What should be the frequency of Mobile App Updates?

It is essential to approach right listeners, stick to your organization’s goal and set an achievable target. Updates do have a direct or indirect impact on users. A regular notification may annoy them, while a no notification might make them think that app is inefficient. Find out what works in case of app updates.

Rationality behind App Updates

A two-week sprint is considered apt to release an app for review. Thus, ideally a mobile app ought to be updated in two weeks time.However, what is the need to update an app when the current version is working smoothly?

• With enhanced features, it helps customer focus on your app.
• Development sprints have become a standard now and Mobile App Development Companies iterate quickly to keep up with compeers.
• Customers do not appraise apps with less than nine updates in a single financial year. An above-average rating is must for an app to contend well in market.
• Frequent updating also helps increase user engagement for your app and simultaneously check likes and dislikes of customers.
• Shorter product life cycles contributes to breakage at lesser extent.

Why is App Updates Important?

App updates act as a beneficial marketing tool.

• Regular updates have more chance of reaching out to customers as compared to the ones, which have never been updated
• It helps fix relevant bugs and append features that customers want in the app
• Release notes that come after an app update is an essential platform to interact with customers
• Frequent OS updates by Android and iOS is likely to break the functionality of the app, therefore frequent updating is required
• To keep up with changing customer expectations and dynamic business scenario
• A bug fix or next version upgrades the software one step at a time and also enables it to be in line with external changes

Difference in Version and Bug Fix Update

A major or version update causes the version of the app change from v2.1 to v2.2. A bug fix or minor update causes the version change from v2.1 to v2.1.1. Here, ‘2’ at first place indicates second major release. The ‘1’ at second place indicates third major revision. The ‘1’at third place indicates that it is first revision / bug fix to that minor release.

A subsequent update must focus on a particular bug fix, if that caused any functional error in the application rather than simply adding new features to enhance cosmetic features of the app.

An Incomparable Update Schedule

App updates can be proactive, reactive, major or minor. Most of the apps just include most important or core functionality at the time of initial release while they are updated in subsequent versions, depending upon customer demand and reaction. In such cases, a proactive update is more important than a reactive one.

Major app update also depend upon the usage of the app. E-commerce apps are not required to be updated frequently or weekly as usage is transactional or occasional.

Developers need to follow a maintenance code and update each feature according to customer feedback.

What can be the advantages and disadvantages of releasing an update to an app?

An update to an app will not cost anything from existing users. A simple update also helps to market that app easily with exactly the same link that is available on Play Store.

New customers have to pay the development cost and they are forced to update the app unless they otherwise willingly choose not to do so.

Summary

A mobile app must undergo a complete software development life cycle and testing life cycle in order to remain relevant and successful. Refinements in form of bug fixes and enhanced features must be an essential part of each improved version of the app. Larger mobile app development companies might come up with 3-4 major updates in a month while smaller ones or individuals might come up with 1 quality release in a month.