Tag: Mobile app development
Which Is The Right Technology Choice While Developing A Client Mobile App?
In this digital era where mobile applications are omnipresent for every single requirement, and with the wide adoption of smartphones, more than 5.6 million mobile-specific software applications are available for download via the marketplaces, Google’s Play store, Apple’s App store and Microsoft’s store. Knowledge of niche technology is crucial for an enhanced mobile app development capability. Businesses require robust and efficient mobile applications. For this, they prefer cross-platform mobile app development to leverage all essential features.
Industry’s Perception Of Cross-Platform Development
In 2012, Facebook had an issue with their cross-platform mobile application due to its unique complexity, scalability constraints and also not being able to meet user expectations. This made Facebook abandon their Hybrid-based cross-platform mobile application and take up Native cross-platform mobile application development, making the reputation of Hybrid mobile app development a debatable topic altogether.
When it comes to mobile app development frameworks, React Native and Flutter are those that compete with each other at the technological forefront, to prove their worth. React Native was introduced by Facebook and Flutter is Google’s new fledgling.
Now, to gauge the current pros and cons of both, it is essential to deeply know the important features of the host of cross-platform mobile application development today – Flutter for hybrid application development and React Native for native. To know more about features based on critical factors, adoption, the popularity of these platforms, and other critical aspects, let’s get started!
Related Reading: Read along our Whitepaper to know how to choose the right mobile app development approach for your business.
1. Programming Language Used
Flutter is a cross-platform framework used for mobile application development. It uses Dart language and is reactive, that is, it solves the problem of responding to incoming asynchronous data. It supports the ‘Hot Reload’ feature where your mobile application can be rerun that accelerates development. Visual Studio Code, Android Studio and IntelliJ Idea are current official supporters of Flutter.
React Native is no newbie in mobile application development and is considered as the king of cross-platform mobile application development. It is built on the React library and uses Javascript data flow is unidirectional and makes the components stateless by managing all incoming data at one single place. This javascript framework works on a single code base for iOS and Android applications. Airbnb, Instagram, and Facebook are key users.
Key Point: React Native adopts Javascript, which is easy to learn and adapt. On the other hand, since Dart has lesser adoption among the developer community, React Native is definitely the winner here.
2. Architecture
Flutter being a newbie makes everyone confused about implementing it for their mobile application development. With more than 1450 packages available on Flutter, it seems to pick up more momentum. The main architecture of Flutter is the Business Logic Component or BLoC. The Dart framework that is adopted by Flutter makes use of Skia C++ engine that includes all protocols, and contents.
React Native is no beginner and the main architecture patterns being Flux, by Facebook and Redux, the option most preferred by the user community.
Key Point: React Native relies on Javascript bridge to connect with the native modules, whereas on the other hand, Flutter that uses the Dart framework, has most of its components in-built and so does not always require a bridge for communication with its native modules.
3. Development
Flutter has widgets as building blocks which are ready-to-use widgets, but since these are not adaptive in nature, the difficulty lies in the need to make its adaptation manual. These widgets propose a material design, prompting you with the need to make changes manually.
React Native, on the other hand, provides a library of web components for development. Development with React Native is pretty simple as it the create-react-native-package that needs to be installed has a provision for Expo Integration. This means that the code can be run on your device as simple as just having to scan a QR code that appears on the screen.
Key Point: React Native allows you to write code once and components will have to be loaded depending on the OS. So first the decision to be made is whether your requirement is for an app that has to look the same on both operating systems or take the advantage of individual features of each OS.
Related Reading: Check out the top technologies used for mobile app development.
4. Performance
Flutter, being fully compiled by the arm C/C++ library, Flutter has got a good performance though there are many factors involved.
React Native, on the other hand, is not compiled by C/C++. React Native performs much faster and better than other hybrid applications such as Cordova.
Key Point: The major difference is in how Flutter and React Native compile their code. Flutter can be considered less complex as it compiles Dart to C/C++ library, which tends to communicate faster by native code rather than having to bridge with Javascript. However, React Native is a more mature app development framework as it uses Javascript to handle Android, iOS and also web applications, making it a better choice especially for smaller mobile application development. Though in React Native, developers face problems with hybrid app development, in case of native apps, seamless and reliable performance is offered.
5. Level Of Ease To Start Learning
The documentation of Flutter is pretty good and helpful, but it is difficult to start learning, which is pretty obvious if you are a beginner into development and Google tells you so when you ask it how to Learn Flutter.
React Native, on the other hand, is much easier to pick up and is a piece of cake for developers, especially for those who have their hands on React or Javascript beforehand.
6. Clientele Support
Flutter clientele support is not as much as that is available for React Native. The team for Flutter is present at the rate of over 30k stars on Github, over 740 users of a Google Group, 4.5k users on subreddit and of course on Stack Overflow.
React Native, on the other hand, is backed by the huge community support of over 9000 users, 68k stars on Github, 14.5k users on subreddit and even has more third-party plug-ins and libraries than Flutter.
Related Reading: Can adding speaking and listening abilities to your mobile app pull in more customers?
Summary – Is React Native Superior To Flutter?
In a nutshell, React Native is more stable for mobile app development than Flutter as it showcases its page of apps that enjoy the support of a very large clientele and Flutter is still new in the technological forefront. Also, considering the aspect of a mobile application that interfaces with banks or large enterprises as such, Native stands in the front row.
Also, Security poses a critical factor as hybrid applications can access all features from the device’s hardware layer such as camera, GPS, microphone, etc.
Native applications are up-to-date in terms of platform changes, whereas hybrid apps have a sense of uncertainty. Also business would consider the resale value as a key factor as it is important that a potential buyer gets the feeling that the platform adopted for his mobile app is future-proof and will not require frequent re-coding.
As for all these reasons, React Native is considered a more viable option and is highly recommended for cross-platform mobile application development than Flutter. To know which mobile app development approach suits your business, get in touch with our tech experts today!
How to improve business efficiency with voice app?
Your company’s apps are losing attention. It’s not 2010 anymore. Simply telling your customers that you have a mobile app doesn’t impress anyone. It’s become a standard expectation. There are more than 2 million apps available for Android in the Google Play store and nearly the same number in the Apple App Store. As your app gets less and less use, your company is more likely to be ignored and your app uninstalled.
Three Traditional Mobile Best Practices That Dull Your Edge
Let’s review what used to work in building engaging mobile apps and why those tactics are no longer enough.
Releasing new features. An app that goes months without updates looks abandoned. So you should push updates for new features and bug fixes regularly. Unfortunately, every mobile app worth its salt is already updating frequently. Simply keeping up is not going to set you apart.
Responding to reviews. Monitoring the reviews end-users leave for your app is a good source of new ideas. Responding directly to end-user feedback by launching fixes is a good idea. It is also a common idea that most other companies have already implemented.
Staying current with security and privacy expectations. Consumer data privacy concerns have never been higher. GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) in Europe and increasing regulation in the USA (e.g., the California Consumer Privacy Act 2018) means the minimum security standard is going higher. The good news: Apple and Google are doing some of the heavy lifting in mobile app security for you. Fall behind with security and you will lose customers. On the other hand, simply keeping up with security threats and updates will not make you stand out.
If keeping up with those outdated best practices is not enough, what can you do to keep users coming back for more?
Apps That Speak and Listen: Your App Opportunity
Instead of getting lost in the app shuffle, take advantage of the latest developments in voice interaction. Thanks to Apple, Amazon, and Google, we’ve all become used to interacting with technology by speaking. In fact, there are over 100 million smart speakers currently installed in American homes according to an NPR survey. The true number of voice-enabled devices is much larger than that when you factor in mobile devices. Voice interaction with a mobile app gives a new and more intimate customer experience. That’s why you should take advantage of this new capability.
Why does the growth of smart speakers matter for your company’s apps? The popularity of these devices means that you do not have to worry about hardware. You just need to deploy your app to one of those platforms. Voice interactive apps are still new but don’t worry – your company is not going to be the very first.
Before you speak with other executives about launching a voice interactive app, you should have some live examples in hand. Consider Capital One, the financial services company, which launched an Alexa skill (i.e., a voice interactive app made for Amazon’s platform) back in 2016. Other financial companies have since followed their lead. On the Google Home platform, AutoVoice lets you set up tasks and create personalized commands. You can use these apps to control your smart home, order pizza, check your bank balance and more.
How do you jump into the world of voice interaction?
There Are Two Paths To A Talking and Listening App: Which Will You Choose?
There are two ways to join the voice-enabled app revolution. (Hint: One is easier.)
You can either follow the path forged by technology giants like Amazon and Google. Invest heavily in building a top-flight team of developers and launch a testing program. This approach maximizes your control over the app and gives you the most options for integrating it into your systems.
Bear in mind that there are significant downsides to building your app development team internally. Structuring this kind of app development capacity internally takes months if not years and comes at a considerable expense. After all, developers are well paid — PayScale ballparks the median pay for Android developers at $82,000. Quadruple that amount and you will nearly have built your full team.
Working with a custom software development team to build a voice-capable app is a better choice in many cases. Your IT managers set the scope and retain oversight for the project. But there’s no need to use resources for recruiting or training since the team is already in place. By working with Fingent top custom software development company, you will benefit from our expertise in enterprise projects. We’ve collaborated with professional services firms like PwC and technology companies like NEC on development projects. So which path into the voice-enabled app revolution will you choose?
Any client needs to know how a proposed app is likely to work and impact their business. It will provide them with an insight into the functionality of the app and how it helps the end users. This is where wireframing comes into play as an essential part of mobile app development. A professional app development company can use wireframing as an essential tool for laying out the functionality, visualization, navigation, UI and preliminary function of an app.
Wireframes have a significant role in the design process. As yet, wireframing has been the most effective way to detect usability issues early on in the design process. Wireframes typically do not include color, graphics or stylized fonts so that the reviewer is least distracted and focused on the user flows and user experience. In what follows, we will highlight why wireframes constitute a vital part of the app development process.
App Designers consider Wireframing an Ideal Building Block
Wireframes are essentially a visual conception that illustrates the screen interface of an app. Usually conceived as black and white layouts, the wireframes outlines how different elements of the app like pages, navigation, and conversion portions are laid out. As a blueprint, a wireframe ensures the level of attention in design and UI so that it remains practical for the end user.
It lays out the skeleton of the app which portrays the page‘s interface (elements spacing, content prioritization, and functionalities) and how users interact with the site. Wireframes act as the vital link between the information architecture and the visual aspects of the design.
Moreover, wireframes act as a visual representation of how the user manages different scenarios and achieves the business objectives. It acts as a site architecture with links provided in each of the wireframes so that a clickable model is built for getting a full demo experience of the app.
Wireframing is the stepping stone for an app to become successful, which also have numerous other benefits.
Wireframing Tools – Key to Navigating the Flow of the App
A wireframing tool will help you understand how to create an app or website essentially easier by visually paring the product down and focus on the functionality and user interactivity of your product.
Clients need to be educated on how your proposed app or website will work. A written or verbal explanation would leave major functionalities down to their imagination, giving way to more errors. This situation is not helpful for you or your client. It is here that wireframing tools can play a significant role in squaring that circle.
Wireframing tools differ with varying levels of functionality some of which can be used purely for simple wireframes, while others to create a working prototype. Some wireframe tools take you through the entire process of roughly sketching your wireframes, creating sitemaps, flowcharts, and storyboards; collaborating them with others, and building functional prototypes.
The Boons of Wireframing in App Development
What wireframing does is to create a visual framework of the entire app. It steers clear from complex flowcharts by substituting with an understandable model that eases the workflow and accelerates the app development process. The following is a check-list of the benefits of using wireframing in application development:
- A Walkthrough of the App
The blueprint of the app laid out through wireframes will give the client a clear picture of what the app is about and its functionality. Using wireframes, the client can suggest changes or improvements so that the final app design remains in accord with their goals. A proper wireframe is essentially a walkthrough of the app that guides the clients and developers to focus on building the app solely with the end user experience in mind.
- Improves Development Process
Wireframes aid real-time communication within the team, which helps speed up the development process. It eliminates design errors as the wireframes can provide insights into the workflows to be used by each section of the development team. The improved app workflow helps the team to focus on the responsiveness of the app using regular feedbacks. Such a method is very useful if a deadline is looming large.
- Aids Interactive Apps
Some apps need good animation display such as in case of a gaming app. An interactive app requires a blueprint for visualizing all the ideas, designs and features. Wireframing allows just that as it gives developers the means to preconceive the visual and moving elements within the app. This will give them an estimate of how the interactive elements of the app functions and the effect that it has on the user experience.
- Allows Easy Changes
With a wireframing tool, it is easier to make the necessary changes during the app development process. The wireframing model allows the clients to suggest the necessary changes during the actual development. Developers can then work on these suggestions easily by making the relevant changes to the app. Any changes made will instantly reflect in the app, which allows the development team to implement the client suggestions right away.
- Minimizes Overall Project Costs
Having a good wireframe for an app can cut down the costs involved in its development significantly. The client can request the necessary changes when previewing a demo of the app through the wireframes. This prompts the development team to work on these changes in the initial stages of building the app. Changes or additions during the final stages usually prove costly. A wireframe eliminates this and quickens the process of making the app ready for the launch.
Building a great wireframe
At Fingent, wireframes are a complete reflection of our client’s unique requirements. Our team makes it a point to understand our clients not just from a technical perspective but from an emotional perspective as well. This helps us address their requirements better so that the end results always remain fruitful. For that purpose, we employ a standard process of wireframing to build apps with rich user experience and responsiveness. Here are the major steps involved in our wireframing process:
- Understanding the client – Getting to know what the client wants from a technical perspective helps us in determining the right solution for them. But we go an extra mile to understand the client from an emotional perspective as well so that we can serve them better and do more than just provide a technology solution. We get to know what exactly is in the minds of our clients, which helps us in being proactive in our approach.
- Understanding the outcome – The first step in creating a wireframe is understanding what our client intends to do or convey through a particular app. That is, what the client wants his/her users to do. It includes finding out whether the client wants its users to do a particular action or read a particular thing or even feel a particular way after going through the page or app section.
- Creating user stories – We then create user stories which cover the list of features required in the application and also a brief description of the flow and functionality within each section. This helps us better in knowing what to use and where it is placed like whether it is best to use a checkbox or a radio button for a particular element on the page or to have a text box or drop-down menu for another element etc. While creating the wireframes, this can act as a quick reference.
- Designing the wireframes – After obtaining the required inputs from our clients, we then proceed with creating the wireframes by using a stencil kit or other simple wireframing tools depending on the complexity of the application. The wireframes that we create using this method are shared with our clients as well as our designers so that everyone can come up with better ideas and solutions.
- The user interface – While we go about the process of wireframing, we always keep in mind our client’s unique requirements. But we also make it a point to put ourselves in the shoes of the users of the app as well. This helps us understand and answer many questions that the users might have in their minds while going through the app. Together with the valuable inputs from our client, we create apps that are more user-friendly by applying the necessary changes. We preoccupy ourselves with questions during development such as ‘What does the user want?’ or ‘What will the user think?’ What we primarily ask ourselves while wireframing for apps and web pages is ‘What does the user want?’ or ‘What will the user think?’ with the aim of leading the users to what our client wants them to do.
Summing Up
In a nutshell, a good wireframe is a simplified visual concept of the future app. But they can also wreck a project if not done correctly. It helps build a mockup of the proposed app that contains its would-be features and functions.
It doesn’t give any idea about the design but helps to understand the functionality of the application, which is its definitive advantage. It enables the client, developer, and designer walk through the structure of the app without being distracted by colors or graphics.
Even though wireframing could take up some time before the development of the solution, it is always better to make your wireframes perfect and then get into development. At Fingent top custom software development company, we make it a point to wireframe every section of any app, as it is much more meaningful and safe for development later. Our experts assert the importance of wireframing as it allows in creating flexible workflows for easily incorporating changes. Moreover, it simplify the process for the developers and designers to begin executing once the core features and elements are confirmed.
Throughout the process of wireframing and development, we believe it is best to keep in touch with our clients on a regular basis. In this way, we are able to keep them updated on the developments and gather feedback to make sure that it ultimately meets their requirements. This approach not only helps us in our projects but also in building solutions that truly matter to our clients.
Mobile phone user base around the world has been growing at an unprecedented rate. The mobile market shows a lot of growth potential and with that, the growth in the use of the app-based technology. 96% of the Gen Z is hooked to smartphones, which implies that most of the interaction with the digital world happens via apps. Whether it be communicating, shopping, surfing news or listening to music, mobile apps made life easier for customers. This is why it makes sense for businesses to reach their customers where they are easily available, on their mobile phones.
Benefits of Apps for businesses:
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Mobile apps can help businesses manage their internal operations more efficiently
A business is only as good as the system it is created for its operation. Perhaps the pinnacle of technology innovation is how successful it is in making our everyday tasks easier and more efficient. When customer satisfaction increases, sales typically do too. In fact, according to SalesForce, 70 percent of buying experiences are influenced by how customers feel they’re being treated. The more interested and pleased people become with your product and your business, the greater will be the consumer demand. When customer satisfaction increases, sales typically do too. Employees can also stay in continuous communication due to wireless networks and mobile platforms, improving the efficiency of the organization. There are several ways mobile communication can increase productivity. However, it is important to keep in mind the security risks that come with it. Thus, it is crucial to choose legitimate and qualified platforms and systems.
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Customizable User Interface
Apps give the sellers an opportunity to customize the user experience based on their customer’s search history and preferences over the app. Using app analytics platforms like Appsee or Firebase can immensely help businesses improve their in-app experience. These platforms provide an in-depth analysis of user behavior as well reports on crashes of your app. Fixing the crashes ensures ease to the customer and promises an increase in the number of app usage sessions for the business.
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Ease of access
Gone are the days when one liked to open the browser, type in the website URL, log into his/her account and then proceed with scanning and ultimately with the purchase. People want a user interface which is convenient, quick, and easy to access-a criterion that mobile apps fulfill. Mobile apps offer ease to customers, by being readily available to them with just one click.
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Ease of making payments
In countries like the US where credit card networks are much developed, mobile wallet adoption rate has seen an encouraging growth. With a push to digital wallets such as PayPal or Apple Pay along with brand-specific wallets such as Walmart Pay, payments over the apps have become a lot easier for users. Using these platforms, customers are good to go without the hassle of logging in and out, again and again to their bank accounts, as is the case with buying the websites.
Bizness Apps – “Mobile Apps For Businesses Made Easy” || Business Explainer Video by Flikli
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Increased Security
As per the Global Consumer Fraud Survey by ACI Universal Payments, the rate of card frauds in the US spiked. This survey also shows that close to 40% of the card users have reduced their frequency of card use. This highlights a worrying point that the increase in the use of credit or debit cards and even online banking, increases the vulnerability of users to hacking and phishing. Apps enable the customers to surpass the need of quoting their financial details again and again by providing an easy in-app pay option by incorporating digital wallets on their platforms. Using apps combined with digital wallets helps to keep customer’s financial information safe and secured. With the increase in frauds in traditional ways of transacting, more and more customers will look to shift their preferences to app-based technology.
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Value Addition for Customers
Reward the app users with accruing reward points, for maximum app usage, which can be redeemed for further in-app purchases. Such loyalty programs ensure customer retention and help the businesses to clock higher sales. The Starbucks loyalty program is one such example.
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Ease of giving and receiving feedback
Since it is easier for the customers to provide feedback over the apps, businesses stand to gain a lot in terms of increased user visits by incorporating those feedbacks and improving customer satisfaction which is of prime importance in highly competitive markets.
Massive investments are being made in app-based technologies because everyone has realized that mobile phone users of today prefer apps over everything else, because of their sheer convenience. So it makes sense for businesses to be where they can fight off their competition and build a better market for themselves. There are still a lot of untapped potential and opportunity which can be seized only if they make while there is still time.
Staying ahead of the curve should be the mantra, which can only be done by adapting to the changing times and adopting new technologies.
If you are reading this blog article, chances are that you are either contemplating to have a mobile app built for your business or you are a developer wanting to know how much to charge for mobile application development. Either way, you must know the criteria behind the costing of the task.
So what goes into arriving at a cost figure for developing a mobile application? Let us delve a bit into the details and find out.
Project Priorities
Every software has priorities in its objectives– High, Low and Medium. In the same way, you need to consider your priorities for mobile apps in the form of 3 criteria: Quality, Speed, and Budget. Behavior analysis has shown that only two of the three can be chosen to achieve a great result. Software firms or freelance developers claiming to design, develop a great mobile app for you in a very low turnaround time, at a low cost as well as with quality, sound too good to be true and hence, as a client, you need to be careful before accepting a proposal.
Basis of Charging
Mobile apps, just like any other software, need to be estimated in terms of effort required. For this, your requirements must be clearly defined and communicated to the developer. Always document your requirements because the cost of mobile app development depends on the number of requirements. A mobile app requirements doc comes in handy during mobile app development. Have a clear idea about what is required by your company, Before opting out for mobile development solution.
After this, you need to strike an agreement as to the costing of the development effort – whether a fixed cost will be charged by the developer, irrespective of time spent by the developer. As against this, some developers charge on an hourly basis, in which case the final cost is determined by the number of hours spent by the developer on delivering the mobile app.
Agile Development normally involves an hourly charge, whereas Waterfall model follows a Fixed Cost basis.
Platform Specific Development vs. Cross-Platform/Hybrid Development
If you need your mobile app to be specifically developed for platforms, it might prove to be less expensive as compared to developing mobile apps for all platforms. For example, Android-specific development requires expertise in Java, whereas Windows and IoS require expertise in Microsoft Dot Net and Swift programming code respectively. Needless to say, if you need your app to be on all platforms, costs will escalate.
Hybrid apps dramatically reduce development time and cost and combine the best of both worlds, using a common code base to deploy native-like apps to a wide range of platforms. It involves the “coding once and deploying everywhere (all platforms)”– but these still require expertise in the above programming languages in case of issues with deployment.
Complexity in Design
If it is a general mobile app with no back-end server integration, hard-hitting features and has a simplistic design, you might end up getting it developed for a lower price. For example, apps with typical server components and API integration are more challenging and hence would spike up the cost, as against those not involving them.
In short, the more features to be had in the mobile app, the more will it cost and vice-versa.
Engaging the Right Expert
This is necessarily a choice to be made if you do not intend to create the app yourself using popular online mobile app builders or programming it yourself. Services of a software development firm are going to be expensive, but you can assure yourself of an exhaustive app since most of such firms are professional in their development process and consider every nook and cranny for the targeted application.
Getting freelancers to do the job is another option; this will bring down your development cost considerably, albeit with some disadvantages.
To Round up….
Mobile apps are a rage in today’s times. People are more inclined to open a website or an app on their mobile devices rather than on laptops or desktops. Over the last decade, we have been one of the pioneers in developing mobile apps which offer a rich user experience and user interface, by way of our high-quality standards in software development. Get in touch with us for a quote, now!
While outsourcing is becoming the popular route to develop apps, it is a double-edged sword that has its ups and downs. Many enterprises take the plunge into the world of outsourcing without a proper understanding of the benefits and risks. Such companies often act in haste and repent at leisure.
Here is a run-down of the major benefits and risks or challenges associated with outsourcing the app development work, as the first step towards deciding on outsourcing.
PROs: Outsourcing Delivers Cost Advantage
The major raison d’etre for outsourcing is cost savings. Outsourcing the app development work to a third party provider often results in reduced costs compared to undertaking the development work in-house. Despite the need for frequent updates to keep the app up-to-date, app development is a dedicated project, outside the scope of the daily routine of the in-house IT team. Indulging in the app development process in-house would require gathering dedicated resources and fresh talent, all involving sizable capital investment. A third-party outsourcing partner comes with up-and-running infrastructure, and app development is their core focus rather than a distraction from their core activity. They invariably pass on the resultant cost-savings to the enterprise.
The cost benefits of outsourcing become even more profound when outsourcing is combined with offshoring. Offshoring the development work to a third party in India, East Europe, or some other third-world country ensures the delivery of high-quality app at a fraction of the cost it takes to develop the app in-house and considerably less compared to entrusting a local outsourcing party. The low wages given to the developers employed by the outsourcing partner aren’t necessarily exploitative, as it corresponds to above-average wages in tune with the third-world country’s cost of living.
The average cost of building a standard app is anywhere between $150,000 and $450,000, with almost half of this cost going to deploying the required infrastructure and features. Outsourcing the app development process reduces the total cost of app development to anywhere around $10,000 to $80,000.
Outsourcing Delivers Accelerated Time to Market
The benefits of outsourcing extend to much more than cost savings. Often, cost savings is accompanied by accelerated time to market. A competent outsourcing partner would have at their ready disposal a talent pool of highly seasoned and experienced developers, who would be able to accomplish the most challenging of tasks in double quick time, without slowing down for guidance, get trained on a new technology, or even indulge in trial and error. Also, the outsourcing partner agrees to complete the project in a time bound manner, without any hold up due to sick leaves, key talent putting in their papers or any other disruptions.
The fast turnaround perfectly suits today’s fast-paced business environment, where the ideal time to roll out an app is always yesterday. A recent survey reveals over 40% of respondents quoting the time taken to develop an app in-house as anywhere between six months to one year, completely unacceptable in today’s fast-paced world.
Outsourcing Enhances Quality of Work
Outsourcing generally enhances the quality of the apps, with the client leveraging the outsourcing partner’s talent pool, rich experience, knowledge, and the latest infrastructure readily, in a highly scalable manner. The outsourcing partner has an extra motivation in delivering high-quality work, which serves as the best advertisement of their skills, and the major source of repeat orders and referrals.
A related advantage is the transfer of risk. An outsourcing partner assumes all risks associated with the project. The partner guarantees delivery on time and on the budget, with penalties for delays. The client also has the option of terminating the contract if things go wrong, rather than be stuck with a dud project.
With outsourcing, the company pays for the result. Developing the app in-house means the company pays for the effort, with an uncertain result.
CONs- Risk of Leakage of Sensitive Information
For all the benefits of outsourcing, it also comes with significant downsides. Involving a third party and external outsourcing partner into the mix comes with the risk of leakage of confidential information. A successful app requires close integration with the business process, for which the outsourcing partner requires first-hand information on the nitty-gritty of the business. The outsourcing partner also gets their hands on sensitive information regarding the customers of the business.
The antidote to such risks is a strong non-disclosure agreement and IP protection agreement, backed by appropriate legal and organizational measures.
Challenges of Expectations Mismatch
While an outsourcing provider may be technically competent and roll out apps in a time-bound manner, there is an inherent risk of an expectation mismatch. There is always a risk of the development team executing do something different from client expectations. Worse, the development team may not gather requirements clearly enough and effect an inherent flaw in the app design, which may be difficult to rectify at a later stage.
A seamless and robust communication system mitigates such risks. An open communication style, clear points of contacts, and a culture of accommodation are indispensable for outsourcing to succeed. A thorough requirements analysis, backed up by solid documentation and a detailed description of the product requirements is another essential requirement.
However, the best of communication systems come to naught if the stakeholders are not there to communicate. A flowing schedule, with a readiness to be available round the clock, is an essential ingredient for success.
Outsourcing May Result in Loss of Flexibility
Scope creep has almost become a way of life in today’s highly fluid business environment. Requirements change by the day, and a new app may require co-opting changes right through the gestation lifecycle, and even afterward. An outsourcing project goes according to the laid down upfront agreement, with limited scope for flexibility. Renegotiation the contract to co-opt changes midway may be expensive, and anyway impractical.
The solution is to co-opt a partner who understands the business and is flexible to accommodate changes as it is realistically possible. Accelerated time to market anyway reduces the need for such sudden changes. Again, while outsourcing offers a ready access to skilled talent without the associated HR costs, it is still a challenge to identify a good partner and make sure the partner can walk their talk.
Successful companies put their heads down and work diligently to overcome the challenges, and in the process reap the best of both worlds. Roping in a sound partner who is competent not just on the technical side, but also experienced and versatile enough to understand the nitty-gritty of the business, helps.
Mobility is the rage among enterprises, as the benefits of anywhere-anytime connectivity and productivity-efficiency improvements start to sink in. However, amid the hype, the hard reality of user engagement is starting to bite. The challenge is to produce mobile apps that drive user engagement and produce it quickly, to keep pace with the fast-changing business requirements.
Driving user engagement requires offering a compelling experience for the target users. Here are the ways to do so, and thereby meet enterprise mobility demands in a successful way.
Fix the Scope
The very purpose of rolling out apps, as an alternative to the website, is to offer enterprise users the convenience to focus on a specific function or purpose, without being cluttered or distracted by unnecessary features. As such, the scope of any app is all important. A proper definition of the scope of the app, or what the app does, can make or break it.
The apps in highest demand by enterprises, cutting across industries are customer relationship management apps for sales, marketing and services, customer engagement and general employee productivity apps. However, even within such classification, the best apps facilitate only specific tasks.
A key consideration when deciding on the scope is to evaluate the benefits various segments of the workforce expect from the app, and how such benefits sync with the overall objectives of the enterprise.
Although employee job satisfaction is critical, the success of the app ultimately depends on the scope of the app, and deployment decisions having a direct correlation with the overall business objectives, be it improving customer service, increasing productivity, driving costs down, or anything else.
The best mobile apps leverage the power of simplicity. They may have a complex backend, with integration and cross-links to several enterprise function and resources, but still deliver a simple, neat, and clean user interface. The user gets a clear cut menu, allowing them to do powerful things with amazing simplicity. User experience is ultimate to ensure high adoption
Demolish Data Silos
An app is only as good as the data it handles. Even the most intuitive of apps will not gain sufficient traction if it is unable to access meaningful data. A big bane of enterprises and a key reason why enterprise apps fail is data trapped in inaccessible silos. Demolishing data silos, and centralizing data to an easily accessible location is an important prerequisite before launching enterprise apps.
It is also important to deliver content in a mobile experience that ties into the content management system, to ensure seamless sync. For instance, a mobile app to offer added value to a field marketing executive, he needs to access the latest information regarding the client, when engaging with the client at the client’s office. Likewise, the information of such meeting needs to be updated into the CRM in real time, for the enterprise to take action on the latest and updated information.
Need for Proactiveness
No matter how intuitive apps are, users need to be coaxed into using it. The most successful apps are “proactive,” leveraging an integrated set of engagement services such as in-app messaging, push notifications, dynamic use of analytics, and more. The best apps keep tracking what the user will most likely do, and issue timely reminders and prompts in this direction.
Method in the Madness
With the craze for apps, an enterprise will invariably find themselves saddled with a plethora of apps, and things can quickly get out of control. An average enterprise in Europe and USA would deploy around 10 or more enterprise mobile apps during the next two years. A good way to manage existing apps is by leveraging the mobile capabilities of Adobe Experience Manager, which helps to centralize all apps in a singular, unified dashboard.
A Hybrid Strategy
Most enterprises have limited capabilities to conjure up intuitive mobile apps on their own. Their in-house IT team in almost all cases is invariably neck-deep in routine tasks without having time to take up the time-consuming app development process.
Enterprises always have the option of promoting a resident mobile app team, by either hiring the right talent or investing in training the right people with the required skill-sets. However app development skills are hard to come by, and technology is any way in a constant state of flux for investment in any specific skill set to deliver long-term ROI. Other limitations such as budget and resourcing limitations, legacy infrastructure, technology fragmentation and immature lifecycle workflows also contribute to making internal development teams a non-starter.
Outsourcing the development task to a contractor is a far more cost-effective, and offers enterprises the best of both worlds – access to talent without the associated overheads of hiring.
Considering such factors. it comes as no surprise Forrester Research estimates enterprises spent $18 billion to contractors in 2016 to build and maintain mobile apps. The global market for enterprise mobility is expected to touch $284 billion by 2019, a four-fold jump from the present levels of $72 billion. Even large companies, with personnel requirements for app development and maintenance, and budget on their hands, adopt a hybrid approach, using outsourced skills to build mobile apps, and side-by-side train employees on building and maintaining mobile apps.
However, unless the enterprise selects the right contractor, the money spent goes down the drain. Ensure the contractor has the right expertise and has a track record of having implemented successful mobility projects. We tick all boxes, bringing with us our wealth of experience, a pool of highly talented and resourceful development team, and the latest cutting-edge tools to get the job done well in double-quick time. App development is our core competence, and our team comes fully conversant in the latest development styles, user experience best practices, and more.
About one in every two enterprise mobile apps essentially become useless within two years of launch, leading one to suspect something ails enterprise mobility. Are the perceived benefits a big hype? Read on to find out the common pitfalls that plague enterprise mobility, and the possible solutions.
- Improper Scope
Many enterprise decision makers mistake mobile apps as an extension, or another interface for their website, and pack the app with features. Such apps are doomed to fail right from the word go. Others do an improper scope, and pack in features not relevant for the users.
Apps are simple, lean, bite-sized, personalized, and contextual. By the very nature, apps are meant to fulfil a specific highly focused task, easily and well, with minimal navigation or typing. There is nothing preventing enterprises from launching hundreds of apps to cover the entire gamut of functionality possible through the website, but packing all such features into a single or even a few apps is a sure route to disaster.
- Failure to Prioritize
An average enterprise has 700+ business applications. Offering a mobility solution to even 10% of such applications would require 35 years, considering a minimum of six months of development time for each app. Of course, the latest rapid application development techniques, no-code or less-code app development strategies, and the possibilities of developing more than one app simultaneously makes 35 years an exaggeration, but the fact remains trying to offer mobility solution for everything may be too big for the company’s boots. A successful mobility strategy requires intelligent prioritization, rolling out mobility solutions for processes and services that need it most, such as field service and marketing work, and then widening the net, one function at a time.
- Poor User Experience
About 78% of enterprise mobile apps are abandoned after the first use. The reasons vary, but single biggest pitfall is failing to cater to the user. No matter how good the features and functionality of the app, it won’t succeed unless users actually download and start using it.
A 2014 Forrester study estimates 64% employees rarely using enterprise apps, owing to poor user experience. If the app, instead of making things easier for the end-user, actually makes it harder, or makes no difference, there is no reason why users would change over from something that is already working for them. Many developers replicate the existing business process without considering simplification of complex processes.
Many app developers, having to deal with a number of pressing issues, do not give user experience the importance it deserves. Enterprise app developers need to think like a user, how they would prefer to use the app, and how they would benefit from it. Unless the apps are easy to use and have a user-centric designed, it is sure to fail. The enterprise needs to not just make sure the apps solve a pressing need and is easy to use, but also communicate with the users to drive home the benefits. If required, they need to also train users on how to use the app and derive benefits out of it.
- Lack of Adequate Groundwork
Side-by-side with poor UX, obsolete technology may also impede app acceptance. Many enterprises continue to use legacy systems not compatible with mobile services or have their critical data trapped in silos, preventing apps from pulling in the required data. Such roadblocks leave users hamstrung, forcing them to opt for other means to get their crucial tasks done.
Also, unless the app is flexible enough to address device management, app management, content management, mobile device support, mobile collaboration, mobile network security and other crucial technical issues to match the needs and preferences of users, the odds are of the app failing even before it gets started. A good native device experience or catering to device users prefer is another crucial requirement for acceptance.
- Lack of Adequate Marketing
Personal apps available in app stores require extensive marketing and promotions to sustain and thrive. It is a misconception to think enterprise mobility apps do not require such marketing or promotion. Very few enterprise users are likely to download an app just because it is there in the recommended play store. What is different is only the nature of marketing or promotion required.
Enterprises would do well to reach out to the key stakeholders, and purchase their buy-in by making explicit the benefits of using the app, and incentivizing its use. There may also be a case to train app users.
- Security Loopholes
Many people are still wary about installing and using mobile apps, for the security challenges it poses. Their fears are not unfounded either. A 2015 IBM study reveals 40% of large corporations, which includes several Fortune 500 companies, not having the necessary precautions to prevent security breaches in customer apps.
Unsecured API access is a big security risk associated with mobile apps. At any point of time when the developer deals with business logic, validations, or access permissions, they add to the risk and multiply the layers of error-laden complexities. App developers would do well to choose role-based access, based on business logic instead.
- Risk of Inexperienced or Sleazy Developers
The developer can make or break an app, especially when there is a pressing shortage of talent. Even if the developer is talented, there is a very good chance they would end up underestimating the work and effort required, ending up making shortcuts, compromising on key features, and skipping functionalities, to meet the timeline and budget estimates.
There is also the risk of sleazy developers quoting a low estimate and painting a rosy picture to get the work and undertake shoddy implementation. Ascertain the track record of the app development partner before signing a contract.
There is no shortcut to experience, to avoid the above mentioned pitfalls. Partner with us to leverage our considerable experience, and also the expertise of our talented pool of developers. We have developed cutting edge mobility solutions for enterprises across the spectrum. Our solutions have withstood the test of time, and go a long way in transforming the enterprises in which they are deployed. Hundreds of satisfied clients stand testimony to our expertise in developing enterprise mobility solutions.
Mobiles have become all pervasive. Today’s customers and enterprise users alike prefer these devices as the medium of choice. Businesses are increasingly realizing the need to deliver mobile apps and solutions to power their business. However, certain mobile app myths inhibit businesses from leveraging the full potential of mobility to drive growth.
Myth 1: Developing enterprise apps is a long drawn out process
Conventional methods of development are indeed time-consuming. As a rule of thumb, it would take about six months before a new app hits the app store. Multiply the figure by the number of apps required for the business, and an app strategy becomes a non-starter even before it is conceptualized.
However, newer and innovative methods facilitate rapid development and deployment, dispelling the common app development myth of long drawn out process. In fact, using ready-made solutions that require no coding, it is even possible to roll out highly intuitive apps within a few hours or even less! Code-reuse, backend services that speed up integration and other developments also contribute to accelerated development.
The latest cross-platform development approach further reduces development time. Forrester estimates app developers using as much as ten different coding languages, such as JavaScript, HTML5, Objective C, C#, Node.js and more, making the task a complex and resource-intensive one. Newer app platforms, with a “bring your own toolkit” approach allow the use of any coding languages as the developer fancies, reducing the learning curve greatly. Platforms such as Xamarin greatly speed up development by requiring coding of key parts of the application just once and reusing the code across different platforms.
Ready to use cloud-based solutions, for hosting, testing, and other key functions make life still easier for the developer.
Myth 2. Mobile App Development is a One-off Project
One of the biggest app development myth is the development process being a one-off project. Launching an app is akin to starting a business. There is no end in sight, and one can never let their guard down. Just like cutting the ribbon is just the beginning, rolling out the app for users is just the start. Apps need to grow in response to changes in business requirements and changes in technology. If nothing else, the invariable bugs that crop out need to be addressed. A stagnant app will soon become obsolete.
A good approach to adopt is the minimum viable product (MVP) concept, by developing the core functionality, and adopting an iterative product development approach. It offers unbridled flexibility and makes it easier to make changes, as required.
Myth 3: More the function, better the app
A common mobile app myth is considering an app as a miniature version of the enterprise website, and packing in features into it, when the very concept of an app is to offer a specific and focused functionality to a targeted set of users. Apps trying to kill many birds with one stone are almost to a rule slow, difficult to control, bloated, and memory hogs.
High-quality graphics help, but enterprise users seek functionality and ease of getting their job done, over bells and whistles. A clearly defined success, usability (UX), simplicity and above all a clearly defined purpose are the crucial ingredients of success.
A related myth is business apps being data heavy, placing high loads on the device and backend systems. However, the reality is different. An average 4G smartphone is expected to use 5,114 MB per month in cellular data by 2017. The best mobile platforms take large amounts of data from the backend but transmit only a fraction of it to the handset, after filtering it as required. Intuitive developers limit the size of data transfer per app, to say 1 MB or less.
Myth 4: Mobile Applications Come Cheap
For some reason, many people equate mobile solutions with low costs and grossly underestimate the budget for delivering mobility solutions. While simple apps may be developed on the fly with minimal investment, development of highly functional apps requires a lot of effort. A simple UX and powerful features require a complicated backend. As a rule of thumb, more advanced the feature list, higher the cost.
Preparation of the concept, design of the architecture solution, the user interface design and graphics, testing, distribution of the app, user support, and training for end users, all require a sizable investment, more so for using the latest technologies that facilitate accelerated development.
Myth 5: Mobile Applications = Smartphones
Perhaps the biggest myth associated with mobile apps is equating apps with smartphones. While smartphone users are indeed the highest consumers of mobile apps, enterprise apps are equally useful for a host of other devices, including the quintessential tablets, handheld consoles, smart watches, smart glasses, sensor powered things, cars, appliances, and other post-modern devices, suiting a host of business purposes.
In all, mobile apps will be downloaded an estimated more than 248 billion times, and generate a revenue of more than $77 billion, by 2017.
Myth 6: Data Related Myths
Many enterprises, especially those having made large investments in enterprise resource planning (ERP) and other systems are hesitant to develop mobile apps that cannot plug in seamlessly into these existing technologies. Backend systems and APIs such as Sharepoint, MySQL, Oracle, and SAP may not necessarily be accessible through mobile. However, the emergence of enterprise-grade MBaaS (mobile backend as a service) solution with an API infrastructure solves most of these issues and enables mobiles devices to easily access legacy systems.
Myth 7. Mobile App Development Is About Writing Code
Developing a successful mobile app requires much more that coding. Knowledge of Android and iOS technologies is the basic requirement. The comprehensive application design, starting with the initial idea, and covering functionality design, user interface design, graphics requires good expertise, and preferably experience. There is also a need to keep abreast with the latest technology, react to new trends in double-quick time, adapt to latest hardware, and also cater to newer devices such as smart watches.
Each use case varies, resulting in the need for different development languages and toolkits, and requiring connectivity solution for different backend systems and data sources. In the mobile space, support across multiple versions of device operating systems also becomes critical. Cloud-based mobile application platforms make the developer’s life easy, though.
The average development project involves an average of 20 different stakeholders, such as business managers, project managers, developers, in-house IT representatives, employee or end user stakeholders, top management representative, and others. It requires a high level of collaboration to bring these stakeholders together, and ensure the development process takes place seamlessly.
Mobility is much more than developing apps. It requires a wider mobility strategy, and a concentrated effort to deliver cutting edge mobility solution. With our extensive experience cutting over several industries, and a rich talent pool, we are best poised to partner with you in rolling out high-quality mobile apps to further your business, leveraging the full potential of the mobile devices, while at the same time keeping expectations real, separating myth from reality.
A mobile app offers tremendous potential for efficiency, growth, increased revenue, but only if executed right. The development stage is most critical, for faulty execution can render the effort waste, and result in a dysfunctional app that impedes rather than facilitates the business.
Success in developing mobile apps requires clarity of purpose and focus, and to attain it, developers and other stakeholders need to ask some crucial questions.
1. What is the Purpose of the App?
Many times, enterprises are too caught up in the mobility hype, and develop apps just for the sake of it. Such apps may not have a specific purpose, and may actually be another version of the corporate website.
Successful apps are highly focused, catering to a specific function, purpose, or niche. Zero in on the specific purpose, or the precise problem for which the app is being developed. Consider why an app is required for the purpose, how customers may benefit out of it, and how an app can be a better option than a responsive website.
2. Who are the Key Stakeholders?
It is imperative to identify the stakeholders associated with the app upfront. Understand who owns the app, who is funding it, who will be using it, who will benefit from it, who will be responsible for the data that would keep the app functional, who would be responsible for day to day maintenance of the app, and so on. Questions such as who are the decision makers, who all are empowered for the business side of the app, and more, are also pertinent.
The success of any app depends on successful communication with the stakeholders, to understand their requirements, gain clarity on their role, and take feedback. Understanding end users enable app designers to tweak their profile, improving the power of the app considerably.
3.What is the Deadline?
The deadline to release the app is often a function of the purpose. For instance, if the app is meant for a specific sporting event or concert, the entire work becomes waste if the app is not up and running in time for the event. Even otherwise, things change in today’s fast-paced world, and tight deadlines are more the norm than the exception. Even a few days delay can make a big difference in the patronage of the app, or the app serving its intended purpose.
Related to the deadline is the release schedule. It is common enough practice to have multiple release dates for an app, with each release adding new functionality on an incremental basis. Many apps launch different versions, such as for iPhone and Android, on different dates.
4.What is the Programming Methodology?
A basic upfront requirement when it comes to creating a mobile app is creating a wire-frame, which makes explicit how the user will experience and interact with the app. The visual designs and UX is also critical and requires addressing at the very onset.
Another essential requirement is to create product backlog that enables defining and prioritizing the functional and nonfunctional requirements of the app.
Any app requires application programming interfaces, outside services and systems, and integration with third-party vendors. Research on these aspects, arrange for the necessary integration, and factor in the time taken for achieving such validations.
5.How is the App going to be Hosted?
Consider whether the app would be plugged into an existing infrastructure, or whether new infrastructure, such as hosting space, need to be provisioned.
Apps also require post-launch support for bug fixes and tweaks based on user feedback.
6. From where will the App be Downloaded?
The delivery channels of the app can impact the design of the app. For B2B and B2C apps, getting listed on Google Play and iTunes store are critical, and the requirements for listing needs to be addressed at the design and development stage.
Read this blog to get few quick tips for faster approval of iOS apps.
7. What is the Security Blueprint?
Security is an important consideration in today’s high-stakes business environment. Provision adequate security protocols and ensure the code is secure, to pre-empt hackers attacking the corporate network through code vulnerability. A related task to be complete is drafting the privacy policy of the app.
8. Are there Corporate Guidelines or other Considerations to Adhere to?
Enterprise apps may have to adhere to corporate guidelines, such as branding conventions, consistent screen design, the design of the icons, and more. The impact is mostly felt in design considerations.
9. What are the Risks Associated with the Project?
Any app development will face risks and uncertainties that could impede or even subvert the project, or at the very least let timelines go awry. A best practice is to build a risk register at the onset, and document the actions and the stakeholders responsible for the action, for each risk factor.
10. What is the Budget?
The budget is often overlooked when it comes to developing mobile apps, and a major reason is the difficulty in estimating one. With the fragmented mobile marketplace, there are too many variables at play, including multiple operating systems, different testing environments, and more.
Also, an app project goes much beyond the coding and compilation. It involves several critical components such as researching for the app, undertaking competitor analysis, designing an intuitive UX, and more, and all these tasks can influence the budget in a big way. There are also hosting costs, on-going optimization of the app when in use, costs for push notification services, costs for scaling the back end as the user base grows, and more.
The possibilities are endless, but the budget brings in a reality check. The trick is to optimize the possibilities within the constraints of the available budget.
There is no one-size-fits-all method in developing a mobile app. The best approach is customising the process to suit the client. It requires the services of a seasoned and experienced partner who knows to ask the right questions, and guide the client to get the right answers as well. We are competent in this front, having successfully developed a diverse range of mobile apps for many clients, cutting across industries. Contact us now and kick-start your enterprise app development process.