By: Toby Owen, VP product management, Peer 1 Hosting & Cogeco Data Services
For cutting-edge entrepreneurs and software developers, mobile app development is a swiftly growing industry full of promise and potential. As of June 2015, 1.5 million mobile apps were available for download in the Apple store, with that number expected to reach 269 billion by 2017.
With both seasoned and budding developers creating mobile applications every day, it’s hard to imagine a limit on the rising number of successful mobile apps in the marketplace. But, according to Gartner, just 0.01 percent of consumer mobile apps will be considered a financial success by their developers.
Why is this? In today’s highly competitive mobile market, the margin for error with mobile apps is slim. No matter how advanced a mobile app might be, it could easily become irrelevant if the app has poor security, fails to stay online, loads slowly or its users simply can’t experience the app the way they were meant to.
So, how can businesses ensure that they’re checking all of the necessary boxes in order to see their mobile apps take flight in an already saturated consumer mobile app market?
Prior to starting any project, mobile app developers must determine the right hosting provider to help deliver a successful end product. Here are three key hosting requirements needed to help make that decision.
Reliability
An outage can cause major complications for any company, from a small startup to a global enterprise. Choosing a hosting provider that historically maintains solid levels of uptime is key for deploying a successful mobile app. A highly reliable hosting provider ensures that an app will be easily accessible to end users wherever and whenever they need it. Look for a provider that has a zero downtime guarantee with redundancy and failover options.
Flexibility
With the rapid pace of innovation in mobile hardware and software, businesses need to focus on finding a hosting provider that can meet their individual needs. This means picking a provider that understands the terms of a project and offers services that reflect the natural lifespan of a mobile app. Is this app meant to have an infinite lifespan, or is it for a shorter-lived, specific campaign? Finding a provider that offers flexible, customizable contracts and product options is important to ensure the financial success of that product.
Scalability
Having a service provider that can support an influx of users is essential. If a mobile app’s popularity takes off, new users can skyrocket in mere minutes. An up-and-coming mobile app can’t afford to scare off new users who are frustrated, and ultimately lost, by a dropped or slow service. Identifying a host that can support high levels of network use can often make or break app adoption.
Many mobile apps have the potential to be a huge success, but not all hosting providers are a fit for all mobile apps. It’s important to pick a provider that can customize its benefits to meet specific needs, and offer a variety of services for what a business is trying to achieve. Keeping these factors in mind will help lead businesses to a provider that is the right fit for the next great mobile app.
