The post 10 Ways to Create an App That Stands Out appeared first on DesignWebKit.
]]>Imagine stepping into a bustling app marketplace, overflowing with a million shiny options. Standing out in that crowd is no easy feat! But fear not, aspiring app creators, because crafting an app that truly shines isn’t just about functionality (though that’s important too!).
Under the hood, it’s all about understanding your application users, their pain points, and offering something they can’t find anywhere else.
This guide dives into 10 secret weapons to help you create an app that meets expectations and leaves a lasting impression on its users.
We’ll start with the most crucial step: getting to know your audience like a best friend.
Think market research, understanding their needs and desires, and figuring out what keeps them up at night (app-related problems, of course!). By tailoring your app to their specific challenges, you’ll create something that resonates deeply and makes them say, “Finally, an app that gets me!”
Skip the frustration, fuel the fun! Make your app feel effortless with intuitive design, simple tasks, and a focus on what users crave. Leveraging design tools like Figma, alongside plugins such as DhiWise’s ‘Figma to code‘ that converts your design in ‘Figma to Flutter’, and ‘Figma to React,’ expedites collaboration between designers and developers. With this integration you can swiftly transform design elements into code, ensuring both visual appeal and functional excellence. Overall, it helps you to enhance user experience while speeding up your app development process, reflecting a commitment to professionalism and precision in app creation.
Define a clear and compelling Unique Value Proposition for your app. Find out what features and services make your app stand out from the other similar apps in the market. Whether it’s a unique feature, a revolutionary approach, or an exclusive service, having a distinct UVP helps in attracting and retaining users. Communicate your UVP clearly in your app’s marketing materials to capture the attention of potential users.
Think of your app’s look as its first handshake. It needs to be memorable, easy to use, and say something about your brand personality. Invest in a design that’s both beautiful and brainy – think eye-catching colors, intuitive layouts, and visuals that work seamlessly with your app’s function. Hiring a professional designer might be worth it here, just like getting that perfect outfit for a big meeting. After all, you want users to fall in love with your app at first sight!
Nobody likes a slowpoke, especially when it comes to apps. In today’s lightning-fast world, users expect your app to run smoothly as silk, no matter their phone or internet connection. So, prioritize performance optimization! Squash any bugs that pop up, test it on different devices, and make sure it zips along like a rocket. Remember, a speedy app keeps users happy and coming back for more. They’ll thank you for saving them precious time.
Staying ahead of the tech curve is like having the coolest gadgets in the playground. So, if augmented reality can make dinosaurs dance in your living room, or AI can whip up a personalized playlist that knows your mood better than your best friend, why not bring some of that magic to your app? Just remember, keep it practical! Fancy tech shouldn’t turn into a confusing maze for users.
Imagine you create an app that feels like it was designed just for you. Recommendations that hit the nail on the head, a layout that reflects your style, and settings that let you tweak things to your heart’s content. That’s the power of personalization! It makes users feel valued, engaged, and even a little bit like they own a piece of the app. So, give them the keys, let them customize, and watch your app become their go-to sidekick.
The best app in the world is still invisible if no one knows it exists. So, crank up the marketing megaphone! Tease your app before launch, get creative on social media, team up with cool influencers, and keep the hype train rolling. Show off your app’s awesome features, highlight the benefits that make it stand out, and make sure your target audience is humming your app’s catchy tune. Remember, good marketing isn’t just about shouting loud, it’s about telling a story that resonates with the right people.
Think of your app like a living, breathing thing. It grows and evolves, and just like any good friend, it needs your listening ear. That’s where user feedback comes in. Read those app store reviews, encourage emails and social media chats – every bit of insight is gold! Use it to fix those tiny glitches, add features users crave, and show them you care about their experience. This feedback loop builds trust, makes them feel heard, and keeps your app growing in the right direction.
Remember that amazing feeling of belonging to a club? Create that same vibe around your app! Foster a community where users can share tips, celebrate wins, and even vent about tricky bits. Social media groups, forums, maybe even the occasional online hangout – these spaces make your app more than just software, they make it a shared experience. And guess what? Happy, connected users become your biggest fans, spreading the word organically and making your app truly shine.
In a world overflowing with apps, standing out takes more than just cool features. It’s about understanding your audience, making their experience top-notch, and building a community that feels like family. Embrace user feedback, prioritize their needs, and keep innovating – that’s the recipe of how to create an app that not only stands out, but thrives. Remember, your users are your partners in success, so keep them close, keep them happy, and watch your app reach for the stars!
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]]>The post Why Developing Automotive Software Is a Bit Different appeared first on DesignWebKit.
]]>Look at almost any car produced later than 2015, and you’ll see some kind of infotainment system with a touch screen. And such displays have been around even a decade earlier than that, it’s just that they were mostly put into higher-end cars. All of such systems are based on some kind of software that connects the car and its hardware with the screen, to provide drivers with tons of useful information and functions. Yet, this is only the most basic example of automotive programs, as there’s a much more important side to it that is usually overlooked by drivers. The reality is, there’s the software inside every car that was built in the last few decades. The chips control the fuel injection, the ignition timings, and so on. As cars have been becoming more and more advanced, the number of computer-controlled aspects inside the cars have been rising rapidly.
And that’s why automotive software development is a completely different world of programming. But let’s elaborate further on this.
First of all, let’s point out the most obvious differences between a car and a smartphone software-wise. A car is a huge 1-3 ton machine that is used for transportation. Therefore, even a slight miscalculation or other issues can lead to dramatic incidents, including heavy injuries and even many deaths. This can’t happen with a phone or PC, though. In the worst-case scenario, they can burn or explode. Of course, it is dangerous, but not even nearly as dangerous as a car in an unstable condition.
That means, everything inside the car needs to be flawless, including the ECU (electronic control unit) and software inside it. And the more an automobile is dependent on electronics, the more testing automotive software development companies need to make. What’s more important is that cars have very high safety requirements, and the number of tests that are required is insane. A phone only needs to be tested to discover how well it performs. But a car manufacturer needs to model every possible situation on the road, as there are dozens of factors that can become the cause of an accident:
And these are only the most well-known ones. A company developing automotive software needs to model and predict every single of those and ensure that their program works as intended and won’t let the driver down.
So, as you could probably guess, all that security requires a lot more work than creating a simple mobile app. And it’s only the first factor that impacts the complexity of programs. Because an automobile, in general, is much more complex than any other platform for software. There’s much more hardware, and the required precision of its operations is very high. For example, if the computer lets too much fuel into the cylinders during high RPM (revolutions per minute), it can lead to an explosion.
In the most modern cars, computers are responsible for most of the functions. These can be as simple as climate control and windshield wipers, and as complex as driving mode (normal, sport, snow, offroad, etc). What do these modes change? Well, everything. The amount of fuel injected the stiffness of the suspension, the road clearance, the steering, the pressure inside the turbine, and so on. Every single piece of machinery in a car depends on electronics nowadays. All of it requires software to work as intended. So, that only increases the number of tests, in addition to those required by security regulations.
Here’s another huge aspect of this industry. As we know, manufacturers release automobile models every 4-7 years. Why so? Because of the testing we mentioned earlier, partially. But the biggest role is played by the business factor. Manufacturing cars requires billions of dollars, thus leaving no room for mistakes. A company needs to predict everything for the next 5-10 years to be able to release a product that will be successful on the market and that will pay for itself in the long term. This is one of the reasons why the infotainment systems look so outdated and clunky, even inside the most advanced models.
Now you may ask: but why don’t these companies just not update the programs inside the car? Because it requires 3-5 years to ensure that every single bit of code works flawlessly with the hardware. Even the slightest change would require all the testing again and would need some pieces of hardware to be changed/adjusted/replaced. So, the development process is quite different too. Of course, it’s still based on the same core principle of “analyze, plan, design, develop, test, repeat”, but it also involves all the specifics of the industry.
The creators of such programs and computers need to make a product that will be put into automobiles for the next 5-7 or even more years, depending on the success of a particular model. They need to make sure that it is not only perfect security-wise, but that all the functions work as intended. This includes such circumstances as cold weather (up to -30℃ in some regions), hot weather (cars can heat up to 50℃ under the sun), constant humidity, and so on. Such things are kind of obvious and usually overlooked.
However, even the tiniest change in the flow of electrons can be a reason for a malfunction or an accident. Such things also impact the quality of the whole product and the comfort of drivers since today, no customer will ever buy a car that won’t work in particular conditions. It’s a machine that needs to operate without any flaws in any condition.
The automotive industry combines many technological advancements from other spheres to ensure that the released products bring the most comfort and satisfaction to drivers. It has a lot of its own specifics too, most of which have been evolving constantly for the last 100 years. So, no matter whether you’re a car enthusiast or a developer that wants to work in this area, we hope that this article helped you to understand the differences in developing automotive software from the ordinary one.
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]]>The post ASO Mistakes You Need To Avoid In 2021 appeared first on DesignWebKit.
]]>It’s easy to overlook the impact that App Store Optimization can have on your app or game. Between internet marketing campaigns, social media, and good old-fashioned word of mouth, do you really need to optimize your app for the app store? The answer is a resounding yes. ASO works with your other marketing efforts to generate organic downloads and helps keep your conversion rate high. Without ASO, a prospective user might see an ad, become interested in your app, and then get distracted before downloading it. With ASO, you’ll increase the chance that users see your app on the Browse or Explore section later, earning you a download.
ASO and SEO use many of the same techniques. Despite this, they’re quite different, and it pays to think about them separately. There are a number of ASO tools that you can use to boost your rank in the app store that won’t work in SEO and vice versa. Things like paid advertisements, improving your visuals and changing where you have what keyword can make a huge impact on your app store rank. These same techniques do very little for SEO.
Both Google and Apple use a number of metrics to determine your app’s visibility on the app store. Some of the most important metrics have to do with how good your app is at keeping your users satisfied. User engagement, user retention, and even the speed at which your app downloads can have massive impacts on how visible your app is in the store. Bad reviews and bug reports can tank your ASO, while good reviews and great retention will encourage the store to show your app to prospective new users.
The best apps are the kings of small kingdoms. When you’re starting out, it’s important to define exactly what your app is, who it’s for, and who you’re competing against. This lets you figure out what your users want, making it easy to deliver an outstanding product or experience. Don’t forget to scout out the competition: check out their listings regularly, study any changes they make, and adjust your own ASO strategies to compensate.
You might need an app to have an app store listing, but you do NOT need an app to do keyword research, to research your niche, to start A/B testing on prospective customers, or to assemble the graphics that your store page will use. Getting all of this done before you launch lets you hit the ground running. Ideally, you’ll know exactly what your app store page will look like well before your app is ready to release.
Even if you’ve researched a great set of keywords you still have to put them in the right place. In the Apple App Store, there’s not a lot of room for keywords. With only 30 characters in your app name, 30 characters in your subtitle, and 100 characters in your keywords field, you’re essentially limited to extra-important keywords. It’s tempting to try to cram as many as you can into these fields, but be careful – readability is often more important than getting in a few extra search terms.
On Google Play, by contrast, you have a 4,000 character description that you can use to insert all of your long-tail keywords. Adding an important keyword or two to the title field is still a must, however, as the description field isn’t weighted very highly by the algorithm.
SEO is almost entirely about words, but ASO is often about pictures. Having strong visuals for your icon, screenshots, and videos on the app store can massively boost your conversion rate. This has an exponential effect on your ASO strategy: the more users download your app, the more the app store will want to show it to new users, and the strong visuals will in turn make these new users more likely to download.
Just because something sounds great to you and your team doesn’t mean that your target audience likes it. Be sure to regularly test your visuals, copy, and videos to make sure that your app store listing is as effective as it can be. A/B testing involves running two different sets of listings, each with different versions of one or more elements. By comparing metrics, you can choose the version that performs better and draw conclusions about how you can adjust things in the future.
On Android, the Google Play Console has a built-in platform for performing A/B testing, called Experiments. On the Apple App Store, however, you’ll need to use ASO tools to perform proper A/B testing.
Trying to do everything involved in ASO by yourself is simply impossible. Neither Google nor Android shows you all of the useful metrics by default, so you’ll be in the dark when it comes to your app’s true performance. Not only do ASO tools like TheTool put all of your KPIs, ratings, reviews, and other metrics at your fingertips, they also let you snoop on your competitors, research keywords, and more. Used properly, ASO tools can massively multiply the effectiveness of your ASO strategies by giving you the information and leverage you need to find the right strategy, fast.
If you’d like your app or mobile game to take off this year, don’t forget to think about ASO! Optimizing your app to show up in the app store’s search, browse, and explore sections will give you a steady stream of organic new users. By delivering a quality app that lives up to your app store description, you’ll retain those users, generate word-of-mouth advertising, and let your platform know that your app is great. This can quickly lead to a feedback cycle of exponential growth, where great reviews and great retention by existing users lead to the app store showing your app to more and more prospective users. Using the best ASO tools to track your metrics and improve your strategies is a must for any developer that wants to harness this exponential growth.
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]]>The post Essential Design Guidelines for Building iOS Mobile Apps appeared first on DesignWebKit.
]]>Are you considering making an application for your business? If yes, there is an immense need for you to know about the ecosystem, programming languages, toolsets, and efforts involved. An application is just a piece of computer software that seamlessly runs on smartphones. Application for IOS devices is made with a MAC application that is known as X code. And, it is programmed in either Swift or Objective-C. A plethora of applications is directly connected to the internet means they tend to have a back-end that allows storing the data in either cloud or functionality app. However, the development of an IOS application is vaguely challenging. It brings many amendments that have to be integrated with the application to get approved.
The resolution and display specifications of building IOS mobile apps vary from device to device. The designing of the IOS application is done in points (entities with multiple pixels). These points are resolution-independent measurements (the smallest physical elements that can be easily controlled by the developers). A single point for a retina display contains 2 into 2 pixels.
The new icons for building IOS mobile apps have a superellipse shape. There is no official template of the shape, so app developers have to use unofficial templates. For versions that are older than IOS 7, developers used to add effects like rounded edges, drop shadows, and gloss effects. However, with Apple’s new versions, developers align the size and elements accordingly.
Whether you are designing a small component or an existing part of an application, you need to design it, code it, and then push it live.
If you are an iPhone app developer, you must know that Swift or Objective-C are used for building IOS mobile apps. In comparison to other languages, Swift is a new language that’s hitting the App Store. The popularity and features of this language are highly acclaimed by beginners and advanced programmers. Also, it is interchangeable with Objective-C. That is one of the many reasons why app programmers are opting for Swift. They don’t have to rewrite the entire codebase to be compatible with the new language. People with an intermediate level-proficiency do not need enough time to pick up Objective C or Swift. Especially the people who have worked with similar languages like Java, PHP, or Ruby.
To tackle objective C is a bit harder because it tends to use a unique syntax. Swift is a better and easy-to-use option for many beginners as well as advanced programmers. It removes the overhead from the development process, making it easier for beginners to develop the application. Whereas objective C is still a standard choice for many all over the world. However, as an IOS developer, you’ll consider the coding of Swift in comparison to Objective C.
Did you ever make a mockup but could not get a feel for how the application would look? Well, by working with a ‘creative tacos IOS PSD ‘developers can have an amazing idea about the functionality of an application. In this PSD, there is a compilation of all the IOS components that are impeccable for building IOS mobile apps.
Before an application gets published in the Appstore, there is an immense need for programmers to upload it with iTunes connect. Enter the primary information of an application such as description categories, and what icon to use. Your application then enters a review process that is an indispensable requirement of the App store. A reviewer from the management of Apple checks whether your application adheres to the review guidelines or it has bugs. It’s a quality check process that makes sure only well-functional applications enter the APPSTORE. The reviewing process completes in one to two weeks.
Below a shadow of any doubt, building IOS mobile apps involves a multitude of components. And when you are new to this realm, it can be a challenging task to get acquainted with all the tools and processes. Fear not, there are millions of tutorials on the internet that can help you accomplish your goals in no time.
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]]>The post 6 Mobile Design Principles You Should Know appeared first on DesignWebKit.
]]>To engage users, provide the information they need directly on the first page and accompany it with clear enough calls to action. Indicate your main advantage. Place the text in a prominent place. This will generate strong interest from users.
It is difficult for users to navigate through the menu sections when it does not coincide with the accepted principles of categorization. Menu sections should have a clear marking. Their contents should not even overlap. This is especially important as people often only access menus after finding the information they need using the search tool.
While interacting with the mobile application, the user may need to go back a step. Thus, the “Back” button should be on every page so that a person does not have to start all over again, going to the main page and losing all the information entered. Fine-grained navigation controls always help conversions. The screenshot below shows that the “Back” button is available only at the first stage of working with the application:
Auto location always saves time. However, sometimes it is necessary, for example, to find a store that is located in another city. In this case, the person will need to select the location manually. Make sure to make this option convenient and easy to use. The app shown in the screenshot on the left cannot manually change the location, while the app on the right does.
The user can be very easily confused if the application suddenly “throws” him into the web browser. The truth is even worse when the layout and design of the elements on the website and in the application are very different from each other. It can be off-putting. Problems can also arise if the transition takes a very long time. Therefore, if a transition from an application to a web browser is necessary to solve user problems, make sure that the arrangement and design of the elements on the page are similar and so that this happens as quickly as possible.
This refers to our ability to “recognize” familiar events or pieces of information, like in a dating app template. At the same time, remembering results in a greater “cognitive load” that involves extracting related details from memory. By showing users things they can recognize, you increase usability over having to remember items from scratch.
For example, using icons in an interface is powerful because it instantly recognizes a character. If a standard warning sign icon is displayed in a dialog box, it immediately prompts the user to pay attention. The next action can be destructive. But if the icon should make users remember and decipher its meaning – for example, raising a hand instead of a warning icon – this reduces efficiency and usability.
UX also has the concept of value vs. pain. It’s about how much investment the user is willing to invest in finding out where the icon is leading. Most people do not want to learn and memorize what an icon means in one application if many different applications are used every day—the best mobile design principles for icons. Always label them with text. Labeled icons ensure that meaning is conveyed quickly and easily and that they are consistently understood. The most popular apps of big brands do it.
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]]>The post Flutter Web Development vs React Native – Which One Is Better? appeared first on DesignWebKit.
]]>Flutter is the open-source, cross-platform software development kit created by Google for mobile, desktop, and web apps. Starting from 2017, this framework has achieved a lot and become one of the most demanded in the web market. Every day it continues growing and improving to provide better decisions for app development.
The main difference between Flutter from other sources is Dart, a new impressive programming language created by Google. It’s simple to use due to its structure and flexibility for fast web development. Moreover, its codebase is a perfect decision for almost any operating system (Android and iOs, Windows, Mac, etc.). And the last predominant benefit is the variety of useful widgets that are the core of any app created by Flutter. Google Ads is the top example of using Flutter web development.
The React Native framework lets you develop mobile applications for iOS and Android using just one programming language – JavaScript, as well as use a significant part of the common code in these two applications. It has been present on the market since 2015, therefore has a bigger audience.
RN is considered to be a straightforward tool for web developers as there is no need to learn something new. This framework uses all standard libraries and presents helpful tutorials. Facebook and Facebook Ads are the top examples of using React Native development.
Now you have a grasp of both platforms. Therefore we can proceed to some details and figure out their differences and strengths to help you choose the best option.
As we’ve mentioned before, Flutter uses Dart programming language, while React Native works with Javascript. It won’t be a problem for those who have coding skills to use both of them as Dart is quite simple and React Native has familiar programming rules. But if you’re new in web development, it’s better to start from Flutter due to its ease of use. Moreover, from a technical perspective, apps built on Flutter run more smoothly and fast as its code doesn’t have bridges as JavaScript does.
Setting up any of these frameworks isn’t as easy as desired. Almost everyone can install React Native with the help of Node Package Manager and such necessary tools as the Android SDK and JDK. To install Flutter, you need to download the binary. Then you should manually add it as a PATH variable and download it from the source code. It sounds pretty consuming, isn’t it? Therefore, React Native is a winner in the installation process battle as it’s easier to set up if you already have Node.js and npm installed.
Considering getting started on a platform, it’s evident that Flutter has more advantages over React Native, which misses all the basic essential information and provides tips only on creating a particular project. So, RN’s guide is designed for those who already have some experience in framework downloading and setting up. Meanwhile, Flutter’s documentation and support presenting a detailed explanation of working with an operating system can help everyone achieve an aim(the Flutter Doctor tool assists you during the whole process).
Considering some graphical components, Flutter surpasses React Native due to one aspect – it has a vast number of widgets with the help of which you can create a unique user interface. Moreover, apart from buttons, texts, and cards, animations, options, touch interactions are also widgets that describe how they will look depending on configuration and state. When the state of the widget changes (for example, the user clicks a button), it rebuilds its description, and its appearance changes.
RN, in turn, provides a platform for building an application, but you need to use third-party libraries or add the necessary parts manually to the code. Still, if we count native and one-of-a-kind graphical components, React Native wouldn’t catch Flutter anyway. Moreover, Flutter app development ensures security and reliability, while libraries used in RN can hide dangerous bugs or UI incompatibilities.
You won’t find a 100% correct answer to which platform performs better, but considering how the code is rendered on the screens of compared frameworks, Flutter will come first. Why have we made such a decision? Flutter uses the GPU and creates its own widgets. In contrast, RN uses native components of other platforms, and its code includes Javascript bridges that make rendering slower.
Both frameworks impress by their special features for fast speed of development:
However, we should warn you about possible issues when you upgrade your React Native app version. It often leads to broken libraries, so that developers need to fix them manually. Also, there may be problems with security because anyone can access JavaScript code.
React Native has gained the trust of big companies like Bloomberg, Airbnb, Instagram, etc. Meanwhile, Flutter is considered young but a strong competitor. Its community is expanding steadily, and it will become a #1 platform without a doubt. Nowadays, companies such as Amazon, Alibaba, Toyota, and more already use it and are pleased with its functionality.
React Native deserves respect as it has helped lots of companies to tell the world about their offers and ensured their successful online presence. Undoubtedly, it’ll remain at the leading positions in the market, but new technologies are emerging, and there is no getting around it. Another favorite in app development is Flutter. Its rapid growth and how it adapts to today’s technology world is astounding. So which one to choose?
We’ve tried to consider some essential features and hope this research will help you decide on the platform that matches your expectations best.
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]]>The post How to Develop an Application to Help Your Business appeared first on DesignWebKit.
]]>Whether you’re considering building an app from scratch or hiring a tech agency like December Labs, understanding app development basics is crucial to help you transition your business. Read on to learn everything on developing an application that can catapult the success of your business.
Mobile applications are software programs that you can download on a mobile device. These programs can range from basic calculator apps to sophisticated mobile games. In today’s world, where everyone relies heavily on their phones, you can bet there is an app you can download for whatever solution you are looking for. Whether you’re tracking the calories you eat or looking for the best deals for your next vacation, you can find an app for it in the app store.
With the dynamic evolution of mobile apps, consider implementing IoT software development to increase user engagement and open up a new world of experiences, aligning your business with the changing needs of today’s consumers. It’s important to note that mobile applications are different from web applications in many ways. While mobile apps are installed on your phones, web applications are simply websites you access over the internet using a web browser. In most cases, mobile apps are more accessible for users, especially when they have offline capabilities.
Entrepreneurs who want to thrive in an environment with constantly evolving consumers need to bring their business where the tide is. In this case, it’s the mobile world. Creating an application for your business, whether for your customers or within the organization, is a crucial decision for your company. As a business owner, you’ll invest time, money, and other precious resources to design an app that adds value to its user base. Despite all costs, if you manage to play your cards right, you’ll be able to reap the benefits of it and return your investment in no time.
Here are some of the benefits of having a mobile app:
Having mobile applications for your business can increase engagement with your customers. One way to do that is by leveraging push notifications. Push notifications feature mobile apps that notify users about certain things, like checking out items, sending updates about new products, etc. Mobile apps also foster a better environment for your user to interact with your business, especially when the interface is easy to navigate. Laying out all the information about your products and services creates a better user experience.
Typically, users want to have all the information they need right at their fingertips. Ensure that your mobile app is easy enough for them to navigate, so they’ll choose to stay in your app and check out your products and services.
Unlike websites, mobile applications are usually straightforward in terms of UI and UX. In fact, one benefit to having a mobile app is it helps users experience smoother payment processing. In-app payments improve the customer experience, which can impact your sales.
You can also monetize your app via app advertising, in-app purchases, offering freemiums, or creating a paid app. Don’t be afraid to use these strategies to earn from your app. After all, many users won’t hesitate to pay for a service that adds value to their experience.
Converting leads into consumers who buy your product is great, but turning them into loyal customers is another thing. Believe it or not, having a mobile app can encourage your new customer to become loyal to your brand. You do this by creating an engaging mobile app that builds your brand authority.
Better accessibility to your products and services means more frequent visits from your users. You can also continue to keep them using the app by offering rewards to your users. As a rule of thumb, always remember that users will be more inclined to avail of your services if you are consistently adding value to them.
Before you jump right into development, you need to understand these basics first.
If you ask yourself how to develop an application, there are several platforms you can choose from, but two main platforms monopolize the current market: Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android. You can certainly choose both—in fact. It’s best to create an app on both platforms to obtain a wider reach. However, you need to understand that each has its own behavior.
Apple’s iOS operates on a closed ecosystem, which means developers can only use Apple’s features. When you create an app for their App Store, you can only use their own products. This translates into more expensive development, depending on your developer. On the flip side, Android developers work on an open-source ecosystem. This means anyone with the skills to program Android apps can develop for devices running on the Android operating system.
Another important consideration is the features you’ll include in your app. Creating an app that stands out among your competitors calls for unique features, but there are basic features you need to incorporate first to attract users.
Just because the idea of creating an app is exciting doesn’t mean you have to add all the features you can think of. In fact, the simpler your app appears, the more it appeals to users. Stick to your core services. People install apps on their phones simply because they’re trying to solve a problem they currently have. This is the main reason why you won’t find a jack-of-all-trades app.
Adding unique features can enhance your user’s experience only when they add value to the app and improve your consumers’ experience using your app. Unnecessary features only clutter your app and can even motivate users to uninstall your application. As a rule of thumb, keep everything simple and stick to your core services.
Load speed is a make or breaks for mobile applications. No user is going to wait more than eight seconds for an app to startup. They’ll leave unsatisfied and eventually delete the app from their phone. There are some reasons why apps run slow. One of the main reasons is how optimized the application is. In developing an app, make sure that you’re using fast servers and current technology.
As mentioned earlier, push notifications are reminders that users receive on their mobile phones. Businesses utilize this feature to interact with their customers and encourage them to keep using the app and eventually buy their products and services.
One good example of utilizing push notifications is reminding customers about their checkout cart—notifications like this alert users to decide to buy or ignore the reminder.
Facing technical challenges along the way is normal for those who previously asked themselves how to develop an application. Obtaining feedback from your users is an effective way to identify and solve those problems.
At the same time, feedback also lets you know what your users are looking for in an application. This can help you make more improvements later on. Doing it this way allows your users to know you are listening to their concerns and are doing your best to provide the best service.
How much does it cost to make an app? Production cost is another important consideration a company should make and after choosing how to develop an application.
Typically, there are four options for companies to choose from:
Creating an app from scratch can save you thousands of dollars but could take months to finish, even if you have a programming background.
Working with a freelance developer is one of the cheapest options. If you’ll take this route, be thorough with your screening as some applicants may be unable to deliver your desired results. Make sure you prepare all the necessary paperwork to ensure both you and the freelancer.
f you are prepared to go big, choose development agencies providing Application development services, they can turn your idea into a seamless application.
If you’re really committed to transitioning your company into the digital world, this is a great option for you.
At this point, you might already be convinced that mobile apps can take your business to the next level. That being said, here’s a step-by-step guide to help you in your journey:
After you have checked how to develop an application and before you try it yourself, it’s crucial to create a plan and identify your app’s purpose first. Consider answering these questions:
As you plan, remember to create a framework of how your app should look, identify features you want to include, and how much you’re willing to spend.
During the development stage, consider whether you’ll be building the app on your own or hiring the help of a contractor or agency. This is also the time when you’ll be setting milestones to track how the development is going. Setting milestones enable you to see if the development phase is on time or not.
The third and most important part of app development is marketing. In fact, this is where most applications fail half the time. However great your idea for an app is, nobody’s going to download it without proper marketing. Develop a strategy to market your application using social media, blogs, websites, and SEO.
While developers work on your app, use this time to learn how to utilize social media to market your application. Social media is a great tool to reach a broader audience and build excitement over your application. Make sure to use social media platforms where your target audience is. You can also work with blog sites and influencers so that you get to know the answer to how to develop an application and how to promote it.
Make search engine optimization (SEO) your long-term strategy. Optimizing your website can drive more users to learn more about your application. This can help yield more attention and eventually drive more users into downloading.
The only way to determine your app’s success is by setting relevant key performance indicators (KPIs). Tracking your app’s KPIs allows you to gain insight into how well your app performs in terms of downloads, uninstallations, and usage. KPIs also allow you to see which features users utilize more than others. This is also the part where you obtain valuable feedback from your users. Users are often more than willing to give their honest review of your application, but don’t be intimidated—accept their feedback, both critical or complimentary. Asking users for their feedback will help them see how much you value their business and, in turn, encourage them to become loyal customers.
After gathering all the data, this is the time to implement changes to improve your app’s user experience. No app is perfect, so you must be willing to make certain changes to improve the way you conduct your business online.
If you have ever wondered how to develop an application, you’ve developed an app for your business that is certainly worth it in today’s evolving economic scene. Mobile applications allow you to compete in the market and can take your business to the next level. To do that, you need to create a foolproof plan for designing, deploying, marketing, and tracking your application.
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]]>To stay on top and ensure that your app is famous, here is a list of trends you should think about implementing in your app.
Artificial intelligence is already a widely known phenomenon, being implemented as a tool by many companies. Artificial intelligence or AI is a software tool that performs the tasks of a human, to the best of its abilities. It is used for basic tasks like voice recognition, visual perception, and language translation. AI can analyze human behavior and then make research-based decisions. It tries to mimic biological intelligence to allow the software to act upon those degrees and diminish human intervention. There are three main types of AI, narrow or weak AI, strong or general AI, and artificial superintelligence. Until 2020, developers have only mastered the usage of narrow AI.
Machine learning is an AI application that enables systems to learn user behavior and improve user experience accordingly. There are four methods of machine learning algorithms, supervised machine learning algorithms, unsupervised machine learning algorithm, semi-supervised machine learning algorithm, and reinforcement machine learning algorithms.
Internet of Things or IoT is a network of computing devices that communicate with one another. It connects digital machines in a particular surrounding using the internet as the glue. IoT apps allow devices to exchange information without minimum human intervention. IoT software and devices pose as a wide market for businesses in 2020, because of smartphones. In the near future, IoT may enable devices will be controlled via smartphones, more efficiently and widely.
Cloud technology is a trend that is rapidly picking up pace in software development. It began as a hosting service, but now they use them for software development by companies. In 2020, the cloud will be a preferred platform because it provides mass data storage, high security, and easy access to data.
However, cloud technology hasn’t penetrated into mobile app development, and 2020 is the year to do that for your business! Cloud apps will run on the cloud, which means they won’t take up the internal storage of smartphones, which is a user-centric benefit. Cloud-based apps also benefit the developers because they’re quick to build and deploy. Cloud apps are the future of mobile apps that are a time-saving and cost-effective solution.
The new decade will be a turning point for on-demand apps as they become more ‘in demand’ by businesses. On-demand apps are software programs that allow users to fulfill a specific need instantly. To be precise, they meet consumer demands as quickly as possible. On-demand apps have various categories, like taxi apps, food delivery apps, retail apps, beauty care apps, etc. Most organizations are focused on developing the best on-demand apps to offer their customers a quick medium to fulfill their needs.
Cross-platform apps are software that can run across multiple operating systems. The platform allows developers to use a single codebase for building apps on multiple OS platforms. Cross-platform apps have proven to be a highly efficient, cost-effective, and time-saving solution for building mobile apps in recent years. Businesses build cross-platform apps to reach multiple smartphone users and target a large audience to get maximum downloads. They’re the fastest solution for a high ROI (return on investment).
Instant apps are advanced software that is available to Android users (as of yet). Google started them, which allows users to experience an app before they download it. An instant app offers all the features of a native app that the user can experience, without using any internal phone storage. The instant apps act as a medium to attract and convince users to download them.
5G wireless service is an up and coming trend that has been in the development process for quite some time. It’s a top tech trend that will primarily affect the mobile app or software market in the year 2020. The speed of the 5G network can be 100 times faster than 4G. The 5G network will grab a huge chunk of smartphone users by the end of 2020. Companies will implement tech trends like 3D gaming, AR/VR, and IoT that will be assisted by the 5G network. The worldwide 4G to 5G market report 2019-2025, revealed that by the year 2023, 70% of mobile carrier companies would switch to 5G.
A chatbot is a digital product that can initiate and carry out human-like conversations via texts and audio-based conversation. In 2020, chatbots will get integration with AI to identify user behavior and simulate a more meaningful dialogue with the user.
The year 2020 is another milestone year for software and mobile app market. These development trends will help you stay ahead of your competitors; however, there is a chance that the trends will keep growing. Hire a great developer who can stay on top of these trends to deliver the best mobile app for your business!
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]]>The post App Development Cost – Top 4 Reasons Why Your Project Will Go Over Budget appeared first on DesignWebKit.
]]>A cross-industry study conducted by McKinsey and the Centre for Major Programme Management at the University of Oxford found that the average overspend on IT projects clocked in at 45% of the starting budget. For each, the exact reasons why this occurs varies from company to company. A common reason that sets the ball rolling down the overspend hill is in the initial discovery. This phase of the project is about the research and determining what function an app will fulfill. If not done properly or poorly an overspend is likely to occur.
Typically this is where the needs of the app are important and a plan emerges on how best to achieve this. This phase is crucial when a company is looking to outsource app development, as the developers will need a clear frame of reference to work with. If the discovery and subsequent research do not take into account accurate app development and feature set costing the project may be doomed from the start. An app that serves one purpose can drastically change by the inclusion of added features or another target market. Such considerations are necessary as early as possible.
A user story can be summed up as what the user would expect to get out of a particular app. This implies that the company should have extensive knowledge of the target market it is looking to provide the app for. User stories, in turn, create an expectation of the company for the developer to fulfill. If these parameters are accurate, the developer can accurately quote how much it would cost to meet the expectation.
Problems occur when the user stories subsequent to change may make some paid for work redundant and increase the overall cost of the project. This is due to developers struggling to meet the needs of the app as they are prone to change.
App features and needs are prone to change, this is a reality. Often outsourced developers will include changes and revisions within a quote that occur once development has begun. However, it is often the case that companies want new features added that will often exceed the developer’s scope creep threshold. This extra cost will go to the commissioning company. Companies need to be mindful of this even before development occurs. This will help keep the project focussed on the needs rather than the wants which start becoming exceedingly expensive.
For the above points, one can avoid many of these pitfalls by remaining focused on the actual needs of the app. The more features that need to be added to the app the more expensive the project is likely to become. From this standpoint, the list of features should be reduced to meet the exact needs of the user. Much of this should be clearly defined before a developer even thinks about coding a module. For companies outsourcing the app design and implementation, these early stages are completely under their control and during this period it must be a point of order to make sure budget overspends are avoided as much as possible and the app development cost is optimized.
When faced with a decision between iOS or Android companies will want both. They need their app to hit the widest possible market. This in itself is the right approach unless the target market is specifically the users of one platform over the other. Where companies make the mistake is they want multiple platforms developed simultaneously.
In theory, this should reduce development time but in reality, quite the opposite is true. When developing simultaneously the developer road map needs to alter when problems in one platform occur. This is likely to occur multiple times per platform, running the risk of significant delays in bringing the app to the market. Rather, it is better to have a completed app for one platform first then move onto another development cycle. By doing this the developers have a successful road map to work from that will require less time to modify.
By having a successful road map one can avoid problems in the first development cycle. As well as providing potential solutions encountered while developing the app for a different platform. Often business leaders will see the increased cost this may entail and be hesitant to take this approach. However, in the long term, this method has been proven to save money rather than waste it.
Company CFOs will know that even if they had the funds dedicating billions of dollars to R&D projects is not feasible due to the risks involved. Budgets are typically well-considered things. However, particularly within the IT industry costs can balloon due to preventable circumstances. Life will always through unpredictable events that result in projects going over budget when this is together with preventable overspending the doors to the company, may not be open for long. The above list is by far not a complete list on how to avoid going over budget. It may help in creating realistic expectations for mobile app development cost, that help prevent the budget from being taken out back and shot.
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]]>If you are weighing your options and contemplating either of these frameworks for your next project then this blog will help you to arrive at a firm decision. Apart from the distinctions and similarities we’ve also covered the pros and cons of each of these platforms.
For those who aren’t still aware of the background of the Angular Javascript framework then let us reveal it’s written using TypeScript. The script was originally developed by Google, and the overall maintenance was also carried out by the search-engine giant.
The Angular community has set an example by defining its library that beautifully resonates as the superheroic JavaScript MVC Framework. All of the versions of Angular from version 2 and above, which were released after September in 2016, are nothing but a rewrite of the entire AngularJS, the original which was released in October of 2010. The latest avatar of Angular that has been captivating the market so far is Angular 9, which offers a huge boost when it comes to performance.
React on the other hand was originally a JavaScript library that is being well-maintained and developed by Facebook; the social networking giant. The library was originally released in the year 2013. Now, Facebook describes this particular library to be self-sufficient for building a better user interface. When it comes to usage, it is quite significant that Facebook uses a lot more of their React library as compared to what Google does with Angular. That clearly shows that Facebook has been betting big on their home-made technology, and so far, they have been successful by a large margin. The data suggest that both React as well as Angular are going to stay in the market for a long time to come.
One of the biggest differences amongst them is that Angular is an MVC framework, while React is nothing but a library based on JavaScript. The main characteristic of the library is to provide just the viewing experience to all its users. On the contrary, AngularJS is capable of providing an inter-connected response system enabling users along with the platform to experience not only the usability but they can even interact with the UI. This calls for some elaborate discussion that we are going to highlight upon. Here we go:
When it comes to Angular, it is considered as a framework. This is mainly due to its wide offerings of the opinion on how one should structure the application. It brings into play an “out-of-the-box” approach.
React offers you extensive freedom and flexibility in terms of your ability to do whatever you wish to do with your application. As we have mentioned before, React provides only the view (UI) portion in the MVC. In that case, you would require solving the complications related to M and C on your own. MVC stands for Model, View, and Controller. Since React doesn’t interfere with your preference for M and C, you get the complete flexibility of choosing whatever library as per your requirements.
The React framework doesn’t come bundled with many template options, you’ll have to rely on third party websites and scout through marketplaces to find free React templates that can help expedite your project. Instead, it provides an ML-like language; in the form of JSX, which is built on JavaScript.
The good news is that both React and Angular offer some extensive solutions for creating mobile applications. Let us quickly look at a comparative study of the facilities provided by each of these platforms.
Now, let us shift our focus to the React Native, a platform developed by Facebook to build native mobile apps. When it comes to syntax and its uses, the platform is somewhere distinctive to the Angular, but there are more similarities between the two structures.
For the purpose of testing its codes based on React, Facebook makes use of Jest. The platform has been included in all of the React projects and requires no configuration for using it. In addition to that, it also entertains the inclusion of a strong mocking library. It’s worth noting that in many cases, Jest is used in combination with Enzyme for maximum proficiency.
Angular uses Jasmine, a behavior-driven development framework for testing JavaScript code. One of the best advantages of using Jasmine is that it can lead to the emergence of millions of new ways of writing assertions and tests. You can clearly understand the whereabouts of each line of code just by reading them entirely.
The learning curve of any technology is the first factor that you should consider before adopting a particular technology. You must take into consideration the previous experiences that people have come across while using any particular technology. In that regard, the people who are familiar with such frameworks should have a say on the matter of which technology would suit you the most. Before you get started with Angular vs React, we must help you get hold of a proper understanding of the characteristics that you should expect from each of the frameworks.
If you’re just getting started with the Angular framework, make sure you start with the following concepts before moving on to advanced ones. Angular is like a wide ocean, but getting the basics right is key.
Start off with the following Directives.
Once you are done with all this stuff, there await more advanced concepts that you can learn in order to improve your understanding of the platform. Among the more complex and advanced features that you should opt for learning are:
It’s evident that Angular definitely has a higher barrier to entry and a steeper learning curve. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not worth your time. It’s worth mentioning that advanced platforms such as the Angular brings forward an extensive opportunity to experiment and customize, which isn’t the case in other simpler platforms. Angular is perfect for highly sophisticated and complex projects, where you need a framework that provisions for everything. Since Angular is a full-fledged MVC network. As a result, you get access to too many features and specifications that you should not expect from library frameworks such as React.
When it comes to your experience, writing JSX might seem to be complex stuff in the beginning; unlike Angular, and for those who are not aware of JSX, things might not go according to what you had initially planned. You would require learning the ability to write the components included in the framework and how to manage the internal state while using proper props for the required configuration. One must learn everything about routing libraries since React doesn’t bring such a feature to the table in a readymade state. All you need to do is customize the configurations for better execution and implementation of the plans you have in your mind.
Once done with the routing library, now you must move on to the state management procedure using MobX or Redux. This is of utmost importance that when working on React, without understanding and getting trained on them, you would be unable to build your applications.
In terms of sophistication of framework as well as extensive capabilities Angular proves to be much superior to React. However, we feel that the comparison is similar to comparing Apples to Oranges, Angular is a full-fledged MVC framework while React has restrictions to Front end development. However, if you start from scratch we recommend you work with Angular. Here’s a quick recap of why we recommend it.
We know there are very few resources out there when it comes to Angular and React. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the best React Templates and Angular Templates for you to pick from. All these templates come with detailed documentation and premium support. It can help you to speed up and cost-cutting for your project. Check them out.
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