platform as an extension of your site then native development may not be a good idea.

But if your app involves numerous complex functionalities, then it is best to develop natively and to perform cross-platform mobile app development to offer users the best possible user experience. If you wish to extend your customer reach then cross-platform mobile development is the finest solution to go with.

#7. Use Pre-Built Components

Using pre-tested and reliable code components can help you save lots of money. Plugging any one of such modules into the app development project can decrease production times and enhance the performance and quality, ensuring you selects the right ones.

#8. Test for Every Platform

When planning cross-platform development it is essential that you test each and every platform. This will multiply the amount of testing you wish to perform, but hiring experienced developers can help you get it done easily. Your Android app and iOS app may look similar, but their underlying code is absolutely different. Hence, it is essential that you thoroughly test your mobile app for each platform version. Avoid making assumptions related to the functionality and performance of any platform.

So, you see the mobile cross-platform development process needs teamwork, agile methods, attention to detail and deep vision. Hence, need these tips to enhance your next mobile app development project so that you are able to achieve the desired results cheaper, faster, and easily.

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.