6 Important Software Development Mistakes You Can Avoid
It’s no secret that software development including web or mobile app development services is an ever-changing field, but it’s easy to get lost in the ever-increasing number of new technologies and languages, not to mention the constantly evolving business needs of your customers.
But do you know the most common mistakes people make when development as well as software support and maintenance services? If you’re reading this, then probably not. And that’s okay because these are some of the mistakes that everyone should try to avoid, especially if you want to have a positive impact on your company and its bottom line. Here are 6 important custom software development mistakes you can avoid at all costs.
1) Being Underestimating Project Complexity
There are plenty of reasons for mobile or website development services project failure, but one of them—unrealistic timelines—is often due to underestimating project complexity. It’s easy to think Sure, I can whip up a few thousand lines of code, or I can build an MVP in two weeks. But it’s not always so simple. If you think you can accomplish your tasks quickly and easily, try setting aside 10 or 20 percent more time than you initially budgeted for it; that way, if (and when) things get tough, you don’t feel rushed to cut corners or compromise on quality just to finish on time.
2) Being Overly Optimistic About Schedule Completion
This is a big one. We’ve all heard of software or custom CMS development projects that were scheduled to last three months that ended up taking several years. Overly optimistic delivery schedules are often caused by naive development approaches, unrealistic expectations about what can be accomplished within certain timeframes, and general miscommunication between members of development teams. A big part of effective development is recognizing when you’re making overly optimistic assumptions and changing your plans accordingly.
3) Having Unrealistic Expectations About Customer Needs
Unfortunately, when you're in love with your website designing services product, it's easy to let your expectations cloud your vision. If customers aren't responding positively to your product, ask yourself why. It could be that they don't understand how it works or what problems it solves for them. Take a step back and reevaluate what problem you're trying to solve. How can you frame things differently to make them more appealing? Be honest with yourself; if it's not really solving their problem, maybe there's no reason for them to use it.
4) Failing to Include Budget and Deadlines From the Start
Understanding how much a project will cost and how long it will take is crucial. If you fail to take these factors into account from day one, you might get overwhelmed by your task list or become frustrated with your team's progress. The bottom line: if you don't know how much a project will cost and how long it will take, it's a mistake not to develop a budget and establish deadlines from day one. That way, even if you're unable to stay on track with your goals, at least you'll have an idea of where you stand. Be sure to include these two metrics in your early discussions about projects so that everyone involved understands what should be accomplished before work can begin.
5) Skipping User Testing Because It's Too Much Work
The quickest way to end up with a product that nobody wants is to ignore users' needs. It's tempting to put off user testing because it can be time-consuming, but no matter how early you are in your development process by website development agency in India, make sure you've completed at least one round of usability testing before launching your MVP or beta version. If you wait until after launch to test it out on actual users, you're setting yourself up for failure. Not only are issues more difficult and expensive to fix at that point, but users have already formed their opinions about your product based on what they've experienced - meaning that you'll have a much harder time convincing them that any changes will improve things.
6) Not doing digital marketing
While there are other ways to promote your software development business, digital marketing services should always be at least part of your strategy. Not only is digital marketing fast and efficient, but it also gives you access to a wider audience—after all, there are 1.8 billion internet users in China alone. This makes it an excellent channel for companies looking to sell their products and services around the world. But what makes digital marketing including SEO services, SMO services and PPC services so useful? The simple answer is flexibility: It allows you to target exactly who you want when you want them and how much you want them to pay for your product or service.
