Tag Archive for: app development

The Waterfall UX Process: Everything You Need To Know

When developing mobile apps, we need to consider various project management approaches, such as the Waterfall UX process. After all, we retain users by utilizing methodologies and strategies for UI/UX that work. And we want to reduce the associated risks of creating apps via a well-thought-out Waterfall software development process.

But you may be wondering if this is the right methodology for your upcoming project or considering alternatives such as Agile. Well, we’ll shed some light on these matters and compare both methodologies below.

1. What Is The Waterfall Methodology

 

The Waterfall methodology is a project management paradigm initially used in construction and manufacturing but later adopted by software developers. All project tasks are split into phases that follow a linear sequence that flows downwards, similarly to a waterfall, hence the naming convention. It’s a fairly straightforward process but far more rigid than alternative models such as agile.

2. Does The Waterfall UX Process Work

 

Users expect modern apps to have intuitive and responsive UX. And a few ways to keep these users satisfied is by simplifying the user journey, organizing content, personalizing apps, adding biometric authentication features, and minimizing data input. But how does a development team hash out their UX process to create engaging apps? The good news is that the Waterfall methodology works incredibly well for UX, which many developers utilize.

A well-trodden Waterfall UX process works as follows:

  • Initiate research and determine all core problems
  • Categorize all these problems
  • Generate journey maps and personas
  • Hold brainstorming sessions to come up with new ideas
  • Create a prototype and test it
  • Begin developing the product based on the prototype
  • Release the product
  • Gather user feedback and return to the first phase

Overall, this process brings about satisfactory results as long as the UX isn’t updated regularly. However, many design-led mobile app developers prefer to update their UX in shorter cadences. In such a scenario, a Waterfall process isn’t the most suitable methodology. Thus, a growing number of developers utilize Lean and Agile methodologies instead.

 

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3. The Main Parts Of The Waterfall Software Development Process

 

A typical Waterfall software development process consists of either five or seven phases following a stringent linear sequence. The naming of phases may vary, but these are the commonly used descriptors:

Requirements – Project managers gather all necessary customer requirements during this initial phase. Then, without further customer input, the remaining phases in the waterfall sequence are planned out.

Design – Design consists of a logical design and a physical design phase. Logical design involves the brainstorming and theorization of solutions, while physical design necessitates the establishment of specifications based on these theories.

Implementation – The development team’s programmers start writing code based on the requirements and specifications from the above phases.

Verification – During the verification phase, the customer receives the finished product to review. The customer will then ascertain whether or not the product meets their requirements.

Maintenance – The customer regularly uses the product and gradually discovers bugs and other faults. Then, the maintenance team makes the necessary fixes based on customer feedback.

4. Pros And Cons Of Waterfall

 

The Waterfall software development process has several pros and cons that you should consider before commencing any upcoming projects. Unfortunately, the Waterfall model has gained an undeserved reputation among many developers nowadays. They often claim that it’s inefficient and outdated due to its rigid structure. However, it’s still widely used in enterprise, game, and mobile app development.

Waterfall’s clear structure makes it easy for developers to understand and complete tasks. And since tasks must be completed in sequence, this diminishes the possibility of unfinished and unpolished apps. Furthermore, if the developer can commit to a set release date, then it’s easy to predict the end goal and production costs.

On the flipside, Waterfall’s rigid structure makes it difficult to implement changes. Any sudden change or revision will likely derail the project and extend the time to market (TTM). Another negative is that the customer or end-user doesn’t have a say during the development process and provides valuable feedback that benefits the project. Finally, testing takes place near the end of the process, which may lead to costly and time-consuming revisions.

 

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5. Waterfall Methodology Vs Agile

 

Whether in the canteen or around the water cooler, it’s common for developers to engage in Waterfall methodology vs Agile debates. Since neither methodology is better than the other, it’s difficult to settle on a clear winner. However, they both have several notable differences that are worth discussing. 

We’ve already gone over Waterfall’s rigid structure, which makes it difficult to implement changes. Well, Agile is the complete opposite and allows for a more iterative approach at shorter time scales. However, do keep changes to a minimum to avoid a budget overrun. After all, Agile lacks the predictability of Waterfall, making it less suitable for determining cost and time factors.

While Waterfall’s ideal for projects with clearly defined end goals, this isn’t the case for Agile. Customers are often uncertain about how a project should turn out and prefer to determine the result through trial and error. Agile’s flexible approach facilitates user feedback throughout the development process and fine-tuning the project accordingly.

6. What Projects Work Best With Waterfall

 

Waterfall works best for smaller projects and those that have a fixed budget, release date, and scope. It’s also a good choice for any application that doesn’t require frequent updates. And the team structure of the developer may determine if Waterfall is the way to go. For example, if contractors and remote workers will also be contributing to the project, then Waterfall’s clean and straightforward structure makes it suitable. Moreover, the customer may not have the time or inclination to follow the entire development process and only wishes to see the finished product.

7. Should You Use Waterfall And Agile Together?

 

It usually makes sense to deliberate over Waterfall Methodology Vs Agile, especially when embarking on mobile app development. But sometimes, depending on the project, it may be necessary to embrace both methodologies. Ideally, you’ll want to form a hybrid methodology that combines the positive aspects of both models but without any of the negative.

By implementing the Water-Scrum-Fall paradigm, it’s possible to have a hybrid methodology that works effectively. Project leaders operate within the Waterfall paradigm, but the development team functions in an Agile environment and only integrates with the Waterfall structure via the Scrum team. However, it’s challenging to run Agile and Waterfall processes concurrently. But worthwhile if you’re employing Continuous Delivery in your DevOps pipeline for your app development endeavors.

The Bottom Line

 

The Waterfall methodology has played a significant role in software development for many decades. It may seem outdated, especially for newer developers accustomed to an Agile environment. However, Waterfall still has its place and can be made to work with Agile if necessary. Contact us now, and find out how NS804 can help bring your mobile app ideas to life.

Choosing the Proper Tech Stack

The tech industry moves at a rapid pace, meaning that hardly a month goes by without us hearing about a new tech stack or two. But since current trends in mobile app development encourage the adoption of newer technologies, it’s vital to make the right choice. After all, not all tech stacks are created equal, and there’s a notable difference between native and hybrid app development. We’ll take a look at six tech stacks and reveal when and where they should be used.

1. Purpose Of Choosing The Tech Stack

 

Current trends in mobile app development include the adoption of tech stacks that facilitate cost-effectiveness, efficiency, scalability, and speed. Tech stacks consist of frameworks, libraries, programming languages, and tools that aid the development process. Furthermore, one can find tech stacks for both front-end and back-end development. For example, React is a popular front-end JavaScript library, while Java is a widely-used programming language for back-end development.

2. React Tech Stack

 

React is a battle-tested open-source library that’s maintained by Facebook and various other companies and developers. It’s a web-based technology but has gained traction within the mobile app development space. 

React Native, in particular, is a wrapper that allows developers to code in JavaScript while rendering to the native APIs used by Android & iOS. It compiles all UI components into the native languages of the target platform, namely: Java or Objective C/Swift. However, all non-UI specific code remains in JavaScript, meaning that it’s a hybrid and not a native solution. Thus, it’s a good choice for easy deployment to both platforms, but with a possible performance penalty.

3. Java Tech Stack

 

It’s usually a good idea to approach custom mobile app development with the view of supporting both Android & iOS. But we understand that’s not always possible, and you may only want to support Android. In that case, it makes sense to focus exclusively on native app development by using a Java tech stack. Development can be done almost entirely with Android Studio and its SDK tools, which are powerful and well-documented. And since all code is in Java, expect optimal performance due to the language’s excellent memory management and multi-threaded capabilities.

4. Kotlin Tech Stack

 

Java isn’t the only game in town for native Android development. In recent years, we’ve witnessed the growing popularity of Kotlin, which seems like a natural evolution of Java. Created by JetBrains, a company behind many popular IDEs and development tools, Kotlin improves upon Java in several areas. It offers better security, cleaner syntax, enhanced thread handling, and is more lightweight.

Furthermore, Kotlin’s cross-platform capabilities make it a good candidate for iOS development too. Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile allows developers to keep all their business logic in Kotlin and only write in different languages for platform-specific APIs and UI. While Kotlin does save development time, do consider all potential hidden costs, especially when cross-developing.

5. Swift Tech Stack

 

Swift is Apple’s flagship programming language, which allows developers to target iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS. It shares many similarities to its successor languages: C & Objective-C. However, Swift’s ease-of-use, modern features, and safety make it ideal for custom mobile app development on iOS. It also utilizes the renowned LLVM compiler that outputs optimized native code that takes advantage of Apple’s modern hardware. 

Keeping in line with current trends in mobile app development, Swift is supported by several IDEs and code editors. Apple’s own Xcode is a popular choice, but some developers prefer JetBrains’ AppCode or an open-source alternative such as Atom. If you’re targeting Apple devices, then Swift is the way to go due to its excellent performance and rich feature set. 

6. Progressive Web Apps Tech Stack

 

Progressive Web Apps (PWA) are a cross between mobile apps and mobile websites while functioning similarly to native apps. It’s a relatively straightforward and quick process to download and install a PWA from a website. But what makes PWAs so compelling is that they run within the browser but can be installed on the user’s device and then accessed from the home screen. 

They’re a good choice for custom mobile app development while avoiding some of the associated risks and pitfalls. Furthermore, developers can release their apps outside the walled gardens of the app stores. At NS804, we recommend native solutions for the best possible user experience, but there are cases where hybrid solutions have their place.

Can You Get Professional Results With App Design Templates?

Making apps is a costly endeavor, causing developers to seek ways to make their production processes more efficient. And given the increased competition, it seems challenging to stick to the planned mobile app budget. After all, users desire more features and slicker design, whereas innovative competitors push the envelope even further. While it’s tempting to cut corners to stay on budget, this move would be detrimental to the success of your app.

Keep in mind that there’s no need to reskin existing apps or source low-quality assets to bring costs down. Users have become seasoned in spotting asset flips, reskinned apps, and generic GUI icons sourced from the web. Fortunately, there are ways to make impressive-looking apps without resorting to these questionable methods. A custom app developed by an experienced developer, such as NS804, will provide the best results.

An alternative way to make your app look professional is by utilizing app design templates, which we’ll discuss in more detail below.

1. Why You May Want To Use App Design Templates

Every developer wants to reduce their time to market (TTM) significantly. That’s why many teams use existing frameworks instead of building everything from scratch. Furthermore, most experienced developers are capable of crafting unique apps instead of cookie-cutter apps using these frameworks. Since they no longer have to worry about boilerplate code, they can now focus on creating compelling apps that excite users.

However, you can go beyond frameworks to reduce cost and time to develop your upcoming app. After bouncing some app design ideas with the relevant team members, it’s time to consider using customizable or pre-made templates for your project.

We recommend that you stay away from cheap templates, as they’ll make your app look dated, low-effort, or unpolished. Many talented designers work on custom templates and ensure that they meet the criteria set out by platform holders such as Apple and Google. Do keep in mind that a North American designer may set you back between $ 45-250 per hour depending on experience and project complexity.

Your project’s requirements will largely determine whether you’ll opt for a custom solution or templates. But if you don’t want to skimp on quality, then nothing holds up to a custom-designed app.

2. Are Custom-Made Apps Really That Different?

Well, that depends if these custom-made apps have enough unique elements to make them stand out. And since the attention span of users is less than 8 seconds, developers should get their ideas across quickly. Furthermore, most successful apps always strive to provide users the instant gratification that they crave. But to make these types of apps, it’s vital to understand the entire process.

It all begins with a rock-solid idea that has been conceived after planning your app on paper. Team members should be encouraged to share their app design ideas, which should include ‘must-have’ and ‘nice-to-have’ features. Then, you should create a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that’s a stripped-down version of the final product. Moreover, you can create a prototype that lacks all the bells and whistles but showcases basic functionality.

Once you have a functioning app up and running, you’ll want to focus on its visual elements. The work you put into your User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) will go a long way in differentiating your app. If you’re fortunate enough to have talented designers on your team, then they can create stunning icons, menus, and screens. Also, they can alter existing templates and recompose them so that they seem custom-made.

If you don’t have designers on hand or aren’t confident in making a compelling app, then we recommend hiring an experienced developer. NS804 can help to make all your ideas come to life while also assisting in other key areas. Don’t forget to do market research before launching. By knowing what users want, you can add those unique features that differentiate your app from the competition.

Lastly, you should always study user feedback and make changes, whenever necessary, to keep them engaged. Several good ways to gain user insight is through interviews and surveys. Then, update your app regularly and ensure that you’re delivering the changes and features that they want.

3. The Right Template Is Already Professional

App builders have become commonplace in recent years. They make it easy to build apps for small businesses and other organizations using drag-and-drop wizards and templates. However, they’re not always the ideal solution, especially in light of Apple’s 2017 ban on low-quality templates. Ensure that all your cool app design ideas don’t go to waste by meeting the requirements set forth by the platform holders.

Apart from not being spammy, your app’s built-in features and UX design should serve specific businesses or needs. If you’ve sourced high-quality templates that scale perfectly to different screen sizes, then you’re on the right track. But it’s also necessary to consider the use cases of various templates as well. For example, it’s never a good idea to use a template meant for restaurant apps when you’re making a fitness studio app.

Users and platform holders prefer a clean and uncluttered look for the current generation of apps. Not only does this enhance usability, but it’s also more aesthetically pleasing. The good news is that it’s reasonably easy to find pre-made templates that comply with this minimalist design language. Moreover, it’s possible for any experienced designer to alter these templates to better fit your app and UX design.

4. Use Templates To Get App Design Ideas

Coming up with the latest great idea for your upcoming app may seem difficult. Fortunately, there are several handy tools to help you draw up and visualize your app in record time. Microsoft’s Web and Mobile Wireframe Templates make it possible to design your next app with a few mouse clicks. These templates are generic so that it’s easy to implement changes without much guesswork.

A few of the starter templates include Company Wireframe Diagram, E-Commerce Wireframe Diagram, List Wireframe Diagram, Media Wireframe Diagram, User Profile Wireframe Diagram, Wireframe – Mobile App, and Wireframe – Website. These will help you get started quickly, as they cover the most common use cases for mobile and web apps.

One of the tool’s most useful features is its ability to display templates on different web browsers and devices. Without a doubt, this allows you and your team to conceive app ideas while having a clear picture of what they’ll look like on the target platform. Even if you can’t come up with ideas at first, manipulating these templates will help you get your creative juices flowing.  

Final Thoughts

App design templates can help reduce the cost and time it takes to produce apps. But these must be professionally made templates that will look good on various devices and display sizes. Furthermore, they must comply with the requirements set out by platform holders to avoid bans. With our many years of experience in app development, NS804 can help you achieve professional results for your next mobile app.

Tips For Higher App Store Ratings

Improving Your App Store Rating

To this day word-of-mouth is one of the most powerful marketing tactics available. This is because it offers the new potential customer an immediate sense of trust. Since the suggestion comes from a fellow customer, who gains no benefit from your business, it’s safe to assume there’s no ulterior motive. While the world is swiftly transitioning to work-from-home environments and remote operations, it may seem like word-of-mouth marketing is disappearing. However, it’s quite the contrary. Even in a virtual world, elements like app store ratings and yelp reviews serve as the vehicle for word-of-mouth marketing.

In viewing app store ratings as a version of word-of-mouth marketing, the value of a strong app store rating becomes apparent. Mobile app developers and producers understand that driving a strong app store rating yields a myriad of benefits. These benefits range from a larger and more loyal user-base to longer log-times, and even higher in-app purchase rates. Prioritizing a high app store rating is quickly becoming recognized as more and more vital to an applications long term success.

Tips To Improve App Store Ratings

Mobile app developers often create store-rating strategies before the onset of a mobile app project. This allows the team to focus on developing a unique application with a unique interface while still delivering undeniable value.

Market Analysis

Firstly, in approaching the release of any mobile app the first step is to conduct a market-analysis. Through this analysis the mobile app producer takes note of the competitors living within the same sub-markets that they’re targeting. Beyond the initial market-analysis, the mobile app producer looks at the specifics of each of the competitors already in the space.

This is where the developer can put their app-theory to the test. If the ideation of the new application is too similar to any of its existing competition, adjustments need to be made. This is the point in the process where a developer is able to pinpoint the value-proposition of their mobile-application. Additionally, this is also the stage that reveals the main differences between the new app and competitors solutions.

Prioritize User Experience

Prioritizing the user experience is a multi-faceted chore. Firstly, this means delivering undeniable value to the user. This goes back to the idea of a value-proposition. However, beyond offering users some type of solution; mobile app developers need to be prepared for iterations and updates.

In other words, consumers aren’t going to stay quiet about issues or unpleasantries they experience. Therefore, paying attention to user feedback, and especially negative user feedback, will help your developers address major issues with the application. Addressing user issues swiftly and confidently is a sure way to push your app store ratings higher.

Beyond that, build a feedback prompt into your mobile application, and solicit users to leave your team a rating and feedback.

Final Thoughts

The app store is a vicious place. Users are as fast to delete applications as they are to download them in the first place. For more information on achieving a higher app store rating, and how to drive user-loyalty, visit NS804.

NS804 is the premiere knowledge source for everything mobile app development.

Mobile App Usage During COVID-19: Mobile Apps Seeing a Surge in User Base

COVID-19 And The Surge In Mobile App Usage

In March of 2020 the world began a period of rapid change. The COVID-19 pandemic swept over the globe, and society all over the world felt its impact. Not only that, but shortly after the onset of the pandemic, domestic turmoil erupted as well. With COVID-19 running rampant through cities and states all over the country, things shut down quickly. Additionally, unemployment rates began to skyrocket as businesses shut their doors to customers. Others still would transition to a fully-remote work environment. With businesses shut down, and the majority of people stuck inside, mobile app usage saw a massive surge.

The huge surge in work-from-home positions was just one of the significant shifts that the pandemic began. As companies realized it was no longer safe for employees to come into the office, those same businesses had to make adjustments to stay afloat in our new society. In order to keep operations running, many businesses got creative and found ways to serve their customers remotely.

Mobile App Usage Stats

In fact, in the second quarter of 2020 business app usage saw a massive increase of 220% compared to quarter four of 2019 in the United States. India, however, saw an even greater increase of 450% over the same time period. The significant increase in businesses app usage points toward a general trend in the way that businesses will be operating for the foreseeable future.

Businesses aren’t the only ones to see a huge increase in mobile app usage, however. In the last three months, July, August, and September, mobile app users spent 180 million hours on apps. The huge surge in mobile app usage is universal. In other words, it isn’t just businesses, or customers in a certain demographic that are spending more time on mobile apps.

Rather, it seems that the entirety of the mobile app market is experiencing one of the greatest volume-increases in history. Certainly, while some trends are just that, a trending phase or fad, the increase in the mobile app market seems like it’s going to be more sustainable than other phases.

This is because of two main reasons. The first is that the affects of the COVID-19 pandemic are going to stretch far into the future. The second is simply the versatility of the market. From enterprise level apps that businesses use to conduct operations, to educational apps that are powering remote learning, and of course, even the silly mobile-app games that provide people with a sense of community in these dismal times.

Capitalize On The Surge

While the onset of the mobile-app surge has already come and gone, the massive uptick in mobile app usage is here to stay. Now is a better time than ever to start taking your ideas for a mobile app from concept to reality.

NS804 is the mobile app developer of the ever day person. As such, we’re dedicated to making mobile app development services more accessible than ever before. Visit NS804 today and get in touch with the mobile app developer of tomorrow.

Understanding The Application Lifecycle

Application Lifecycle Management 

There is a beginning to everything. In fact, nothing comes into existence out of nothingness. The universe, for instance, as we understand, came to be through a massive eruption of energy known to science as the big-bang. While the creation of an application may not begin with a universal eruption, its conception is thrilling all the same. Whether this is your first-ever application, or your thousandth, understanding application lifecycle management will boost your workflow and elevate your efficiency from the start. 

There are three main aspects of application lifecycle management (ALM). Those three aspects are: 

  • Governance
  • Development and Deployment
  • Maintenance

These are the different phases of an application from start to finish. The first two phases are definite, while the last is ongoing. In other words, once the app is live – there will always be ongoing maintenance activities to perform. 

Having a strong grasp of application lifecycle management builds innate value into the business. This value emerges in the workflow, processes, and procedures all associated with application development. By understanding the application lifecycle, developers implement best-practices and industry standards into their design process, therefore boosting efficiency, and resulting in higher quality applications. 

Governance

Governance is the very first phase that begins the journey of an application. As soon as the app is conceptualized, the governance phase has begun. Governance, in this context, isn’t referring to the laws and rules of a nation. In a similar sense, however, governance in the context of app development refers to defining core aspects of the application. 

The elements that need to be defined in the governance phase of the application lifecycle management include a spectrum from function, to logic, and framework. In other words, this is the phase in which designers are able to verbally identify the various pathways, functions, and workflows. 

Having an idea of how the application is going to flow and function is crucial to entering the next phase of ALM. A good way to think about the governance phase of the application lifecycle is to imagine it as a blueprint. The blueprint informs the construction crew on how to actually raise the structure, the dimensions of the individual pieces, and how they all fit together. 

In the same vein, the governance phase of the application lifecycle should result in an easy-to-follow development roadmap. 

Development & Deployment in the Application Lifecycle

This is the phase following governance. Development and deployment are actually two halves to the whole. Development is the first piece in this phase. The development phase is where the application is actually built.

Additionally, there is a third aspect to development and deployment that impacts both phases: consumer and market testing. Testing is a not a formal phase of the application lifecycle management however, it is nonetheless critical to delivering applications that are of value and that consumers desire.

Delving Into Development

There are many aspects of the development phase. As such, this is arguably the most crucial phase in ALM. Since the development phase is equivalent to the actual construction phase in real estate development. In other words, developers are laying the foundation for the app. A strong foundation provides the platform for a well-designed and successful app. 

Developers have more on their plate than mere function however. App development teams task themselves with the visual design and work-flow of the application in addition to the functionality and usability. Once developers reach a certain level of baseline functionality, the application starts to enter the next half of this phase: testing and deployment. 

Testing

The first round of development yields an MVP: minimum viable product. Firms and developers use MVP’s as samples of the end-product in order to gain additional consumer insight. Companies use this insight to make important decisions on how to finish the development phase. 

In market-testing, consumers are asked about multiple aspects of the app. These aspects range from the aesthetic and color-scheme, to the actual function and usability of the app. 

After the focus groups and market-testing, the MVP returns to the developers with loads of notes, comments, and real consumer input. Developers use this invaluable insight in order to finish the build of the application and deliver a functional app that solves real consumer issues.

While it’s unwise to spend too long on any single phase of the application lifecycle, testing is certainly not an area to start cutting corners. Using focus groups and market-testing delivers immense value to the final development of the application. As such, these activities should actually be supplemented, if anything, in order to test the MVP on multiple demographics. 

Deployment

At this point, the application, its function and workflow, and its usability have been defined. The core build is tested, and the final development, influenced by consumer input and marketing test-groups, is complete. Finally, the sweet fruit of the labor is in reach, and the application lifecycle nears its final stage. 

The deployment of an application upon its completion is certainly not the most laborious of the phases, however it is very fickle. Firms need to start developing their deployment strategy in the early steps of the governance phase. This is because the governance phase will help dictate and define the proper channels of deployment to utilize. 

The testing phases will also contribute to developing the deployment strategy, as it will offer real insight into where consumers want to find the application, and how they will use it. Speaking to the core values of your main target-demographics, and ensuring that they have easy access to your application are crucial to releasing a successful application that draws consumers inward. 

Ongoing Maintenance

Ongoing application maintenance is crucial to user-retention and future user-acquisition. The application marketplace is already supersaturated with options for the consumer. As such, user-acquisition and user-retention are already hyper-competitive areas. User retention is especially important because it forms the regular user-base for the application. 

Since a robust regular user-base is one of the most valuable commodities in the application market, maintaining this user-base is critical to longevity. This is, in part, due to how fickle user-ship is in the application market. Users are prone to jump to a competitor with a stronger user-experience after a single negative interaction with an application. 

This type of rapid turn-over puts a strong emphasis on user-loyalty. Beyond that, if applications are left unmaintained and unattended to, their functionality will deteriorate, their security protocols will begin to weaken, and users will swiftly abandon ship. 

The Benefits of Application Lifecycle Management

The application lifecycle begins with ideation and governance, moves through development, testing and deployment, and ends with on-going maintenance. Developing applications by putting them through these different phases occurs naturally. However, identifying the phases and understanding how they relate to one another allows companies to build stronger and more efficient workflows. 

Firms can customize the workflow to fit their specific needs, while still adhering to best-practices and industry-recognized standards. Following through on the phases and their associated actions ensures that released applications are thoroughly vetted, and ready for mass use.

Look no further than NS804 for help developing and supplementing your firm’s ALM practices. NS804 is the mobile app developer of the everyday person. As such, NS804 commits to making mobile app development services more accessible than ever before. For anything related to mobile app development, visit NS804 today.

The Role of the Project Manager in App Development

The Project Manager in App Development

There are many vital functions that need to be covered in developing an app. There is of course, the actual coding of the software. The UX design. Not to mention the marketing. Secondly the research. And finally data analytics. All-in-all, when it comes to a mobile app there’s a lot to keep track of. Enter the project manager. 

Particularly, a project manager covers many of the logistical and collaborative aspects in app development. From tracking timelines and production schedules. All the way to facilitating cross-department collaboration. The project manager plays a vital part in bringing together the various aspects of the puzzle. Finally, putting it all together. 

IDAP cites risk-management as another one of the main functions for which project managers are responsible. The risks mitigated are mainly project-based. This includes aspects like scheduling-risks. Technical risks. And monetary risks. Furthermore, as in every industry, the project manager has a strict obligation to the project budget as well. 

Vital Functions

The main goal of a project manager is to keep the project on track. On track with its original planning, and deadlines. Accomplished through a series of tactics, softwares and project management technology. 

Project managers keep projects on their track. Even through unforeseen hurdles that surface. In other words, it’s important to note that project managers are track live-projects. Therefore, they need to be informed of any shifts that occur. Importantly, these shifts can alter other aspects of the project. Ultimately affecting the deadline. 

Breaking Down the Role

    1. Scheduling – Firstly, scheduling is an essential function for a project manager. From team meetings, to project updates, and independent contractor interviews. Project managers are the originators of project schedules.

      Even timeline scheduling. Plus scheduling the various aspects of the project, and when they need to be ready to intersect. This includes everything from the user-experience design, to the back-end software. Not to mention everything in between. Logo design. Color and aesthetic design. Plus, marketing events. Not to mention, scheduling demos in addition. It all starts with the project manager.
    2. Communicating – Project-wide communication. This is where the project manager needs to really excel. Facilitating cross-departmental communication has to be one of the main priorities. Getting mobile app design teams to be on the same page can be difficult. However, if all teams reporting updates to the same project manager. They can ensure that all need-to-know parties are, in fact, in the know.
    3. Budgeting – Finally, time and money both need to be budgeted. Usually at the onset of the project. In mobile app development, this is no different. The time and money it takes to successfully develop a mobile app can vary. Project managers are the facilitator of the entire project. As such, they are in charge of keeping projects both on schedule, and on budget. 

NS804 is the everyman mobile app developer. Dedicated to making mobile app development services more accessible than ever before. Visit NS804 today, and get in touch with a development professional ready to make your mobile app dream a reality.

Benefits of Custom Development in Enterprise Apps

Custom Development in Enterprise Apps

There are many way s to go about developing an enterprise app. However, there is no one-size-fits all solution. There are pros and cons to each of the different available avenues. Two of the most popular avenues to develop an enterprise app are to commission a custom development team, or to purchase an ‘off-the-shelf’ solution. While a pre-packaged enterprise app can be a quick-fix with a smaller price tag, there are significant benefits to choosing custom development for your enterprise app. 

Some ‘off-the-shelf’ solutions include providers of CRM softwares. Plus project management solutions. Lastly, communication solutions, and even marketing automation software. Any vendor that has pre-made applications to address various business needs can be considered ‘off-the-shelf’, pre-made, or non-custom enterprise apps. 

There are certain instances that going with a non-custom enterprise app solution makes sense. For companies that are just starting out, or companies that don’t need extensive or unique solutions for their various functions. However, there are some crucial benefits to choosing custom development for enterprise apps. 

Unarguable Benefits

Before choosing a premade enterprise app solution, or going with a custom developer, conduct an internal review. It’s important to understand your company’s needs before making a final decision. 

You Get What You Pay For –

As is very often the case, “you get what you pay for.” In other words, the amount invested into an enterprise app, is going to reflect the ultimate product that the company receives. Custom enterprise development is likely going to be a larger upfront investment. Yet, the end result will be more powerful. Additionally, the solution will be more to specific to your company, than an out of the box solution.

Not to mention, while the upfront investment for a custom enterprise app to be developed may be hefty, there is likely going to be less year-after-year cost associated with a custom enterprise app. Meanwhile, a premade solution comes with subscription and various other annual fees. In other words, choosing custom enterprise app development could actually save your company volumes in the long run.

More Customizability For Unique Cases –

One of the strongest cases for custom enterprise development is the simple factor of customization. In springing for a custom enterprise app, the company is able to dictate the stipulations and design from top to bottom. This results in a software that more accurately and definitely assists a company in achieving their goals, and covering their needs.

Brand-Specific Experience –

Delivering a unique and stand-out brand experience is growing in importance in today’s market. As the era of information and the age of the appreneur continue to advance, customers and professionals are eager for new experiences that still feel somewhat familiar. A custom enterprise app can deliver this exact experience, and help differentiate your brand from the competition. 

NS804 has experience across industries, technologies, and the entire breadth of the app development marketplace. Dedicated to making development services more accessible to the everyday appreneur, and helping companies achieve their biggest and brightest dreams, look no further than NS804 for all your app development needs.

The Age of The Appreneur

What is an Appreneur?

With more and more entrepreneurs focusing on mobile app development, coming up with the term appreneur was almost too easy and already feels natural. Appreneur is a term for any entrepreneur who built a mobile app as their business. This includes main stake holders in mobile app development companies, early investors in mobile apps, and the like.

There are plenty of household entrepreneurs that could be classified as an appreneur. Co-founders of Uber, Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp, serve as a pair of examples, Jeff Bazos, even with as much bad press as he receives, could be considered an appreneur through the creation of his Amazon empire. Bazos has successfully built a competitor to Netflix and Hulu, while also being the most popular e-marketplace around.

Also competing with grocery stores through their WholeFoods partnership, Amazon has an impressive run as a serial appreneur. Prolific early-investor and content creator, Gary Vaynerchuck could also be considered a serial appreneur as an early investor. Though his energy is often intense, his atmospheric enthusiasm for competition in the marketplace is refreshing.

The point Vaynerchuk makes is that there shouldn’t be a need to tear other people down in the pursuit of any venture. Yet that shouldn’t limit anyone’s growth potential. The sentiment is healthy competition, and an emphasis on strong brand reputation.

The Rise of The Appreneur

Appreneurs have been around for the better part of two decades, harking back to the turn of the century, bulky box-monitors, and the creation of Apple, a behemoth tech company and mobile app developer that exists in a tier so far above the rest; it’s actual competition is few in number and the market is considered by some to be an oligopoly. One competitor of Apple is of course, Google. The two pioneering tech and mobile app companies have provided some of the most incredible technological innovations in history, and each continue to dominate the mobile-app market. That said, history shows that all empires fall eventually, and who’s to say an app being developed today won’t rise to the challenge down the road?

With Apple and Google leading the way, they pave the path for other developers to enter the race through their platforms or mobile app stores. Simultaneously driving popularity to mobile apps and gaining organic traffic.

Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Zoom and TikTok, Uber, Skype, and countless other mobile app companies have been started by an individual appreneur, or a small group of appreneurs, before there was even a word for it. Today, mobile apps are seeing a huge growth in popularity as COVID-19 changes the way business is conducted, and how people conduct their day-to-day lives. With record first-time downloads across the Apple app store, and the Google Play store, the mobile app market is thriving in a time of economic uncertainty.

As interest rates approach 1% and even lower, budding appreneurs who have been procrastinating on developing their mobile app have an extremely rare opportunity to enter a thriving market within an otherwise suffering marketplace, which offers a significant amount of upside.

There are appreneurs in every market, and every industry, as technology and mobile apps have become a staple in business practices across the globe. To find out more about NS804 mobile app development, contact us, there’s no better time to develop than right now.

TikTok and Zoom Boom During Stay at Home

Staying at Home and Working From Home Lead to Boom in TikTok and Zoom

While the impact of COVID-19 is being felt globally, and there’s no question of the longterm economic impact; one industry remains strong: mobile apps. Within this sector, there are plenty of examples of tech companies that have benefited in usership from the pandemic, such as Netflix, mobile app games, and social media platforms. Across the board though, there are two apps that stand out among their competition: TikTok and Zoom.

TikTok is a popular social media platform dedicated to bringing joy, and inspiring creativity through short-form mobile video, according to their mission statement. While Zoom is a video-conferencing, telecommunication software designed for business professionals, webinars, and personal communication.

“Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, collaboration, chat, and webinars across mobile devices, desktops, telephones, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, conference, huddle, and training rooms, as well as executive offices and classrooms.”
Zoom-

TikTok has seen astronomical growth since the start of 2020. While the mobile app and combined websites already had a growth trend, the increase in usage between January and March are case-study worthy. The TikTok app by itself saw 30.1% growth in unique visitors/month between January and March. The app also saw a jump from 19% to 27% of users from the 13-35-year-old market sector. Beyond usership, increased downloads, and other exciting metrics – one important factor to highlight is the amount of time being spent on the app.

Between January and March TikTok saw a 48.3% growth in time spent/visitor. A massive leap that highlights the extraordinary boom TikTok is seeing.

Zoom is seeing a similarly stellar growth rate, recently reporting that they now receive over 300 million daily Zoom meeting participants, which is a 50% increase from reports early last month, and an outstanding increase from the 10 million daily users back in December of 2019.

Take Aways From the Boom

In mobile app development, and in any trade really, the best creators copy and borrow from one another. Any entrepreneur should know it’s important to learn from others, and there are two strong mobile components that contribute to the TikTok and Zoom boom to consider in mobile app development.

Communication: Zoom is the clear winner here. Hitting 300 million daily users is a milestone in and of itself, but the ability to communicate remotely through Zoom’s platform is really the main factor driving the massive growth its seeing, despite a series of security issues that have been reported. Designing communication platforms into a mobile app should be a priority, especially in a time when the consumer market is aching for human connection, and businesses are searching for communication solutions while remote work swiftly becomes the norm.

Human Connection and Creativity: TikTok capitalizes on entertainment, and providing a human connection through inspiring short-form video. The community on TikTok is generally positive – which is another important factor in considering app-development during the pandemic, and beyond. Keeping the community friendly and welcome should always be a priority in apps that feature mass-communication.

TikTok and Zoom have not only kept afloat during COVID-19, but have managed to grow, and at an extremely impressive rate, and offer many lessons to current mobile app developers. For questions about mobile app development, or how to apply some of these tactics to a mobile app currently under development, get in touch with NS804.