Smart home applications are one of the most lucrative app ventures of this decade – especially in Dubai because of its tech hub and local residents’ growing interest towards home automation.
If you too are an aspiring appreneur and want to start with the process of smart home app development, here is a quick guide to walk you through different stages.
1. Generating a smart home automation app idea
Google Play and App stores already have several smart home automation applications. But the interest towards smart homes, devices and embedded systems with Internet of Things is growing faster than ever.
To make decent amounts of money with smart home products and services, appreneurs need to capitalize on the gaps. You can launch an app that is more secure in terms of data retention, connects more devices, offers ad-free experience and so on.
Types of smart home apps
There are two major categories of smart home applications:
Single purpose smart home apps
These are used to automate limited features. For example, These apps control one function of the entire house, like lighting, or one device like thermostats and air conditioners. Single purpose smart home apps have a narrow scope and are budget-friendly for appreneurs.
Multipurpose smart home apps
These are used to automate multiple functions simultaneously. These apps control different smart features like sound system, temperature, lighting, humidity, and security. Multi-purpose smart home apps work with different smart devices like alarms, door locks, air conditioners, humidifiers, scent systems etc.
2. Create a development strategy
You need a development strategy as part of your business plan. This is the same document you’ll present to your developer once you begin with the discovery stage of development. In your development strategy, you need to concretely discuss at least these 5 factors:
- Development platform: Android, iOS, crossplatform
- Technology stack: android development frameworks and wireframe tools
- Monetization model: free, premium, freemium, in-app purchases, affiliate marketing
- App development budget: custom
- Preferred development and launching deadlines
To make your document more comprehensive, you can also add factors like type of smart home app and features you want to add. Also, once you have created a development strategy, you can also easily hire the right developer for your needs. There are platforms like Clutch where you can set your requirements as filters and then find hundreds of developers near you.
3. Hire a smart home app developer
Wherever in the world you are, we suggest appreneurs and startups to hire a mobile app developer from Dubai. That’s because their rates are competitive because of the rising tech talent. Secondly, if you are in MENA region, hiring a developer from top 5 mobile app development company in Dubai will help you gain edge in communication and project management.
When you are making a hiring decision, you need to strike the right balance between different factors like cost of app development, timelines of different development milestones, quality of design and development services, portfolio and previous projects, testimonials and social proof, payment structures and so on.
4. Closely monitor the milestones of development
Once you have hired a developer, it’s time to start building your smart home app. We suggest appreneurs working with agencies, only make the first payment after signing a 2-way NDA.
Before you start with technical development, divide your overall process in 7 different stages: discovery, design, front-end development, back-end development, API integration, testing and QA, launching and deployment.
To optimize your app development project for cost and completion, make sure to communicate about different features, editions and fixes. Also, report on the progress and completion of milestones.
5. Test the app and fix the errors
You can start testing the application right when the minimum viable product of your smart home is complete. Test it for sign up and sign in, performance, data security, loading time, viruses, bugs and app crashing.
You can also ask real users in community and social network to test the app for user experience, accuracy of data and correctness of content.
6. Launch the app
Next stage after quality assurance is launching the app on stores for use of real users. Make sure to submit correct information and description during the app store approvals.
