How to Build a Scalable Mobile App:
A Startup Guide
A practical checklist for building a mobile app that grows with your user base.
The market is full of uncertainty. That uncertainty calls for more flexibility, and it is also speeding up changes in how people shop online. For many businesses, moving from eCommerce to mCommerce has become a matter of survival rather than growth. And mCommerce doesn't work without scalability.
Why focus on mobile commerce instead of eCommerce in general? Look at the numbers. Insider Intelligence projected that mCommerce would reach $620.97 billion in 2024, or 42.9% of total eCommerce sales.
Yet many businesses still operate the old way and ignore the mobile-first trend. There is a reason for that: the mobile world requires a shift in priorities, including how mobile apps are architected. Here is how we approach it at HOUSE OF APPS.
Why focus on mobile commerce instead of eCommerce in general? Look at the numbers. Insider Intelligence projected that mCommerce would reach $620.97 billion in 2024, or 42.9% of total eCommerce sales.
Yet many businesses still operate the old way and ignore the mobile-first trend. There is a reason for that: the mobile world requires a shift in priorities, including how mobile apps are architected. Here is how we approach it at HOUSE OF APPS.
The Mobile App Market Today
The mobile app segment keeps growing, and the growth is expected to accelerate:
The mobile app segment keeps growing, and the growth is expected to accelerate:
- In 2021, mobile app downloads reached 230 billion, up from 204 billion in 2019.
- Revenue generated by mobile apps exceeded $400 billion and is expected to reach $613 billion by 2025.
What Is Scalability?
Technically, scalability is an app's ability to perform well as the amount of data it processes keeps growing. As your customer base and download numbers grow, you need to handle more requests and keep shipping new features that support that growth. The key metric is the number of requests your system can process without delays or failures.
There are two approaches. In practice they are rarely used on their own; most systems combine them:
Optimized code and well-designed database queries make both approaches more effective.
Technically, scalability is an app's ability to perform well as the amount of data it processes keeps growing. As your customer base and download numbers grow, you need to handle more requests and keep shipping new features that support that growth. The key metric is the number of requests your system can process without delays or failures.
There are two approaches. In practice they are rarely used on their own; most systems combine them:
- Horizontal scaling: you add more servers and spread the load across them.
- Vertical scaling: you add more power (CPU, memory, storage) to the servers you already have.
Optimized code and well-designed database queries make both approaches more effective.
Scalable Architecture
The right combination of software and hardware should be easy to maintain and update. When building it, prioritize:
The right combination of software and hardware should be easy to maintain and update. When building it, prioritize:
- A customer experience focused on fast, intuitive user actions.
- A back end that can handle any realistic load.
- Cost efficiency: what you spend on the app should stay below the revenue it brings in.
A Checklist for Building a Scalable Digital Product
What to keep in mind when designing and developing a mobile app for a startup.
1. Keep dependencies to a minimum.
A local change in the code should not trigger major changes across the codebase. A new feature shouldn't force you to rewrite the core.
2. Make your code testable.
Testability is a shared responsibility of engineers and QA. Developers should keep their code clear enough for QA specialists to work with it without getting lost.
3. Reuse code.
A solid mobile app relies on proven libraries rather than "breakthrough" approaches. This saves both time and money.
4. Follow iOS and Android guidelines.
Meeting every platform requirement may look like a waste of resources at first. In the long run, following the platform rules saves a lot of them.
5. Scale the front end.
User-friendly interfaces need a reliable connection to server-side databases. Getting this right takes several decisions:
6. Scale the back end.
Your server side should be able to expand as the load grows.
1. Keep dependencies to a minimum.
A local change in the code should not trigger major changes across the codebase. A new feature shouldn't force you to rewrite the core.
2. Make your code testable.
Testability is a shared responsibility of engineers and QA. Developers should keep their code clear enough for QA specialists to work with it without getting lost.
3. Reuse code.
A solid mobile app relies on proven libraries rather than "breakthrough" approaches. This saves both time and money.
4. Follow iOS and Android guidelines.
Meeting every platform requirement may look like a waste of resources at first. In the long run, following the platform rules saves a lot of them.
5. Scale the front end.
User-friendly interfaces need a reliable connection to server-side databases. Getting this right takes several decisions:
- A database (for example, MongoDB, MySQL or PostgreSQL).
- A programming language that lets you write clean code and has a large pool of developers.
- Frameworks with ready-made libraries.
6. Scale the back end.
Your server side should be able to expand as the load grows.
How HOUSE OF APPS Can Help
Finding the right combination can be a challenge. It's hard to account for all these moving parts without solid experience in building digital products.
HOUSE OF APPS can help you decide:
HOUSE OF APPS can help you decide:
- How to process data: centrally on the server or on the client side.
- How to use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to operate globally with proper caching.
- Which APIs will connect your mobile app with other apps and services.
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