Completed App Portfolio: Developing Apps Across Segments

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If you’re an appreneur or business planning to hire a studio for your next app, you should look at their app portfolio. Perusing portfolios is a vital first step when evaluating potential development partners. And that’s because you need to know if one or more of these studios have completed projects similar to yours. 

Expect a more established studio to have a comprehensive app portfolio, whereas a newcomer’s catalog of apps will be sparse. NS804 is in the former camp, having built over 100 apps since 2012. Moreover, we’ve focused on categories like branding, business, communication, entertainment, productivity, and even web design. 

Our expertise in delivering quality apps across various segments makes us the ideal partner for appreneurs and organizations with demanding or unique briefs. We have the team, resources, and proven track record to tackle projects of all scopes. We’ve also received multiple awards for our efforts, with NS804 recently attaining the Clutch Champion Award for Fall 2023. 

While all this sounds great, it speaks to the competency and commitment of NS804’s ability to deliver. Even so, we’ll never dissuade you from shopping around. Do this by comparing the portfolios of the studios you’re considering working with, then add the most suitable candidates to your shortlist.

To simplify your evaluation process, we’ve prepared this post that details several apps we’ve built for clients over the years. We reveal what makes these apps noteworthy and how they fulfill client goals. If an app listed below aligns with your ideas or goals — be sure to note it down and discuss it with us. 

Bat Flaps

While NS804 has made plenty of business apps, we’ve also made games. To showcase our game development skills, we created Bat Flaps, where the player takes control of a cute-looking bat. Bat Flaps follows Flappy Bird’s footsteps closely with its simple control scheme and highly addicting gameplay. 

Arcade-centric mobile games generally do well on the app stores. So, Bat Flaps works as a proof of concept or even a template to build your next mobile hit. You can enhance and differentiate this concept by implementing gacha, rogue-lite, and role-playing game (RPG) elements. 

Whether you’re prototyping your game idea in Unity, Unreal Engine, or Godot, you may need the assistance of a professional studio to bring your game to market. The app stores have raised the bar and will no longer accept apps or games that don’t meet their requirements. Thus, QA testing takes center stage, but it’s a complex and costly process that requires the expertise only an established studio can provide you. 

Béné

If there’s one example in our app portfolio that truly innovates on digital tipping, it’s none other than Béné. While several cashless tipping solutions exist, few do it better than Béné, especially those targeting the hospitality industry. The highly-rated app simplifies digital tipping and ensures hotel staff receive tips in their bank accounts and payslips. 

A significant hurdle with digital tipping is that it’s challenging to implement frictionless tipping due to the many differing digital wallets available today. For example, you may wish to tip with Apple Pay, but a hotel staff member has Samsung Pay on their phone or no digital wallet at all. But Apple Pay and Samsung Pay don’t quite get along, and you’ll need a third-party payment app to make this work. And if the staff member doesn’t have a digital wallet — you’re out of luck!

But this was a problem NS804 and our partners, 3ADVANCE, LLC and Red Canopy Holdings, LLC, wanted to solve. Instead of relying on disparate digital wallets for cashless tipping, we opted for a simpler and more elegant system. Hotel owners need to download the Béné app and commence with a staff registration process. Then, place Béné QR codes in all the areas within the hotel premises where staff serve guests. 

Now, if you visit a hotel that uses Béné, scan the QR code in your room, the bar, or the lounge to tip the staff member serving you. You don’t need to download any apps, as the QR scanner on your phone will suffice. Immediately after you scan the QR code, the staff member will receive the payment. The Béné app does all the heavy lifting in the background, which only the hotel owner and staff need to have installed. 

C5G

It’s no secret that we specialize in mobile app development, but did you know that NS804 has a solid track record in web development? The web design segment of our app portfolio showcases some of our work. But we’d like to draw your attention to C5G, an e-commerce website for a company dealing in wireless hardware. 

C5G makes it easy for customers to find affordable, discontinued, and rare wireless equipment. Furthermore, they work with co-sellers, resellers, and enterprise customers in this technology segment. We understood the goals and company culture of C5G and built a website that helps them sell 5G and LTE devices effectively.  

Given that the company sells a wide range of goods ranging from handsets to routers, we ensured the website had a clean visual design and was highly performant. Customers want to find products quickly without being bogged down by unintuitive UI and slow response times. C5G and NS804 can take pride in the result, as we’ve delivered an e-commerce site that sits among the best in its category.

CFO Sidekick

If you’re running a small or medium-sized business, you may struggle to decipher your numbers and what they mean for your growth. That’s nothing to be ashamed about, as running an organization of any size is difficult. We understand the struggles of this market segment and delivered a solution to make life easier for entrepreneurs. 

CFO Sidekick is an excellent addition to our business segment of our app portfolio. It’s designed specifically for tablets, as the larger screen real estate is necessary to view and work with documents, financial data, media, notes, and to-do lists. Moreover, it reads QuickBooks data and will let you analyze and work with all this data.

The intuitive nature of CFO Sidekick and its ability to deliver frequent and helpful tips will help keep you on top of your game. And the way crucial information is displayed will let you interpret even the most cryptic information to help you make informed decisions.

Clips & Cuts

Most of us are pressed for time and must plan our days carefully, especially when booking appointments. When closing an appointment with your dentist, bookkeeper, or barber, you must ascertain that it fits your schedule and theirs. Booking with a barber or stylist often proves challenging, given the high demand for their services and dealing with seasonal fluctuations. 

You may have experienced this issue attempting to secure an appointment before the work, school, or holiday seasons. There’s often little chance to have your haircut even if you’ve booked earlier. Worse still, the barber or beauty salon may alter your appointment for a later date due to increased demand. Undoubtedly, this is incredibly frustrating and may make you question the professionalism of the barbershop industry. 

But an effective solution we have in our app portfolio solves this pain point. We built Clips & Cuts as a booking platform, which lets users instantly close appointments with available barbers in their area. The app’s intuitive user interface (UI) makes it easy for users to peruse barber profiles, book appointments, view map directions, request receipts, and even leave ratings and reviews. 

Mamava

We worked closely with Mamava, Inc., known for its trailblazing lactation rooms and pods, to develop a mobile app that helps mothers find breastfeeding locations nearby. We wanted to make the experience as user-friendly and stress-free as possible. It’s often daunting for mothers to find the necessary facilities for breastfeeding when visiting new and unknown places. 

The Mamava app employs GPS navigation and smart technology to help mothers locate pods quickly and let them know if they are occupied or available. The app also utilizes the smartphone’s Bluetooth to lock or unlock the Mamava pods. We also understand that every mother’s needs are unique, so we put personalized content front and center and made it easy for them to access parental resources and support. 

On the surface, Mamava may seem simple, but we built it using several technologies. Staying committed to delivering native and performant apps, we used Java with Android Studio for the Android version and Swift with Xcode for the iOS version. For the backend, we used Kumalos and built its admin layer with Node.js and HTML5.

PreVue

PreVue is a project we’re very proud to have in our app portfolio. Our client, Lucanus J. Grady, approached us with a forward-looking idea to reshape the dating app space. His experiences with popular dating apps left him disenchanted with the entire experience. Often, users doctor their images and biographies, leading to an inauthentic and dishonest dating environment.   

To solve these glaring issues, our client requested we help him create an alternative that utilizes short-form video. PreVue users must now record 22-second videos of themselves without filters or uploads, showing their true selves. Then, PreVue will match users on specific criteria, like what they say in their videos and the background images shown. 

It seems like such an obvious solution, yet PreVue is a rarity in today’s dating app space. More importantly, this app makes the dating experience more natural and honest while eliminating catfishing. While PreVue targeted college users in their early 20s, the app enjoyed significant traction with young professionals looking to build more meaningful relationships. 

Referral Buddy

There’s nothing more frustrating and rage-inducing than referring a business to customers but not receiving compensation for your efforts. Of course, this scenario applies to companies that actively engage in referral marketing. They promise to compensate you with money, free products, or exclusive offers but don’t deliver on this promise at the end of the day.

Now, this may happen because some companies are indeed dishonest. But in most cases, this happens because companies don’t know that you’ve actually referred customers to them. The problem is that customers seldom acknowledge your referral after using a company’s products or services.

So, how do you keep everyone accountable and in the loop when making referrals? Our client, Joseph Jablonski, thought about this problem intently and ideated a workable solution. He then approached us with his idea, and we encouraged him to forge ahead while assisting him during every step of the development process. 

We helped him create Referral Buddy, which tracks referrals between businesses and individuals and businesses. Referral Buddy tracks every referral, even those that don’t require a follow-up from the customer. The app’s clean UI makes it easy for non-technical users to issue requests from vendors and customers, complete referral forms, and receive compensation.

Rivvir

Contactless digital payment solutions are nothing new, but only Rivvir makes your life easier when ordering drinks. When attending music festivals or food and beverage events, you must wait in long lines to get your order. Of course, that’s not fun at all, and it’s an issue we attempted to solve with Rivvir.

Fortunately, our attempts proved successful thanks to the implementation of an easy-to-navigate UI and a streamlined ordering process. It’s simply a matter of picking a drink on the app, swiping the ticket, and getting the beverage from the quicker VIP line.

But Rivvir doesn’t only help customers with the ordering process since it’s an all-encompassing solution. We’ve also made life easier for beverage vendors by building an iPad app to help them keep track of their stock and sales. The cohesiveness of the ordering and stock control apps makes Rivvir the ideal solution for the next big special event in your town. 

In Conclusion

The projects listed above represent only a tiny slice of the apps we’ve released to this day. Several apps received critical acclaim, media coverage, and high ratings on the app stores. And even the apps that flew under the radar introduced new ideas and innovations, making them stand apart from the competition. 

Take the time to check out the remaining apps in our app portfolio and read up about us on Clutch.co and various media outlets. And when you’re ready to tackle your next project, contact NS804 to help you build the app of your dreams!

Why Today’s Companies Need the Right App Developers to Scale

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With everyone owning smartphone devices, mobile apps have become increasingly crucial in navigating the online space. Most consumers, especially Millennials and Gen Z, are experiencing the internet using mobile devices, making mobile apps significant in navigating the internet.

So, even though many of us can still experience the internet using our computers and laptops, mobile apps provide leverage in navigating the online space and reinforcing relationships between brands and their target markets.

Truth be told, you’re likely to interact more with your favorite brand using mobile phones than any other device. That’s because mobile devices or smartphones are portable, accessible, and cheaper to maintain than any other endpoint device.

That’s precisely why most enterprises are migrating to smartphone-oriented marketing and advertising. Today, more than ever, companies urgently seek mobile apps to strengthen and reinforce their online presence.

And this is precisely why your company needs the right mobile app developers to scale. Other reasons you need the right mobile app developer to scale are discussed below.

1. Customer Loyalty

Enterprises or brands that operate in highly competitive marketplaces need an extra advantage to scale. Enterprises in highly saturated marketplaces must inject extra effort to scale and cultivate customer loyalty.

Mobile apps offer this advantage: they help increase repeat business by improving referral rates. With a mobile app, it’s possible to cultivate customer loyalty in discrete ways. You can send referrals, you can initiate a subscription-based model whereby promotions and offers are sent to customers in real time.

Further, mobile apps offer convenient two-way communication between SMEs and their target customers. With mobile apps, it’s possible to receive customer feedback in real-time and send information or responses using the apps. This communication advantage makes mobile apps classic alternatives to traditional business-to-customer communications.

2. Revenue Windows

Traditionally, the avenues for revenues were offices and physical stores. With time, revenue windows transitioned to websites and online stores whereby businesses could scan product and service information online. However, today, accessing customers doesn’t mean door-to-door access. Rather, it means availing product and service details in a predefined workflow using a mobile app.

Mobile apps offer an incredible, yet convenient medium to access customers, whether online or offline. There are mobile apps that can function with an internet connection, and others can send notifications about promotions, product offers, and referrals offline.

So, enterprises seeking additional revenue windows are nowadays leveraging mobile apps. And that’s why you need the right mobile app developers to scale.

3. Consumer Insight

Today, getting to know your customers’ shopping habits, sketching their preference personas, and obtaining feedback is a passive task. It’s time-consuming, tedious, and has overhead costs for companies.

So, obtaining customer feedback is either disregarded or considered an explicit task by companies and brands. Luckily, with the right mobile app developers, you can collect, collate, and even leverage this big data to make informed business decisions.

The right mobile app developers enable you to design tools that will collect big data, including customer shopping habits, referral rates, personas, expectations, and pricing options. And anytime, tailor this data to suit your business needs and market expectations.

4. Customer Service

Today, more than ever, companies are using mobile apps to tailor positive customer experiences. Mobile apps enable companies to obtain meaningful data to improve customer communication and address customer disgruntlement.

With a mobile app, you can access customers’ shopping habits, build rapport, and even tailor your business practices according to customers’ expectations. Mobile apps provide a medium for reinforcing your customer service simply because you can rely on these apps to boost conversion rates and positively impact your customer relationships.

5. Brand Positioning

Today, when you launch a new product or business, you want your target customers to follow it by hearing its name and associated product line. This expectation was the same for enterprises that launched before the advent of technology.

It’s the wish of every company to build a positive brand experience seamlessly. Mobile apps satisfy this simple expectation. Companies seeking to strengthen their brand positioning are seeking new, innovative ways of doing so.

Mobile apps provide increased visibility. Everyone with a smartphone can go to the app store or play store and download your app. Previously, this was not possible. As a company, you had to pay marketing and advertising agencies thousands and sometimes millions to get this much-desired visibility.

Traditionally, companies relied on different types of referrals to gain visibility: word-of-mouth referrals, email referrals, and social media referrals. Online reviews also stood as a classic way to refer clients. Today, you can reinforce your brand positioning by simply building a responsive mobile app that answers your customers’ most pressing needs – cost, quality, price, or even convenience.

6. Convenient Shopping

A mobile app allows customers to shop and place all their products in an online cart. The right mobile app developers can help you develop an app that will answer your customers’ online shopping needs and questions.

The convenience of comparing different products in a one-stop shop, making purchases, and tracking the delivery of the purchased product is an unmatched shopping capability. Luckily, mobile apps provide this convenience.

The right mobile app developers will integrate all your product details and avail a provision for credit card billing, dispatching, and tracking the dispatched products. The right mobile app provides the convenience and accessibility needed to shop for products and services anywhere in the world.

And as a company, scaling means allowing your customers to shop wherever and whenever they want. Whether vacationing outside town, working in their offices, or just sitting at home, a mobile app can actualize all their shopping needs.

Your target customers can access their products and services in the comfort of their homes or office just with a click of a button.

7. Loyalty Programs

If you believe in the saying, ‘once a customer, always a customer,’ you’re better off with a mobile app for your company. Companies that trust in return business invest in tools and solutions that guarantee return business.

So, mobile apps provide better, more improved capabilities for return business. Retaining your target customers and giving them a reason to return is the key to creating brand loyalty and customer loyalty.

Therefore, a mobile app that facilitates and manages customer and business loyalty will help you scale beyond expectations. And enterprises that are willing to invest in a one-time solution can unlock countless possibilities.

How to Find the Right Mobile App Developer?

Finding the right mobile app developer is not an easy task. So, here’s a brief guide to identifying and seizing the right developer for the job.

  • Interest. Find a developer interested in your company and your brand, not just in mobile development. You must identify a company and a developer willing to sit down with you and map a development strategy that resonates with your business goals and expectations.
  • Portfolio. Find a developer who has credibility and reliability in their respective industry. To do this, evaluate their portfolio and identify whether they’ve worked on similar projects previously. In addition, have a look at customer testimonials and see what brands and companies say about them.
  • Design-orientedness. It’s advisable that you make the design your priority. When selecting the right mobile app developer, ensure they are app design and deployment experts. Usually, it’s important that you ask for a minimum viable product MVP which is a reflection of the actual product. Most trusted and reliable developers will offer an MVP to ascertain their ability to accomplish the job and meet the client’s expectations.
  • Relationship-centred. Remember that mobile app development is not a one-stop project. The app will need to be designed, deployed, and monitored. Your app will often need marketing and advertising to ensure it reaches the target audience. So, when selecting the right mobile app developer, choose someone you can build a relationship with.

The communication process is also a critical factor to consider when selecting your developer. Ensure that your mobile app developer has constant and reliable communication channels, including phone numbers, website chats, and email communication.

NS804 – Maestros in Mobile App Development

NS804 has cultivated a strong brand in mobile app development. NS804 provides superior mobile app development solutions tailored to your individual needs and requirements.

Contact NS804 to scale your company with a superior mobile app.

10 Mobile App Development Questions, Answered

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Mobile app development strategy is now a priority for most businesses. That’s because of the rapid uptake of mobile apps that has transformed the mobile app landscape.

However, for most businesses, small and large, successfully bringing an app to the market demands substantial research and strategic planning. So, there are several questions to consider when you begin the mobile app development journey.

Understanding these ten questions will help you identify the best mobile app development strategy for your enterprise.

1. Is a mobile website sound enough?

Your business objectives will guide your decision to design a mobile app or a mobile website. For instance, if your objective is to offer mobile-friendly content to a wide range of people, a mobile website can be an ideal choice.

Mobile websites present a great way to put valuable content in the hands of your target audience. Unfortunately, mobile website users have exceedingly high expectations of functionality and quality that sometimes these websites cannot deliver.

2. How feasible is my idea?

Most small and medium-sized enterprises struggle with this question. They wonder about the feasibility of their app idea, often struggling to understand whether they should put huge budgets on app development and maintenance.

Well, the best way to know whether your idea is feasible is to test it. You have to design a prototype, take it to your target market, and see whether there’s something valuable in it.

There’s no way to know whether your app idea will succeed if you haven’t taken it to the field of real prospects or at least seen how apps of similar nature have performed before.

3. Who is my target audience?

Most businesses and individuals fail to know who exactly is their target audience when developing an app. Always know your app’s end users before kick starting the app development process.

To know your target audience, conduct a comprehensive study of your app’s user demographics. Focus the research on identifying the users’ buying habits, age, challenges, and locality. In addition, research on how much time they spend on devices, their preferences, and interests.

4. What’s my mobile app category?

Knowing your mobile app category will significantly help you cut your mobile app development costs. While knowing your app’s category is a no-brainer, your app should be designed in such a way that it can fit into any categories available in both Apple Store and Play Store.

Knowing your app category will reduce your competitive research time. In addition, knowing the primary and secondary categories will help you narrow down the most appropriate or potential clients for your app.

5. How can I validate my app idea?

This is a question that’s asked by most mobile app developers. Individuals and businesses that want to integrate mobile apps into their digital strategy wonder how they can actualize their dreams and validate their ideas.

The answer to this simple question is: you can validate your idea by using a prototype, a Proof of Concept, or a minimum viable product. Alongside validating your idea, a Minimum Viable Product allows for client and stakeholder participation, eliciting new ideas and revealing new areas of improvement.

The prototype or minimum viable product ensures that the entire team contributes to the project through the product life cycle stages. So, if you want to increase the chances of your app’s launch and eventual success, using a proof of concept POC or a minimum viable product may help you attain that goal.

6. How will my app make money?

This is a question most individuals struggle to answer. So, making money with your app depends wholly on your app monetization strategy. Selecting the right monetization strategy or a combination of strategies will help optimize your app’s performance and usage.

As you seek to monetize your app, look for a model that will generate income without compromising on your app’s overall performance and functionality. For example, the subscription monetization model works based on music and video subscriptions, while the in-app purchase model is perfect for products and free-to-play games.

Carefully consider how you monetize based on your market research, user base, and product. Doing this will not only guarantee profitability but will substantially increase your success.

The most common app monetization strategies include:

  • Subscription
  • Freemium
  • In-App purchases
  • Pay per download
  • Advertising base

It’s important to note that regardless of your app’s monetization strategy, it’s not an afterthought. Your initial plans must capture your app’s idea and its monetization strategy.

The last thing any individual or business wants is to invest in a product that has no long-term returns on investment. So, carefully define your app’s monetization strategy straight from the beginning.

7. Hybrid, native, or web?

Selecting web, native, or hybrid can make or break your app’s mobile strategy. In addition, deciding to build your app as either a native, hybrid or web involves many factors for consideration.

Benefits of Native Apps

  • Deliver the best performance
  • They’re interactive, intuitive, and smooth
  • Allows developers to access the full feature set
  • A superior user experience
  • Approved by its operating system, ensuring compatibility, quality, and security.

Advantages of Web Apps

  • Web apps are relatively easy to maintain
  • They’re less expensive upfront
  • Do not have to follow standard OS protocols
  • Web apps can survive in all operating systems and platforms
  • Updates are not done from a centralized store – web apps update themselves automatically when the app loads

Advantages of Hybrid Apps

  • Only one codebase is needed for hybrid apps
  • Hybrid apps have access to a device’s internal API
  • Hybrid apps don’t need a web browser

The initial cost of a native app may be higher. However, you’ll save money and time in the long run.

8. Should I outsource my mobile app development?

Many companies have many items to consider when starting with mobile app development. One of these questions is who’s going to build the product.

Outsourcing mobile app development comes with flexibility, experience, and expertise, alongside an in-depth knowledge of new trends in technology.

9. Are there similar apps in the industry?

Competition holds a special place, not just in developing a new mobile app; but also in determining or predicting the future of that specific app. The first step in the competitive analysis is to know whether there are any competitor apps in the market.

Obtaining this information will not only help you know what elements or items your app must have, but will give you insights on what you should consider in the future to remain sustainable.

10. How do I protect my app idea?

One of the most commonly asked app development questions is how to protect your app idea. Well, the truth is that you have control of your app until it’s launched in the market. However, once launched, competitors will copy whatever attributes they see fit. And some competitors may duplicate the entire app idea.

So, while you’re at the ideation towards conceptualization stage, you can protect your app idea by signing a non-disclosure agreement NDA with the app development companies you’re involved with.

At the end of the day, the best way to protect your app idea is to work on it before your competitors do. And working on it means constantly adding new features and looking for new ways to improve the app’s overall functionality.

NS804 – Masters in App Design, Development and Deployment!

NS804 is a leading and trusted provider of mobile app development. With vast experience in app design, development, and deployment, NS804 has helped thousands of clients meet their app development goals.

NS804 offers expertise from inception to completion, helping you transcend the app development journey.

Contact NS804 for timely mobile app design, development, and deployment.

Do You Have A Great App Idea? 5 Tips To Get It Validated

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Coming up with a great app idea can seem easy at times. But what may not seem easy is ascertaining if that app idea is truly feasible. If most developers were honest, they’d admit they lucked out on some of their best and most profitable ideas. Instead, they’d like everyone to believe they’re geniuses for coming up with winning ideas.

Of course, some top-tier app developers have a methodology for brainstorming ideas and validating them. And that’s what we want to focus on right now!

We’re not interested in revealing tips aimed at opportunistic appreneurs and developers that want to make a quick buck from current trends. And that’s because this is not a sustainable way to push out compelling apps at a regular cadence.

Instead, we want developers to work systematically to achieve consistent results regularly. We also want developers to think of themselves as problem solvers and not simply studios that push out code.

While working with new technologies is always fun, we should never lose track of the fact that we’re here to provide solutions. Our goals should always align with those of our clients and users. And that’s to make life easier for them by solving problems that hold them back or impact productivity.

However, you may be at this point now where you have a great app idea that will solve a problem users experience. But how do you validate it to know for certain that it will serve your target market well? Read on, as we’re about to reveal several handy tips to help you through the validation process.

1. Market Research Is A Must! 

Never commence planning and developing an app without conducting market research first. And that’s because you need to know if your app is unique or improves on existing ideas. And if the market already has competitors, can you compete by offering something different or better?

Moreover, you should clearly define your app’s unique selling point (USP). Ask yourself what sets it apart from competing apps and how your users will benefit.

And possibly, create a prototype to show your team, company stakeholders, or even a small focus group. Then, ask them for feedback on what they think of the app and if they can pinpoint its USP and potential target audience.

2. The Early Stages Of The Validation Process

As a startup with limited time and money, going through the validation process may seem challenging. But we recommend that you don’t skimp on this step, as it will help determine if you have a great app idea or not.

We mentioned earlier about building a prototype and showing it to relevant parties. However, you can take things further by setting specific validation goals. 

For example, you may decide not to build a prototype but focus on pitching your idea to investors. If you manage to convince five or more investors about the virtues of your app idea, then that’s a good sign. Or you can work with another metric: if 100 or more potential users view your concept design on social media and react positively — you may want to greenlight the project. 

As you may understand by now, there are several ways you can go with this. And by setting several validation goals that you can measure, you can gain real-world feedback without breaking the bank. But only doing the above won’t be substantial for most projects, even though it’s a good starting point.

3. Effective Ways To Validate A Great App Idea

Real-world feedback is an ongoing theme with app validation. And that’s because there’s no better way to determine if there’s interest in your app concept or idea.

So, focus on ways to receive user feedback from potential users. But also ensure that you research the size and value of the market you’re targeting. And no matter how much you like your idea, don’t invest in developing it into a full-fledged app without thorough market validation. 

But how do you thoroughly validate the market? Well, one of the best ways to do this is with a minimum viable product (MVP). An MVP is a stripped-down version of your app with the bare minimum of functionality. And the main advantage of this is that you can deliver an MVP to your users cheaply and quickly. 

Should it prove popular with users, you can scale it into a fully-fledged app and implement the features that users have suggested. However, if it fails to gain traction, you can scrap the project or implement changes that may make it more appealing to users. The latter may be the way to go if there’s still middling interest and users have made suggestions.

4. Conduct User Surveys

Another good way to ascertain if you’re on to a great app idea is via user surveys. Start by creating a customer profile that represents your ideal users. Your customer profile may have the age, demographic, education, hobby, location, and spending attributes.

If your customer profile slants to the younger ages, you may want to find users on a platform such as TikTok. And if they’re older professionals, you may want to track them down on LinkedIn. Either way, you should have a clear picture of your target group so you can survey them properly. 

Ensure that you tailor your survey for your target group and use language and tone that appeals to them. Moreover, respect their time by not asking more questions than you have to or asking complicated questions that are too difficult to answer. Ideally, you want these users to complete your entire survey and not give up halfway through.

5. Pre-Selling And Pre-Registration 

Another effective way to test your app idea is by setting up a pre-selling landing page. This landing page will feature a description of your app, screenshots, and a promo video to create buzz. Furthermore, visitors can easily register and submit their email addresses to stay updated. 

What’s so compelling about this approach is that it’s a way to attract early adopters. And the higher number of these early adopters, the more validation you receive for your app. Moreover, it can act as a revenue stream if you need to generate income before launching your app officially. 

But if setting up a landing page and maintaining an email list isn’t your thing, there’s no need to despair. Google Play offers pre-registration for your app so that you can build hype and user relationships before launch. This is done directly on the Play Console and is implemented 3-6 weeks before the launch date. 

It’s an effective way to drive traffic to your app’s store page. And it’s possible for Google Play to automatically deliver your app to users and auto-install it on their devices on launch day. Thus, it’s almost certain that you’ll have users on day one with a limited amount of work on your end. You can also use Google’s pre-marketing tools to boost interest further.

The Bottom Line

When you have a great app idea, you’ll want to validate it as soon as possible. The good news is that there are several ways to go about this, as we’ve already covered above. However, there’s a bit of additional work involved, which may increase your costs and time to market (TTM).

But if you work with experts, such as NS804, you’ve got a partner to help you navigate this process. Contact us today to learn how we’ll help you validate your best ideas and turn them into phenomenal apps!

6 Tips for a Better UX/UI Design

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Your application, whether a web application or a mobile app, gives your clients and users the first impression of your product or company. Emerging evidence shows that well-designed UI and UX can drive your sales and conversion rate by double. So, you must ensure that your application is attractive and user-friendly.

It is important to note that the user interface (UI) is not the same as the user experience (UX). User interface (UI) focuses on the platform or interface that the user interacts with. UX, on the other hand, is the overall aspect of the application. It is the emotional experience of the user after interacting with your application.

The overall goal of UI/ UX design is to ensure that it is efficient, easy, and smooth for users to interact with your web or app.

Here Are Some Tips For A Better UI/ UX Design:

1. Know your users

You cannot go blindly into designing the UI/UX of your website. You need to identify who the target audience is and what their needs are. So, to design a product that will entice your users, the first step is user research. Having an idea of what your users need will help you to design a better UI/UX for your product. Keep your user needs in mind when designing.

2. Keep things simple

Your website or application should not require a map or a navigation guide. Simplicity in UI/UX design means making it easy for your users to interact with the product (content, images) captured in your application. You can guide your users using some features such as icons, showing tapping, and hovering. Make everything simple and clear.

3. Accessibility and functionality

As a UI/UX designer, do not just focus on aesthetics and forget some important aspects such as functionality and accessibility. Yes, looks are important but pointless if your users cannot comfortably use your platform. Strive to ensure that every element in your design functions properly and icons are easily accessible.

4. Offer feedback

Imagine clicking or pressing an action button, let’s say, ‘buy now’ or ‘send in an app’ but you don’t get an update. You’re just left there guessing that the process went on smoothly. Frustrating, right? As a designer, it is your responsibility to ensure that you update your users, and offer timely visual feedback.

If a submission has been sent successfully, tell the user that the submission was successful. If an order has been made, update the user’s cart. If something is loading, show the user that it is loading. This way your users know exactly where they are in your app. Don’t underestimate the power of these simple messages when designing UI/UX.

5. Prototype before you implement

Can you imagine designing everything and then realizing it doesn’t work as you expected? To avoid this, you should create a model of the product you’re designing and test it. This process is known as prototyping. You can easily and comfortably fix the errors before you design the real product.

6. User testing

Remember that you’re not designing for yourself. So, you must ensure that you get real users to test your design. Don’t assume that users are like you and will have a similar experience as you when interacting with your interface.

The target users come from different backgrounds and have different beliefs and mindsets. That’s why you should test your app with users who are not your relatives and friends. As a result, you’ll get honest opinions about their experience.

These few tips alongside what you already know will help you improve your UI/UX design. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Even the best of us do. It is the only way to learn!

NS804 – Streamlining Your UX and UI Design!

NS804 is a trusted provider of superior mobile app design and development solutions. At NS804, we help individual businesses and large corporations design functional and responsive mobile apps – from inception to completion.

Contact NS804 to know exactly how you can achieve superior UX and UI design.

 

5 Outstanding Examples of Minimum Viable Product Launches

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There have been many notable minimum viable product launches that have transformed the tech landscape considerably. But what’s interesting is that most don’t realize that many of their favorite products and startups began life as MVPs. Brands such as Facebook and Twitter all started from humble beginnings and hardly have any semblance to their original form.

However, many MVP apps have had successful product launches and have become household names while being revolutionary at the same time. We’ll look at some of these and unveil what made them stand out below!

1. Airbnb

Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, the founders of Airbnb, battled with a common problem. And that’s renting out their air mattress in their homes to visitors that wish to stay for a short duration. Thus, they created a simple website for this purpose and quickly realized that this was a service with much demand. They grew the platform from that point and rapidly revolutionized the vacation rental industry on a global scale.

2. Foursquare

Launched in 2009 and only available in 100 metro areas initially, the Foursquare app tracked a user’s check-in and location data. And to make the process fun, the app came with gamification features whereby the user earned badges depending on where they’d check in. As the user base grew, it eventually became a full-fledged city guide, and the Uber and Twitter apps both use Foursquare’s Places API.

3. Instagram

Surprisingly, the incredibly popular Instagram didn’t start life as one would expect. Initially, it was called Burbn, which offered location-based functionality similar to Foursquare. But it was its photo-sharing capabilities that wowed users. And that was due to there being a shortage of great photo-sharing applications when Burbn launched. Its founders realized that they had a hit on their hands. So, they stripped Burbn of all its other features and renamed it Instagram.

4. Uber

It’s impossible to cover great examples of production launches without mentioning Uber. The Uber app creators followed the traditional app MVP model with much success. They offered the bare minimum functionality, which allowed users to connect with cab drivers and make payments via credit card. Furthermore, the Uber app was only available on iOS initially but later made its way to Android devices.

5. Spotify

Spotify is the leading music streaming service and probably came pre-installed with your Android device. But it originally only appeared on desktops as a closed beta and was made available to specific target audiences. Once the Spotify team ascertained that their MVP satisfied users’ needs, they signed up more artists. And they introduced new features, such as synchronizing smartphones with the desktop app and improved playlist functionality.

In Conclusion

Successful product launches are few, but that doesn’t mean you can’t achieve this with your upcoming MVP app. If you closely study the list above, a very noticeable trend emerges. And that’s that each app offers functionality not available by alternatives or has features far superior to that of competitors. Contact NS804 to learn how we’ll help you create phenomenal MVPs that will turn heads!

9 Signs Your Business Is Ready for a Custom App

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Most enterprises see a paradigm shift in their success when they build a website and provide more information and tools for their customers. However, some businesses may even see more success if they create a mobile app.

The adoption of mobile apps has accelerated business development in several frontiers – customer service, employee performance, operational efficiency, and productivity. The rising adoption of mobile apps by enterprises is due to the increasing smartphone ownership and higher internet penetration rates.

But how can you determine whether your business is ripe for a custom mobile app? And once you decide whether you’re ready for an app, how do you figure out what to put in the app? Below, NS804 lends its expertise to discuss clear signs that your business is ready for a custom app.

1. Business Development

If your business is facing declines, it’s a clear indication that you’re not engaging with your customers right and adapting to new trends. Businesses must consider adopting an app but only if it adds substantial business value. Today, mobile apps are being used to increase employee performance and productivity by optimizing business processes to improve outcomes and productivity. The business app empowers workers, enabling them to stay connected and obtain real-time insight in and outside the office. Business apps increase engagement, boost loyalty, retention, leading to improvements in business process development.

2. Competition is Adopting Apps

When your competitors are increasingly adopting apps, it indicates that times are changing and so should you. Look around at your competitors and you’ll realize that they more likely have an app. Customers and normal folks are becoming connected, underscoring the importance of a mobile app for your business. However, before developing a custom app for your business, ensure that it links to your website, has push notifications, and supports contact information.

3. Slow, Manual Processes

Humans are slow being with a limited capacity to collect and store information. However, machines present classic opportunities to run several tasks simultaneously and store huge chunks of information datasets in one place. If a company lacks resources to automate manual processes, it’s a clear sign it needs a mobile app. In addition, if the business keeps relying on outdated, archaic machines, equipment, and systems, it’s a clear sign it’s lagging in technology adoption. Businesses and organizations that still rely on outdated systems show a desire and the need for a custom mobile app.

4. Customers Struggle Accessing Your Brand

If a mobile app would give your customers greater access to your brand, then you need to invest in a custom app solution. An app is created to provide customers access to a portal for personalized services, at any place and time. An app translates to greater communication between the business and its prospects. So, if your business struggles connecting with prospective clients and customers, it’s a fool-proof sign that you need a custom mobile app.

5. Customers Would Benefit from Offline Access

Mobile apps have the benefit of being accessible even without an internet connection. That ensures they are functional even in situations where there’s simply no internet connection. Offline access is an essential element in giving users a better experience, and ensuring that users download and use your app. So, if your customers benefit from accessing the tools that you offer, information, profiles, content, and shopping, it’s a sign that you’re ready for a custom app.

Here are some customers who may benefit from an app that’s available offline:

  • Customers who are using your app for traveling purposes, such as traveling itinerary or looking for directions to a remote camping location
  • Impatient users who don’t want to depend on slow and unreliable internet connections to reap fast apps
  • Consumers and users based in rural and regional locations would highly benefit from offline apps because these locations have poor internet connections.
  • If your app is precise and offers a few target features or specifications, offline accessibility would be an easy model to deploy to customers. This means that customers would access every feature in your app without an internet connection.
  • Consumers who want to access diverse content such as blogs, eBooks, videos, music, and podcasts in transit. Spotify is an ideal app that can be accessed offline. In addition to how much internet streaming for long hours, it would take, think about internet connectivity on highways. Offline access makes sense where there’s a demand for internet streaming for prolonged hours.

Your business is ready for a custom app if your customers would benefit from offline access!

6. Market Gap to Fill

There are over 10 million apps in the market right now. So, with a staggering amount of digital resources available to consumers, it’s crucial to think about what your app idea can do that other apps cannot do. If there’s a market gap your business could fill with a custom app, it’s a sign that your business needs an app.

Case in point, following the Covid-19 pandemic, Walmart reinforced its e-commerce capabilities with a robust app model. This transformation was intended to overhaul the traditional e-commerce experience with a more modern, high-tech retail experience.

Walmart mobile app for iPhone and Android lets users browse products, search and buy merchandise in different locations. Walmart has achieved massive cost savings and optimized retail opportunities amid a crisis. So, if there’s a market gap you can bridge, it’s an indicator that your business needs a custom mobile app.

7. Siloed Information

Today, data is being used to optimize business processes and to provide the best use. Connected IoT devices offer the possibility for collecting harnessed data, processing, and drawing insight from stored data. However, traditional organizations have information stored in central databases that are managed by authorized personnel.

If you find yourself relying on centralized data points, it’s an indicator that your enterprise has not evolved with time, and you’re still relying on siloed information. Mobile apps extend the possibility of collecting information from different sources and distributing this information to several users. The interoperability (interconnectedness) of devices and systems ensures easier and faster information transfer, promoting collaboration and improving productivity.

8. Fewer Sales Channels

This is one of the reasons companies give for integrating mobile apps into their business models. Undoubtedly, mobile apps provide additional sales channels that companies can use to bolster their revenues. Mobile apps simplify the task of buying or acquiring customers. For instance, if a mobile app offers the possibility of paying for products without ordering or going out to the store, it can become an efficient solution for the sales channel.

9. Inefficient Communication with Customers

Traditional communication applications like Skype, WhatsApp, and Hangouts have been nifty for companies. However, sometimes transferring important information like reports and files to multiple users and managing minutes can be difficult with traditional applications. Not only is internal communication solved by mobile apps, but communication with customers and prospects is also made agile and faster. For instance, the ticket system can respond to incidents to avoid communication problems.

NS804 – Accelerating Your Mobile App Adoption

At NS804, we believe that knowing the difference between “necessary” and “useful” will enable you to decide whether you need to hire an app development company to simplify your process, or whether you want to do it alone. Identifying signs like manual processes, system upgrades, inaccessible information, and inefficient procurement methods indicate that your business needs a custom app.

You can contact NS804 for inquiries and solutions in custom mobile app development solutions.

7 Steps to Prepare for a Successful App Launch

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In 2021 alone, consumers downloaded a total of 200 billion apps. The rising trajectory of mobile app adoption reveals immense interest among consumers for new exciting apps. However, this doesn’t mean you can create an app in weeks, relax and hope for revenues. Launching an app requires an understanding of market trends and a lot of effort.

Below we go through the different phrases of successful app launch.

1. Define Goals and KPIs

After defining a market proposition and building an app that fulfills a specific need, now it’s time to launch your new product. Start by defining clear goals and key performance indicators KPIs for your application.

It’s easier to identify your app’s strengths with sufficient information about your market and buyer persona. And with specific metrics in place, you can determine if your app’s launch is a success, or you can conduct productive usability testing to eliminate any obstacles before your app gets to the end-user.

2. Prototype Testing

It’s crucial to test your app right away. It’s a great solution to have a QA engineer review your app from inception to completion and evaluate it throughout and before it’s launched. And when the prototype is ready, you should submit it to your sampled representatives for honest review and feedback about usability and functionality.

3. Build Buzz

The next step is to build a landing page and collect emails. A simple one-pager landing page with an email field is adequate. Collect emails and ask for subscriptions. It’s advisable to compile a list of early adopters and engage them before launching.

4. Make Specific Plans

After going through any possibilities, gathering relevant information, building and testing your app, now it’s time to determine the app’s launch date. Your target audience must know exactly when to expect the finished product. This step presents an excellent time to build a marketing plan that covers your distribution channels, the timeline, and the message you’ll convey.

5. Beta Release

Create a contained release to show how the actual product will act in the real world without risking the app’s performance. This research must be specific and must confirm that every functionality is intact. You can leverage these actionable insights to get closer to the launch date. These insights provide you with the meaningful feedback you need for a successful launch.

6. Select Launch Platform

You should select stores that your app will be available on based on your choice of technology or development. Go through the approval process and set the launch date. Each mobile app store has requirements, rules, and policies when publishing your app. Carefully review all the details and prepare your app for publishing by complying with the set requirements. A crucial part of this preparation involves creating a description and high-quality videos and screenshots to showcase. If you adhere to the guidelines given in each store, you will encounter no problems publishing your app right away.

7. Launch Date

Although the launch date is the most exciting part of the app development process, it should come easy with all the steps you’ve done before. Make use of all the materials you’ve used along the way and make a push through the available channels. Whether you’ve opted for PR articles or social media influencers, the goal is to make the “call-to-action” for download as visible as possible.

  • Post-Launch Tracking. After the launch date, keep tracking performance to get an idea of how the launch was and if it met your key performance indicators KPIs.
  • React on feedback. The feedback and insights you obtain from your audience are only valuable if you act on them. Try fixing bugs, testing performance updates, and implementing new functionalities that your users recommend.

Contact NS804 for mobile app development (and launching) solutions.