12 Of The Best Tools For Mobile App Consultants in 2024

The Mobile Application Market was valued at $235 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach over $783 billion by 2032. With the market booming, businesses need expert guidance to develop and launch mobile apps.

Mobile app consultants can help businesses reach their development goals. Consulting services for mobile app development can provide end-to-end consulting services, including market research, cost optimisation, design, security, and compliance, to ensure products meet clients’ business goals.

Market Research Tools

Market research is a crucial first step in the app development process. Understanding user needs, competitor landscape, and market trends allows consultants to guide clients to build relevant, original apps. Here are some top tools for conducting market research:

1. Google Trends. One of the most powerful free tools is Google Trends. You can see search volume and demand for relevant keywords over time. Monitoring trends for terms like “mobile app development” shows you rising and declining interest in app services. You can also filter results by country and see regional differences.
2. SEMrush. For an in-depth look at the competitive landscape, SEMrush is a top choice. It’s a robust paid tool for in-depth keyword research, competitor analysis, and market intelligence. The depth of data provided helps you make the most well-informed decisions about your mobile app consulting projects.

Data-driven market research lays a strategic foundation for mobile app projects.

Cost Optimisation Tools

Cost optimisation is crucial for reducing development and operational costs without compromising quality. These tools provide visibility into expenses and help identify opportunities to reduce spending:

1. Azure Cost Management and Billing. For those working with Microsoft Azure, this tool helps track and optimise your Azure spending. You can create budgets and get cost alerts and recommendations to reduce costs.
2. CostCalc. When estimating and managing project costs, CostCalc emerges as a reliable companion for consultants. Its intuitive interface and comprehensive functionalities make cost management a breeze, enabling consultants to stay on track with their financial targets.

The development and ongoing operations of mobile apps can get expensive fast, so the ability to цestimate, manage, and reduce costs is critical.

Architecture Design Tools

Well-built mobile apps are efficient, scalable, and maintainable. Consultants need tools to model and visualise different architecture options to find the best fit for each project’s needs and constraints. Two of the best tools for architectural design are:

1. Draw.io. This free tool allows you to design and share application architecture with clients or colleagues. It has a simple and intuitive interface and includes shapes, tables, and icons common to various servers, databases, mobile devices, and more.
2. Enterprise Architect. For more complex systems and software modeling, Enterprise Architect is a great option. It has robust features for creating UML diagrams, domain-specific models, and architecture frameworks. You can generate documentation, share models, and perform model analysis and simulation.

Mobile app consultants can harness architecture design tools to lay the groundwork for successful, scalable app development projects.

Security Audit Tools

Mobile apps handle sensitive user data and transactions, making security of utmost importance. According to studies, 70% of web applications have severe security vulnerabilities and mobile apps are no exception. Two of the most powerful open-source tools for testing mobile app security are:

1. OWASP ZAP. The Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) is an open-source tool utilised for identifying vulnerabilities in applications. It’s designed to help consultants automatically find security vulnerabilities during the development phase.
2. Burp Suite. This tool is used for security testing of both web and mobile applications. It lets you thoroughly test the security of your apps by scanning for vulnerabilities like SQL injections, cross-site scripting, and weak passwords.

Mobile app consultants must conduct thorough security audits to identify and fix any potential issues before launching an app.

UX/UI Design Tools

A slick user interface and seamless user experience are necessities for mobile apps today. The UX/UI design can make or break a product’s success and retention rates. Two of the top tools for UX/UI design of mobile apps are:

1. Figma. It’s an excellent collaborative design tool for creating mockups, wireframes, and interactive prototypes for mobile apps. You can get real-time design feedback, leaving you well-equipped to build an exceptional UX.
2. InVision. This design collaboration platform lets you create interactive mockups and prototypes for mobile apps. You can get instant design feedback and approval from clients and team members directly on your mockups and prototypes.

As a consultant, you need access to powerful design tools to mock up prototypes, gather feedback, and build pixel-perfect designs.

Compliance Audit Tools

Compliance audits are essential for mobile app consultants to ensure the apps they build meet all regulatory and industry standards. Failing to audit an app’s compliance can lead to legal issues, security vulnerabilities, and loss of customer trust. Two of the top tools to use are:

1. Qualys Compliance Suite. This suite provides monitoring and auditing of an app’s compliance status. It automatically detects any drift from compliance standards and alerts consultants, so they can promptly take corrective action. The tool covers HIPAA, GDPR, PCI DSS, HITECH, and many other regulations.
2. Vanta. This automated compliance management tool handles auditing and the preparation of audit evidence to save consultants countless hours of work. Vanta can audit for compliance with SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, and HIPAA standards. It provides an easy-to-understand dashboard to track compliance across all of a consultant’s apps in one place.

App consultants have a variety of tools to choose from to streamline the compliance audit process.

Upgrade Your Consultancy Skills

Mobile consultants can deliver tremendous value to their clients by leveraging the top tools during various app development phases. The key is understanding client needs and guiding them with strategic insights. There is potential for mobile consultants to capitalise on this growth in 2024 and beyond.