Apple iOS, the popular mobile operating system, has been in the headlines for many years. The users of iOS have been increasing steadily. Not surprisingly, the iOS development services have also mushroomed in the market to keep up with the trend. In a recent report by Data.ai, iOS is responsible for nearly three-quarters of consumer in-app spending among non-gaming applications.
With an 18% market share of the iOS in the global smartphone market, iOS mobile application development is popular among businesses looking to hire iOS programmers for their applications. With the worldwide spending on mobile apps hitting USD 33 billion in the first quarter of 2022, the highest consumer spending in the app’s history, there’s an appetite for apps that do not seem to be slowing down. In fact, it also signals that mobile application development revenues are scaling up, including iOS application development.
As one of the most popular and revenue-generating platforms, it is also demanding. The iOS platform offers scalability and the opportunity to create advanced apps. Though the market opportunities mean it may become tough to hire iOS developers. Even though iOS application development services are on the rise, it is important to do your homework and know the iOS development best practices before you sign up an iOS programmer for hire.
In this post, I’ll dwell upon the best practices in iOS development, giving you a low down on what hiring an iOS programmer entails.
1) Use the MVP architecture
It’s best to separate responsibilities at the beginning. With an MVP (Minimal Viable Product) architecture for iOS app development, you can do it in a systemic manner. You can identify the essential features for the application in the initial stages of development. Many expert iOS developers for hire, these days help to formulate the MVP and build upon features with early feedback.
There are many different variations of MVP; however, you can stick to the basics and analyze the essentials only. Not only does it give direction to the whole process, but sets up bare requirements upfront and helps save development time and costs.
2) Backward compatibility
Even though many apps appear to be the latest and advanced, they fail to get many eyeballs. Some iOS application development services too, overlook the fact that the users may not always possess latest devices for the version of the application to function and upload smoothly.
It is pertinent that your app is built considering the audience and geography. For instance, the Apple iPhone penetration in US markets is the highest and also the user base for the latest version of the device. An iOS app that seamlessly provides backward compatibility with older versions of the device too, will help to increase your audience base among target customers. There are many expert iOS developers for hire who can provide guide you on these matters.
3) App Store guidance
Every iOS app development company wants to publish its application on the App Store. It is always useful to consider the rules of the App Store distribution. As part of the planning process, you should strategize about it. The guidelines cover areas such as the safety, performance, design, business and, legal aspects.
Missing this aspect in the early stages can be costly as you may have developed an application that would not be allowed for App Store distribution.
4) Source file organization
Keeping the source file in order helps keep big scalable applications organized by having multiple directories. It is one of the best practices to keep the source file organized. When you set out to hire an iOS programmer, you should underline the importance of maintaining clean code. With little efforts, such as having a common folder, you can avoid the cacophony of multiple source files in the same folder.
5) Determine code architecture
Planning ahead on the code architecture saves you the hassles later. App comprehension, testing, and maintenance are some of the key post-release performance metrics that may determine your iOS app's success and scalability. Availability of architectures such as MVVM, VIPER, and MVN, among others, means you have to vet each carefully. It is always a good idea to check your requirements and consult before you hire an iOS developer.
6) Use package managers
Using package managers to automate external dependencies saves the development team’s time. Otherwise, the development team ends up spending several manhours on integrating external dependencies manually. It is better to use off-the-shelf tools rather than allocating the development team’s hours on these tasks.
7) Prioritize security
Prioritizing security at every stage— architecture, design, coding, testing, and, the release is important. With sensitive information of your users, any breach in security can provide a gateway to scammers to use and steal the data. Careful scrutiny of iOS app development services for clean and well coded applications, including apps that facilitate online payments is a good practice to overcome any such at a later stage. Things such as coding, app cache, log-in process, authentication, and authorization are some important considerations other than adding encryption.
8) Plan ahead for app design
For any iOS app, design is as important as functionality. Even if the app is packed with features, it may not see offtake as per expectations. Often app design is the reason why one app performs better than another. Certain factors like designing with the target audience and purpose in mind, most critical to less important features, home page screen, and interactive UI design, play a significant role. Your chosen iOS mobile application development company may also be able to guide you on Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines for iOS app interface design. It covers everything comprehensively, providing guidance on UI, animation, branding, and even buttons and bars.
Evolve with best practices in iOS development!
A handful of best practices can serve as a guide when you hire an expert iOS application developer or approach an iOS app development company. There are several other things that may vary as per industry and the type of application you aim to develop. It is always good to consult an experienced iOS app development services provider and learn from their experience rather than assuming the dos and don’ts.
This post is published by Nellie marteen.
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