Scaling Your Backend

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Application scalability is the ability of an app to be able to handle more requests as the number of users increases. Web applications face the biggest challenge in scalability as a product becomes more popular and requests per minute grow. Application scaling is a complex process that owners can easily get wrong. It involves numerous adjustments of both hardware and software.

Scaling the Components of Your Backend

When scaling the backend, it must be clear what’s causing a drop in performance. It could be read/write patterns or ordering events as the number of users are growing. Knowing the bottlenecks will guide you on how to get scaling right. Backend components include memory, CPU, and Network. Improving each of these requires different tweaks. For instance, the code can be reexamined so that better algorithms are used as well as function calls. This will contribute to better efficiency in CPU.

It is important to utilize resource usage monitoring tools such as htop and iftop to understand fully what backend components are taking up resources inefficiently. Start with the network, Disk IO, CPU, and then Memory. It’s also to understand the database you are using. It should be tuned according to the workload it is expected to handle.

Developing Scalable Web Apps

Building a scalable web app presents quite a few advantages. First, its not necessary to buy all the hardware to run the application at full throttle. They can add hardware components as performance needs increase. The impact is the reduction of the initial financial outlay, which is a major concern for executives. The same goes for the backend software application itself. For instance, a web app could initially just have a dashboard to display data collected from different sources. However, as needs grow, you can build analytics capabilities on top of the existing application.

How Long Does It Take to Create an MVP?

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The idea of creating a minimum viable product (MVP) originates from the principles of lean startup methodology. The methodology emphasizes the need to validate ideas fast and with minimal costs. Building an MVP, therefore, saves the business from investing too much in an idea that may not pan out well in the end.

The best way to understand an MVP is to explain the questions it answers for a business. First, it’s a version of your product that helps find out whether indeed there is a need for it. Secondly, is it able to solve the problem it’s meant to solve? Third, and perhaps most importantly, is whether the app can generate profit. The MVP is supposed to put the chosen monetization model to test. 

An MVP is therefore a real-life stripped-down version of the product that tells the business whether to go on to develop the product or move in another direction. Historically, 90% of startups fail. It, therefore, makes sense to hinge that risk by first building an MVP.

Other Benefits of Building an MVP

A small business aiming to attract funding to help scale needs to demonstrate that their product indeed solves a problem and is monetizable. A startup that already has a minimum viable product will get more attention from potential investors. Target customers also get to see and feel the product, thus creating a buzz. By the time more features get added to the product, there will already be a community of users.

Building an MVP allows the business to understand the landscape they are working in. It helps understand regulations, competition, untapped opportunities and so much more. This will inform future decisions when launching a full-fledged version of the product. Starting with a full-fledged version might lead to suboptimal use of resources in areas that might not be essential.

With an MVP, the risk of failure is minimized since resources are only committed to building the most important features to help the product work. This also makes it easy to remove those things that do not work well and replace them with something that does. This reduces the risk of commitment bias where the business sticks with something that does not work optimally simply because of the money that’s been sunk.

How Long Does it Take to Build an MVP?

Most software development agencies give an estimate of 3 to 4 months to build an MVP. This depends greatly on the nature of the product you are aiming to build. Depending on the complexity of the MVP, the process could go on up to 9 months. According to a survey by Alter.io, building a risk management tool MVP can take up to 9 months. An automation service MVP can take 4.5 months before launch. Simpler applications such as a job board or an email prospecting tool can take half a month.

Still, the steps or path to follow when building the MVP is rather common for all products.

Step 1: Defining the Problem

Before committing any money to development, it’s imperative that you write down the problem and debate the feasibility of the product intended to solve the problem. The problem has to be such that a monetization opportunity really exists. Having skills is not enough and neither is a napkin idea. Real work must go into defining the problem, including finding numbers to back the problem definition.

Step 2: Conducting Market Research

Market research involves the calculation of market size both in terms of revenue and customer numbers. It should also highlight the existing competitors, their audience, key competitive advantages, and finally identify a gap.

The gap defines where the product will focus on, including how it will differentiate itself from competitors. It also explains the expected revenue model for the new product. There should be a justification of the price to be charged if any, and a comparison with what competitors charge. If there is a premium on the price, a fitting explanation of the rationale should be made. Market research could take up to 1 month.

Step 3: Prototyping

A prototype is a visualization of how the final product will look like. It validates the UI/UX as well as the design and functionalities. The prototype helps make improvements before starting the MVP development process. While an MVP is a working solution, a prototype is a visualization, which can be done with digital tools such as Figma and Adobe XD. This could take anywhere between 1 to 3 weeks depending on the improvements needed.

Steps 4: List of Most Important Features

Building the MVP requires you to determine the most important features of the product. The best way to do this is to gather feedback from the target audience. During the market research stage, when determining the gaps in the market, you should find out their criticism of existing products. The feature list you come up with will give a roadmap of MVP development.

It is possible that your MVP will go through several iterations. It’s likely that it will have some features listed as coming soon. However, after several iterations, you will have a product that’s ready to be scaled. This explains why it’s tough to give a fixed estimate of how long building the MVP takes.

Step 5: MVP Release

An MVP release is the first version of your product to be released to the market. It should be treated as an actual product and sufficient time and resources allocated.

Some companies may elect to have a user testing phase with the assistance of user testing companies. This is not always necessary. It’s far more important to continue collecting feedback once the product is in the mass market and undergoing real case use.

Picking the Right Software Development

The success of your MVP launch and subsequent improvements depends greatly on the development team or partner you are working with. When working with an internal team, you maintain a lot of control over the speed of progress. It’s also assumed that there are internal quality control mechanisms. However, it’s a little more complex when outsourcing the work to a freelance team or agency.

The development company entrusted with building an MVP should have a portfolio that demonstrates expertise in developing applications for your industry. Case studies and testimonials are helpful in this regard. A development company that has a constant stream of customers is great to work with because they are likely to be in step with the latest trends in app development and security. They will not stall your project to bill you for extra development hours.

Partner with NS804 to Build Your MVP

Before development work begins, it’s important to have a roadmap. NS804 works with clients to determine the problem to be solved through the app. We also help clients research the market and existing competition with a view to find the best route to launching a successful product. This is what informs the minimum viable product’s features. We scope the app before moving on to the development phase. To learn more about building an MVP, contact us here.

Open Source Android App Development Software

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It seems like everyone’s enamored by open source these days. From solo developers through to large corporations, the free software movement has left its mark. And, this is overwhelmingly positive since it liberates developers from the shackles associated with paid software, which may include mounting costs and dubious licensing agreements.

1. Why Opting For Open Source Solutions Makes Sense

The hard truth is that app development can get expensive in the long run. And one reason why this is a common occurrence is due to rising software licensing costs. If we look at the Android development landscape, the mission-critical Android Studio IDE is freely available. While this may be a boon for cash-strapped developers, others may not like using this particular IDE or programming in Java or Kotlin.

Some may opt for Embarcadero’s RAD Studio, while others may settle for Microsoft’s Visual Studio. But for the higher-tier subscriptions, both IDEs are prohibitively expensive. Moreover, many developers may require additional tools such as code obfuscators, profilers, and UI/UX design software, to name a few. And as indispensable as these tools are, they do drive up development costs further.

So what should you do if you find your app development budget getting out of control? Start by seeking free software that offers similar functionality to paid solutions that you’re already using. Now, keep in mind that commercial vendors often have free or trial versions available for you to try out. But these have limited functionality or allow full functionality for a limited time only. Either way, this is far from ideal.

Luckily, we live in an era where open source solutions have become readily accepted. And there’s a good reason why this has happened. Unlike paid solutions, open-source software is free with no remuneration expected from users. Not only that, there are seldom any restrictive policies or cryptic end-user license agreements (EULAs) that raise concern. Instead, open-source software complies with licenses and standards approved by the Open Source Initiative.

2. Several Great Open Source Tools For Developing Android Apps

There are a plethora of excellent tools that should be part of your tech stack. And since these are open source solutions, your team may extend and modify these to fit the requirements of your projects.

  • Eclipse – The popular open-source IDE used for creating Android, Java, and web applications.
  • Godot – It’s an intuitive, feature-rich, and powerful game engine suitable for AR & VR projects.
  • libGDX – A battle-tested, lightweight, and versatile framework for making games using Kotlin or Java.
  • LeakCanary – Spotting memory leaks can be tricky, but LeakCanary makes it easy by automating the process.
  • Flutter – Google’s cross-platform UI toolkit facilitates speedy development and compiles down to ARM machine code.
  • NativeScript – It’s a framework that makes Android app development possible with JavaScript or TypeScript.
  • Obfuscapk – Bad actors can decompile your APK and look at its source code, but Obfuscapk protects it with black-box obfuscation.

3. The Realities Of Free Software

It’s hard not to like software that delivers, especially if it’s free. But the question you may be asking is — is free software really that good? Isn’t there a quality downgrade when compared to commercial alternatives? Well, that depends. The quality of open source software has been rising consistently and is often on par, if not better, than commercial solutions. 

However, the opposite is also true. It’s not uncommon for open source solutions to lack polish, have too many bugs, and not undergo proper software maintenance. For better or worse, many open-source projects are in the hands of small teams of developers that tend to be underfunded. They’ll often self-fund these projects or rely on donations from the community for support.

The Bottom Line

Android app development can be a fun and rewarding experience. After all, the platform boasts several powerful tools that make it easy to create impressive apps. But don’t shy away from adding more tools in your toolbox that will improve your workflow without breaking the bank. Contact us today to learn how NS804 can help you create phenomenal apps with the most appropriate technologies.

Android or iOS – which is the better MVP platform?

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Deciding between Android or iOS for your upcoming minimum viable product (MVP) project can be daunting. Both platforms are massively popular and have generated billions of dollars in revenue. So the answer should be simple, right? Why not release on both platforms? Yes, but only if it’s financially feasible and in line with your goals.  

 

But you could be wondering why financial feasibility plays a role at all. Aren’t MVPs supposed to be cheaper and quicker to develop than full-fledged apps? Unfortunately, that’s a common misconception when considering the funding and work required to complete MVP projects. 

 

There’s still a considerable cost involved, between $5,000 to $35,000 if you hire a company. It’s best to be prepared from the get-go to ensure that the project won’t run out of funding during development. Furthermore, it’s vital to understand what the development process entails and what you’ll need to consider when deciding on an MVP platform. 

1. Choosing The Most Feasible Platform For Your Project: Android or iOS

In the mobile development space, there are only two choices worth considering. That’s either Android or iOS, the two platforms that have redefined smartphones for more than a decade. And even with the emergence of Linux-based smartphones, these are too niche to make a dent in the market.

 

But must you choose between these two market leaders? Ideally, you should develop for both platforms for maximum reach. The benefits of making your app available in both the App Store and Google Play are immense. Both digital storefronts are established, organized, and quality-driven. Moreover, both facilitate the efficient and safe distribution of apps to over two billion users globally.

 

And while it’s wiser to release on both platforms, we understand that’s not always possible. Your team may not have the capabilities or resources to release on both platforms simultaneously. After all, cross-platform mobile app development costs could easily exceed your budget. Or perhaps, you’re developing a custom enterprise app that only needs to be made available on one platform.

 

However, it’s not necessarily a bad idea to target one platform when commencing a project. And this is especially true if you’re planning on developing an MVP. Your team may want to test an idea and deliver it to a territory where one platform enjoys market dominance. For example, your upcoming video chat app will do much better on Android if you’re targeting the Indian market.

 

Market forces will almost always play a primary role when deciding on a platform. However, there are other factors that you should also consider before coming to a decision. 

2. Apple’s Flagship Programming Language Saves Development Time

In most cases, your mobile app development costs will directly correlate with the amount of time it takes to complete your project. And if you’re a startup, it’s crucial to keep costs down to remain feasible in the long haul. So, you’ll want to target the platform that facilitates a speedy development process. But does one platform offer this distinct advantage over the other? Well, the answer is not as clear-cut as we’d like it to be, but we’ll aim to provide one.

 

Several years ago, you’d be hard-pressed to choose Android over iOS if development time was at a premium. And there’s a good reason for this, given how well-thought-out Apple’s ecosystem and development tools are, compared to its rivals. With Swift, Apple’s flagship programming language, developers can craft impressive native apps in record time. The language is modern and slick, making it easy for developers accustomed to object-oriented languages to pick up quickly and be productive.

 

And when compared to Java, the language commonly used for Android development, Swift seems like a breath of fresh air. That’s because Java feels cumbersome since it’s an older, more complex, and verbose language. Thus, Java developers often need to write more lines of code than their Swift counterparts to achieve similar results. From a productivity and time standpoint, the clear winner is Swift. At least, that was the case until now.

3. Google Moves Beyond Java

At Google’s I/O ’17 developer conference, the company announced that it would officially support Kotlin for Android development. And in 2019, Google took things further by announcing that Kotlin would become the preferred language for Android development moving forward. Undoubtedly, this news was met with much fanfare by Android developers, who welcomed the introduction of a more modern language.

 

And Kotlin is indeed a great alternative to Java because it’s far more expressive and allows developers to achieve similar results with less boilerplate code. Not only that, Kotlin is similar to Swift in that it offers an easy-to-learn syntax, plenty of built-in features, and a more functional feel. Moreover, both come with excellent declarative UI toolkits: Jetpack Compose and SwiftUI for building native UI quickly and efficiently. 

 

Ultimately, this means that the time and productivity gap between creating an Android or iOS app has narrowed significantly. The introduction of Kotlin has been a game-changer, and Android developers no longer need to lag behind their iOS counterparts. Therefore, choosing one development environment over the other is more a matter of preference than enjoying real productivity gains.

4. The Challenges Of Testing And Deploying On Multiple Devices

While Kotlin makes life easier for Android developers, they still have to jump through hoops when testing, profiling, and deploying on multiple devices. Unlike Apple, which produces a limited range of iOS devices and models, the Android ecosystem is an entirely different beast. A few brands that come to mind include Google, Huawei, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, and Xiamoi. Yet the actual list of manufacturers is much longer than that, pushing the range of Android models to the tens of thousands.

 

Undoubtedly, Android developers have their work cut out of them. It’s a Herculean task to test and deploy when so much device fragmentation exists. Furthermore, this can increase mobile app development costs significantly if not handled diligently. And the hard truth is that no developer will have access to every Android device in the marketplace for testing purposes. Fortunately, there are tools available that make testing and profiling possible without having all these devices on hand.

 

Android Emulator, Android Virtual Device (AVD), and Genymotion make it easy for developers to set up and run virtual devices of any specification available. And while these aren’t the perfect solution, they’re incredibly accurate at emulating real Android hardware. But this doesn’t mean that developers should skimp on testing on actual hardware, regardless of platform. Nevertheless, iOS is the better platform for a quicker and more hassle-free testing and deployment experience.

5. Deciding On An MVP Platform Based On User Engagement

Before settling on an MVP platform, you should consider a crucial factor, namely, user engagement. The level of user engagement of your app will play a critical role in its success. If too few users engage with your MVP regularly, it means that they don’t find it interesting enough to warrant extended use. And, you won’t achieve the goals and return on investment (ROI) that your MVP was supposed to deliver.

 

Therefore, you must minimize risk by focussing on the platform that has the most engaged users. In this regard, iOS is the clear winner with an overwhelming difference. iOS users are not only incredibly engaged, but they’re big spenders too. According to AppleInsider, the App Store earned a whopping $72.3 billion in 2020 — almost double the revenue generated by Google Play. And games performed impressively, managing to generate $47.6 billion throughout the year.

 

Also, iOS is the better performing platform for apps offering registrations, subscriptions, in-app purchases, and one-time purchases. But you may want to consider Android if your MVP is an anti-virus, utility, or performance app, as these often do better on the platform. And while both Android and iOS users love discovering new content, iOS users engage and purchase more of it. So, keep these factors in mind when deciding on an MVP platform that best serves your goals.

In Conclusion

Choosing to go with either Android or iOS for your next project will be a vital decision. It’s necessary to consider your goals and what your MVP is supposed to achieve before concluding. In many cases, choosing iOS seems like the obvious choice, given the benefits the platform brings to the table. Its tightly integrated development tools, limited range of target devices, and high-quality users make it a platform you can’t ignore. 

But Android is no slouch either, boasting a rapidly improving developer experience and an ever-growing user base. It’s also worth considering if you want to create an antivirus or utility app, which Android users download in droves. Whatever your decision, do consider teaming with a professional development studio for the best results. Contact us today to learn how NS804 can help you develop a phenomenal MVP on Android or iOS.

How To Create A Food Delivery App Like DoorDash

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Online food delivery platforms such as DoorDash make it easy for users to purchase food from their favorite restaurants. This expertly designed app facilitates convenient and frictionless online food ordering transactions in multiple territories. Below, we reveal what you need to know about creating a food delivery app.

1. Online Food Ordering Is Enjoying Phenomenal Growth

It’s a decision most of us have made. We opted to spend a quiet Friday evening at home instead of standing in line outside our favorite eatery. But we still craved that tasty pizza or sushi from the restaurant across town while we watched Netflix. So we did what most savvy consumers do nowadays and whipped out our smartphones. We ordered directly from the restaurant’s website or app or via a third-party food delivery app.

Our order arrived in record time, and then we munched down on our delicious meal. We barely gave a thought about how quick and convenient online food ordering has become. Yet, what makes this industry segment so compelling is how frictionless it has made the food delivery process. With just a few clicks, taps, and swipes, hungry customers don’t have to leave home or their place of work to enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

And this combination of technology and convenience is making a considerable impact. Consider that the food industry has an annual growth rate of approximately 3.7%. However, online food delivery has achieved annual growth rates of 15-20%, which is impressive. And much of this business is driven by platforms such as DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats.

2. Enter DoorDash

The platform that we’ll focus on from here on out is DoorDash. It’s a technology company based in San Francisco and founded by Stanford University students in 2013. Today, the company serves customers in Australia, Canada, and the United States across 4,000 cities. And what DoorDash does so well is connecting customers with a myriad of eateries in their vicinity.

The DoorDash app is available for Android and iOS, and the core user base consists of younger time-strapped families. Thus, the app’s developers constantly refine the user experience and interface (UX/UI) to save customers time.

3. Key Features To Implement In Your Food Delivery App

Eateries that join the DoorDash program must upload their menus and images of food items. However, some establishments fail to upload relevant images, which frustrates customers. So, there’s an opportunity to improve on the concept by making image uploads a mandatory process. And several other features that you need to implement in your online food ordering app include the following:

  • Search box
  • Filtering
  • Food customization
  • Order history
  • Pre-order
  • Cashback and discount offers
  • Ratings
  • Restaurant address
  • Delivery & special instructions
  • Pick up
  • Push notifications
  • Real-time GPS tracking
  • Live chat

4. Craft Your User Flow

Users should discover interesting eateries in their area and make their way to the checkout screen as quickly as possible. Thus, you’ll need to map out all the steps users will take by drawing up a flowchart. Also, consider how they navigate your app via the search box and the various filter and sort options. Several of these options will consist of the following:

  • Rating
  • Under 30 min
  • Pickup
  • Vegetarian
  • Menu price
  • Group order

Then, design your app’s screens with wireframes before putting together a prototype or minimum viable product (MVP). DoorDash, in its current form, has come a long way and utilizes advanced machine learning (ML) algorithms. But since you’re likely testing the market, it’s unnecessary to add complex features during the initial stages of development.

The Bottom Line

Developing a food delivery app such as DoorDash makes good business sense. Younger users are increasingly relying on their smartphones to book plane tickets through to ordering food. Contact us today to learn how NS804 can help you create apps that make food delivery a cinch.

What Should You Know About Your App Analytics?

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It’s now a lie that the growth of your social media app depends only on the value you bring to your customers. Today, more than ever, many factors determine app performance. These factors include: complexity, design, app testing, butterfly effect, and the list is endless. So, developers are careful about how they view and assess their apps. Therefore, without knowing how your clients react to different marketing strategies and which acquisition channels work best for them, you’ll never be 100% sure of how to make your app increase traction. Today, using app analytics yields countless possibilities and endless insight. However, there are special benefits that stand out.

Here’s What You Should Know About App Analytics

  1. App Analytics Drive ROI in Every Aspect of Performance

Millions of apps on the stores are competing for customer attention and better visibility. In this cut-throat contest, you can’t afford to have an acquisition strategy that lacks monetary goals. Marketing costs huge money. As such, you need to measure how much different channels deliver and compare with different acquisition strategies to determine what results in the best ROI. A winning app analytics strategy includes the following two points.

  • Looking at which channels offer the best customer lifetime value. Customer lifetime value LTV is calculated by customers generating higher revenue and higher possibility for retention.
  • A focus on in-app messaging. Hearing from prospects who have the power to connect to your employees at any time throughout your app experience is helpful to improving your strategy.

  1. App Analytics Help You Gather Accurate Data to Better Serve Your Customer

It’s hard to listen and serve your clients without looking keenly at their feedback and use patterns. Thus, app analytics help you to gain insight into customer data to serve them across all lifecycle stages. Many apps suffer the unfortunate fate of gathering a bulk of followers and failing to serve their needs adequately.

  1. Personalized, Customer-Focused Marketing

Creating an individually targeted and customized customer experience is now possible with app analytics. Customer-targeted push messages sent to specific people can make your app double its rates in a short time. It also converts up to three times better than traditional push messages.

  1. Tracking Individual and Group Achievements

Most app marketers rely on marketing strategies they’ve experienced before to drive results. But, using app analytics gives you a whole new set of customer data. Now, more than ever, app marketers can gain insight around small groups and individuals completing specific, directed activities within the app. What’s more, the possibility of using this knowledge is endless.

  1. Data-driven Results in Issues Concerning Retention

There’s a lot of buzz concerning customer retention these days. However, you can’t have a strong app engagement score if you don’t have many customers using your app regularly. The bottom line is that apps with higher retention rates enjoy better engagement, and more engagement and retention helps the app to gain customers and achieve growth. The most successful apps use analytics by focusing on high life time value customers and acquisition channels. In addition, app analytics close the gap between churn and retention.

Bottom Line

App analytics work in your social media background to enhance your app marketing efforts. It helps you achieve better growth and higher ROI. The above benefits paint a picture of how helpful app analytics is in today’s marketing space. And now, with NS804, you can create a social media app and collect app analytics in just a few clicks.

 

A Quick Intro To iOS App Development

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Many aspiring appreneurs need to have an understanding of iOS app development. Fortunately, Apple has made it relatively easy for novices and experts to develop for their key platforms. With powerful tools such as Xcode and the Swift programming language, there’s never been a better time to create unique apps for iOS.

1. The Many Faces Of iOS App Development

While the Apple ecosystem may be pretty cohesive, this isn’t necessarily true for app development. And what we mean by this is that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to developing apps for iOS. Quite frankly, this isn’t a bad thing, as developers often require more than one toolchain or methodology to complete their projects.

Now, for most projects, Apple’s proprietary Xcode IDE and Swift programming language are good enough. And this is especially true if you plan on developing native-only iOS apps. Furthermore, utilizing Apple’s development tools and closely following their guidelines will allow you to create high-quality and performance-oriented apps, which would be difficult to achieve using third-party or cross-platform tools.

But what if you’re a small team with a limited budget that wants to support both iOS and Android? Then, you have two options that you should consider carefully. Option one: develop the native iOS app in-house and seek the assistance of a professional studio, such as NS804, to handle native development for the Android version. And option two: use a cross-platform framework such as React Native or Xamarin to develop for both platforms entirely in-house. We firmly believe that you’ll achieve better results with the first option.

2. Beyond The Standard Toolchain

As we mentioned earlier, Xcode and Swift will suffice for most purposes. However, your iOS app development needs may vary, and you may require an additional or more powerful toolchain. Perhaps, you’ve decided to create an augmented reality (AR) app or a mobile game. And then, quickly discover that Xcode isn’t the most efficient tool for the job. What then?

Luckily, there’s no shortage of excellent frameworks and game engines to help you achieve your goals. One of the most popular solutions for developing AR, VR, and mobile games is Unity. And if you require the best possible visual fidelity, you may want to consider Unreal Engine. But do keep in mind that both engines are bloated and heavy on system resources, especially Unreal. So, if your project doesn’t require the latest 3D rendering techniques and particle systems, then you’re better served elsewhere.

For example, if you’re developing a simple 2D game, you may want to use an open-source framework, such as MonoGame. This framework offers developers the bare-essential functionality and integrations with APIs to make fun games for iOS and several other platforms. But if you require a full-fledged engine that’s also lightweight and open-source, then consider Godot. A key benefit of Godot is that it regularly receives updates and optimizations from its vibrant developer community.

3. Understanding APIs And Why They Are Necessary

For better or worse, APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are essential components in developing apps. Fortunately, Apple’s APIs are among the best in the industry and help make the development process a lot easier.

But what exactly is an API, and why should you care? In a nutshell, an API acts as a messenger or intermediary between various hardware components and software instructions. We may have an API that generates graphics on the screen based on draw calls in a computer program. And we may also have an API that transfers user data from a smartphone to a server. Thus, developers can accomplish various complex tasks, as these APIs handle most of the heavy lifting.

APIs bring forth many obvious cost and time-saving benefits, and you should use them when necessary. Apple has wisely introduced several useful APIs that every iOS developer should familiarize themselves with:

  • Apple Music API – Geared towards apps that require data about albums, artists, chart rankings, music videos, playlists, ratings, reviews, songs, and user-generated content. Also, developers may utilize Apple Music API when creating Android apps and websites.
  • Metal – An API that facilitates 3D rendering and data-parallel calculations by utilizing the GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) on Apple devices. It’s used extensively for games, visual-oriented apps, and extensive scientific calculations.
  • StoreKit – For developers that need to support in-app purchases in their apps. StoreKit also integrates with Ad Network Attribution, Apple Music, and Recommendations and Reviews in the App Store.
  • SwiftUI – A powerful and developer-friendly UI (User Interface) suite, which uses AppKit and UIKit. It allows developers to create modern-looking apps with as little code as possible.

4. The Bare Minimum Requirements For iOS App Development

It’s essential to own at least one Apple Mac computer, which you’ll use to develop your iOS app. Preferably, it should be a recent model for quicker compile times and better compatibility with newer versions of Xcode. You should also own at least one iPhone and iPad to test your app on, even though Xcode provides a simulator. As good as the simulator may be, it’s always good practice to test your app on actual hardware.

After you download Xcode, take the time to familiarize yourself with the integrated development environment (IDE). And if you have prior experience with Objective-C or a similar programming language, the transition to Swift should be easy. But developing for iOS isn’t just about learning Swift, as you’ll also need to comprehend the iOS Software Development Kit (SDK). This SDK consists of several APIs and frameworks, which are essential for your app development journey.

You’ll also want to register an Apple Developer account and become a member of the Developer Program. A key benefit of joining this program is that you’ll gain access to resources that will help you with deployment. Furthermore, you may want to sign up for the Xcode Cloud, a continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) service. Xcode Cloud will allow you to automate your workflow, build in the cloud, and initiate parallel testing.

5. Become Acquainted With The App Store

As an appreneur, you’ll eventually release your app on the App Store, as that’s where your potential customers congregate. But before you launch, you’ll need to understand the ins and outs of the App Store for maximum success. You’ll need to research your target audience and craft an app and marketing message to appeal to these users.

And if you’re releasing on both the App Store and Google Play, you’ll need to understand the differences between these two stores. After all, you’re dealing with two different audiences that have very different expectations. iOS users tend to earn higher incomes and are more willing to pay for apps that show promise. Android users, on the other hand, prefer free apps that are mostly monetized by ads.

Final Thoughts

iOS app development can be fun and very rewarding with the right approach. In most cases, you’ll want to utilize Apple’s proprietary tools, such as Xcode and iOS Software Development Kit (SDK). But you can always integrate an additional toolchain when necessary. Contact us today to learn how NS804 can help you create phenomenal iOS apps.

iOS App Design Ideas: How To Improve Patient Care

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Healthcare presents fertile ground for implementing some of your best and most innovative iOS app design ideas. Today’s pandemic era has caused a greater need for solutions that only technology can provide. And moving ahead, we can see a bright future ahead for mobile medical apps given their growing popularity. According to Statista, the worldwide size for this market segment will reach $11.2 billion by 2025. So, it may be time to reevaluate your iOS app development goals to take advantage of the flourishing patient care industry.

1. Managing Treatments On The iOS Platform

The iOS platform provides users with a plethora of quality apps, including those geared towards patient care. Several useful apps help physicians make informed decisions about prescriptions and medical procedures. For example, Epocrates makes prescription easy thanks to its powerful drug interaction checker, pill identifier, and Rx and OTC monographs. Then, there’s SeamlessMD, which helps hospitals track patient recovery during post-surgery.

2. Make Scheduling And Contacting During An Emergency Easier

Many iOS app design ideas have the potential to become compelling applications. But in the medical field, where saving lives is crucial, your iOS app development endeavors should facilitate such outcomes. Thus, consider creating an app that enables patients to schedule appointments with their health care providers. And make it easy for patients to contact an ambulance or a personal doctor when necessary.

3. Allow Symptom Tracking For Improved Diagnosis

Apple’s iOS platform encompasses iPhones and iPads, but also the Watch series of wearables. These utilize watchOS, which is an operating system based on iOS. For developers already accustomed to iOS app development, supporting these wearable devices has never been easier. Furthermore, wearables serve as the ideal platform for patients that need to track symptoms and diagnose their current condition.

4. Provide Notifications For Better Patient Care

One of the most powerful features you can implement in your patient care app is notifications. Popup notifications can appear whenever the patient needs to take their meds, schedule a new appointment, or stop eating before a blood test.

The Bottom Line

Whether you’re planning on implementing appointment scheduling, electronic prescribing, or symptom tracking, you’ll want to tap into a well of compelling iOS app design ideas for your patient care projects. Contact us today to learn how NS804 can help you create cutting-edge apps for the healthcare industry.

How to Create A Social Media App: Complete Guide

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Nowadays, it’s impossible to comprehend a world without social media and how it has impacted us. For better or worse, platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok have changed the way we interact with each other online. Perhaps they eat up more of our time than we’d like to admit. But on the other hand, they’ve revolutionized the way we consume and share content. Furthermore, these platforms are opening up many invaluable opportunities for creatives, developers, and businesses.

1. Why You Should Develop A Social Media App

Whether you’re an appreneur or running a large organization, it’s time to take a serious look at social media. And there are many good reasons why you’d want to do this, considering the current online landscape. Chances are you’re already active on one or more social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Moreover, you probably have family members, friends, and work colleagues that are plugged into their favorite social channels too. 

If we briefly look at numbers, consider the juggernaut Facebook, which boasts 2.89 billion monthly active users by the 2nd quarter of 2021. With such extensive reach, Facebook has become the leading platform among relationship networks. Many people love engaging with friends and loved ones here, given the platform’s powerful features that facilitate user retention. 

Of course, it would be a Herculean task to develop a social media app to compete with the likes of Facebook, especially for a startup. But it’s not necessary to copy Facebook to find success with a social channel. It’s best to find a niche that serves a need, which appeals to a sizable audience. For example, a corporate social channel could serve as an effective tool for connecting all workers within the organization. And users outside the organization won’t be able to access this channel, making it a manageable project for a smaller developer.

2. Determine The Type Of Social Media App You Want To Create

As we mentioned earlier, your social channel must serve a need. Otherwise, you’ll waste resources on a project that won’t attract users and ROI. So, carefully consider what type of social media app will find its place with today’s users. Here’s a quick rundown of the types of apps you can create moving forward:

  • Bookmarking Sites – Users that enjoy consuming or curating online content make use of bookmarking sites regularly. These include services such as Flipboard, Mix, and Pinterest. 
  • Discussion Forums – The granddaddy of social media platforms that have a proven track record for attracting enthusiastic users. A few key examples include Digg, Quora, and Reddit.
  • Media Sharing Platforms – Content creators, graphic designers, and photographers love to share their work online using media sharing platforms. A few popular services that can handle image and video sharing include Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. 
  • Microblogging Services – Bloggers and content creators enjoy the convenience of sharing their thoughts and content on these platforms. Popular services include Medium, Tumblr, and Twitter.
  • Relationship Networks – These are among the most popular social media platforms due to their high user engagement. Users love to socialize and connect with others on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Tinder.
  • Review Sites – Users have become accustomed to rating businesses, products, or travel destinations and leaving comments about their experiences. Review sites that facilitate this include Tripadvisor, Trustpilot, and Yelp.

3. Understanding Your Target Audience

When developing and releasing an app, it’s crucial to understand your audience as intimately as possible. Thus, it’s always a good idea to have target audience templates and examples handy. These templates will detail your potential users’ age, gender, demographics, education, income, hobbies, and interests. By conducting a detailed target audience analysis, you’ll likely craft a social media app that hits the mark.

4. Plan Your App’s Workflow In Detail 

Social media apps are complex, which means that you shouldn’t skimp on any of the details. Furthermore, you’re aiming at creating an app with user retention in mind, so plan carefully! 

Start by sketching a basic outline of your app, and determine the number of screens and subsequent user interaction. Then, wireframe your app so that your development team can accurately visualize how it will look and feel on mobile devices. If necessary, develop a prototype so that all stakeholders will know how the app will be like when released. And these stakeholders can then request changes and tweaks to improve the app further.

Finally, finetune the user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) of your app so that it complies with current standards. Also, consider your target audience and what type of UX/UI best fits their needs and expectations. If you’re targeting a younger audience, they’ll appreciate a bolder and more colorful design language. And an older audience will prefer a more utilitarian approach to your app’s design.

5. Consider All The Functionality That Your App Requires

Earlier, we mentioned that social media apps are complex, and we weren’t kidding about this matter. To make your app palatable to today’s users, you’ll need to implement several essential features. And while it may not be necessary to integrate all these features listed below, you’ll probably need most of them:

  • App Management – Establishing a web portal for managing users and data via the app.
  • Customization – Allow users the ability to customize backgrounds, colors, profile pictures, and nicknames to improve user retention.
  • Data Sources Integration – Implementing data from existing and multiple sources.
  • Data Types – May include audio, video, and photo content, including data, lists, and text. 
  • Geolocation – Acquire location data based on a user’s device location by integrating Apple’s and Google’s geolocation APIs.
  • In-App Communication – Allows a user to communicate with other users, comment on posts, and share content on social media.
  • Network Building – Implementing an algorithm and search features that make it easy for users to connect with friends, family, and like-minded people.
  • News Feed – Users can update their status and upload content on their news feed to share with others.
  • Payment Systems – If your app has a payment component, you’ll need to integrate various payment APIs. These may include Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal, to name a few. 
  • Security – Enabling encryption to protect user data while complying with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
  • Social Media Integrations – Make it easy for users to login into your app using their preferred platforms and to share content. 
  • User Interaction – The various ways your app will communicate with the user: email, push notifications, or SMS.
  • User Management – Initiating the basic registration process by requesting a user’s email or social media account.

6. Implementing Analytics To Monitor User Retention And Engagement

Ensure that you’ve implemented analytics in your app to monitor its performance and user engagement. You’ll want to keep track of how many active users you have compared to your overall downloads. Also,  keep tabs on your user retention and churn rates, especially when rolling out new features and updates. And determine user engagement by analyzing all the actions they take during each session.

In Conclusion

Creating a compelling social media app requires careful planning and extensive knowledge of the numerous platform-specific APIs and integrations. Contact us today to learn how NS804 can help you develop fantastic mobile apps and social experiences.

How To Create An App Like Instacart For Grocery Shopping

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Instacart is a popular service, which offers customers in the United States and Canada grocery shopping and same-day deliveries. Customers can easily and quickly place orders via Instacart’s expertly designed app. Find out how to create such an app right here!

What Is Instacart And Why You Should Care

Instacart is a company based in San Francisco and founded by a former Amazon employee in 2012. It provides shoppers with a convenient grocery delivery service via its mobile app and website. And in the current pandemic era, such an initiative makes good business sense. After all, Instacart serves approximately 500,000 customers and generates an impressive $1.5 billion in revenue. Given that grocery shopping accounts for over $1 trillion in business in the United States, there’s still plenty of room for growth.

But what makes this service invaluable is its customer-centric approach. Customers are assigned personal shoppers to fulfill their orders and expedite deliveries within a given time frame. Furthermore, customers can make payments with Apple Pay, Google Pay, Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT), credit, or debit card. Instacart charges a delivery fee of $3.99 for orders of $35 or more and an additional 5% service fee. And participating retailers are allowed to set the prices for all the items they list in the Instacart marketplace.

Aim To Make Grocery Delivery Easy

When you sit down with your team to brainstorm ideas for your app, always consider user interaction and engagement. Ideally, you’ll want to plan out an efficient and straightforward pathway for users to follow. Implement UX design principles, such as information architecture, interaction design, usability, prototyping, and visual design, for the best results.

Also, ensure that your user interface (UI) is cohesive across all target platforms. Utilize the same design language on Android, iOS, and the web, and make it easy for users to engage with your app if they decide to switch platforms. And clearly show information, such as the price, manufacturing date, ingredients, and expiry date of each item.

Implement Order Tracking And Multiple Payment Options

The primary reason to develop a grocery delivery app is to save the customer time. So, you’ll need to implement a robust order tracking system that utilizes the GPS in the customer’s smartphone. Thus, your order tracking system should accurately determine the amount of time it will take for items to reach customers based on their location. You can further improve delivery times by analyzing data from the route optimization system used by delivery workers.

Also, don’t forget to implement multiple payment options. Allow customers to pay using their preferred method of payment as quickly as possible. Don’t bog them down with a convoluted payment form or registration process.

Offer A Helping Hand

Most of the best apps make it easy for users to provide feedback and receive help. That’s why you must integrate a feedback system for customers to leave comments about the efficacy of your grocery delivery service. Furthermore, have a help center available to address customer complaints and resolve payment issues.

Final Thoughts

An endeavor such as Instacart requires delivery workers, fulfillment centers, and establishing partnerships with retailers. Moreover, it’s essential to comply with local government guidelines and regulations to remain within the law. But it’s worth the effort if you want to tap into a burgeoning industry that has a bright future ahead. Contact us today to learn how NS804 can help you create powerful apps that facilitate grocery delivery.