Why Dedicated Post-Launch App Development Support is Essential to Make Your App a Success

Why is Post-Launch Development Strategy Important? 

The mobile app you initially launched on app stores is your MVP (Minimum Viable Product) that consists of must-have features to cater users evolving needs. Plus, this enables you to test the waters, minimize development costs and collect feedback to make informed future decisions. 

And, this curates as to why it's important to have a dedicated post-launch app development strategy. This will help you identify all the information required to achieve product-market fit and easily scale your app in the long term. 

A  little aside from this, here are some other important outcomes a post-launch app development roadmap assist you handhold:  

Benefit 1: Understanding User Behavior 

Understanding how users engage with your app is crucial. 

Are they using it as you want or in an unexpected way? Let’s take Facebook for better understanding, initially started as a platform facilitating college students to connect, evolved into a globally renowned social network. Users moved beyond merely connecting, they shared special moments, created communities and reshaped digital socialisation. 

This unexpected transformation showed Facebook’s adaptability, highlighting that a platform’s  success is directly proportional to understanding and embracing the evolving needs and behavior of its users.  

Benefit 2: Outlining New Milestones 

Hire app developers that are ready to walk the extra mile for your post-launch mobile app development roadmap. 

Consider checking communication tools like Slack for inspiration. Primarily, developed as a communication tool, Slack evolved its milestones by comprehending and analyzing several user groups and their evolving needs. Thus, it transformed from a simple messaging platform into a collaboration hub, enabling seamless communication and project management. 

Simply put, Slack’s success lies in understanding and addressing diverse audience needs, not following an one-size-fits-all approach for a sustained growth. 

Benefit 3: Empowering User-Driven Growth 

After rolling-out your MVP or Minimum Viable Product, it’s crucial to embrace changes and simultaneously adapt your core objectives. After all, a good post-launch strategy lets your users spearhead, determining your app’s evolution.  

“Twitch” for example, was initially developed for gamers to share experiences but later scaled far beyond its real purpose. Now, users can diversify content into art, music, lifestyle, guiding Twitch to unprecedented heights.  

In essence, Twitch’s success is fueled by adapting to user preferences, curating it as an epitome in live streaming. This defines embracing change and motivating users to shape the platform’s result in undefeatable success. 

Benefit 4 - Gain Competitive Edge 

In today's fast-paced technology and business world, staying competitive is inevitable. 

Ths, post-launch development app strategy allows you to stay ahead by constantly improving their products, addressing weaknesses and simultaneously capitalizing on strengths.

Benefit 5 - Improved Customer Retention and Loyalty   

By actively listening and comprehending user feedback to address their needs and challenges, it’s recommended to nurture relationships with their clienteles base. This also led to increased customer loyalty and minimized churn rate. 

A Step-By-Step Post-Launch Development Process For Long-Term Success

An effective and efficient post-launch app strategy includes a systematic approach for mid to long-term success. Here’s what you need to do 👇

Step 1: Get Ready for Post-Launch Success 

• Precisely Outline Timelines for Evaluation 

As you plan to make incremental improvements to your app, it’s important to establish clear evaluation timelines. But, what’s the best way to do this? 

Simple, create a post-launch calendar that circumscribes the frequency of regular reviews. This well-drafted approach ensures that your app’s performance is constant under the microscope, nurturing a culture of continuous improvement. 

Let’s make it more simple to understand: 

A post-launch calendar consists of monthly check-ins during the initial phase, making sure you keep a close eye on user engagement, feedback and any potential red flags, and resolve them ASAP.  

And, with your app maturing, these check-ins could possibly mirror quarterly assessments, enabling more in-depth dives into performance metrics and user trends. For instance, you launched your gym workout app in Q2 of this year, monthly assessments show that users engage more with workout app features on weekends.

Armored with bespoke features, the team of app developers can prioritize weekend-specific features or content. These can circle around weekend challenges or inspirational stories to share over the weekend workout sessions on social platforms. Thus, by the end of the Q3, you’ll be able to introduce personalized workout sessions, meals and diets considering individual preferences, identified through ongoing assessments. 

• Define the Metrics - Success and Failure 

These defined mobile app metrics should be constantly re-evaluated to synchronize with the changing climate of your mobile app along with the market dynamics it inhibits. Some of the things to keep in mind consist of: 

User Engagement: Keep track of user interaction, active users and sessions duration to evaluate the engagement level within your app. 

App Responsiveness: Analyse how quick your app responds to user actions. This way you can identify the app responsiveness time and address the challenges that lead to frustration and decreased user satisfaction. 

User Feedback and review: Pay focus to user reviews and feedback on app stores, this qualitative data offers insights about user satisfaction and areas for improvement. 

Retention Rate: Evaluating user retention for your app within a time, indicates a loyal user base and effectiveness of your app’s UVP (Unique Value Proposition).

App Load Time: Measure the app loading time. A quicker loading time contributes to a positive user experience and can impact user retention. 

Monetisation Metrics: If your app consists of a monetization model, it’s important to keep track of average revenue per user (ARPU) and other financial metrics. 

Conversion Rates: Keep track of how well your app converts users towards desired actions, like making a purchase or subscribing to a service. 

Crash Rates: Keep a track on app crashes frequency. Plus, ensuring a low crash rat is critical for maintaining a flawless UX. 

App Performance Across Devices: Make sure your app offers consistent performance across different devices and operating systems. Besides, ensure any disparities for a seamless experience.  

In-app Navigation: Understand user navigation patterns within the app and identify rooms where users might bounce back or encounter challenges. 

Step 2: Stay Focused on Your Vision 

• Bring your vision to life 

Outlining “what your app objective to achieve in the long term” and “how easily it fits into the border ecosystem” is the key aspect defining your app’s vision. 

For example you have a beauty salon app. Herein, your vision would likely nurture a climate where beauty services can be easily booked from anywhere, anytime, dissolving the challenges. 

This vision caters as a North star, influencing decision and development choice while ensuring that each feature and update contributes to your app’s overarching success. 

• Implement Your Vision 

To bring your vision to life, it’s a must to translate it into flexible strategies that address the evolving needs of users. For your salon-booking app, your strategies for dedicated post-launch app development support can be:  

1. Progressively introducing new features 
2. Integrate AI-driven personalised experiences
3. Establish collaboration with influencers for a good word-of-mouth

• Identify Challenges and Solutions Constantly 

It’s important to know your app’s challenges and solutions. This not only assists with development but also makes sure your app carries a clear picture. 

Getting back to the salon-booking app, you need to constantly keep track of the challenges your users face. These may consist of lack of engagement or challenges in retaining information which can be often solved by: 

1. Establishing gamification elements for user engagement
2. Integrating AI algorithms for personalised recommendations

Recommended Reading - 5 Tips to Shorten App Development Time 

Step 3: Analyse Feature Success and Room for Improvement 

• Identify Successful Features 

Ensuring your app’s undefinable success in the long-term is not anymore about “Whack-a-mole” problem solving. Indeed, you need to analyse and detect which features will add value to your audience. 

After all, making unnecessary changes to them seems like playing a blind shot. For example, in a multi-language learning app, the data reveals the “Tutor personalised learning” feature has very high user engagement. 

Although the gains may be marginal, the feature shouldn’t be altered without thorough consultation and consideration of users.  

• Strategise Steps for Improvement 

On the contrary, a handful of your features might not be shining as bright as you thought. Fortunately, there’s always a way, thanks to dedicated post-launch support. 

In a multi-language learning app, the “notification feature” is doing a great job, but could be enhanced with AI integration. Therefore, to offer users exactly what they want, conduct surveys and make feature updates that address their expectations.  

Step 4: Establish A Continuous Loop for Improvisation 

• Try A/B Testing to See What Works and What Doesn’t 

In the early days of app launch, frequent releases and beta testing help you gather voluminous information from your users. 

Consider a gym workout app, you could:

• Release updates with new workout sessions
• Test a beta feature that tracks healthy sleeping habits

This will help in dedicated post-launch app development support and improve user experience. 

• Include Standard Processes 

With your app gaining momentum, it’s worthy thought to adopt quarterly check-ins. For your gym workout app, the quarterly check-ins could possibly mean: 

• Crunching numbers on the most-loved feature 
• Diving deep into user surveys to understand the latest fitness trends

Though, you’ll be making minute tweaks rather than changing it to whole, this aspect in mobile app development journey continuously evolves to cater user needs. 

Step 5: Collect Actionable Feedback 

• Engage in Constant Customer Dialogue 

Interacting with users on social media and support forums provides an unfiltered view of the challenges they face. 

Moreover, beyond creating features that help solve these challenges, you should consider creating guides and troubleshooting steps. As an outcome, you build trust with your target audience and offer quick fixes to recurring challenges. 

• Pay attention to Group Feedback 

A focus group is a status of individuals chosen to give feedback on a specific product or service. 

Primarily, it’s not just gathering feedback, it’s a comprehensive analysis of every nook and cranny in your app.  

For example, in a language learning app, you can consider insights on specific language modules, pronunciation features and engaging learning exercises. This shapes mobile app development through real-world experiences and requirements.

In the language-learning landscape, focus groups should include users of all proficiency levels. They might complement a gamified module or offer beneficial input on pronunciation feedback improvement. 

The outcome? Well-described feedback makes your app more user-friendly and effective, ensuring it synchronizes with your user base.  

• Craft Comprehensive Surveys 

While creating surveys,  ensure your questionnaires dig deep into user problems. After all, dedicated post-launch app development support plays a crucial in gathering feedback and improving. 

Let’s consider a performance app. The surveys can consist of questions about the features that users swear by, the challenges they encounter and the room for UI/UX improvement.

Therefore, by incorporating the fundamental questions, you ensure to get the full picture before adding or subtracting any changes. 

Top Post Launch App Mistakes That Can Kill Your Success

Releasing an app is a milestone, but the real test comes after. Most businesses think they've done the most difficult part as soon as the app reaches the store but that's an expensive myth. Let's get into the most prevalent post-launch app development errors you should avoid to ensure your app remains successful in the long term:

1: Neglecting Regular Updates

One of the most common errors is not updating your app on a regular basis. Mobile operating systems are constantly being updated, and user expectations are changing. Failing to put out timely updates can lead to bugs, security risks, and bad user retention.

2: Ignoring User Feedback

Users are your best testers. Ignoring negative reviews or feature requests can cause you to lose valuable users quickly. Listening to feedback helps improve user experience and build loyalty.

3: Lack of Performance Monitoring

Your mobile app development needs continuous performance tracking since overlooking real-time tracking produces blind operation. You need performance metrics such as crash rates together with load times and user flows to prevent major issues from developing.

4: Overlooking Security Patches

Cyber threats evolve rapidly. Your application remains defenseless when security updates are delayed since this action prompts users to lose confidence in the software.

5: Weak Marketing Continuity

Post-launch marketing often dies down too soon. Consistent app marketing through social media, influencer outreach, and content is vital to maintaining visibility and user acquisition.

Best Tools for Post-Launch Support in Software Development

Post-launch support requires more than repairing issues since you need the correct tools to enhance application monitoring alongside resolving issues and deploying updates. The following list contains vital post-launch app development support tools which will boost your app maintenance operations:

1: Firebase Crashlytics – Real-Time Crash Reporting

Firebase Crashlytics enables the identification, prioritization, and resolution of stability issues in real-time. It gives detailed crash reports with stack traces and logs to quickly understand the root cause. Developers receive instant alerts when there are critical bugs, enabling them to respond quickly and minimize app downtime.

2: AppDynamics – Application Performance Monitoring

AppDynamics tracks both the front-end and back-end of your app for performance bottlenecks. The real-time tracking includes evaluation of load time performance together with API connection and server health status. This insight helps identify slowdowns before users experience them, keeping your app fast and reliable.

3: Sentry – Error Tracking and Monitoring

Sentry allows developers to monitor code for errors in production with real-time visibility. It captures exceptions and performance issues across different platforms. With intelligent alerts and contextual data, your team can resolve bugs before they escalate.

4: Jira – Bug Tracking and Workflow Management

Jira is ideal for handling bugs, feature fixes, and developer processes after the launch. It allows teams to prioritize tasks, assign work, and monitor progress. Integrated boards and reporting tools help streamline the entire post-launch support lifecycle.

5: Instabug – In-App Feedback and Bug Reporting

Users can utilize Instabug to submit bug reports in the app using photos and debug information. Instabug enables teams to store user feedback and crash data alongside each other in a single platform.

6: GitHub/GitLab – Version Control and CI/CD

GitHub and GitLab support continuous integration and deployment, making post-launch updates smooth and efficient. They track every code change, facilitate collaboration, and help deploy fixes quickly. These tools ensure your app evolves without disruptions.

​​Finally.. 

We, at Apptunix believe dedicated post-launch app development support is the key to a successful release in a detailed manner. 

Use this document as a draft for your launch strategy, customizing it to fit the specific requirements and context of your app. After all, as a reputed app development company, we will be happy if this helps you achieve flawless execution from development to launch and ahead. 

Still, having questions? Our product experts will be happy to answer your questions. Thanks for reading!