Mobile App Maintenance: The Cost Associated With The Process

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It is typical that if you are an entrepreneur bitten by the “mobile app” bug, you will approach a mobile app development company or a team of freelance app developers. They will get your mobile app developed and ready for launch. But post-launch, there is a necessity called mobile app maintenance.

Mobile app maintenance costs can be pretty high. In this blog post, we will explore its importance and the cost associated with this process. We will also get insight into the cost factors.

What Is Mobile App Maintenance?

Mobile app maintenance is the process of keeping a mobile app up-to-date and running smoothly. This includes ensuring that the app is compatible with new devices and operating systems, as well as fixing any bugs that may have arisen since the last update.

While most mobile apps are relatively low-maintenance, some require more frequent updates and attention than others. For example, an eCommerce app may need to be updated more often than a simple game or utility app. 

The cost of mobile app maintenance will vary depending on the complexity of the app and how often it needs to be updated.

Generally speaking, the cost of mobile app maintenance can be broken down into three categories called one-time costs, recurring costs, and opportunity costs.

  • One-time costs include things like initial development fees and setting up server infrastructure.
  • Recurring costs include things like monthly hosting fees and ongoing support from a developer or team of developers. 
  • Opportunity costs are harder to quantify, but they essentially represent the opportunity cost of not being able to use those resources for something else.

In most cases, the majority of mobile app maintenance costs will be recurring in nature. This means that you should factor in these costs when deciding whether or not to develop a mobile app for your business. 

Why Is Mobile App Maintenance So Important?

As a business owner, you know that customer satisfaction is key to maintaining and growing your company. If your customers are not happy with your product or service, they will likely take their business elsewhere. The same is true for your mobile app. If customers are not happy with your app, they will delete it and find another one that better meets their needs.

  • Based on a survey by Gartner, 77% of mobile apps fail beyond the launch period because of a lack of maintenance.
  • According to Statista from 2020, the average app uninstalls rate was about 43% in the USA.
  • Another survey revealed that 49% of mobile app users might wait for an app if it takes around 2-3 seconds or max by 5 seconds to load. Not meeting such speed might damage your user retention rates.

That’s why mobile app maintenance is so important. It’s not enough to simply create an app and hope that it will be successful. You need to constantly monitor how users are interacting with your app and make sure that it is up to their standards. Otherwise, your business momentum will decline.

There are several different aspects to mobile app maintenance, but some of the most important include the following:

  1. Security Updates

To keep your users’ data safe, you need to regularly release security updates for your app. This can be a challenge if you have a lot of features in your app, but it is essential for maintaining user trust.

  1. Bug Fixes

No matter how well you test your app before release, there will always be bugs that slip through the cracks. When users encounter these bugs, they will likely become frustrated and may even stop using your app entirely. By releasing regular bug fixes, you can ensure that users have a positive experience with your app.

  1. New Features

As user needs change over time, you need to add new features to your app to keep them engaged. This can be a challenge, as you need to strike the right balance between adding too many features and not enough.

  1. Performance Improvements

Even if your app is feature-rich, users will likely become frustrated if it is slow or buggy. By constantly working to improve the performance of your app, you can ensure that users have a positive experience.

Mobile app maintenance is essential for keeping your app up-to-date and your users happy. By regularly releasing updates, you can ensure that your app is secure, bug-free, and performing well.

An app development company will prove immensely beneficial in this regard. Its team of app developers will know the best practices related to mobile app maintenance.

The Various Types of Mobile App Maintenance Associated With a Mobile App Development Company

There are three types of mobile app maintenance: reactive, preventive, and proactive. We will see them in detail.

  1. Reactive Maintenance

This is the most common type of mobile app maintenance. This type of maintenance is performed in response to a problem or issue that has arisen. Reactive maintenance is usually less expensive than preventive or proactive maintenance, but it can still be costly if the problem is severe.

  1. Preventive Maintenance

It is the second type of maintenance and is performed regularly to prevent problems from arising. Preventive maintenance is typically more expensive than reactive maintenance, but it can save money in the long run by avoiding costly repairs.

  1. Proactive Maintenance 

As another type of maintenance, it is performed to improve the performance of the app or to add new features. Proactive maintenance is usually more expensive than reactive or preventive maintenance. However, it can improve the overall quality of the app and make it more user-friendly.

You can get in touch with a freelance mobile app developer or a mobile app development company to know more about this information. 

Factors That Contribute to the Cost of App Maintenance

There are a few key factors that contribute to the cost of app maintenance.

  1. The size and complexity of the app will affect the cost. More complex apps will require more time and resources to maintain.
  1. Also, the frequency of updates will also impact the cost. If an app requires frequent updates, it will be more expensive to maintain than one that only needs occasional updates.
  1. The platform on which the app is built will also play a role in costs. Apps built for native platforms like iOS or Android tend to be more expensive to maintain than those built for less popular platforms.

The other factors that contribute to the cost involved in app maintenance include

  • Hosting
  • Analytics
  • Bug Fixing
  • Third-party Costs
  • Customer Support and Service

With all that said, the total app maintenance cost for every major region of the globe is listed below, taking into account everything that has been discussed so far.

RegionCost RangeMean Cost
North America10$ – 225$165$
South America21$ – 107$34$
UK and Western Europe32$ – 167$70$
India8$ – 80$26$
Australia32$ – 142$110$

Conclusion

Mobile app maintenance is necessary for any business that wants to stay relevant in the ever-changing world of technology. The cost associated with this process can be significant, but it is often worth keeping your app up-to-date and running smoothly.

If you’re not sure whether or not you can afford to maintain your app, consider contacting us at Pyramidion Solutions regarding this process. We are one of the best mobile app development companies in Chennai, and our team of app developers does a wonderful job in every phase of mobile app development. We will live up to your expectations as a reliable mobile app development company that does its job perfectly.

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