Humans still have a deep desire for connection in the modern digital age. Online community apps have become very useful for getting people with similar interests to interact with each other and feel like they belong. A community app development has the potential to change any industry, be it dog lovers, fitness extremists, or local artists.

Whether you have a small passion project or a big dream of connecting millions of people, creating a community app may be transformative. So, where do you start? This thorough guide is the ultimate destination for community app development thrill.

Let’s begin.

What Is Community App Development?

Dev Technosys

Community app development is the process of developing an application that promotes online communities. This app functions as a digital hub where people with shared interests, locations, or goals can connect and interact.

Think of it as forums or a social media app like Reddit, but focused on a specific niche or purpose. It can also serve as a support system, let people share their skills, and provide a safe place for expression.

They can be helpful for neighborhoods to connect, hobbyists to find like-minded people, or professionals to network. It is vital to be well-versed with the cost to develop a mobile app before investing in community app development.

How Does Community App Work?

Dev Technosys

Now you must be wondering, "how can users utilize a community app?" The working mechanism of community platforms is mentioned in the step-by-step form below, which is explained by a social media app development company.

  • User Registration

    To begin, use your email address or phone number to create an account on the community app. Just like registering for any other social media platform, it's quick and simple.

  • Find Your Community

    After logging in, you can peruse various communities according to your area, interests, or pastimes. Everyone can find a community, regardless of their interests—cooking, gaming, or talking about neighborhood happenings.

  • Join or Create Communities

    You only need to tap to join a community once you've found one that draws your interest. You can start your own community and invite people to join if you can't find what you're looking for.

  • Engage with Posts

    You can look at posts that other members have shared in each group. Any kind of text update, picture, video, or link to an interesting story can be part of these posts.

  • Connect with Members

    By following or direct messaging other community members, you can create a connection with them.

  • Stay Informed

    The community engagement app lets users know when new posts, comments, or messages come in from your connections and groups. You can personalize your notification preferences to receive alerts without being overloaded.

Now you are well-versed with the working mechanism of a community app, you can hire dedicated developers to develop a community app.

Why Should Businesses Invest In Community App Development?

Dev Technosys

Building a community around their brand is becoming more and more important to businesses. Community app development solutions are a unique way to do this because they give users a place to talk to each other and get involved. Let’s have a look at the below market stats of the community platform app:

Dev Technosys

  • 25% of social media marketers around the world polled in January 2023 said that Instagram and Facebook were the best social media sites for building busy communities.

  • Next was YouTube, which got 14% of the votes as an excellent way to build an online group.

  • The market for community software is projected to grow at a 13.8% CAGR from 2020 to 2027 and reach $3.2 billion.

  • Forrester Research says that 71% of companies put too much emphasis on making online groups.

  • The world market for content marketing and advertising is expected to reach $460 billion by 2024, growing at a rate of 16% per year starting in 2019.

Step-by-Step Process Of Community App Development

Dev Technosys

Do you want to create a community app for your business? Well, it requires thorough expertise and skill. So, we'll go over the step-by-step process to build a community app. So, let's start right away.

  • Design UI/UX

    The user interface is crucial. Create a user-friendly and visually appealing interface that fosters interaction. Also, you must consider what features you will add to community app development based on your community's needs. With the help of the app developer community, make your app intuitive and facilitate communication and content progress.

  • Start Community App Development

    Choose an app development community strategy. Will you create a community app that operates on both iOS and Android or will it be cross-platform? Think about your technical skills and budget. If you have coding skills, do it yourself. If you need to, then get in touch with an iOS or Android app development company. They ensure your app is secure and scalable to help future growth in your community.

  • Testing and Launch

    Before launch, thoroughly test your app on various devices for functionality, performance, and bug detection. Get feedback from potential users during the testing phase. This helps refine the app and ensure a positive user experience upon launch. If you have launch experience, great; if not, consult a community app development company. They develop a launch strategy to create a buzz around your app.

  • Maintain Your App

    Launching the app is just the beginning. Community app analytics and user input must be monitored to improve. You should regularly update your app with new features, bug fixes, and security patches by availing mobile app maintenance services. Also, you must engage with your community, host events, and implement strategies to keep users active.

Key Features Of Community App Development

Dev Technosys

Features are essential in making your community app successful. So, when you make a community app add vital features that are described below by a business app development company.

  • User Profiles and Accounts

    This lets users make a unique identity in the community by adding their own profile pictures, bios, and hobbies. This makes users feel more connected to the community and lets them meet people who like the same things they do.

  • Content Creation and Sharing

    This is what every group app is built on. When you create a mobile app, it should be simple for users to share text, pictures, videos, and other types of content. This could be anything from live streams to blog posts and forum talks.

  • User-Generated Content Management

    The android app development community users post their own reviews, articles, videos, and other material. UGC can help keep the community interesting and new, and it can also give the community manager useful information.

  • Feed and Forum

    Users who follow certain groups can see the newest posts from those groups and people in a community feed. People can have more in-depth conversations about certain topics on forums.

  • Private Messaging

    With community app development, allow users to connect with each other alone or with a small group. You must add a private chat feature with the help of an iPhone app development company. This may assist people bond and feel like a group.

  • Search and Discovery

    Users can easily find the content and people they're interested in thanks to a powerful search function. The discovery feature of a mobile app development community can help people find new communities and materials they might not have known about before.

  • Push Notifications

    Users can be kept up to date on new content, messages, and events with push notifications. But it's best not to send too many push alerts so as not to annoy people.

  • Gamification

    If you invest in community app development, allow users to interact with the community through gamification. You can add points, badges, and leaderboards that could be part of this app community.

  • Content Moderation

    It's important to have a way to check the content and take down anything that is offensive or doesn't belong. The community building apps help make sure that everyone feels safe and welcome in the neighborhood.

  • Analytics and Reporting

    Analytics can help community managers keep track of how engaged users are and find places where things could be better. You can use this data to make choices about the community based on facts.

Most Popular Community App In the Market

Dev Technosys

Are you looking to build community applications? In that case, you need to be aware of your competitor apps and their USP. Here are some of the best community apps:

Top Community Apps Available Platforms Downloads Ratings
Nextdoor Android | iOS 10M+ 4.5
Mighty Networks Android | iOS 1M+ 4.7
Circle Android | iOS 500K+ 4.7
Slack Android | iOS 10M+ 3.5
Geneva Android | iOS 100K+ 3.5
  • Nextdoor

    The social networking app Nextdoor is meant to help you get to know your neighbors. It's kind of like a hyperlocal social media site for your neighborhood. Users may stay informed about local happenings like community events, news, and announcements.

  • Mighty Networks

    Mighty Networks is a community app which enables users and businesses to build their own branded online communities. It allows members to access these communities on the go. With the help of a community mobile app development service provider, you must build a mighty network like app.

  • Circle

    Circle appears to be a communal app for common interests. It offers a platform for discussion, events, live streams, and even memberships, all within a single app.

  • Slack

    Slack is a popular app used for team communication and collaboration. It's essentially a messaging platform designed specifically for businesses or organizations. With chatbot app development, users can easily chat with customer support and collaborate on documents and files directly within Slack.

  • Geneva

    Geneva is an all-in-one messaging app that lets you have organized, ongoing talks with all the people you care about. Users can join or make a home and set up rooms to talk, post, record, play videos, and broadcast about certain topics.

How Much Does It Cost To Build a Community App?

Dev Technosys

The cost of community app development can be between $10,000-$25,000. It varies a lot based on its features, how complex it is to make, its design, its complexity, and its platform.

The social media app development cost may be low for a simple community app with basic functions like forums, user profiles, and messaging. However, it will cost more, if you want more advanced features like real-time chat, geolocation services and multimedia sharing.

Let’s check the below table showcasing the mobile app maintenance cost based on complexity level:

App Complexity Cost Estimation
Simple Community App $10000-$15000
Medium Community App $15000-$20000
Complex Community App $25000

To get an exact estimate of community app development, you should talk to a mobile app development company and give them specifics and a budget based on those details. Based on your wants and preferences, they can give you a more accurate breakdown.

What Is the Maintenance Cost Of Community App?

Dev Technosys

The mobile app maintenance cost can vary, but it typically falls around 15-20% of the initial community app development cost. This covers fixing bugs, adding updates, and keeping the app running smoothly. It also includes app hosting and feature enhancement.

The final cost depends on factors like app complexity, user base, and needed updates. For example, if your church app development cost is $20000, then you are about to pay around $1000-$5000 annually on its maintenance. So, it is advisable to take consultation with expats before investing in mobile app maintenance.

How Can Dev Technosys Assist You In Community App Development?

Dev Technosys

Dev Technosys, a top mobile application development services provider, can help you build a robust, feature-rich community app. Our skilled developers create simple apps that optimize processes and provide valuable insights through data analytics.

Dev Technosys helps your community app develop, thrive, and be a lively digital area where people are involved and at ease with our productive approach and loyalty to technology.

Our Sneak Peak into the Tech-World!

Get Exciting Updates About Latest Technologies, Development Tips, & Trending Solutions Via Our Blogs

View all blogs
How to Create Order Management Software in 2024

How to Create Order Management Software in 2024

Are you wondering how to boost your business efficiency and customer satisfaction? Well creating robust order management software...

View More Dev Technosys
How To Develop An App Like Wechat?

How To Develop An App Like Wechat?

Want to develop an app like WeChat, your all-in-one app? You have reached the right place. Just imagine a future in which your...

View MoreDev Technosys
Top Soap2Day Alternatives

Top Soap2Day Alternatives

Soap2day was a popular streaming platform for many Online viewers who intended to watch a lot of superb movies at once...

View More Dev Technosys

Harness the Power of Technologies to Drive Business Growth in No Time!

Hire dedicated developers & shape your business journey with our top-rated website & mobile app development services.

CTA
Honour

Awards & Recognition

Locations

Our Offices

Dev Technosys

United States of America

Dev Technosys LLC
5668 e 61st street ste 2000 #360 commerce, california 90040, USA

+1 415-992-5493
Dev Technosys

United Kingdom

60 st martins lane, covent garden wc2n 4js, London

+44 20 8638 7669
Dev Technosys

United Arab Emirates

DIP 1 - C.E.O Building - Office 613
Dubai, 500001

+1 415-992-5493