How To Choose an App Developer?

When you are presented with almost endless options for mobile app developers, choosing the right one can be a tricky challenge. When entering relevant keywords, Google shows you considerable names and web directories with the details of popular app development agencies. However, they all have different levels of experience, each having unique understanding of app development process.

Your app will either be a hit in the market or it could be something that users may un-install quickly. This is why it is important to do research before you entrust someone else with your business reputation. You can pick the top development companies if you have a basic understanding of the process and eye for research.

To help you more, here is vital insight and questions you can ask to choose the right app development partner:

1) Client References:

Isn’t this what you should practically make a top-priority criterion when looking for a perfect app project partner? Exploring company’s portfolio is no doubt the foremost factor that almost decides whether or not to consider the agency for your business app. This is also the best work evaluation technique today. You really want to know more about the brands they have served, challenges they have surpassed, technologies they used and how good they did it all in past.

Client references of their portfolio will give your thoughts of selection a little more push you need to discriminate between the mediocre and the superior.

2) Specialized Consultation:

Mobile app development is more than just UX, features and testing. A qualified app development agency must be able to offer consultation on how to market, enrich and publish the app. Strategic consultation is key to making your business competitive and viable. Before selecting the right development partner, check if they have a resilient mobile app development strategy. This will ensure everything is synchronized and they work in clear directions, with clear expectations.

3) Expect Innovative Features and Outstanding Quality:

The market is saturated with big numbers of mobile app development companies. It is tough for you to pick from the thousands of iPhone app builders and Android app developers. But you can reduce the number on your list by inquiring about their history of innovations in past, quality of their apps and remarkable features they have developed for their clients. Always expect the best since there is a lot going on in the world of technology, and possibilities are infinite.

4) The Right Approach:

In general sense of mobile app development industry, app makers should have knowledge enough to build apps that delight users and fans. App making agencies believe in their own set of principles and methods. Having right mobile app development approach means flexibility, agility and best results. But this is possible only when there are highly experienced peers on their team.

With that said, app developer’s approach should be client-focused. They must understand that each project has its own requirements in terms of process, tools, software, testing and skills. Hence, choose the one who has worked on special projects where team efforts are huge and technical challenges are efficiently met.

Questions to ask:

1.Have you worked for the relevant business/industry?

It always gives you an extra edge in the app development process if you can hire someone who has already tried their hands making the same app as the one in your mind. Ask them if they have built similar apps before. If they have experience, it means they know how to resolve common problems down the path.

This also means that they can start better and work faster than other agency who has still no product to show in that category. Such companies understand your business keenly and can give you competitive results.

2.Where can I download your app?

If it is about your business reputation, you should want to dig deep enough. If you are unable to catch more from their public portfolio, ask them to share with you links to download their apps so that you can scrutinize it yourself.

Once you have an access to their app copies, try fiddling with it on different devices and get the look and feel of the product yourself. Ask them what more they could have done with the existing app and if they can rebuild such apps with even more enhanced features and UX for you.

3.Do you develop cross-platform apps?

Set clear goals and expectations from the very beginning about cross-platform app development. Do you want them to make apps for both iOS and Android? If your app is to function for both OS systems, you can ask them if they can build apps using generic coding that can be used for both OS. Your audience could be the wide demographics that want to access the same app from different devices, which requires cross-platform apps. Talk to your mobile app firm in detail about devices preferences and cross-platform development abilities.

 4.What is your idea about app monetization for my app?

You are not making an app just for amusement. Hence, app monetization strategy should be a part of your conversation with app development companies. Ask them what chances your app has to make money via online ad. Will your app keep users coming back to it more often? How to optimize it for that intent? Get clear answers to your curiosity about making money with your app. An experienced app developer must have a few confident responses for you.

5.Do you offer all-round app development services?

Some app development studios limit their services to design elements (UI and UX) whereas others exclude post-deployment maintenance as additional add-on. Even back-end is often comes with extra consideration with some development companies. Also app store submission, ASO (app store optimization) and app marketing are seen as separate chunks off the app development cycle. If you want to get it all done from one agency, make sure you hire someone who is expert in all-round app development capabilities.

6.What kind of communication you prefer during the process?

Communication, as with any business partnership, is the key to ensuring the smooth development process. It establishes clarity and helps keep the client updated about smallest of changes. Make client communication as often – or even daily – as possible via methods you are most comfortable with. You can use Skype, email or intranet methods to keep things transparent and dynamic.

7.How much will the app development cost?

This is the most commonly asked question in app development partnerships. Price is important, but in the market flooded with app developers, you will always manage to find many who claim to build the app in less. However, cost depends on the type of your app and its scope.

If it is for your business, cost should not be a deciding factor. Reduction in cost may make you compromise on quality, app security, coding perfection and even skills and expertise of developers. They won’t do good things in cheap prices. So don’t let the price be the driver of your decision.

Final thoughts:

Once you select an app development partner, there is no going back. It is therefore necessary to be serious about choosing the right app development company. Make your selection process as rigorous as you can by considering all the expectations from your future partner. Your app represents the business and engages customers, thereby bringing more profit. An app designed well can truly make huge difference. Hopefully this guide helps you choose the trusted app development company.

How is Mobile App Technology Influencing the Fashion Industry

The retail fashion industry has seen a tremendous change in 2017. Digital strategies are revamped every now and then to influence the shopping habits of people. Discounts and offers made everyone go mobile for their favourite choices, making renowned brands to capture 40% of the sales. Today, the retail fashion industry has made everyone a mobile app savvy with a wide variety of choices online.

Today, the fashion industry is growing with an ever increasing number of designers, brands, wholesalers and retailers on the online platform, especially the social media.

If the same continues, it will be a high time that all the famous luxury brands will shift their focus from the traditional physical shops, to a more sophisticated mobile app platforms and social medias.

Fashion Industry and Mobile App Technology

According to Gartner, the mobile industry is going to see a rise of 1.5 billion by 2018. So keeping this in mind, the online retailers should manage and develop a mobile strategy for their online selling.  Social network will see a high use due to the rapid expansion of content marketing to lure more users to the apps.

Besides providing data to users through push-notifications and SMS’s, the mobile apps will provide the ease to engage audience and make them without any hassle at the e-commerce store.

And what does all this mean for local shops and retailers? Modern people will find it easier shopping for their favourite brands from the kitchen table or couch,  but certainly that doesn’t match with the fun shopping your parents did physically by going to the market.

Fashion Products and Mobile apps

Fashion products go hand in hand with mobiles. With the ever increasing use of mobile phones around the world, has encouraged the top brands fashion industry to modify their business for the mobile generation.

The features a mobile app provides are as follows:

1.Smart Filters:

The smart filter feature in the apps gives an advantage for the users for finding exactly what they wish for. The filters is divided into factors like avg. customer reviews, price range, colour, size etc. So finding the right size of brand is now hassle-free.

2.Latest Trend News:

A recent study showed that people spend more time looking for a product on the fashion apps when they read about a new trend in the market. This triggers the urge for buying products. Business now use this tricks to attract their customers.

3.Virtual Trial Room:

Well, this theory has been long waited for by many. A virtual trial room uses Augmented reality (AR), where a user can upload his/her pic and try on the item they are looking at. Currently many businesses are using this in their app, one of which is lenskart where you can try out their frames by simply uploading your face picture.

4.Offer and Deals

This certainly turns on the women. Offers and discounts offered on your favourite brands is all you ever wanted. Businesses now market their strategies though SMS’s and emails.

Conclusion:

The IT industry never halts, and hence the market for Mobile app development. Looking at the current fashion trend, we can certainly expect a lot more changes to happen in the coming years. These trends will allow the retailers to offer some entirely new experiences while shopping.

How Does an iOS App Help In Promoting Business Globally?

Smartphones, as the name suggests, performs operations in smartest possible ways, faster than human. Due to the rise of innovative applications and their interactive capabilities, smartphones have penetrated users’ lifestyle. With almost 75% of the world population relying on their smart digital devices, business owners have also begun to take the power of smartphones more seriously.

Whether it is Android or iOS app development, these handy devices offer incredible opportunities for companies to engage their customers. But a recent 2017 survey reveals that Apple store contains 2 million apps, and businesses prefer iOS platform and iOS app development services for capturing their target audience.

So the question is, why iOS apps are preferred over any other platform for business promotion on global platform? Here in this blog, you will get the ultimate answer.

Outstanding Benefits of Choosing iOS apps for Business Promotion

Apple, as the whole world would concede, is the world leader, not only in the matters of weaving revolutionary innovations but also as a pioneer of changing the way we live life. Time after time, ever since its establishment in late 70’s, Apple has been a benchmark in presenting ground breaking approach towards using the technology. Therefore, iOS app development has grown enormous. When it comes to enhancing business growth and giving it a global value, iOS platform offers everything customers need.

Here are some of the benefits of choosing iOS apps especially for business promotion:

1) Solid reputation and market domination

History of mobile technology is a proof to how Apple’s iOS platform provides a solid ground for businesses to develop their apps. Of all platforms, iOS is the one with gigantic customer base and influential reputation as the best ever platform in the world. Despite the fact that Google’s Android owns more users than iOS, it still remains the most bragged about platform in the eyes of trust seekers. Due to impressive base of elite customers, iOS is regarded as the platform that helps businesses boost their sales and ROI.

2) Enterprise-centric nature of iOS apps

iOS apps are designed to fulfil the business needs to reach and acquire valuable clients and increase ROI. With one after another innovations updating the app store, businesses at large find it convenient to promote and advertise their products and services using enterprise-centric iPhone apps. Due to high demand and use of iOS apps, businesses owners tend to look for iOS app development services to build a mature, fully fledged app.

3) Innovations at large

Apple has a worldwide reputation of offering devices that bring flexibility and freedom for business owners to engage with their clients from any location. It is known for remarkable innovations that attract more and more customers to its app store. For instance, Apple pay enables paying money with utmost ease, making it flexible for iPhone users to shop at ecommerce stores without any hassle. Such apps pique the interest of maximum users and increase the customer retention rate.

4) iOS provides highest security standards

The reason why people from developed countries – UK and US and Europe – trust Apple is that iOS guarantees uncompromised security. With the help of an iOS app development company, you can build a robust, secure app with sophisticated features. While using such apps, users can share their personal information without a fear of outside threats, virus or malware. Hence, the amount of security iOS offers is one of prominent aspect of iOS.

5) Global business growth

iPhone, because of its capability and potential, is most celebrated in many developed countries in the world, especially in USA and UK. That is why choosing iPhone app development will give you a unique edge in the market, knowing that your apps will be recognized by high-paying customers. The citizens of these countries are glued to their iPhone devices, which means you can gain the best chance to appear big in the global market.

6) Maximum downloads and revenue generation

Compared to other apps, most iOS apps come up with better revenue generation and monetization strategy. Since each app has outstanding features and world-class offerings, iPhone users do not hesitate to pay a small chunk for such apps, which ultimately results in higher number of downloads and considerable revenue. Apple is determined to bring stunning updates for their loyal customers, and encourage businesses to develop delightful functionality in order to appeal to more and more users. Many apps in Apple store has in-app rewards or other significant perks – which keeps more users coming and using the app.

Conclusion:

Above discussion makes it clear that iPhone and other Apple devices epitomize trust and quality, which means users are smitten by iOS apps. This allows businesses to take advantage of its massive usability of iOS apps and its growing potential in the world market. For any business to grow global, iOS app development services provide the perfect business environment where innovations contribute to consistent revenues and higher customer engagement. Corporate companies and startup businesses can think of iPhone apps as a reliable opportunity to connect with their world audience and develop their business globally. Apple store contains apps that are clean, organized and feature-rich, and best loved. By making a grand business app means approaching your future customers with an unfailing promotional and advertising tool.

Steps to Build Apps using Xamarin in Visual Studio

Xamarin is a cross-platform technology that makes the development of simple form of native mobile apps for Android, iOS and Windows. Using a shared codebase, Xamarin allows the development team to build mobile apps with the help of skills they already possess, thereby, spending lesser time on writing code for each platform.


Xamarin provides its users a complete access to Android and iOS APIs with making any change in language and data structure. To ensure a smart and easy flowing visual studio mobile app development, it is important for an individual to follow certain steps as mentioned below:

1. Setup and install Visual Studio and Xamarin

The first step towards building an Android or Windows app using Visual Studio and Xamarin is to ensure that these two are properly setup and installed in the system. In case a person is working on developing an iOS app, then he/she needs to ensure a proper installation of a Mac with Xamarin and Xcode.

Once the setup and installation of the two is successful, the next step is to confirm and verify whether everything is setup for development procedure to start.

2. Create a solution

The next step is to create a Xamarin solution using native UI. This can be done by following a few simple steps as mentioned below:

  • Create a new blank app solution and name it as Weather App. One can easily find this template by searching for ‘Native Portable’ in search engine
  • On clicking Ok, one gets to see a number of individual projects such as WeatherApp (Portable), WeatherApp.Droid, WeatherApp.iOS, etc.
  • Add Newtonsoft.Json and NuGet package to the PCL project that can be used to process information obtained from weather data service
  • Once Newtonsoft.Json is installed successfully, one must find and install Microsoft.Net.Http package
  • Once the above steps are complete successfully, the system is ready to build a new solution.
  • On successful completion, one must ensure to confirm that there are no build errors in the development

3. Share the data service code on different platforms

The best aspect of developing any app using Xamarin is that the code is written in portable library class (PCL), which makes it easier to be shared on different platforms. In case of an Android, iOS and Windows apps, PCLs are automatically included in the package.

4. Design the look and feel of the app

Design of an app plays an important role in its success or failure. Therefore, one must be extra careful when designing these apps. To design the look and feel of the app, one needs to follow a few simple steps as mentioned below:

  • Go to the solution explorer, expand the WeatherApp.Droid>Resources>layout folder to open Main.axml and the file in the visual designer
  • Delete the default button present in the designer
  • Open the toolbox to drag a RelativeLayout control on the designer. This control will be used as a parent container for all other controls
  • Go to the Properties window to set the background property. This should be followed by the pulling of Text View control onto the Relative Layout control that can, the, be used to set various properties such as zipcode, number, etc.
  • Finally go to the properties window and sort the list as per one’s own choice

5. Replace shared code

Once the solution is ready, one can open its file in the code editor so as to replace the automatically geneayed UI code

6. Run the app

The app is now ready to use. One can opt to make it a start-up project in explorer or use it on the most suitable device.

7. Test the app

Checking an app developed for Android is easy as one needs to use Visual Studio Android Emulator. All one needs to do is select the app project, choose a device to copy and then click to start. The app is perfect to be used by all if it runs perfectly on Android device.

Testing an app for iOS is a bit different as it requires an iOS Mac to copy the content. One needs to set up and connect to Visual Studio followed by selecting the app project, switching the design plan to iPhone Simulator and then finally, choosing the version of device used and click Play. X`

On successful completion of the above mentioned steps, one gets ready with an app that has been developed on Xamarin. Since the platform is rich in its properties such as code sharing, efficiency and use of single technology stacks, the platform is getting preference among the developers. The apps developed for each platform are different and unque, including visual studio mobile app development. Therefore, it is better to use Xamarin Cross-Platform Development rather than taking a new sort of risk.

13 Ways by which Apps have Revolutionized the Education System

Mobile applications have been helping education for some time now. However, COVID-19 has made it much more self-evident. In 2019, we all witnessed the closure of schools and educational institutions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. While educational institutions had no option except to close their doors, students could not access online classes due to the availability of applications. Students could connect, ask questions, write tests, utilize the library, submit assignments, and do nearly all they did when schools were open at the ease of a few clicks.

The biggest benefit of mobile apps is that students can learn from the comfort of their bedroom from anywhere and anytime. Due to the availability of these mobile apps, education has become a continuous process and is not limited to traditional classrooms or what teachers teach.

Additionally, schools and educational institutions can now teach students online, provide e-learning resources, mentor students and keep an eye on each student’s performance with ease. In short, mobile apps have slowly changed the traditional age-old classroom teaching and enabled them to incorporate smart learning.

To sum up the power of mobile apps in education, here are 13 ways mobile apps have revolutionized the education system.

1. Reduces the Cost of Learning

During pre-COVID times, students had to travel to different countries to learn. With the adoption of mobile apps, students can be in Australia, get admission into an educational institution in Canada and attend online classes in the comfort of home. Students no longer have to spend money on traveling, accommodation, and other costs that come with traditional school learning.

In short, mobile apps help students grow, learn creatively, and adapt to digital ways of learning at a low cost.

2. 24×7 Presence

The mobile app is available for students 24×7, helping them learn at their own pace and clear doubts wherever and wherever they want. In a traditional classroom, the timing of classes is limited, and no educational institution can open schools 24×7. The mobile apps facilitate the flexibility to learn, eliminating the stress about time and schedules.

Several mobile apps enable students to connect with teachers personally to resolve their queries. The mobile apps eliminate the stress of students who are not comfortable asking doubts in a traditional classroom setup.

3. Resonates With All Demographics

The intimidating fist of mobile technology has banged interestingly against the walls of age-old traditions of the educational industry. In a traditional classroom setup, teachers would struggle to teach toddlers as it was hard to keep them engaged throughout the class.

Mobile apps gamify the learning process with the help of technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and more. Students no longer have to pass on the lessons; instead, they can learn the concept by learning from the practical application of ideas. The graphics, charts, pictures, colors make the learning fun and interactive at the same time.

Educational mobile app development services have blown the trumpet of helping the entire range of demographics to achieve their goals in the most desirable way on earth.

4. Fresh Models Enabled with M-Learning

Seen immensely as a personalized way of learning, modern mobile devices are sophisticated enough to champion the M-learning process. The costs of hand-held devices are getting low day after day, which further enhances their ubiquity and usability. Apart from games, socials, entertainment, what makes mobile app development fruitful is using apps for educating oneself.

Read Also : 15 Best Learning Apps For Kids 2021

There is also a ripple of open learning models and thoughtful initiatives where people can upload and contribute their observations and insight, making it a dependable research tool. Such a series of educational revolutions will drive a great paradigm shift in the industry.

5. Time-Saving Solution

Initially, people used to commute to the office and were not getting enough time on learning and development. Due to the availability of leisure time due to the WFH model, adults and working professionals are now able to attend online classes from the comfort of their homes. This aids in upskilling and securing a better position in their organization.

6. Immense Synchronization among Educators, Students & Parents

Collaboration is a crucial element while learning, and there has to be seamless synchronization between students and teachers to convey information efficiently. In traditional classroom methods, educational institutions were not able to involve parents in their child’s learning.

Mobile apps have made it possible for parents and pupils alike to track progress. Educational Apps like TeacherKit, Evernote and Dropbox are quite helpful when it comes to monitoring students’ performance, attendance, grade status, assessment, etc.

This immense collaboration keeps parents informed and establishes a tremendous virtual bond between educators, students and their parents.

7. Taking Education Inside and Outside the Premise

Now a day a new trend enables students to remain connected to their future classroom lectures even outside the institute premises. An amazing technology, The Flipped Classroom has risen to innovate classroom activities and give it a better shape and structure. Students can adopt this practice to watch lectures, content videos and much more at home.

8. Great Aid for Disabled Young Children

If apps like this can enhance the world of normal-brained people, it can surely change the world of mentally challenged children. Mobile app development experts are busy creating mobile apps, specially designed for kids who are slow or unresponsive to conventional learning processes.

These apps are going to help such children suffering from certain mental issues (like dyslexia) fight the challenges and overcome their disabilities.

9. Boundless Learning, Timeless Transformation

Now that augmented reality, artificial intelligence and IoT have struck the chord of digital innovations, education industry also seems quite prepared to absorb the new trends of educational apps. The education landscape is bettered by portable technology with its smart notepad courses, virtual interactions and video streaming.

Coursera and TED are a couple of such apps that have made the learning more fascinating, enjoyable and intelligent. This educational transformation is timeless depending on its adoption speed, and it promotes learning with virtually no boundaries at all.

10. Smart Classes, Smart Exchange

Implementing technology in education was a huge thing for educators. The traditional classroom setup was limited to the art of chalk and talk. Due to mobile apps, educators can conduct smart classes where students engage differently with their imparting teachers using technology as a preferred medium. They can stream video on a big screen, or open illustrators in 3D holograms or submit their projects using a smart mobile app in a single touch.

Read Also : 18 Best Apps For Teachers & Educators 2020

In school, unconventional learning is becoming so common as they are trained progressively to learn all about how to use fresh technologies like Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, AI and IoT. The combination of advanced virtual and augmented reality can help them touch science and experience practical processes of body’s anatomy as if it is all so real.

Educational mobile app development services today have built imaginative mobile apps that children can work on their devices to send their assignments and get them reviewed remotely. This greatly benefits children who live far from education centres.

11. Digital Educational Apps Is Annihilation of Poverty

The revolution of digital learning is not just for the developed countries, as computers, tablets and mobile phones are growing affordable, even children who have limited resources have started using them. Even these underprivileged kids can engage in educational apps and liberate themselves from outmoded school education systems.

Poor children can see the digital revolution as an opportunity to adopt agile ways of learning and upgrade their living standards through online education.

12. Educational Apps Eliminate Gender Bias

Even after massive development across countries, there are still places where young women and girls are forbidden from formal education. Here is where mLearning comes which allows women to take education forward using mobile apps discreetly.

13. Sustainable Solution

After all, mLearning apps do not involve any use of paper, pencil or other disposable plastic material. As we know, earth is at risk of losing its inherent charm and health. This is the reason why utilizing eco-friendly methods are a prevalent concern across many parts of the globe because of its environmental consequences.

As kids get accustomed to using mobile apps, there is much certainty of sustainability of nature. Mobile educational apps are sustainable when compared to the dangerous use of pencils and cardboard and notebooks.

There would be almost no paper-made tangible reference book or textbook for many crucial fundamentals of learning some primary subjects and other topics where practical illustrations work miracles. The download of a book is just a finger-tip away, which means saving of a lot many trees.

Conclusion:

Digitalization is a wave that touches every industry that comes its way, and COVID-19 has made all of us realize its importance. The world has partially adopted the NEW NORMAL, and the use of mobile apps in our daily life is no more a choice.

From entertainment, chatting to shopping and online bookings, there is rarely any sector that isn’t interrupted by the global COVID-19 pandemic. It seems that the much-proclaimed thought of ‘there is an app for that is becoming a reality over a course of countable years.

But these innovations have not only revolutionized the education industry but it has transformed and redefined the meaning of education as well. Educational mobile apps development services have stretched their wings to show how education is everybody’s right, whether rich or poor, male or female.

Explained above are just some of the many ways mobile apps have revolutionized the global education system and helped make virtual classrooms easy, affordable, and accessible to everyone.

Also Check: Latest Updated Educational Apps Directory List

Fundamentals of Mobile App Development for a Start-up

Year after year, the need to realize that mobile apps has become the formidable tool to attract customers and drive sales has inspired businesses to invest in mobile app development. The mobile-first strategy stems from the fact that the use of mobiles not only helps customers engage with the products but also allows them to interact and respond to what they experience. Be it shopping online or chatting with friends, mobile app users remain increasingly dedicated to their personal devices for assorted purposes.

The reason why today’s companies, big or small, are thinking of having a business mobile app is that more than 50% of people in the world uses smartphone. It comes as no surprise that nearly 70% of the global internet traffic is coming from mobile devices.

Such an enormous amount of mobile users offers a solid ground for business owners and marketing strategists to build a viable app.

A survey from Clutch.co reveals that close to 47% of small businesses across the US view the launching of their mobile apps as a wise investment and a fruitful plan for future profit.

However, to meet the rising demands from customers is a massive challenge for both business app owners and developers. Building complex enterprises apps could be quite a leap for start-up organizations who have just ventured a few good steps in this area. In order to fulfil the expectations from client’s side and of consumers, these start-ups require a strategic investment of exceptional research abilities, flexibility and stringent work methods while developing an app.

Here are some of the most essential fundamentals of mobile app development for every mobile app creating start-up company who wants to make it big in the business:

1) Cross-platform Enterprise Mobile Apps

Despite the fact that any start-up can achieve their goals through gradual from-basic-to-scalable process, the best way to hit the mark in quick efforts is to conform to cross-platform app development standards. To elaborate it further, startup companies that start building apps that work equally well across all device platforms are among those getting recognized faster in the world.

From utility, banking & finance, travel & booking appointments right down to social media and online shopping apps, modern customers are looking for sophisticated apps that accommodate all of their needs, the smallest and the biggest. Hence, the enterprises that deliver the software products and services desire to shake hands with those developers who have world-class expertise to take up sharp challenges and develop multi-facility apps designed to work across many available platforms.

2) An Approach Towards Dynamic Functionalities

Since enterprise mobile applications clearly mean developing apps with dynamic functionalities, startup industry must work on providing high-end superior-quality apps from scratch. The end users of such apps can be business users or, alternatively, consumers. They like to explore a heterogeneous set of interactive functionalities such as GPS, transactions, messages, responsiveness, sensors, and even audio/video. This should support their phones, tablet, wearable devices and IoT connected gadgets.

For this dream to be real, your mobile app development startup firm must be conversant with using right tools, technologies, research capabilities and development processes.

3) Innovative Apps can Accelerate Startup Growth

Now a days, enterprises refuse to compromise on developing apps that are creative, innovative and thoughtfully designed. Corporate Enterprise companies are especially interested in having an app that helps them connect with their customers and represent their business like a tangible brick-and-mortar structure. They demand dynamic app options for managing their account and customers, tracking their online behaviour, or creating a rich social media for enhanced level of engagement.

With large number of apps being developed and released every day, it is pivotal for mobile app development startup industry to give shape to an influential, result-oriented app that befits all magnitude of businesses and acquires maximum customers.

4) Discern the Clarity of your Goals:

Knowing your goals enrich your vision and helps you develop apps that hit the precise pain point and transform into a remarkable success story. Define and set your final goals where you want to reach so that you can make a clear strategy and avoid confusion down the path of development. Once you are aware of the outcome, it becomes easier to face the challenges down the line.

The primary goal of having an app is to penetrate the existing digital market, engage customers and boost sales number.

Proper analysis:

detailed analysis of the product and target audience helps you build an effective app. Find out the actual behaviour of the target market and trends that are heating up, which will in a way determine the demographics of end users – business customers or youngsters or children. Align with customer’s exact requirements so that you will be able to match the developed product perfectly with the envisioned product.

Test of compatibility:

If you are on your way to build an impeccable mobile app, make sure it is compatible across all platforms and devices used by the target audience. Cross-platform mobile app  development therefore is preferred more than native apps to reach maximum users.

5) Choice of Technology

Before choosing any technology platform, one must ensure it is feasible in every way possible. The final product must come out robust, usable and highly functional. The most ubiquitous platforms are iOS, Windows and Android, and they are evolving rapidly with frequent handy updates. These platforms make it practically possible for developers to build unique features and impressive interface to deliver outstanding user experience. Choosing the right platform means your apps will be supported by numerous devices used by customers.

6) Security and Speed Efficiency

Monitoring the responses of the app functionality is conceived as the best idea. Doing so eliminates the scope of errors and eventually builds an engaging and interesting app. Make it a practise to identify obstacles in the existing product and improve its standard before its finally deployed.

Security problems are potential threats to customers who will become the end users of the app. Choose a reliable, secure, authentic resources and industry-standard processes to build the app to ensure its highly secure.

The app you design must be able to function and run in the normal internet environment. Make sure the app remains effective and healthy so that users can access it all the time. Also, the app should respond instantly to process customer requests in time.

7) Testing Quality and Consistency

Testing the app is a crucial stage for any developer as it confirms whether or not the app is ready to venture into the online app store. Anideal app testing method must include testing on different devices of varied screen sizes in order to measure its performance and view its compatibility. Check its quality and how it appears on all the devices. This will help you check if all the features and functionality of the app works consistently on all devices that customers are likely to use.

Apart from this, the developer must also necessarily maintain the consistency while coding the app to make sure the entire mobile app development process, along with its documentation and program updates and interface, is genuine, consistent and unblemished.

8) Introduce a Pilot Version

Once the development team is confident that they have built a well-tested, mature and fully functional app, they can go for launching the pilot product. The course of ideal mobile app development must end with the launch of pilot version. It helps developers receive the feedback and responses from the users and judge the success of the app. you can approach your colleagues, friends and family to use the app so that you can practically find loopholes if any. Their feedbacks can be taken and processed to assess the functioning of its top features so that you can determine its most admired and underrated features.

Finally, get ahead of the competition

Mobile apps are in great demand, and enterprises require better face of apps to accelerate the growth prospect of their respective business and improve their existing working system. The challenges are intense and need your skilled efforts. One of biggest challenges in this area is fierce competitors. Therefore, start-up mobile app development companies must invest their focus to deliver the highly evolved and innovative product that gratifies customers, earning them high ROI.

The best way to get ahead of the competition is to extract feedback from experts who have substantial experience in using or reviewing the similar product. Being in involved in the competitive IT scene, your app must have something unique to offer and have better run speed, stunning aesthetics and good accessibility.

Top 9 Trends On iOS App Development

As the year 2017 is heading towards the end of its journey, it leaves behind a scene of great technological transformations in the area of iOS app development. Because of its envious technological revolutions, iPhone users always expect significant uniqueness from Apple. Moreover, iOS users tend to spend way more on apps than Android users. Therefore, Apple store is overwhelmed with more than 1 million apps. This is also why Apple never stints on bringing surprising innovations.

In 2017 alone a number of innovations were introduced, including Swift 3.0 programming language, iOS 11 version update or a shift towards AR technology. They all have changed the way iPhone app developers build apps. To understand these changes, here is the list of top 9 trends on iOS app development 2017.

1.Swift 3.0 Programming Language:

Initially creating a lot of curiosity, Swift platform has now completed more than two years. This open source programming language accommodates many complex iOS application development requirements, with the help of its unique set of coding methods and frameworks. It has surpassed the Objective C language with the introduction of Swift 3.0 in Xcode 8 which is more advanced compiler infrastructure. Swift 3.0 helps iOS developers write codes easily, all thanks to Xcode tools. However, some of the latest updates in 3.0 also means that developers need to adapt to new API design guidelines, naming conventions, modified GCD, core graphics, etc. These changes also suggest that iOS app developers have to consider updated migration needs and ways to utilize the increased smartness of APIs and accelerated speed of app development process.

2.Augmented Reality Drives Excellence and Delight:

Augmented Reality has now fairly become a familiar term in the world of technological revolutions. After successfully showing promises in sectors like education, gaming, retail, manufacturing, maintenance and many other commercial sectors, AR has also invaded the domain of iPhone app development. Because of its GPS capability, the concept of using AR has intrigued iOS app developers by great extent in 2017. The use of AR in gaming industry has been a massive influence for iOS app developers integrating generous potential of AR for highly advanced and upgraded 3D gaming experience. The Augmented Reality as a trend strikes iSO users dominantly adding excellence to iOS application development and making user experience much more delightful and fascinating.

3.IoT Touching the Consumer Market:

Despite receiving a reluctant start, consumer IoT is now going leaps and bounds day after day. Ever since HomeKit was released at the developer’s forum, it is reaping impressive responses in the field of consumer iOS app development services. The use of effortless, hassle-free remote control IoT for interconnected devices has gained its boost through integration of iBeacon technology creating a flawless control of multiple devices. With the unbelievable success in GPS sensor based technology this year, it has become possible for iOS app developers to take things further with consumer applications. Businesses and big brands are willing to opt for IoT, showing utmost interest in having iOS app developers integrate it in their business apps.

4.Marketing Goes Sophisticated With iBeacon and GPS:

GPS technology can show more surprises than it has previously. GPS in coordination with iBeacon technology can offer integrated location based tracking and is used by iPhone app developers to create solutions that help businesses serve their customers precisely. Due to location based preferences derived from GPS integration, it is easy for brands to focus their marketing efforts on individual customers.

iBeacon technology has shown effective results for businesses for quite a while and iOS app developers are ready to take the power of the technology to next level. In 2017, iOS 11 was introduced with its advanced separate controller for device or appliance. This, when combined with GPS sensors, is capable of offering the incredible power of remote controlling.

5.Security Problems: Still a Battle for Developers

Apple has now gone relaxed around its proprietorship policies and made some of its services open source to engage more developers and encourage more creativity. However, this approach provokes the frowns over security. The glorious integration of superlative technologies like AR, VR, its home grown iBeacon and IoT often induce challenges of security concerns for iPhone app developers. Despite their great calibre to capture more audience, these technologies require developers to focus on increasing security against vulnerable threats. This is because consumers feel increasingly dependent on their Smartphones for most intimate information and banking transactions, security becomes the core subject needing much more attention.

6.iOS for M-commerce App

After the disruption of apps in eCommerce industry, customers feel more delighted at the speed and security they enjoy in M-commerce mobile apps. These apps offer more convenience, simplicity and compact shopping store structure which is far more superior than responsive websites in terms of customer experience. In 2017 the eCommerce industry observes this drastic change, and as a result iOS M-commerce apps are the main focus of eCommerce stores.

Since online internet users and shoppers now increasingly prefer placing their order from dedicated well-crafted mobile apps, M-commerce in iOS app development is growing at exponential rate. Due to high demand of eCommerce mobile apps in the market, iOS app developers can have sumptuous opportunity to fully integrate app system with iOS device to take advantage of its whole set of feature.

7.iOS Business Apps For Enterprise Market:

After consumer apps, iOS business apps are largely being appreciated in enterprise market for the leverage and efficiency it offers. This year, the Apple’s iPad has surprised the enterprise world by tremendous extent, delivering substantial results for enterprises at large. This success of iOS business apps gives enormous stimulus to iPad app development, making iPad a priority device for both enterprise market and iPad apps developers. Moreover, Apple’s integration of iBeacon technology pushed the boundaries when it comes to building iOS applications that bring incredible benefits for commercial and marketing area.

8.Cloud Computing Technology Rules 2017:

Users of all kinds work across multiple apps and access their information from multiple devices. At organizational level, employees tend to access mails through special Gmail accounts. This is attributed to cloud computing technology now becoming famous among iOS developers. iOS app developers seriously consider the idea of opting for scalable potential of cloud storage.

The cloud computing in iOS is focused more on enterprise market where performance plays a vital role. Due to its ability to empower businesses with functionality and efficiency, there is an increased use of iPad, Mac and Apple watch in 2017. This further inspires the trend of enterprise app development through cloud based iOS apps.

9.Wearable Apps for Apple watch:

The smart intelligence is getting tinier, and yet is giving rise to ample thrill and admiration among Apple fans. Such is the case with Apple Watch whose growth in the Wearable devices market is dazzling. At its launch, there was a boost of 80+ million in iOS apps downloads. Earlier seen as a status enhancer, Apple Watch has not only shown the power of smallest dimensions in the world of Smart technology but also pushed it to next level. From 2016 to 2017, the number of iWatch users have increased in thousands and so has the volume of apps (being 5 figures now) for iWatch OS.

Due to massive worldwide fan club of iWatch wearable devices, iOS app developers must gravitate enthusiastically towards developing user-oriented, creative, customized apps for Apple wearables. According to latest ripple of news, Apple watch will also be used for the convenience of contactless payment which will prove quite a revolutionary experience for its users.

Wrapping Up:

If there is a technology or fashion, there will be a turbulence of trends. But if technology becomes a big fashion, all there remains is a storm. This is the truth realized on the scene of today’s rapidly evolving technology. Apple, being a leader of innovations, focuses its vision on upcoming trends happening in iOS application development. The trends and updates discussed above are gradually tightening its grip over the enterprise and commercial market alike, creating much more grounds for marketers to invest their inventiveness and creativity using latest innovative updates from Apple. Although they are a bit of a challenge in itself, businesses can better find a way to utilize its power and make their brands stand out with technology-enabled competitiveness.

Why Choose Mobile App Development Companies in Pune?

The rapid evolution of smart phones has made mobile app development industry quite an expansive one. Pune in India is often considered as a top choice to develop mobile apps for both iOS and Android. So why should you choose mobile app development companies in Pune? Let’s find out.

1) Wealth of IT Resources

Being a top tier city in India, Pune attracts a huge number of IT talent in the country. This means there is high competition among the developers inevitably resulting in better skill development.  You are guaranteed of a minimum project quality and quick turnaround time. Also, in case a web developer chooses to leave it half way through, the app development company you hire can easily find a replacement.

2) Lower Cost, Better Quality

The technology ecosystem in Pune allows global customers to avail high quality app development services at low costs. There are multiple factors like the presence of a huge number of IT companies, skilled developers and designers, etc apart from lower living costs which ensure your app development cost remains under control.

3) Work Experience

Mobile app development companies in Pune often have a large workforce with a mixture of experienced and fresh resources. These developers are continuously assigned projects on which they work together. This gives even relatively less experienced developers a great amount of work experience.

4) Testing Services

Testing is a vital part of any software before it gets to the customer. Pune hosts a number of individual testing companies as well as companies that offer software testing in addition to mobile app development services.

5) Reliability

When compared to freelancers or companies from obscure cities, hiring a mobile app development company from Pune offers much better reliability. Your project would not be left half way and you would be able to get regular updates through Project Managers.

6) Latest Technology

Being one of the top technologically-aware cities in India, app developers in Pune stay updated on the latest trends, features etc and try to apply them to their work. Thus you would be able to enjoy positive suggestions from developers to implement amazing new features. Such features can make your app a much more interesting proposition for your target audience.

To conclude, apart from the general benefits in India, there are numerous advantages to outsourcing your app development to Pune. If you have any valuable insights to share, please make your comment in the comment section below.

Why do Enterprises Prefer Swift to Develop iOS Apps?

Over the last few years, there has been an upsurge in the number of mobile phone applications being developed by the business houses. This is majorly owing to the rapid increase in the number of mobile phone users and market across the globe.

In such a scenario, it becomes essential to focus on developing such applications that are user-friendly, easy to use and understandable. With iOS taking a lead in introducing new and latest products in the market, it is essential to use such an iOS app development programming language that turns the app into a high-performing application.

Among the large number of iOS app development programming languages, Objective-C and Swift are the most popular. However, gradually Swift is taking over the entire market. Swift is a programming language that has been developed by Apple to serve general purposes.

Used mainly to develop codes for iOS, Watch OS, Linux, and TVOS, the language offers its users a number of value add features of Objective-C, which, in turn, make it an ideal programming language to build user-friendly and engaging apps.

Preferred by numerous top-notch companies, there are several reasons for giving Swift a preference as an iOS app development programming language.

1.Easy to Read

As compared to Objective-C that makes use of @ to differentiate different keywords and types from C-types, Swift can unify all the keywords and culminates the need of the numerous @ symbols. Swift also ends the need of using semicolons at the end of each lines.

Instead, it makes use of the standard comma-separated list of parameters within parenthesis. All these and similar other changes have enabled the development of a simplified and cleaner language.

2.Low Maintenance

Unlike C and Objective-C programming languages that uses two-code files to improve the build time of executable app development, Swift combines the Objective-C header (.h) and implementation files (.m) into a single code file (.swift).

This is because the Xcode and LLVM compiler can easily figure out dependencies during development as well as enable incremental builds automatically in Swift 1.2.

The language is also helpful in reducing the workload on programmer, which, in turn, allows them to spend more time on developing the logic of the app.

3.Ensured Safety

As compared to Objective-C in which calling an uninitialized pointer turns the line of code no-op and causes a huge number of bugs, it is possible to keep a nil optional value clear in Swift. This implies that a compiler error would be generated if a person writes a bad code.

Read also : 9 Skills you Need to Become a Hireable iOS Developer

Writing codes in Swift saves a lot of time and money as bugs and errors can be fixed while the code is written. The optional types and value types keep it clear in the method definition if a value exists or if it can be kept as optional.

4.Amalgamated with Memory Management

Using Swift programming language can lead to better productivity as it provides support for Automatic Reference Counting (ARC) across the technical and object-oriented code paths. Using Swift ends the programmer’s responsibility to handle memory management.

When working with different Graphics APIs available on iOS. Moreover, the best part of using Swift is it ends the problem of huge memory leaks that a programmer might face with other programming languages.

5.Requires Less Coding

Swift uses less amount of codes especially in the case of string manipulations and repetetive statements. This is because Swift makes use of the modern features available for programming languages. For instance, it adds two strings by using “+” operator.

The language also allows for string interpolation. This, in turn, ends the need to learn tokens and instead, makes it easier for programmers to add variables directly inline to a user-facing string, such as a label or button title.

6.Fewer Name Collisions

Swift language provides in-built name spaces. This, in turn, allows the same code file to work across different projects without requiring any special names such as CG Point (Core Graphics). The availability of this feature in Swift improves productivity of programmers by ending the need of bookmarking.

It is also easy to differentiate classes for the programmers using Swift as it allows to do so using the same namespace identifier. This feature has enables multiple software companies to create the same code filenames without the concern of any sort of collisions when integrating open source projects.

7.Supports Dynamic Libraries

This is one of the biggest reason for Swift being a preferred iOS app development programming language. Using dynamic libraries is advantageous as these include executable group of code that can be linked to an app. This, in turn, allows for easy link between the existing Swift apps with its newer versions.

Read also : Importance of the Programming Language ‘Swift’ in iOS Development

It is with the evolving of Swift that has enabled the support of dynamic libraries on iOS, even while these were already supported on Mac. The enabling of this feature has made the programming language changes and improvements to take place faster without making its users to wait.

In simple words, Swift programming language is a boon for the programmers. Apart from the above, the language is also more approachable and fully featured. While the world can notice its role in the development of iOS apps, the day will come soon when it will also be used for the development of other Apple applications.

Must-have Features for Modern Mobile Messengers

Nowadays users wish to use messenger apps not just for basic texting but wish to perform more superior actions such as calling, sending multimedia objects(audio, video, images, documents etc.) while still keeping their security intact.

Like Whatsapp, you may want to create a chat app with outstanding features that define its success. Some of them are:

1) User Login:

There are two options when it comes to allowing users to subscribe to your app’s messenger services. Whatsapp comes with little restrictions and offer users to sign up by typing their phone number and receiving a confirmation message from the app. It simplifies onboarding process for them.

However, things have changed and your app can now support multiple devices. Also, users will be asked to go through a proper sign up process in order to avoid security issues so that people you exchange messages with will have limited access to your online profile. You can decide ultimately which option is more viable for your audience.

2) Rugged and Capable Backend:

You must not compromise while adding high capability to your backend architecture from scratch. Your server will eventually deal with loads of content and messages, which requires you to avoid any occurrence of system downtime. Whatsapp had a robust protocol called XMPP to handle and organize heavy load of messages that are exchanged between users and servers.

The protocol supports group as well as one-on-one communication with its secure, scalable and flexible system. Ejabberd is one of scalable, customizable and system-friendly XMPP server that ensures massive security and trustworthy SSL/TSL encryption.

To create a chat app, you can even opt for other available dedicated servers to process and store multimedia files and messages of dynamic nature for seamless management of high-load communications.

3) Emoticons:

People have gone crazy with the usage of emoticons. There are entire conversations that make use of just emoticons. A chat app cannot ignore them quite easily.

4) Personalized Experience through Geo-location Sensing:

Like Whatsapp, you can allow your mobile chat app users to share their status and specific location. It will be great if you can even capitalize on this feature to generate small revenue per each user.

Take Geolocation to next level by monetizing it and letting nearby stores to advertise their products deals and offers through several messages that will appear on users’ mobile as they stroll by the store.

5) Push Notifications:

Push notification is a handy message used by service providers for communication between a provider and a user. From time to time, these messages update users about small events/activities that may matter to you.

You can avail push messages to tell users about available online friends, group friends status, message reception, and if they have read it and responded. You can think of many creative ways to use push notifications to keep your chat app users interested, engaged and active.

6) Encrypted Messages for Inviolable Security:

People have grown smarter with smart technology and they demand highly secure network apps. Security level offered by an app influences their decision to choose an instant messenger app. Message security and protection is an essential feature needed to create a chat app.

The western people are more agitated about the security of their information they share online and wand off the criminals hacking their devices. Due to increasing world concerns about information safety, messengers like Telegram, Snapchat have strengthened the security of their services.

Whatsapp also provides an end-to-end encryption system now that will restrict the intrusion from any third party decoding the messages of users. Signal, a chat messenger app, offers unique authentication system where each conversation is protected by random app-generated phrase that participants use to confirm their identity.

You can use open source or your own in-house encryption protocol for sure-fire pre-emptive security.

Wickr messenger app offers security of another level by generating a new key for each conversation.

7) Data Back-up Services with Cloud:

Cloud sync is the best option to keep files stored in a different virtual place in organized fashion. It updates itself when you initiate the action of changing a file on your device. In messenger apps, this can be achieved by allowing users to save their chat histories and files in cloud and access them anytime.

This can be quite a boon for those who are likely to lose their devices or delete their chat app by mistake or use multiple devices. WhatsApp, for instance, offers an option to back up your chat content using Google Drive or iCloud.

There are several other messengers that furnish mature cloud sync service where cloud chats are stored on their servers using keys set on local devices.

8) Broadcast Messages for Additional Control:

It will be wonderful for your users if they can create a group of their favourite contacts and send them personal messages that are non-group messages. To create a chat app, this feature (aka Broadcast messages) can be an excellent exciter for users.

In this message exchange system, the recipients can’t identify who all received the same message content. This comes handy when you have something to announce or spread ahead. This can be a perfect tool for marketing agencies who want to reach the customers with special promotional messages.

On the whole, a good and efficient messenger is certainly the tool every smartphone must have. Despite the fact there are plenty of offers within apps like Skype, Viber, WhatsApp and others, users still keep searching for messaging apps that is more efficient and provide more off user friendly features. No matter what strategy you opt for, make sure that you follow a long-term value to turn your app into recognized and well-established brand in the niche.