We’re living in a globally-connected world where millions of devices and individuals are connected to each other via the internet. In this digital era, cloud computing is no more an old sci-fi prediction; rather, it’s the best possible approach to overcome issues related to storage capacity and system performance.

As we enter 2023, the demand for scalable, custom and flexible cloud-based applications continues to rise globally. A 2020 cloud report by Flexera indicated that more than 90% of businesses worldwide have been using cloud-based applications to manage diverse functions. Hence, the estimated worth of the global cloud-based app market is projected to reach $168.6 billion by 2025, an almost 26% rise from 2020. This paradigm shift toward cloud-based apps is driven by their ability to improve data security, streamline operations, and boost productivity.

This article explains the steps involved in cloud-based mobile app development to understand the process in detail. Let’s dive in!

An Overview of Cloud-based Mobile Apps

If you are a regular internet user, you must be familiar with Gmail, which is an important tool of the famous cloud app Google G-Suite. In 2021, more than 3 billion users were using Google Workspace across the globe. Besides, the number of public apps installed from the Google Workspace Marketplace reached 4.8 billion in 2021 from 1 billion in 2020.

By definition, a cloud-based app is a software system based on data and processing logic. Besides, this app is hosted on digital cloud servers and can be accessed remotely anytime, anywhere.

For instance, if you want to send an email, you can simply go to your web browser, access your Google Workspace account, and use Gmail to send any type of file. You need not install that app on your device; rather, just connect to the internet and access your desired functionalities remotely. All your data will be stored in cloud servers that offer universal access to IT resources on-demand via the internet.

Cloud-based Mobile App Development Process

Unlike traditional mobile or web apps, cloud-based app development involves creating solutions hosted on reliable cloud service providers like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.

Given below are the key steps involved in the cloud-based application development process.

1. Market Research

First of all, you need to conduct market research to explore the status quo and better understand your users’ needs. This step is essential to figure out the current market trends, challenges faced by customers, and strengths and weaknesses of solutions developed by competitors.

Moreover, market research is also important because you can use its findings to figure out optimal solutions to solve these problems. Finally, develop a robust cloud-based application to meet your prospects’ needs.

Consider the following points while conducting market research:

  1. What are the key challenges users are facing in your niche?
  2. What are the current trends in the market?
  3. What are the demographics of your target audience?
  4. Which strategies your competitors are using and what’s their current position in the market?
  5. What value your product aims to deliver to your users?

2. Find a Competent Cloud Development Team

After completing your market research, now it’s time to find a qualified and skilled cloud development team that has extensive experience in cloud-based app development. Besides, make sure that your developers are familiar with different cloud providers and focus on the end product. Moreover, properly plan the app’s architecture throughout the development process.

You can hire an in-house development team to build your cloud-based app. However, it requires sufficient resources and advanced expertise. Hence, outsourcing the development process to a reliable cloud-based development agency becomes the most viable option.

When reviewing proposals from different vendors, don’t forget to check:

  1. The company’s website
  2. Cloud app development expertise
  3. Projects portfolio
  4. Customer reviews and ratings
  5. Background and use cases
  6. Quality of customer service and ongoing support
  7. Pricing structure

3. Enlist Product Features

To build a feature-rich cloud-based mobile app, you need to keep specific things in your mind. For instance, before enlisting product features, define your app’s architecture, choose the service delivery model, and select the cloud service provider.

Similarly, list down key features of your minimum viable product (MVP) that covers the scope of your cloud-based application. Moreover, consider both functional and non-functional product requirements to meet the specific needs of your users.

Similarly, for even better results, always prefer advanced cloud architecture built on microservices and choose your desired cloud deployment service.

4. Define Your Tech Stack

At this stage, we have defined product features and functional and non-functional requirements. Now, we have to define the tech stack that will be used in the cloud-based app development process.

When choosing the tech stack, scalability is one of the most important factors to be considered. Hence, choose your tech stack carefully depending on the complexity of your cloud-based application.

Recommended below are some of the popular tools, technologies, and frameworks used to build high-performing cloud-based apps:

App and Data DevOps Project Management

1.      ClearDB

2.      Cloudant

3.      Akamai

 

  1. DataDog
  2. Jenkins
  3. New Relic
  4. Sauce Labs
  5. Bitbucket
  6. Cloud9 IDE
  1. G Suite
  2. Jira
  3. DocuSign
  4. UXPin
  5. Balsamiq
  6. InVision

5. App Development and Testing

Most companies build cloud-based apps with scrum and agile methodologies. To streamline deployment and implementation, project teams split the app development process into several sprints depending on the project requirements. Similarly, make sure to define the development roles and responsibilities considering the skills and expertise of your developers. Additionally, evaluate the progress of your development project regularly to get your desired results.

Once the development stage is complete, test your cloud-based app using different quality assurance techniques and processes. However, you can also outsource the full-cycle cloud app development for higher product quality and better user experience.

6. App Launch and Maintenance

The last stage in cloud-based mobile app development is launch and maintenance. It involves evaluating the app’s performance in various environments, fixing bugs and errors, and making improvements. Besides, you can also add custom updates to personalize the cloud-based mobile app as per your users’ needs.

Once the app is ready, release it on App Store and Google Play Store to make it available for Android and iOS users. Please note that app deployment is a time-taking process and may take several days to complete. Besides, you may also have to bear additional costs in terms of development and modification depending on your cloud-based mobile app. Hence, be patient and closely monitor all steps to build a robust cloud-based mobile app.

Final Words

If you want to grow your business and stay competitive in today’s digital landscape, consider moving toward the cloud. Irrespective of its size, every organization must leverage cloud-based mobile apps to satisfy its ever-expanding consumer base.

When it comes to cloud-based mobile app development, it starts with market research to identify trends and key challenges faced by users. Then, you have to find a competent cloud development team with proven expertise in this field. Similarly, next stage is enlisting product features as per users’ needs and market requirements.

Once the features have been finalized, define your tech stack and move toward the development and testing stage. Finally, deploy your cloud-based app on Play Store or App Store and keep monitoring it regularly to ensure a seamless user experience.