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How to Create a Custom Mobile App in 2024

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In 2024, the field of mobile app development continues to undergo rapid revolution driven partly by technological revolution and changing user expectations. The surge in smartphone usage coupled with emerging forms of technology like augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and blockchain technologies continues to offer businesses new ways to engage and connect with their target audiences.

It should be acknowledged that custom mobile apps have emerged as indispensable solutions for businesses seeking to maintain a competitive edge in today’s dynamic marketplace. Unlike off-the-shelf business solutions, custom mobile apps are carefully aligned with the business needs, aligning seamlessly with both short and long-term business goals and enhancing the operational efficiency of the firm. Custom mobile apps not only streamline key business processes, but they offer a unique user experience, helping businesses build meaningful and lasting relationships with their clientele.

1. Understanding the Concept of Mobile App

In the realm of mobile app development, a custom mobile app refers to a software solution specifically designed to meet the needs of a business. Unlike off-the-shelf apps that are designed to meet generic needs, custom mobile apps are designed to address the target audience of a specific business, solve specific business needs, and align seamlessly with a business’s long-term mission or vision. This form of customization for custom mobile apps extends beyond its functionalities, design, user experience, and integration with existing systems,

The need for a custom mobile app solution has become increasingly apparent in today’s competitive marketplace landscape where businesses want to compete for customers, optimize operations, and ultimately differentiate themselves from the competition.

Some of the key benefits of having a custom mobile app solution include:

  • Tailored functionalities

Custom mobile app solutions are built from the ground up to cater to the specific needs and workflows of a business. This means that these apps are equipped with features and functionalities that directly support the company’s objectives. Whether it’s enhancing customer interactions, streamlining internal processes, or facilitating custom processes, custom mobile apps help support the specific needs of a business.

  • Enhanced user experience

Custom mobile apps offer a personalized and intuitive user interface designed to resonate with the target audience. By understanding behavioral patterns, user preferences, and user pain points, businesses can create visually appealing, user-friendly, and highly engaging apps, thus leading to increased user retention and user satisfaction.

  • Integration and scalability

Custom mobile apps can easily be integrated with existing third-party systems, servers, and databases, ensuring consistency in data and operational efficiency. In addition, custom mobile apps are scalable, allowing businesses to evolve and adapt as their needs grow without being constrained by the limitations of pre-packaged solutions.

  • Brand identity and recognition

A custom mobile app serves as a powerful branding tool, reflecting the company’s values, identity, and aesthetics. Consistent branding elements such as colors, logs, and messaging help reinforce the brand identity, helping build brand recognition and brand loyalty among users, and thus fostering a strong brand connection.

  • Competitive advantage

By leveraging a custom mobile app solution, businesses can differentiate themselves in the market. This helps to position themselves as industry leaders with innovative solutions tailored to specific customer needs. This differentiation helps attract new customers, retain the existing ones, and drive business growth, especially in a competitive market.

2. Preparing for development

Before delving into the development of a custom mobile app solution, thorough planning and preparations are necessary. This phase involves several crucial steps that form the foundation for a successful mobile app journey.

Conducting market research

The first step of conducting any market research is identifying your target audience. Understanding the gender, preferences, demographics, and pain points of your target audience is important to designing an app that resonates with your target audience.

Secondly, it’s important to conduct competitor analysis by researching your competitor’s apps to better understand any differentiating features, and market gaps, and identify any areas of differentiation that help position your app strategically in the market.

Thirdly, it’s important to carefully monitor market trends to keep abreast of important technological trends, user expectations, and technological advancements. Monitoring market trends allows for informed decision-making and innovation within the app.

Defining app objectives and goals

Defining your app objectives and goals by clearly articulating the purpose of your app, whether it’s increasing sales, improving customer service, retention, or providing value to new users. Secondly, set goals and key performance indicators that align with your business objectives, retention rates, user engagement, conversion metrics, and revenue generation.

Creating a wireframe or prototype

The first step is to visualize the app layout by developing a wireframe to visualize the app’s user experience, user interface, and overall layout. This particular step helps in conceptualizing the app’s functionality and navigation. The second step of this process is the iterative design process. It’s crucial to engage with stakeholders and designers to create an iterative design that refines the app’s functionality, aesthetics, and usability based on feedback. Finally, define key functional specifications, including data flows, features, interactions, and user journeys.

3. Choosing the Development Approach

Choosing the right development approach is an important decision to make as it shapes the functionality, user experience, and performance of an app. In 2024, businesses have several options to consider each with its strengths and weaknesses.

Evaluation of development approaches:

  • Native apps: Native apps are built specifically for a single platform, such as Android or IOS by using platform-specific programming languages such as Java, CSS, Kotlin, Swift, or Objective-C. These apps offer high performance, faster integration with the device features, and seamless access to the app’s features and functionalities.
  • Hybrid apps: Hybrid apps are designed using web technologies such as HTML, Java, and CSS. After design, they’re wrapped in a native container for deployment across multiple platforms. These apps combine the advantages of native apps like access to platform features with cross-platform development, allowing faster development process and cost-effectiveness.
  • Progressive web apps: Progressive web apps (PWAs) are web-based applications that offer app-like features, including offline access, responsive design, and push notifications. They can be accessed through web browsers and can be installed on a user’s device. These apps offer a seamless experience across various platforms and many devices. 

Selection of Appropriate Development Frameworks

  • Native development: For native app development, frameworks like Flutter (Dart), React Native (JavaScript), and Xamarin (C#) can be used to build cross-platform apps that maintain native performance and user experience.
  • Hybrid development. Frameworks such as Apache Cordova, Iconic, and others provided by renowned platforms such as Flutter and React Native can be used to develop hybrid apps, leveraging cross-platform compatibility and web technologies.
  • Progressive web apps: Frameworks like Angular, Vue.js. or frameworks that support PWA features such as responsive design and service workers for offline functionality can all be deployed to develop progressive web apps.

It’s important to note that the choice of development framework depends on many factors, including cost, project requirements, timelines, target audience, and long-term maintenance considerations.

4. Designing the User Experience and User Interface

In mobile app development, the user experience and user interface play a pivotal role in shaping the app’s success. Designing an engaging and intuitive user experience not only enhances user satisfaction but also contributes to higher user adoption.

Importance of User-centric Design

  • Enhanced user experience: User-centric design focuses on understanding user’s needs, preferences, and behaviors to create experiences that are intuitive, efficient, and enjoyable.
  • Higher user engagement: By prioritizing user feedback and user needs, businesses can build apps that resonate with users, leading to increased user engagement, loyalty, and positive word of mouth.
  • Improved conversion rates: A well-designed user interface can streamline the user’s journey, reduce friction points, and encourage designed actions like making a purchase or signing up, thus resulting in improved business outcomes and conversions.

Collaboration between Designers and Developers

  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaboration between UI/UX designers and developers is important for ensuring seamless integration of design elements and features.
  • Design System and Style Guide: Establishing a design system and style guide helps maintain consistency in visual aesthetics, UI elements, color schemes, typography, and interaction patterns throughout the app.
  • Iterative Design Process: Adopting an iterative design process allows for refinement, continuous feedback, and seamless testing of design prototypes, thus ensuring alignment with user expectations and project goals.

Implementing Accessibility Features and Mobile Responsiveness

  • Accessibility: Integrating Accessibility features such as alternative text for images, screen readers, keyword navigation, and color contrast options ensures compliance with accessibility standards such as the WCAG.
  • Mobile responsiveness: Designing responsive interfaces and layouts that adapt seamlessly to different screen orientations and screen sizes enhances usability and provides a consistent experience across different platforms.

By emphasizing user-centric design principles, encouraging collaborations among designers and developers, and implementing accessibility features and mobile responsiveness, businesses can create custom mobile apps that not only meet the current market expectations but also stand out in a competitive market landscape.

5. Development Phase

The development phase is the heart of creating a custom mobile app; it’s where the conceptualized design and functionality are transformed into a fully-fledged digital product. This phase involves coding, testing, and iterating to ensure a user-friendly and high-quality app.

Coding the app

  • Translating design into code: Developers translate the functional specifications, UX/UI design and wireframes into code using frameworks and programming languages relevant to the chosen development approach (native, hybrid, or web-based).
  • Backend development: Backend developers work on database integration, server-side logic, APIs, and other backend functionalities required for the data storage, and the app’s functionalities.

Testing each module

  • Bugs and defects: Quality assurance (QA) engineers test all app’s functionalities to identify bugs, errors, and defects, ensuring smooth and error-free functionality.
  • Usability testing: Usability testing involves evaluating navigation flow, user interface, interactions, and overall functionality to identify areas of improvement and optimization.
  • Performance testing: Performance testing assesses the app’s speed, stability, and responsiveness. It also evaluates the app’s performance under various conditions such as different network speeds and different device types to ensure optimal performance for end users.

Iterative development process

  • Feedback collection: This step involves establishing continuous feedback loops from beta testers, stakeholders, and users to gather insights into the app’s performance, identify pain points, and gather feature improvement feedback.
  • Agile methodology: Adopting an agile development approach allows iterative cycles of improvement, testing, and feedback incorporation, allowing for adaptability, flexibility, and responsiveness to changing requirements.
  • Making adjustments: Based on the collected feedback and test results, developers make the necessary adjustments, improvements, and optimizations to improve the app’s usability, functionality, and performance.

The development is characterized by robust collaborations among developers, QA engineers, testers, and designers, ensuring that the app meets its basic functional requirements and user expectations.

6. Integrating Essential Features

Integrating essential features in a custom-built mobile app is crucial for providing a comprehensive solution that meets the users’ needs and aligns with the business objectives. These features not only enhance user engagement but also contribute to the app’s success and overall competitiveness in the market.

Here are essential features to consider:

  • Multi-factor authentication: Also called two-factor authentication, secure user authentication mechanisms require users to log into their primary account and verify their authenticity on a different device. This means a code can be sent to your phone when you’re trying to log in to your computer. This double layer of security ensures user data is protected against unauthorized access.
  • Push notifications: Allowing push notifications allows for real-time communication and real-time notifications, delivering personalized alerts, updates, and promotional messages to enhance re-engagement and user retention.
  • In-app purchases: Integrating in-app purchases such as digital goods, subscription plans, and premium content enhances monetization opportunities and enhances the app’s overall revenue generation capabilities.
  • Location-based services: Using GPS and geo-location features to offer location-based services like directions, maps, and location-aware content tailored to users’ geographic location can enhance user retention and improve adoption rates.
  • Social sharing and integration: Allowing social sharing integration allows users to share content, achievements, updates, and experiences on other social media platforms, increasing user engagement and app visibility.

By integrating these essential features in their apps, businesses can deliver robust, feature-rich, and future-proof custom mobile app solutions that meet user expectations and drive engagement.

7. Deployment and App Store Optimization (ASO)

Once a custom mobile app has been developed, tested, and finalized, the next crucial step is deployment into popular app stores such as Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and other relevant app marketplaces. Additionally, optimizing the app’s visibility, user engagement, and downloads through app store optimization techniques is crucial for the app’s overall success.

App store optimization techniques for app visibility and user engagement include:

  • Keyword optimization: Conduct keyword research and optimize app metadata with relevant phrases and keywords that align with user search queries and app category trends.
  • App icons and screenshots: Design visually appealing icons and high-quality screenshots that showcase the app’s features, functionalities, and capture user attention and encourage downloads.
  • App ratings and reviews: Encourage positive app ratings and app reviews from satisfied users by providing a seamless user experience, addressing user feedback, and incentivizing feedback submission through in-app rewards.
  • App localization: Localize app content, metadata, and meta description to target specific regions, languages, and cultural preferences, thus improving the app’s discoverability and appeal to global audiences.
  • App updates and maintenance: Regularly update the app with new features, conduct bug fixes, performance optimization, and user-requested enhancements to maintain relevance, and user engagement, and improve positive ratings.

By implementing app store optimization techniques for improved visibility and user experience, a business can optimize its custom-built mobile app for success.

NS804 – Powering Your Journey Towards a Custom Mobile App

At the forefront of this transformative journey stands NS804, a leader in custom mobile app solutions. With a proven track record of delivering innovative and highly scalable mobile apps, NS804 empowers businesses of different sizes and industries to harness the full power of mobile app technology. Whether it’s designing cutting-edge user interfaces, integrating new features, or optimizing performance, NS804 combines technical expertise with a client-centric focus to drive app success.

Contact NS804 today for custom mobile app solutions.

What We Learned From Building The PreVue Dating App

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At NS804, we love developing apps like PreVue that positively impact users. PreVue is a dating app that breaks the mold of what users have come to expect from online dating and modern dating applications. Nowadays, popular options include the likes of Bumble, OkCupid, Tinder, and many others. And while these have revolutionized modern dating by allowing users to meet those outside of their ethnic backgrounds, social circles, and even geographic locations — they’ve also introduced a lot of problems. 

The founder & CEO of PreVue — Lucanus J. Grady — briefly described these problems in his mission statement: “Dating app profiles had become just this fabrication to attract a quantity of candidates like it was a game. And it’s just hard, right? So I just kept thinking, there must be a better way! How do we filter out all the nonsense, cut through the heavily-doctored pictures, the wordy biographies, and just the genuine lack of honesty?”

Grady’s assessment regarding the current state of the modern dating app holds true, and there’s a real need for a fresh approach. Fortunately, Grady did approach things differently when formulating PreVue, a video-based dating platform. With PreVue, users take a short 22-second video without filters, showing off their true selves. The nuances in their facial expressions and mannerisms provide a far more authentic picture of who they are than edited photos, biographies, or text messages. 

We helped bring PreVue to life and feel privileged to have worked closely with Grady on his innovative dating app concept. Our partnership on this exciting project has been a relatively smooth process. However, we did learn several important lessons that we’ll discuss in greater detail below.

 

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Modern Dating In Crisis

Now, you may think that there are already too many dating apps flooding the marketplace — and that’s true. But have you asked yourself if these apps help or hinder users from dating successfully? And if you’ve been out of the dating pool for a while now, you may be shocked to learn that the modern dating scene isn’t very healthy, to put it lightly.

While apps such as Tinder make it incredibly easy for users to find matches in their area, that doesn’t mean these are quality matches. If anything, Tinder and many similar dating apps facilitate hook-up culture, where sexual encounters are at the forefront, and long-lasting relationships come last. Gen Z and Millenials in the younger age range may only be looking for short-term relationships or ‘situationships.’ And that’s perfectly fine for some but completely wrong for those wanting deep and meaningful relationships. 

Furthermore, things don’t look rosy for most American men under 30 who remain single. According to a study by the Pew Research Center, approximately 63% of men in this age bracket find themselves single compared to 34% of women. And if that wasn’t bad enough, fewer single American men are looking to date now than before the Covid pandemic (42% now versus 49% in 2019).

Things get worse still, as an overabundance of online pornography and OnlyFans models grab male attention and interest at a disturbingly high rate. And while we hope this trend will change at some point, it’s definitely an ominous sign that we can’t afford to ignore. From a societal and economic standpoint, it isn’t good if young men forgo dating and relationships, as this will lead to a demographic decline in the foreseeable future. 

How Does PreVue Solve Notable Problems?

The best and most successful apps solve problems that users often encounter. And as we’ve already covered in significant detail, modern dating is in crisis mode with plenty of problems. Moreover, the creator of PreVue, Lucanus J. Grady, has experienced the pain points of modern dating apps firsthand. With most dating apps, it’s too easy for users to enhance their looks via filters and present a false self through their biographies. 

And that’s why he set out to offer an alternative that allows users to date with intention, where they can see, hear, and get the vibe from a potential candidate before taking things further. Thus, it’s difficult for users on the PreVue platform to present themselves inauthentically, as the short form 22-second videos are great at conveying subtle changes in facial expressions and voices that accurately reveal the candidate’s appearance, emotions, and desirability. 

But another reason why video is such a powerful medium is that it’s become the number one way to distribute and consume content today. Platforms such as Instagram and TikTok have carved a path for creating and sharing short-form videos effectively, and it’s time that dating apps catch up! 

How Does PreVue Work? 

PreVue offers users a dead simple onboarding process that’s as frictionless as possible. This dating app only requires the most applicable information from the user, their location, and their dating preferences. Then, it’s time to film the 22-second-long video with no filters or uploads permitted. Once done, the user may access the portal with all candidates that match their criteria. Furthermore, PreVue will match users based on what they said and even the backgrounds in their videos. 

PreVue officially launched in Boston, MA, due to the city’s vibrant and ethnically diverse culture. This works well, as dating with intention is something that the people of Boston want in a dating app. And it’s a great success thus far, with over 7,000 downloads and 1,200 active users over the past two months. 

While it’s still early days, users have responded positively to PreVue. Many are happy with how much more natural matches feel compared to other dating apps in the marketplace. It’s also easier for users to initiate conversations due to how PreVue manages profiles, and there’s a refreshing lack of spam accounts and creepy users. 

And similarly to other dating apps in the marketplace, there’s a free version of PreVue available. However, users can opt for in-app purchases, such as PreVue Premier 1 Month at $19.99, Unlimited Connections 24h at $6.99, and Video Chat 1h at $2.99. 

What Surprised Us About The Target Demographic Of PreVue?

PreVue successfully eradicated issues commonly found in other dating apps, such as catfishing. And so far, it seems that users are having more meaningful interactions in PreVue than with other alternatives, which was one of the primary goals of this project all along.

However, we initially anticipated that college users between the ages of 20 and 25 would make up our target audience. But we resonated more with the young professional demographic instead.

At first, this was surprising, but it makes sense since younger professionals are more likely to seek long-term partners for fulfilling relationships. And PreVue’s video-based approach facilitates the pursuit of these types of relationships, as users can easily screen out the chancers, players, and other disingenuous candidates.

 

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What Was The Development Process Like? 

The development process went smoothly, but we could have benefited from an entirely Agile approach. In hindsight, it would have been better if we released smaller feature sets since we’re now making changes on the fly based on user data and feedback we’ve obtained. 

That’s why at NS804, we always recommend that our clients scale back on their concepts to get their apps to market quicker. Users will always reveal what they want, and we can always pivot quickly based on user feedback. 

However, we did proceed with simple and clean code that was modular and flexible from the early stages of the project. If there’s one thing that every developer should know is that planning proper architecture saves a ton of time.  

Our development team includes four members, two founders, a marketing team, and a public relations (PR) team. While the development team may seem small, it’s actually the right size for this project and managed to complete it successfully. The build process took 12 months, which included a very long BETA to ensure we gathered enough feedback to launch the best product possible. But without the BETA and the additional scope, it would have taken around eight months. 

Which Programming Languages Did We Use During Development? 

NS804 is fundamentally a native mobile app developer. That means we use programming languages, frameworks, tools, and APIs for creating native apps for Android and iOS. We could choose hybrid mobile app development tools like Flutter or React Native to reduce development time and cost. However, that would result in lower-quality apps lacking the native look, feel, and performance users have come to expect. 

And given that PreVue is a dating app that must deliver video content regularly and consistently, we had to go native since performance is imperative. Thus, we chose Swift for developing the iOS version and Kotlin for the Android version.

Both Swift and Kotlin are modern, high-level, and statically typed languages that are easier to debug and maintain than the languages they’re gradually replacing, namely, Objective-C and Java. A side benefit of using Swift and Kotlin is that they integrate flawlessly with the latest user interface (UI) toolkits, such as SwiftUI and Jetpack Compose UI. And that allows us to create attractive and responsive UIs that look and feel native on a wide variety of modern mobile devices.   

We also used the Structured Query Language (SQL) for our back-end relational database. And Node.js, as it’s an efficient and powerful runtime environment for creating servers, modular applications, and even video streaming apps such as Netflix. It’s written using the JavaScript (JS) programming language, which has played a pivotal role in front-end web development.

How Crash Reporting And User Journeys Helped Us?

While we did not have any bugs reported, we did implement crash monitoring and user journeys built into the app. So we know if any issues arise before users report these to us, which allows us to take a proactive approach and fix these issues. 

The user journeys allow us to see where users may drop off during the process. And this allows us to refine and tailor our offering that will best suit end-user needs. The ultimate goal of the user journey is to determine the optimal path within the app that will enhance the user experience (UX). Ideally, users must reach their goals quickly and easily without being stumped by an unintuitive UI or other questionable design choices.

Due to our user-centric approach to design, we’ve regularly updated the UI to meet users’ needs. To date, our users benefit from a clean, slick, modern, and highly intuitive UI. And this allows them to engage with our dating app in a fun way without breaking their flow since the screen isn’t cluttered with text and any design elements that cause confusion.

What’s Next For PreVue?

PreVue has made a notable impact in a short space of time, and the future bodes well for our dating app. As we’ve already witnessed, there’s a real need for a platform that makes the dating experience much more honest and meaningful.

So, what have we got planned for PreVue moving forward? Currently, it’s only available in Boston and Washington DC. But we will open availability to new markets and expand our international footprint. Furthermore, we’ll use Machine Learning (ML) to enhance our existing matching algorithm. We started with a basic algorithm designed for maximum matches while the user base scales. 

It will be a learning experience as we use tools that improve the matching process over time. Our goal is to ensure that PreVue users will only have candidates appear in their feeds that align perfectly with what they’re looking for in potential partners. 

And speaking of partners, Lucanus J. Grady shared a few thoughts about his experience working with us: “Top Tier communication. Excellent relationship with the CEO. Always extremely knowledgeable and eager to help. Has provided assistance outside of the scope of responsibility and is an intangible member of our team. The company and its founder are now personal friends due to NS804’s core ethos and incredible professionalism.”

The Bottom Line

Working on PreVue, coupled with our close and fruitful relationship with our client, has made the development process an enjoyable and eye-opening journey. Furthermore, it’s a privilege to work with talented people that have all contributed to a dating app that conforms with our client’s visionary approach. Contact https://www.ns804.com/ today to learn how we’ll help you create phenomenal and trailblazing dating apps!  

Android vs. iOS: Choosing The Right Mobile App Strategy

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Every development lead must comprehend the pros and cons of the most popular mobile platforms. Therefore, it’s common to engage in lengthy and strenuous deliberations regarding the age-old Android vs. iOS debate. And yes, this may sound passé considering how firmly established both platforms have become and how often the fanboys on both camps have had to eat humble pie. 

But we’re not talking about fanboyism here, as that’s detrimental for any app developer. After all, the best app developers and publishers don’t pick favorites but focus on tangible results. And there’s no point in favoring Android over iOS, or vice versa, in an era when both platforms satisfy billions of users globally. 

Therefore, the wisest option is to target both platforms if that fits the budget and capabilities of the development team. But we do want to stress that it’s crucial to implement a different strategy for each platform. And that’s because Android and iOS each serve specific markets and demographics better than others. 

For example, Android is the mobile gaming heavyweight and has a far larger global audience. Thus, it makes good business sense for game developers to focus their efforts more on Android vs. iOS in most cases. These efforts could involve the game assets, code, testing, marketing, and ad campaigns. 

On the flip side, iOS users love apps that enhance their photos or help them edit videos. That makes sense, considering that iOS devices are known for their excellent cameras and are used extensively by content creators and social media influencers. Understanding these differences allows every development lead to stay on top of the Android vs. iOS discussion and even steer it toward a fruitful direction.

But What Is A Mobile App Strategy?

A mobile app strategy encompasses the early planning stages, development phase, marketing efforts, and release. Ultimately, it serves as a roadmap for bringing your app to fruition. Without a mobile app strategy, your team will have scattered goals and priorities, and your project will fail.

And this is a problem because too many small indie developers treat mobile app development as a feel-good endeavor. They watch several YouTube videos, then read some articles and Reddit posts, which convince them that app development is fun. 

And while app development is indeed fun, professional studios always focus on delivering results. That means the fun and excitement of app development take a back seat to work within the parameters of a carefully conceived plan instead. Clients who partner with studios such as NS804 expect high-quality apps that meet their requirements. Therefore, there’s no room for aimless “what if” scenarios or raw experimentation, which indie and freelance developers may embrace.

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Android vs. iOS: A Mobile App Strategy That Applies To Both

As we mentioned earlier, you’ll likely target both Android and iOS platforms for your apps. Therefore, when you start putting together your mobile app strategy, you’ll have to consider the following for both platforms: 

  • Research the marketplace to determine whether other apps already solve this problem. And if they do, can you implement a feature that innovates or improves on what existing competing apps offer users? If you cannot forge ahead with a better alternative, reconsider your app idea before entering a market with an oversupply of similar apps.
  • Conduct a SWOT analysis to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats your app business will likely face.
  • Draw up user profiles of the types of users who will likely embrace your app. Consider several demographic examples about these users, such as their age, sex, location, occupation, education, salary, and interests.
  • Define the capabilities of your app in detail, even if some of these don’t make it into the end product. Also, create a wireframe to prototype the user interface (UI) to show all stakeholders involved in the project.
  • Document all the data accessibility and management systems you’ll use for your app. And don’t forget to design your privacy and security protocols early on. Moreover, be sure your team’s up to speed with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) if you’re releasing your app in Europe.

Android vs. iOS: When Your Mobile App Strategy Will Differ

The primary areas that impact your mobile app strategy for each platform relate to the app stores, marketing, monetization, and tech stacks. Let’s take a more detailed look at these factors below:

  • App stores: The App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android) are where most users will download their apps. But given Android’s more open philosophy and a wider variety of device manufacturers, there are way more stores to download Android apps. However, all these stores have their own app store optimization (ASO) requirements and user expectations that developers and publishers must meet. A one-size-fits-all approach won’t work, but a different strategy for each app store leads to success.
  • Marketing: Brand positioning, public relations (PR), outreach programs, pre-launch promotions, sales offers, and even post-release strategies will impact the success or failure of your app. Also, ensure you tailor your marketing messaging specifically for Android and iOS users and your app’s potential user demographics.
  • Monetization: iOS attracts more affluent users, and they’re more likely to spend money on apps than their Android counterparts. Therefore, an iOS app can make money with in-app purchases, subscriptions, or even as a paid app. But an Android app will likely generate more income via advertisements. So, a completely different monetization strategy for each platform will work best.
  • Tech stacks: Apple provides its proprietary Xcode integrated development environment (IDE), the Swift programming language, and platform-specific application programming interfaces (APIs). And Google offers its Android Studio IDE & App Tools and the Kotlin programming language. Developers should use these two tech stacks, especially if they develop native apps for each platform.

Additional Mobile App Strategy Considerations

It’s not uncommon for app developers to utilize cross-platform tools and other handy tools that aid productivity. For example, a developer may use the Visual Studio IDE, the C# programming language, and Xamarin for cross-platform development. And such a tool allows the developer to focus on a single codebase while enjoying the benefits of native performance. 

But what would this do for the mobile app strategy? It would simplify it somewhat, as the developer won’t have to deal with the complexities and costs of maintaining two codebases. But the developer should still consider a contingency plan in case Xamarin is sunset during development or any similar scenario, even if it seems unlikely.  

Another factor that will seriously impact productivity and development costs is cloud infrastructure. It may save company resources to use a cloud-based testing service to run unit tests, especially for a startup. And even a more established developer may benefit from additional security and scalability offered by a good cloud service. 

Understanding the pros and cons and associated costs of all tooling ahead of time is a huge boon. But it’s equally important to document all these within the mobile app strategy from the get-go. Furthermore, it’s essential to detail when Android and iOS strategies will be similar or different.

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The Bottom Line

The days of getting into heated Android vs. iOS debates should hopefully be over. But that doesn’t mean that the development lead should ignore the core differences between these two platforms. In fact, it’s essential to understand these differences intimately and draft a mobile app strategy that works flawlessly for Android and iOS specifically. Contact NS804 today to learn how we’ll help you craft a strategy to bring your best app ideas to the market! 

Mobile App Development Questions: 5 Things You Should Be Asking Before Partnering

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It may seem like a technical matter to ask a professional studio several crucial mobile app development questions. But this is the essential first step that will help you assess whether or not they would make a good development partner. After all, you have specific needs for your upcoming app project and want to know if the studio can complete your project according to spec.

The studio’s portfolio of completed projects will undoubtedly play a role in your decision-making process. Another aspect that will likely affect your decision is the studio’s reputation and accolades. 

For example, NS804 has consistently ranked as one of the top app developers (2018-2022) and B2B companies — according to Clutch. And according to the Manifest, we’re also one of the most reviewed app developers in Denver. Furthermore, we’ve gained the trust of prestigious brands such as Dominion Energy, Luck Stone, and Wells Fargo Advisors, to name a few.

While that may seem like we’re tooting our own horn, we intend to pinpoint what you should look for early on. Does the studio you’re talking to have the ability, reputation, and track record to complete your project satisfactorily? Or are you dealing with freelancers or a fly-by-night studio that may not see your project through to the end? We’re hoping it’s the former scenario and not the latter.

But even if it seems that you’ve found the studio right for you, don’t sign on the dotted line just yet. Ask them the following mobile app development questions before making your decision.

SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION WITH AN APP DEVELOPMENT EXPERT TO GET A CUSTOMIZED QUOTE!

1. Which Of Your Apps On The App Stores Can I Download?

It’s all well for the studio to show you their portfolio, but that’s not enough. And that’s because you’re never sure if those apps shown in the portfolio function properly. You’ll only see several screenshots with hardly a hint of app functionality. However, more savvy developers will use motion graphics or make demos available.

While that’s a significant improvement from static app screenshots, it’s wise to ask for more. And we recommend that you ask the studio to provide you with download links to their apps in both the App Store and Google Play. Then, take the time to download and install these apps to try them out. Put yourself in the position of a user to see if these apps make good on their promises.

Furthermore, we advise you to read user reviews, view the ratings, and check if these apps receive regular updates. If these apps receive mostly positive reviews with high ratings, it’s already a good sign. But it’s also crucial that these apps aren’t outdated and are still supported, as that shows that the studio is still involved in maintaining them. 

You may also ask to see the studio’s Android apps in other stores (if available), such as the Amazon Appstore, Huawei AppGallery, and Samsung Galaxy Store. Quite often, users will leave reviews and ratings at these stores too. And you can also cross-check to see if the apps on these stores are on the current versions as those on Google Play.

2. Do You Specialize In Native Mobile App Development? 

Undoubtedly, this is one of the most important mobile app development questions you should be asking. But why is native app development so important, especially with the growing popularity of cross-platform frameworks nowadays? While these cross-platform frameworks and tools make development easier when targeting Android, iOS, and other platforms, they come with a performance penalty. 

Whether we like it or not, native app development is the only way to create the most performant apps. That means the studio should use Apple’s development tools and the Swift or Objective-C programming languages for developing iOS apps. And Google’s development tools and the Kotlin or Java programming language for making Android apps. 

Another benefit of native app development is that the studio will follow the best practices and implement user interfaces (UIs) native to the target platforms. Ultimately, your users will appreciate the high performance of your app and that it looks and feels similar to other apps on their respective platforms.

3. Can You Help Me With My App’s Monetization Strategy? 

If you want to develop a B2B or internal business application, you probably don’t want to monetize it. But if you’re targeting ordinary iOS and Android users, you’ll want the studio to help you with your monetization strategy. 

Since this will impact an app’s success, you need to know if the studio has the relevant experience to advise you every step of the way. Moreover, it must know as early as the planning stage if you’ll need to implement ads, in-app purchases, pursue a subscription model, or release a paid app.  

But the studio should also have the foresight to propose monetization strategies as you scale your app. For example, you may release a freemium app early on, but once you gain enough users, you’ll need to choose the correct monetization model. 

The studio will have already determined that in-app purchases will be the best way to monetize your app instead of ads. Thus, you’ll have designed your app for this eventuality at an early stage. So you won’t have to waste valuable resources trying different strategies to figure out what works best.

4. Have You Developed Apps For Devices Besides Smartphones And Tablets? 

You likely want to target smartphones, tablets, and possibly desktops. Most studios have the experience to develop apps for these platforms, but little beyond this point. However, you should ask if the studio can bring your app to other platforms, such as Android Auto, smart watches, smart TVs, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) devices.

These options will allow you to bring your app to a massive and diverse audience. And while it’s always challenging targeting multiple platforms concurrently, it’s worthwhile for the long-term sustainability of your app. Also, it’s not uncommon for apps to have a lackluster reception on one platform but enjoy phenomenal success on another.

Obviously, practice due diligence and investigate whether a target platform is feasible for your app. Budgetary bottlenecks may prevent you from pushing your app onto multiple platforms. But if the studio has the ability to port your app later on, you may adopt a staggered release schedule instead. This approach will allow you to stay within budget and limit the stress associated with multi-platform releases. 

USE OUR APP COST CALCULATOR TO ESTIMATE THE COST TO BUILD YOUR APP!

5. How Well-Rounded Is Your Team? 

Your list of mobile app development questions should always include questions about the studio’s staff. And you’ll want to know if they have a well-rounded team that can handle all aspects of app development. You don’t want to deal with a studio that will build your app but leave you high and dry when you require App Store Optimization (ASO).  

So, you’ll want to know if they have at least one Android developer, iOS developer, backend developer, mobile app tester, project manager, quality assurance engineer, and UI/UX designer on the team. If the studio is doing work for several clients, then they should have enough staff available to handle multiple projects. Be cautious of partnering with an understaffed studio, as it’s unlikely they’ll complete your project on time or at all.

Asking The Right Mobile App Development Questions Will Yield Favorable Results

Never be afraid to ask a succession of tough questions to any studio competing for your app project. Always remember that you’re in the driver’s seat and intend to partner with a studio that can deliver and not offer hollow promises. 

If you’re undecided or are unconvinced that the studios you’ve already contacted can bring your app to fruition, give NS804 a call today! With our long experience in app development and list of achievements, we’re sure we can develop the phenomenal app you’ve always wanted.  

Are There Mobile App Developers In Charlotte?

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If you’re looking for mobile app developers in Charlotte, then you’re in luck! Yes, there are indeed talented developers in North Carolina’s Queen City. And one of the most prominent mobile app development studios is NS804.

But what makes NS804 so special to make it stand out from its peers? As an award-winning and highly-rated developer, according to Clutch, we work tirelessly to deliver quality apps to our clients. Furthermore, we ranked as one of the most reviewed app developers in Denver by The Manifest.

While recognition for our efforts is always appreciated, we strive to improve and stay ahead of the curve. App development continues to evolve, and clients regularly demand outstanding and innovative apps. And that’s why we never rest on our laurels and are always willing to tackle new projects, no matter how challenging or unique these may be.

But what does all this mean, and what can a studio such as NS804 offer you? You’re always welcome to arrange a meeting and visit our Charlotte, Denver, and Richmond offices. And you’ll have the assurance that you’re dealing with an established development studio and not a fly-by-night or freelancer. 

However, there are several other reasons to connect with one of the most notable mobile app developers in Charlotte, NC. We’ll discuss in more detail below what you can expect from NS804 in the long run.

SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION WITH AN APP DEVELOPMENT EXPERT TO GET A CUSTOMIZED QUOTE!

We’ll Help You Scale As Your Business Grows

Growing a business is challenging but necessary to stay feasible in the long term. Thus, you’ll need to scale at some point and have the right partners to help you out. But are there any mobile app developers in Charlotte that can fill this role? NS804 certainly can, and here’s why we’re the right choice for discerning entrepreneurs:

  • Interested in your business: We care about your business and brand while helping you achieve your goals. 
  • An impressive portfolio: We have a substantial portfolio of completed and successful projects and plenty of happy clients. 
  • A focus on design: We care about all aspects of design, from the user interface (UI) & user experience (UX) to the minimum viable product (MVP) design process. 
  • Building relationships: We’re here to build a long-term relationship with you that’s not limited to designing and developing your app. But also assist you with advertising, marketing, and maintaining your app, even for long durations if necessary.

Track And Tweak App Performance

You’ll need a team of experts to measure all the key performance indicators (KPIs). NS804 will implement crash analytics, performance monitoring, testing, and in-app feedback. We’ll know how your app is performing every step of the way. And immediately make the necessary improvements to increase your app’s performance.

Also, we’ll look at the number of downloads, active users, frequency of user sessions, reviews, ratings, retention rate, and churn rate of your app. If anything is impacting these KPIs negatively, we’ll be there to offer advice or implement the required changes.

Dealing With The Complexities Of Multi-Platform App Development

You’ll likely want your app to come out on Android, iOS, and possibly the web. But multi-platform app development is challenging as you’ll need to deal with various development environments. This means you’ll need to use an entirely different integrated development environment (IDE) and programming language when targeting Android and iOS.

While many cross-platform tools allow you to target several platforms from a single codebase, these are not ideal. You won’t get native performance and a coherent look and feel. So, it’s better to work with an experienced studio that can deliver quality native apps following best practices.

USE OUR APP COST CALCULATOR TO ESTIMATE THE COST TO BUILD YOUR APP!

Work With One Of The Best Mobile App Developers In Charlotte

Charlotte is a fantastic city for work and play and is home to many talented developers. NS804 stands out from the crowd and will certainly remain one of the most prominent mobile app developers in Charlotte for the foreseeable future. Contact NS804 today to learn how we’ll help you create phenomenal apps, and feel free to arrange a meeting with us in our offices in Charlotte! 

4 Reasons Why Retailers Should Be Using Mobile Apps

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Retailers don’t have it easy, as they need to navigate a competitive and uncertain business environment. And considering how much Covid-19 has impacted the retail space, the old ways of doing business no longer apply.

So what should business leaders do to sail the rough seas and come out ahead on the other side?

Firstly, all business leaders should learn about and embrace the latest mobile technologies. Secondly, they should assess how these technologies will fit their business needs and fulfill goals. And thirdly, they should work with an experienced developer, such as NS804, to create the right solutions for their needs.

For retailers, mobile apps can radically transform their businesses for the better. These apps can automate and enhance specific business processes, excite and expand the customer base, and introduce several m-commerce opportunities.

But it’s not only brick and mortar businesses that can benefit from mobile apps but also online retailers. And by online retailers, we don’t only mean those that sell and ship physical goods but also those that sell digital products. The versatility of mobile apps makes them ideal for a variety of businesses.

Now, we understand that it’s not always easy to pinpoint how mobile apps can serve your business. So we’ve compiled this handy list to help you identify the pain points your business and customers may experience and how mobile apps can mitigate or solve these issues.

1. Build An Ecosystem That Serves Your Business Entirely

Have you noticed how big tech companies have built walled gardens to herd their customers? Apple, Google, Microsoft, and others have gained tremendous leverage by locking users into their platforms. And even smaller players such as Funimation, Netflix, and Spotify have monopolized specific segments of the media streaming market.

Sure, all these platforms offer numerous opportunities for savvy businesses. But consider for a minute that you’re running an indie record label that has signed up several promising artists. You decide to make available recordings of these artists on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube Music. And this isn’t necessarily a bad move, as all these platforms have huge audiences you can reach.

However, you’re also driving business to these platforms, diminishing your brand, and limiting your potential revenue. And that’s because your customers can only get hold of your music on these platforms and not directly from you. Furthermore, the branding of each platform holder will always overshadow your brand. And with streaming services such as Spotify, you’ll receive a pittance every time a user streams songs from one of your artists.

The good news is that you can avoid all these issues by building a mobile app that your customers can download. Within the app, you may allow your customers to download or stream music and even purchase physical copies (on CD, tape, and vinyl) of albums. And any time you release a new album, you can notify your customers via in-app and pop-up notifications.

Ultimately, you’ll establish an ecosystem that serves your business and yours alone, which means that your customers remain yours. And a third party doesn’t get to determine how much you can earn, how you market your music, and how you reach fans.

2. Increase Your Cross-Selling Capabilities

Let’s stick to the indie record label example for now. And let’s consider how a mobile app can increase cross-selling of your products.

But you may ask, “How does cross-selling benefit a record label?”

It’s likely that fans will want to purchase merchandise such as caps, t-shirts, and posters of their favorite artists. It’s even possible to upsell, such as enticing a fan that has added a digital album to the cart to purchase the limited-edition vinyl release at a reduced price.

And how you go about cross-selling merchandise can take several forms with a mobile app.

You may notify fans with in-app and pop-up notifications whenever you have new merchandise available. And if these fans have opted in to receive emails, you can cross-sell merchandise via this additional avenue. When done right, an email marketing strategy can effectively drive customers down the sales funnel.

But since your mobile app will also have a database on the backend, you’ll have an accurate record of all your customers’ purchases. For customers that have bought one or more albums of a particular artist, you can target these customers specifically with merchandise. Thus, you don’t have to waste your marketing efforts on customers that prefer other artists or don’t bother purchasing merchandise.

Another way this data may aid you is by identifying the locations of your most loyal customers. And if you have the necessary funds available, you may decide to have artists perform gigs at these locations and set up a merchandising table at all live venues.

You may also set up a pop-up shop at a fair or mall for short-term selling and cross-selling purposes. In all cases, your app will serve as the hub to inform fans and merge your digital and physical endeavors.

3. AR & VR Benefits Clothing Retailers

Now let’s shift gears and focus on a more traditional business, such as a clothing retailer. If you’re running such a business, it’s likely that you’re operating out of a physical location such as a store in a mall or shopping street. And most, if not all of your customers, need to visit your store to try on and purchase your clothes and accessories.

While this is a common way clothing retailers do business, it’s not very efficient or forward-looking. But what will it take to change course and deliver a more convenient shopping experience to your customers? Thanks to the advent of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), it’s now possible to serve customers that live far away from your store.

You can craft a mobile app with AR or VR functionality that contains accurate 3D models of all the clothes and accessories you have in stock. And if the app has AR functionality, it will utilize the accelerometer and cameras of the phone to detect the customer’s physical form, angle, and view orientation.

Then, the customer will pick a clothing item displayed on the app, which will then show the item superimposed on top of the customer on the phone’s screen. The customer will also have the ability to adjust the fit, size, and color (if available) of the item on the fly. Once the customer is happy with how the item looks on them, they can add it to their cart or initiate a one-click purchase.

Now, you can ship the order and conduct an in-app survey soon after the customer receives the item to ascertain their satisfaction or lack thereof. Having this information will help you make changes to the products you offer and service levels if necessary.

4. Mobile Apps Power Up Fast-Food Restaurants

Finally, let’s focus on fast-food retailers of all shapes and sizes. Mobile apps have already proven their worth in this particular market segment. And with the many excellent food delivery apps available, customers have a growing appetite for quick and convenient food purchases.

A well-conceived fast-food mobile app allows customers to view an outlet’s menu and place orders with as few clicks as possible. Furthermore, all food items, descriptions, prices, images, and UI elements must be clear and crisp so that elderly customers and those with vision impairments can easily discern these and place orders.

But this mobile app isn’t only for placing orders, it’s also a powerful promotional tool. Instead of printing thousands of expensive full-color glossy flyers, you can promote your latest gourmet burger directly inside your app. Moreover, you can utilize animations, motion graphics, sounds, and a step-by-step video of how you make your gourmet burgers.

Not only is this more impactful than using printed materials, but customers can also tap on this visual promo, which will take them directly to the checkout page to complete their order. And that’s powerful because fast-food restaurants rely heavily on impulse sales.

In Conclusion

Traditional brick-and-mortar businesses through to online retailers can all benefit from having their own custom mobile app. The examples we’ve described above present a few of the possibilities that help enhance businesses. Contact NS804 to learn how we’ll help you create a mobile app that can transform your retail business for the better!

Do You Need A Custom App? Here Are 5 Signs That You Do

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Deciding if your company needs a custom app may seem like a no-brainer. Then you come across online articles that sing the praises of off-the-shelf solutions. And these articles may convince you that the cost savings and ease of implementation of these turnkey solutions will have you covered. 

But that’s not entirely true, especially if you need a solution that must address specific business processes unique to your organization. That doesn’t mean that you should never use turnkey solutions, but keep in mind that these have a one-size-fits-all approach. 

So, they may be good at addressing problems experienced by businesses in general. Yet they seldom solve problems exactly the way you want, as they pertain to your organization’s needs. Thus, there are many ways your business will benefit by going with a custom app, which we’ll cover in more detail below. 

1. A Custom App Will Address Unique Business Needs

Every organization is different, so why rely on generalist solutions? And that’s also a question you should be asking if you need to solve complex problems. 

Let’s assume for a minute that you need to develop a mobile app that must collect a lot of data. Not only that, you want the data made available in JSON, XML, and your in-house encrypted and proprietary file format. And you want to retrieve, store, and transmit these files seamlessly across all your existing systems. Systems that may be outdated but still serve your needs perfectly. 

Now that’s a cumbersome problem — but will you find turnkey solutions that will solve it? If you look hard enough, you may find several off-the-shelf solutions that may work. And you’ll likely need programmers to make these diverse solutions function correctly. 

But things will get messy, and you’d better hope your in-house programmers or outsourced team are up for the task. If competent, they’ll likely cobble together a workable solution, but one that’s a Frankenstein of a creation. But if that’s not the case, you’ll have sunk time and money into a failed project. 

However, you can avoid such an outcome by working with professional custom app developers, such as NS804. You can discuss and outline your needs and the specifications that the custom solution must meet. And you can rest assured that the finished app will have all the features you need while meeting and even surpassing your quality standards.

2. Scale Your Custom App Only When Necessary 

Developing a custom app gives you total freedom to decide its future. Perhaps, you’re happy with your app and have no plans to scale up for the foreseeable future. But if you go with an off-the-shelf solution, you may not have this luxury. And the reason being is that many turnkey vendors like to lock in customers to the way they do business. 

Many operate as a Software as a Service (SaaS) and rely on subscriptions with a tiered pricing model. So, you may miss out on features or receive additional features that you don’t need based on your tier. Worse still, vendors may remove mission-critical features or enforce version upgrades at the most inopportune times while offering no tangible benefits. 

And then, there’s no guarantee that these vendors will be around for the long haul. You may want to scale up your app two years down the line but find out that the turnkey vendor has gone out of business. Or they may abandon specific APIs and toolsets essential to the continuous development of your app. In some cases, they may break compatibility with earlier versions of their own solutions or even operating systems, such as Android and iOS.

In a nutshell, relying on off-the-shelf solutions presents many risks. And if you’re a startup, you shouldn’t be wasting money on solutions that bring too much or too little to the table. It’s better to work with a custom app developer to scale up your app only when necessary, as this will free up funds that can go into other areas of your business.

3. Enhanced Security That Surpasses That Of Turnkey Solutions

As a business leader, you want your mobile app to have the tightest security possible. That’s especially true if you need to pass around valuable company data or handle payments. But that’s only possible if you have a clear understanding of the underlying technologies and security protocols. 

That’s the beauty of custom app development, as you’ll know exactly what technologies power your app. And there won’t be any hidden surprises if the custom app developer and your in-house security team work closely. Furthermore, they can further tighten security immediately after encountering a vulnerability. Something that’s not always possible if you were to rely on turnkey solutions.

Apart from the additional control over your security, you’ll also enjoy the benefits of improved integration. There’s no guarantee that off-the-shelf solutions will integrate with your existing systems. And even if they do, it’s unlikely that this will result in an elegant and optimally secure process.

4. Unlock A Plethora Of Marketing Opportunities 

Your mobile app won’t only help promote your brand but also give you a direct marketing link to your users. And you may decide to initiate your marketing campaigns via well-planned push notification strategies. After all, push notifications are powerful at delivering value, driving sales, and enhancing brand loyalty.

But if you take the custom app route, you can optimize your direct marketing endeavors. And you can increase or widen your marketing pipeline according to your needs and do this at any time. Furthermore, you won’t deal with any limitations imposed by turnkey vendors or wait for them to introduce the marketing features that you need. 

Another reason why you want to have complete freedom over your direct marketing channels is that you want to build long-term relationships with your users. Thus, you don’t want a third-party vendor to become an intermediary that gains access to your users and their data. There’s always the risk that they turn out to be a bad actor or suffer from security vulnerabilities down the line. And it’s not just their reputation that will suffer, but yours too.

5. Deliver A Superior User Experience

Nobody knows your users better than you do, so you’re in a position to create an app they’ll find appealing. So the most sensible choice is to develop a custom app that will meet or surpass your users’ expectations.

You want to create an app that allows users to complete tasks with as few taps as possible. A quality app with a well-designed user interface (UI) will reflect positively on your brand. Moreover, this will build brand loyalty and help with retention, so getting repeat business will be much easier.

And you can also improve the perception of your organization by allowing users to connect via the app. Thus, allowing them to communicate, give feedback, and lodge complaints, directly and quickly. If users see that they can resolve issues inside the app without being inconvenienced, they’ll likely keep it installed on their phones and recommend it to others.

The Bottom Line

Developing a custom app is usually the right choice for most organizations. And that’s because the end product will be far superior to that made with turnkey solutions. It will be more secure, run smoother, have better custom marketing pipelines, offer scalability when necessary, and deliver a better user experience. Contact NS804 today to learn how we’ll help you create cutting-edge custom apps that will engage your users! 

Free Mobile App Development Tools

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The app development space is growing at an exponential pace, thanks in part to a growing number of phone ownership and rising internet penetration. Today, the app development market is one of the largest globally with an average release of 5092 apps on the Google App Store and 6140 apps on the Google Play Store.

Artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things IoT are some of the technologies that are being incorporated in most apps. A virtual assistant is one such improvement in mobile applications. Looking closely, you realize that WhatsApp, TikTok, and Instagram apps are topping the chart of leading apps with the most downloads. Amazon Prime and Netflix lead the entertainment app market, and Candy Crush is at the apex of the gaming app development market.

It’s with no doubt that mobile applications have schematically modified human life. Quick navigation and exceptional UI through mobile applications have become a trademark. The projected number of mobile phone users is expected to cross the 7 billion mark by 2025. This growth will automatically bring a shift in app downloads. So, in this context, it becomes important and valuable to understand the best app development solutions prevailing in the market, with the current and future app development trends.

In this post, we delve into the top free mobile app development tools.

  1. PhoneGap

PhoneGap is a popular mobile app development application that allows you to create a hybrid of software. With PhoneGap, the user or developer doesn’t necessarily need to know mobile programming languages. Instead, they can kick-start with languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for app creation. PhoneGap allows you to create apps that will work on multiple platforms with a single codebase to reach the largest audience.

Features

  • Allows you to view and manage any changes in the app using PhoneGap
  • Easily integrates with various library integrations for easy app development
  • Operates on multiple platforms: iPhone, Windows, and Android

Pros

  • Rapid code testing and faster code deployment
  • A single codebase for multiple platforms

Cons

  • It lacks a user interface widget
  1. Outsystems

Outsystems is a comprehensive full-stack app development platform. By using connected, high-productivity, and AI-supported tools, developers can create and deploy a wide range of applications – from consumer applications to mission-critical business applications – faster, better, and for the future.

Features

  • It has a remarkable acceleration because no code or minimum code is required.
  • Easy integrations with other platforms
  • Easy to learn as it contains free training and learning material for everyone

Pros

  • The responsiveness of the member community allows for faster and efficient learning experiences
  • All members are open to sharing ideas, and these ideas are taken into consideration in further improving the platform

Cons

  • More explanation needed for some tools or widgets
  • No synchronization between consumer and producer modules, so users have to manage dependency frequently.
  • Better training material or documentation in forging components
  1. Flutter

Flutter is an open-source app development software that is best suited for hybrid apps. It’s one of the newest members in the mobile development market, and it’s written in C, C++, and Skia Graphics Engine. Flutter is a Google UI toolkit that allows users to create applications for web, mobile, and desktop from a single codebase. In addition, you don’t have to restart your application when testing your project. The application offers the Hot Reload functionality which makes the entire development exercise optimized and stress-free.

Features

  • Offers fully customizable widgets to render faster development of native apps
  • Incorporates critical platform differences like scrolling, navigation, fonts, and icons
  • Creates plugins using channels that can easily be used by every developer

Pros

  • Builds native apps in just minutes
  • Expressive and flexible user interface

Cons

  • Contains not-so-rich library collections
  1. Ionic

Ionic is one of the best free, open-source mobile applications for developing hybrid apps. It allows developers and users to build apps for various platforms including web, iOS, and Android using a single codebase. What’s more, Ionic offers intuitive UI components, thus accelerating the app development process. This app can be deployed almost everywhere. Ionic boasts of over 120 predefined elements, native device features, and a large community of members.

Features

  • Written in JavaScript, this application is covered by the MIT license
  • Includes mobile components, interactive paradigms, typography, and an extensive base theme
  • Allows Cordova based app building

Pros

  • Ease of learning and contains popular technologies
  • Wide range of library integrations

Cons

  • There’s no hot reloading capability
  1. Buddy

Buddy is an open-source mobile app development application that allows for seamless, change-set-based code deployment. Thanks to a plethora of dedicated, pre-configured services and actions, app automation has never been easier than now. Therefore, if you’re looking for a tool that will build, sign, test, and publish your android or web app effortlessly and in a single click, then Buddy is the ideal choice.

Features

  • Intuitive and clean UX/UI
  • Over 100 actions
  • A wide integration including Azure, Google, Amazon Web Services, and WordPress integrations.

Pros

  • It contains dedicated android actions: Ionic, Reacts Native, and Flutter
  • It supports all popular languages and task managers
  1. Kobiton

Kobiton mobile app development software makes the continuous testing, IOS, and mobile app development exercise a reality. This app also prevents bugs before pushing codes to test, thus perfecting your website or mobile app with functional, performance, and visual test automation. It also helps developers to resolve issues before the production release, and rapidly deploy tests with seamless CD/CI integrations.

Features

  • Allows you to test on real devices in the cloud
  • Cloudify all your local devices for remote access
  • It integrates with Jenkins, CircleCI, Travis CI, and so on.

Pros

  • Scriptless or scripted automated functional, performance, and visual testing
  • Commercial scalability with unlimited user policy
  • Access to real devices in your integrated development environment for rapid debugging.
  1. Xamarin

Xamarin is an open-source mobile app development application founded by Microsoft in 2011. It’s a set of tools that enable developers to build apps for various OS like Windows, Android, and IOS, all in one programming language. One of the reasons that Xamarin is quite reputable is because it uses the C# programming language. Besides using the Xamarin Test Cloud, you can automatically test applications on around 200 real mobile devices.

Features

  • Easy integration with modern back-end services, native APIs, and components
  • Enables you to build stunning cross-platform user interfaces
  • Extends a real-time testing module to monitor and catch app errors when they occur

Pros

  • Full technical support by Microsoft
  • Flexible with .NET and C#

Cons

  • Not build for game development
  1. Buildfire

Another best in this category of best open-source mobile app development software is Buildfire. Buildfire offers a robust set of tools to build applications for web, android, or IOS. This software is well-known for its high-end custom app development capabilities, as well as its easy, intuitive DIY platform. In addition, Buildfire supports more than 10,000 applications and it’s flexible enough to scale as your enterprise grows. Users and developers cannot ignore the simple and functional drag-and-drop user interface, as it makes it easier to build the app faster.

Features

  • Offers an interactive and intuitive app builder where no coding is needed.
  • Allows users to build custom functionality with their developer SDK
  • Can be integrated with any third-party API or pre-built integrations

Pros

  • Has an excellent social networking feature
  • Includes advanced development features

Cons

  • Does not have a reliable customer support service

NS804 – Your Partner in Mobile App Development

Every app development software has its uniqueness and demerits. To understand a software better and to pick the one that perfectly fits your needs, consider the following elements:

  • Privacy and security.
  • Reseller options
  • Push notifications
  • Customer discounts and loyalty programs
  • Instant messaging
  • Geo-targeting
  • Social media integration
  • Third-party integration
  • Analytics and reporting
  • Admin control
  • Customer service

Now that you know the best open-source app development software, it is time to kick-start your app development journey. We always encourage you to contact or consult the experts anytime you’re stuck in your app development exercise. You can also contact NS804 for questions concerning mobile app development.

Android App Development Without Programming

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Android app development can be challenging, especially for developers with limited experience in Java or Kotlin. However, it’s not all doom and gloom, as it’s possible to create phenomenal apps with no coding. Below, we unveil several handy tools that will let you complete your apps quickly and easily. 

1. Choosing An App Builder For Your Next Project

Perhaps you’re a novice developer or don’t have team members proficient in programming languages, such as Java or Kotlin. But you have a ton of great app ideas that you want to see come to fruition. So what do you do? Well, you could seek the services of a professional development studio to help you complete your project. But if that’s not an option, then you could consider using an app builder.

Nowadays, there are a plethora of app builders available that make Android app development a breeze. They make it easy for cash-strapped or non-technical appreneurs to create apps without typing a single line of code. Here’s a list of several popular solutions for developing Android apps on the fly:

  • AppMachine – Slick and powerful, AppMachine utilizes several pre-coded building blocks that help simplify the development process. More advanced users can integrate JavaScript and web services that further extend the features of this app builder.
  • Appy Pie – It’s a cloud-based development suite that allows non-technical developers to create chatbots, mobile apps, and websites. The company has introduced Android App Maker, a drag and drop solution integrating analytics without requiring Google SDK kits.
  • GoodBarber – GoodBarber offers either a content management system (CMS) or shopping app solutions. Using its drag and drop interface, non-technical developers can easily target Android, iOS, and the web.

2. No Coding Solutions For Mobile Game Developers

If you’re a mobile game developer, then you’re spoiled for choice as far as game engines and tools are concerned. And that’s due to the rise of indie and mobile gaming over the past decade. Thus, creating fertile ground for a variety of developer-friendly solutions that democratize game development.

While it’s possible to develop rudimentary games using an app builder, it’s not the wisest choice. And the reason for this is that modern game engines come with all the necessary tools geared almost exclusively for game development purposes. Here’s a shortlist of commercial game engines that allow you to complete projects with no coding at all:

  • Construct 3 – An easy-to-use web-based game development suite that’s ideal for making 2D arcade-style games. It uses a visual scripting system consisting of an event sheet with optional JavaScript integration.
  • GameMaker Studio 2 – It’s the grandaddy of user-friendly game engines, which helped bring game development to masses of hobbyists. Nowadays, it’s a professional suite renowned for its proprietary Drag and Drop™ system that facilitates rapid development.
  • Unity – Boasting an excellent editor and powerful tools, Unity has become the world’s most popular game engine. Developers gain access to several indispensable tools, such as Bolt, a node-based visual scripting asset.
  • Unreal Engine – As the most powerful tool on this list, it is the best choice for projects requiring high-fidelity visuals. Thus, the engine is incredibly complex but features its proprietary Blueprint visual scripting system, allowing designers and non-technical staff to create gameplay systems quickly.

3. Take Your Android App Development Endeavors To The Next Level

While app builders and off-the-shelf game engines make life easier, they may not always be the right choice for you. App builders are often limited and not suitable for more complex or specialized projects. Likewise, many popular game engines have certain limitations and are only suitable for specific game genres. Therefore, carefully consider whether your Android app will benefit from a more custom-made approach. 

If that’s the case, then it’s best to seek the services of a professional studio that specializes in Android app development. Contact us today to learn how NS804 can help take your upcoming project to the next level!

Current Trends In Mobile App Development: Mobile App Security

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In today’s world, security has become paramount in mobile app development especially in securing the user’s data. A breach in mobile security could spell doom for large and small business enterprises as the hackers could gain access to personal data and banking information and live location of its users.

Consumers of Apps depend on organizations to thoroughly test their applications before deployment. They also trust that their data is protected not just from hackers but also 3rd parties like malware. Due diligence is of utmost importance for NS804 as they work to ensure customers have a great experience when using technology.

How to keep data on mobile business apps encrypted

Businesses must keep their data secure from hackers and competitors. These can only be done by creating the best strategy for safekeeping. A formal IT security strategy stipulates how data will be protected and what will be done should anything go wrong. An incident response strategy keeps the business steps ahead.

Good software could come in handy to protect data from malware. In addition to this, applying a firewall and keeping the emails clean from spam will help secure your business data. A business must invest in the best software as it saves you from data recovery costs.

The use of solid passwords would come in handy to keep the wireless network secure. This is done through numbers, letters, and special characters to make it difficult to guess.

Also, all passwords should be safeguarded and kept only by password managers. This action protects employees from remembering them or, worse, writing them down.

Software should be updated regularly and automatically to its latest versions. Hackers enjoy the opportunities that older versions of software pose to exploit vulnerabilities. Security systems should be updated to seal this loophole.

Moreover, it is prudent that the operating systems and other software are to their latest versions.

Lastly, data should be disposed of properly to ensure it does not land in the wrong hands. A Proper data destruction policy should be laid down to ensure data is unrecoverable. It is wise to use a tool that overwrites your data multiple times hence making it unrecoverable.

Why is App testing critical to security?

Mobile App testing is an active process that rigorously analyses an app’s weaknesses, strengths, and vulnerabilities. It is a dynamic process because hackers and potential intruders keep inventing new techniques.

As an enterprise in app development, one should be in touch with the latest design trends in app development. Their motivation could be recognition, money, and even fun.

Most business enterprises experience budget constraints in their lifetime. This is the top reason for the poor security of business mobile applications. Companies need to conduct extensive research when trying to cut costs, especially choosing offshore software developers. A breach in security could lead to customers losing their confidence in an organization.

Subsequently, this could lead to intense damage to a brand name. Reputation is vital even when selling an idea to potential investors. Remediation costs could even be higher than application testing costs.

The right building blocks help to cut down on shortcut costs and keep customers happy. It also eases your work as a developer.

Top 6 Mobile App Security Threats

Mobile application security threats could be classified into different categories: network-based threats, web-based threats, application-based threats, and physical threats.

  1. Insufficient authentication and authorization controls. If the rules are flawed, they allow intruders to execute functionalities in the backend server or mobile application.These modifications could ultimately compromise the backend services. Countering this threat could involve multi-factor authentication to validate a user’s identity on the platform. The use of security questions as well as one-time passwords could come in handy.
  2. Malware has consistently been a common threat affecting apps today because it constantly evolves and takes new forms. The best and easiest way to protect your devices from malware is to avoid getting infected in the first place.Combating this crisis would involve the use of antivirus software. Once installed, ensure it is updated regularly for efficiency. Also, look out for indicators such as Emails opened from unknown IP addresses as this could be a sign of an unknown malware in your computer.
  3. The choice of an operating system (OS) will ultimately affect its performance for the intended job. Small and medium enterprises may find OS expensive to buy and maintain. They are also not entirely secure; hence if an issue occurs, one might lose all the data stored in the system.It would be wise to install the right and secure OS for the intended work and budget for it to avoid shortcuts.
  4. Login security protocol has been a significant mobile app security threat. In mobile app development, it is necessary to provide consumers with a secure way to log in. The user interface should be not only friendly but also secure for its users. This is where trust is built.Also, when a gadget is lost or stolen, one should lock it remotely or engage the remote data wipe feature. The use of multi-level authentication and use of security questions comes in handy to protect consumers. When this is not done, one’s data could be obtained for identity theft, among other crimes.
  5. The Internet of things (IoT) could also present a mobile app threat, especially if a bug is embedded in the system. This is because other connected devices will become corrupted. Moreover, currently, there is no international standard of compatibility for IoT. It presents a problem for devices from different manufactures to communicate with each other.
  6. Lastly, switching between devices poses a security threat in the sharing of data such as passwords. For this reason, some of the best practices in mobile app development require one to secure the app and consumers’ data.In the event a person logs in from a different device, further authentication procedures should follow. End-to-end encryption of data ensures data is protected from unauthorized access.

Manufacturers of mobile devices have gone a step further to secure their devices and give consumers a great customer experience. The use of phone locks has facilitated this. A person can draw a pattern, input their password or use their fingerprint to unlock a device.

Moreover, Android users have a feature to help them “find my device.” This has proven to be helpful, especially for clients in areas prone to theft of mobile devices.

Mobile App developers have also upgraded their data encryption to allow only authorized users access to the devices’ information. A robust hardware device will be best compatible with reliable software.

In summary, current trends in mobile app developments only require the best from app developers. Security ranks as a top priority in custom and business mobile apps development. Companies as well as individuals rely on these applications to process data and simplify work. We cannot let them down, and not in this century.