How to create a mobile app: The complete guide for businesses

Creating a mobile application is now a strategic lever for companies looking to enhance customer experience, streamline internal processes, or launch an innovative service. This comprehensive guide walks you through every step to transform an idea into a high-performing and profitable app.

📲 Why create a mobile app?

Mobile usage dominates: over 90% of smartphone time is spent on mobile apps. For a business, this presents a unique opportunity to:

• Strengthen its digital presence
• Offer innovative services (delivery, booking, loyalty, etc.)
• Collect valuable user data
• Stand out from the competition with a smooth and personalized experience

A well-designed mobile app can become a powerful growth engine and customer retention tool.

🚀 Key steps to creating a mobile app

1. Define your objectives

Before writing a single line of code, you need to clarify your app’s purpose:

• Who is your target audience (persona)?
• What problem does your app solve?
• What are your success indicators (user count, conversion rate, retention)?

👉 Tip: Draft a simple project brief outlining the main features, priorities, technical constraints, and budget.

2. Choose the right technology

There are three main types of apps:

• Native apps (iOS, Android): high performance, but higher cost
• Hybrid apps (React Native, Flutter): good balance between performance and budget
• Progressive Web Apps (PWA): accessible via browsers, no installation needed, faster to develop

👉 The best option depends on your budget, timeline, and desired user experience.

3. Use an app builder (No-Code or Low-Code)

To save time and reduce costs, you can use no-code platforms like:

• Glide, Thunkable, Adalo (simple, visual tools)
• FlutterFlow, Bravo Studio (advanced, high-performance)
• Bubble (mainly web-based but extendable to mobile with plugins)

These tools let you design interfaces, manage databases, and add complex features (auth, payments, notifications, etc.) without writing code.

👉 For SMEs and startups, this is a great way to launch a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) quickly.

4. Work with experts

Even with no-code tools, working with a mobile development agency helps:

• Validate your technical choices
• Build an optimized UX/UI
• Integrate custom tools (CRM, API, automations…)
• Anticipate scalability and security challenges

👉 For complex projects, expert collaboration ensures app quality and longevity.

5. Test and launch your app

Before publishing:

• Test all features (on multiple devices and operating systems)
• Fix bugs and optimize performance
• Prepare store listing assets (screenshots, descriptions, ASO keywords)

Then, publish your app on:

• Google Play Store
• Apple App Store
• And/or as a PWA on your website

👉 Don’t forget to plan a marketing campaign for launch visibility.

🛠️ Best tools for building a mobile app

Here’s a selection based on your profile:

Tool Type

Main Platforms

Ideal For…

Simple No-Code Tools

  Glide, Adalo, Thunkable

Quick MVPs, internal tools

Advanced No-Code

  FlutterFlow, Bravo Studio

Well-designed, performant apps

Low-Code / Full Code

  Native, Flutter, Swift

Complex, native, scalable projects

No-Code Back-End

Xano, Backendless, Airtable

Logic layer, database, user management

💰 How much does a mobile app cost?

The cost of a mobile app depends on several factors:

App Type

Estimated Budget

Simple no-code app

€500 – €5,000

Custom-developed app

€10,000 – €80,000

Ultra-complex app

€100,000+

Other potential costs include:

• Tool/platform subscriptions
• App store publishing fees
• Ongoing maintenance and updates

👉 For a controlled budget, hybrid or no-code development with agency support is often ideal.

⚙️ Strategic benefits of having a mobile app

Building an app provides tangible advantages:

• 📈 Boost sales with an embedded store
• 🤝 Increase customer loyalty via direct communication
• 📊 Improve data collection and user insights
• ⚡ Automate repetitive tasks
• 🔒 Full control over the user experience

🎯 Examples of real world projects

• Home care service booking app (built with Bubble + FlutterFlow)
• Local artisans marketplace with push notifications and geolocation
• Internal team management tool (Glide + Airtable)

👉 These examples showcase the broad range of use cases for mobile apps.

✅ Conclusion

Creating a mobile application no longer requires a massive budget or months of development. Thanks to modern tools and expert support, you can build a scalable, efficient app tailored to your goals — and do it faster than ever.

📞 Let Scalapp build your android app

Our France-based agency supports you from idea to launch, whether you're a startup, SME, or large company. With our expertise in no-code, low-code, and traditional development, we help you bring your app to life quickly and effectively.

👉 Contact Scalapp to discuss your project and get a personalized quote.