Common Mobile App Development Pitfalls Municipalities and Local Governments Need to Avoid

If you’ve been tasked with managing the design and development of your municipality’s mobile app, you might be feeling overwhelmed with all of the possible design options and features you could include with your app.

It can be difficult to know where to start and easy to fall into some common pitfalls that could impact the time it takes to have your app developed or cause you problems later on. Here’s a list of potential mistakes and things to avoid as you go through the app development process, particularly if you are not technical, and/or this is the first time leading such a project.

1. Trying to Be Everything to Everyone

Before you even begin the project of having a municipal or local government mobile app developed, it’s important to know what you hope to achieve with the app and who it is for. One of the biggest mistakes that organizations clients (that’s you!) make during the design phase is not clearly defining the target audience. As a result they try to get an app built that can be everything for everyone.

It’s essential to understand what you want to achieve with your mobile app and who the app is designed for, what they want, and how they’ll use it. Without this understanding, it’s difficult to design an app that meets the needs of your users.

Without clearly defined objectives and a target audience, deciding what features to include, how the app should be laid out and how the app should look and feel become more overwhelming. If you’re trying to design for everyone, any idea could be a potential for your app, whereas if you know exactly who you’re designing for and what you hope to achieve, you can consider options against those goals.

When you work with a client-focused and experienced mobile app development team – they will be quick to point out that your audience needs to be highly defined and can work with you to get more clear. Ultimately, though, it is your job, the client, to come to the mobile app development team with your audience clearly defined.

2. Overloading Your App with Features

If you have never worked on a mobile app development project before, you may not be sure what features you should ask to have included. The thing is, once we explain what is possible, you may get excited and end up with the opposite problem–wanting to include every available feature.

While it’s good to have a broad range of features, it’s important to focus on the most important ones–the ones that will best help you achieve the objectives you’ve set out for your app. Too many features can make your app feel cluttered and difficult to navigate. This can lead to user frustration and a lack of engagement.

3. Overcomplicating the Design

Overcomplicating the design is another common pitfall. The app design should be simple and straightforward, with a clear focus on the primary function of the app. Adding too many features or complex interactions can confuse users and make it difficult for them to accomplish their goals.

4. Neglecting User Experience

User experience (UX) is critical to the success of any mobile app. Neglecting UX can lead to a poorly designed app that frustrates users, resulting in low usage rates and negative reviews. Put yourself in your potential user’s shoes and focus on creating a user-centric design that’s intuitive, easy to use, and visually appealing.

5. Thinking You Need an Expensive Custom Mobile App

While there are some instances where more expensive completely custom mobile apps are needed, in many cases a well-designed mobile app platform can be the answer.

If you’re considering having a mobile app developed, but aren’t sure if you need something fully custom or if a platform like Info Grove could work for you, the best thing to do is book a consultation.

During our free initial consultation, we can dig deep into what your needs are to get a solid understanding of what kind of mobile app might best serve you. We’ll help you figure out how to achieve your needs in a way that best suits your budget.

Karim Mansour is an Inside Sales Representative at 14 Oranges, the creators of the Info Grove platform.