In an era where breakthroughs happen rapidly, launching digital products with a shorter time-to-market (TTM) becomes crucial. Just to give you some context, on average, about 47,000 new Android apps and 39,000 new iOS apps are released monthly on the App Stores.
Building applications from scratch or writing files of advanced code for the same is definitely not a compulsion. But many businesses are still stuck in the long, costly cycles of traditional development.
And that is where Low-code app development makes its heroic entrance.
Low-code development is a flexible and cost-effective way to create software and apps that can get your business idea up and running. Even with basic technical knowledge and limited to no coding skills, you can easily create fully functional digital assets in no time. But is it as simple as it sounds, or are there any hidden challenges you should watch out for?
Let’s explore the various aspects of low-code mobile app development and see if it could be the right solution for your business!
What is Low-code App Development?
Low-code is a development strategy that lets users build digital solutions, like apps and websites, with minimal coding using visual interfaces like drag-and-drop tools. And that is pretty much what low-code app development is all about.
According to a 2019 report by Forrester, “84% of enterprises have turned toward low-code for its ability to reduce strain on IT resources, increase speed-to-market, and involve the business in digital asset development.”
Instead of complex programming, low-code app development platforms help you build feasible and functional software, which loosely translates to faster development, lower costs, and more flexibility for businesses. They utilize pre-built modules and graphical tools to speed up development. Such ease of development has given rise to a whole new branch of software engineers known as citizen developers.
For instance, Appian is a combination of an intelligent automation and low-code platform. Its collaboration features allow team members to work together on building and maintaining applications to improve teamwork and productivity. It also helps with comprehensive security measures, ensuring adherence to industry standards and safeguarding the integrity and privacy of data.
Key Benefits of Low-Code App Development
Building an application isn’t just about faster launches and app store downloads, there are a lot of other factors such as basic feature development, user interface design, and functionality tests to name a few. And if you go about doing the same with the traditional development process, you can expect DOA.
And that is why Low-code app development can be your guardian angel. Let’s check out some of its benefits:
Accelerate Development with High Speed and Efficiency
Low-code helps you to build applications faster i.e. in hours or days rather than weeks. Speedy application development becomes the foundation, allowing for swift iterations and the advanced delivery of minimum viable products (MVPs). The faster you get an MVP to your internal users, the faster you can get suggestions and make the necessary improvements to have a ready to launch app.
Ensure Stability with Low-Risk Deployment
Launch day for commonly developed apps may be filled with as developers ready themselves to deal with bugs, glitches, or downtime. By using low-code platforms many issues are reduced through pre-tested and streamlined processes which leads to untroubled deployments and reduces the unexpected problem at the launch.
Achieve Significant Cost Savings
Increased cost savings is one of the considerable benefits of low-code software. Low-code development comes out as a financial master by reducing the time and resources typically expended in software development. Low-code platforms contribute to lower maintenance costs over the application’s process.
Empower Teams Minimal Coding Knowledge
The overall nature of low-code ensures that individuals with minimal coding knowledge can actively participate in app development. The empowerment feature from low-code not only boosts productivity but also promotes creativity, as more opinions can shape the final product.
Enhance Team Collaboration for Seamless Development
Cross-functional collaboration is an important aspect of modern software development, and low-code platforms facilitate better communication between team members with multiple skill sets. With easier communication and a shared vision, teams get the opportunity to align quickly and deliver faster results.
How does Low-code App Development Work?
For businesses without in-house technical skills, it’s a good decision to collaborate with development teams specializing in low-code platforms. These teams can help customize solutions that ensure apps meet specific business needs without the process being too complicated.
But if you are a one-man army or would want to work on the app with limited resources, low-code platforms make it easier to develop apps efficiently and independently.
Though the flow of development might vary depending on the requirement and business, the basic steps more or less stay the same.
- Your App’s Purpose
Identify the problem your app will solve and your target audience. A well-designed app speaks directly to the user’s needs and increases its chances of success in the market.
- Select a Low-Code Platform
Select a platform that fits your requirements. Look for features like drag-and-drop and pre-built modules. Choose a platform that meets your project’s technical requirements and user experience goals.
- Design the User Interface (UI):
Using the platform’s visual tools, design an intuitive and user-friendly UI. Create a visually appealing and easy-to-navigate interface by adding the platform’s design tools.
- Functional Development
Before integration, ensure the internal logic and workflows of the app are functional. Build processes like user authentication, data processing and navigation between app pages. A good functioning app ensures smooth user experiences and satisfies core needs.
- Integrate Third-Party Tools
Connect your app with external systems or APIs, if required. This is a good chance to boost your app’s capabilities which makes it more versatile and useful for end users.
- Testing of Application
Perform thorough testing to identify and fix any bugs. Early testing makes your app stable and minimizes post-launch issues
- Deploy the Application:
Once the app is fully tested, deploy it directly from the platform. Make the app optimized for different devices for a successful deployment.
By following these essential steps, you can transform an idea into a functional, user-friendly application efficiently with the help of low-code platforms.
Low-code App Development Features: Key components you need to understand!
Although Low-code development platforms are designed to make application development easier and can be utilized by non-technical people. These are again some of the most-common features offered by development platforms, and functionality remains the same.
Custom Coding Flexibility
Low-code minimizes the need for long coding and offers the flexibility for custom code. Developers can enhance or modify pre-built components to meet specific business needs so that no functionality is compromised.
Pre-built and Reusable Components
Low-code provides a library of reusable components and templates that stimulate development. You can build apps across several low-code platforms. These low-code mobile app development platforms have pre-defined templates to enable quick initialisation of work. Low-code offers drag-and-drop interfaces as well as pre-built components that minimize the need for long and complex coding.
Visual Modelling
Low-code helps developers design app logic through visual modelling rather than complex coding which makes the process more natural.
Multi-Platform Apps Compatibility
With low-code, developers can build apps that can run on multiple platforms like iOS and Android from a single codebase.
Collaboration-Friendly Environment
Low-code platforms are also popular for being a collaboration-friendly environment. Most of them allow multiple users to work on one task at the same time and in sync.
Mobile SDK and UI kit
These platforms offer a mobile SDK and UI kit that helps app developers and create the magic required to build reliable and robust applications with minimal coding.
In-built integration creator
Integrating your app with other services and systems is easier with pre-built connectors and APIs. This means you can easily connect your apps to the tools you rely on.
Artificial Intelligence creator
With built-in AI tools, low-code platforms allow developers to incorporate machine learning models.
Third-party integration
These platforms support integration with external systems such as CRMs, ERPs and payment gateways, extending the app’s capabilities.
Challenges of Low-code App Development
A piece of cake.
That is what low code development makes the process of app development appear like. And for most cases it is true. But just like the light and dark mode in all your favorite apps, there is a dark side to low-code app development as well.
Here are some of the major challenges that business owners and developers might face while approaching low-code application development:
Limited Customisation Options
Low-code app builders have limited options when it comes to customisation and more advanced features. Businesses with complex needs might find themselves forced within the limitations set by low-code platforms. When particular functionalities are needed, developers may have to work around manual coding efforts, defeating the purpose of “low-code.”
Limited Security
Low-code platforms are used by those with a minimal background in information security, and they lack complete control of the development. Hence there remains a big risk of security breaches in low-code enterprise apps. The absence of control over the code also means businesses rely heavily on the platform’s security protocols, which may not always meet enterprise standards.
Less Control in Low-Code Development
With low-code development, organizations have limited control over the code that is generated, making it difficult to make changes or troubleshoot problems. This lack of control may cause frustration when you need to tweak or optimize code for specific requirements.
Vendor Lock-In Risks
Vendor lock-in is one of the most serious challenges surrounding low-code platforms. Many companies assume they will be restricted to the vendor they choose to work with. Vendor lock-in is a risk, where migrating your app to a different environment might require dealing with incompatible tools.
Inability to Meet Complex Requirements
For simple applications, low-code shines, but projects with complex and highly specific requirements may find low-code development fail to meet the requirement.
Low-code mobile app development is ideal for businesses that are looking to rapidly create applications with minimal coding expertise. However, it may not be suitable for applications that demand high levels of customization, intricate integrations, or security requirements. In such cases, traditional coding methods may be more appropriate.
What kind of businesses should opt for Low-Code App Development?
Due to its accessibility and ability to streamline the application development process, low-code can be a good option for a wide range of individuals and businesses. Let’s overview the most popular options.
Startups
Startups need to have more predictable investments in app development to leverage more and reduce the wastage of IT resources. The low-code is a one-stop solution for a better return on investment. It is especially for startups who want to offer their team complete digital autonomy but yet have control over the apps developed.
Low-code platforms are startup-centric for teams to get consistent development experience across various departments.
Enterprise Business Process Automation
Low-code app development is a great choice for enterprises who are looking to automate business processes. With pre-built modules and drag-and-drop interfaces, businesses can simplify workflows like approvals, reporting, and task management to reduce manual errors and speed up decision-making allowing companies to focus on growth and innovation.
Simple Consumer-Centric Apps
For consumer-centric apps, low-code provides quick and efficient development and creates user-friendly applications without complex coding. Whether it’s a normal booking system or a feedback app, low-code allows rapid iteration for businesses to stay responsive to customer needs and market trends.
ECommerce and Retail
There are many tasks an online or offline merchant must accomplish daily, from order management to supply chain and delivery tracking. And if you don’t want to stick to Amazon, you have to go with WooCommerce, or any other software since developing something like this from scratch is very demanding. However, you can achieve great results using low-code apps to deal with all your eCommerce or retail business challenges.
Low-code app development equips businesses of all sizes, from startups to enterprises through flexibility, cost-efficiency, and speed. Whether automating workflows or creating consumer-centric apps, it’s a versatile option that drives innovation without performing complex coding.
Is No-Code and Low-Code App Development the same?
To put it simply, No-code platforms require no coding, making them easy for non-developers, while low-code platforms allow some level of code tweaking, thus still needing developers with a certain level of coding knowledge.
Though both forms of development are not exactly same, they are similar, simplifying the nature of app development.
No-code, on the other hand, is more suited for simpler, smaller applications that don’t require significant customization. But what makes low-code so good is that instead of settling for the available options, with basic coding knowledge you can craft and customize segments of your application with ease. Which is why low-code development is also increasingly becoming popular in the professional domain.
The Future Scope of Low-Code App Development?
As low-code development continues to evolve, several key trends are expected to shape its future path. Businesses across industries recognize the need for mobile apps to stay competitive. Additionally, Low-code platforms offer a faster and more cost-effective way to build apps.Low-code platforms are prioritizing responsive design and native incorporation to meet the rising demand for mobile and cross-platform apps. Low-code platforms are enhancing UX/UI design by offering design-focused features such as drag-and-drop layout builders and customizable design templates.
Here are some tech trends transforming the low-code and app development field:
- The role of emerging technologies like Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) is expected to become increasingly prominent in low-code development.
- Advancements in AI/ML integration will help developers create more personalized and intelligent user experiences.
- The integration of enterprise intelligence tools and data analytics is an important low-code trend. Low-code provides developers with the tools to create applications that incorporate analytics and data, delivering valuable insights.
- Introducing automation with advanced technology such as AI into low-code application development boosts the potential and capability of all the applications built using it. For instance, integrating AI into a solution automates repetitive tasks, enables built-in chatbots, improves the speed and accuracy of processes, and enhances the user experience. Firstly, the anticipated continued prominence on automation and efficiency, with low-code platforms incorporating more advanced automation capabilities to trim the development process further.
Conclusion
Low-code platforms are an excellent solution for businesses looking to develop mobile applications in a simple, fast and efficient manner. As we progress, the low code development era empowers software creation, allowing innovative minds from various backgrounds to participate. These platforms are not just a trend; they are becoming an important part of modern software development.
And if you are looking for some expert product consultation for the development of your digital products, don’t hesitate to reach out to our experts here at Pragmatyc!
FAQs
Low-code development platform simplifies mobile app creation by providing drag-and-drop interfaces and pre-built components, enabling developers to build applications quickly without extensive coding or technical expertise.
Low-code development is not likely to replace coding, but it can be an addition to traditional coding and make software development more efficient.
Yes, low-code platforms help developers build applications that can run on multiple platforms, such as iOS, Android, Windows and Linux from a single codebase.
Large enterprises are constantly looking for ways to speed up their digital transformation and stay ahead of the competition. One of the factors that they consider when selecting or self-building low-code platforms is the ability to accumulate data and experience.
