Top 5 best practices to improve app engagement

When it comes to sustaining the growth of a newly launched mobile application which has been “all the geeks have been talking about”, the name of the game is - customer engagement. With mobile technology being a burgeoning market, it makes sense to invest time in carefully considering and planning your marketing strategies, so as to capitalize on your app’s early success, thus prolonging it into much more than just a “short-time sensation”. Listed below are a few tips and tricks you could follow to turn your app into a cultural phenomenon.

Top Tip 1: Deep Linking

The majority of industry experts agree that deep linking is one of the prime factors contributing to an increased level of customer engagement. Deep linking, to the typical technology dilettante can be described as “URL tagging for mobile applications”. In other words, it aids in transferring a user to another part or page of your website, by clicking on it. A lot of technology giants such as Google, Apple and a slew of other top-notch companies have realized the immense potential that lies in deep linking and are investing heavily in this sector.

Top Tip 2: Efficient Tracking 

Innovative methods of engaging customers are nothing without sufficient tracking of your efforts. Backing up your strategies to engage customer better, by tracking and measuring the successes of each of your efforts, will only help you in concentrating your efforts better at the right people, in future endeavors. Knowing which of your plans and strategies work and identifying those that don’t, is a major weapon in your marketing arsenal.

Top Tip 3: Paying attention to the demands of users

Users are more often than not, quite willing to voice their opinions about a web application, irrespective of whether they like it or not. Capitalizing on this will really help in putting you a step ahead of your competitors. Taking into cooperation the feedback of users and then acting on their suggestions can only aid in accentuating your brand’s image, making you a brand that “truly cares for its customers” - the hallmark of any organization.

Top Tip 4: Make “Sharing” the app easier

In an industry where word of mouth takes precedence over blatant advertising, getting people to share and tell their friends about your app more, will really prove beneficial in the long run. Creating an app well integrated with social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and others, paves the way for an easier “Sharing” experience for the user. Inviting people to share and like the app means that it gains a wider audience, proving to become a self-advertisement juggernaut that does all your work for you.

Top Tip 5: Periodic Updating of your app’s features

Running a successful mobile application means staying ahead of your competitors at every curve. Focusing on the innovation of new as well as better features and functionalities will help you in establishing a brand that customers find to be truly reliable and pertinent in their day-to-day lives.

Constantly improving and updating your app’s appearance also helps in maintaining a fresh and engaging brand image that user’s are less likely to get bored by.

Conclusion

Although blindly following the above tips is not a guarantee that your app will succeed, establishing your own marketing practices that are tailored made to the specifications and functions of your mobile app, on the basis of the above mentioned tips, will definitely put you a step closer to being in the leading of Android and iPhone Application Development Services.

Trends that will impact the mobile app development in the year of 2017

Technology has always impacted the lives of humans and has affected various aspects of our daily life, 2017 promises to be a big year for the mobile app industry technology boom. Last year Augmented reality technology got a huge boost with the launch of the hit game Pokemon Go which was available for android and iOS platforms. The presence of virtual reality excited the audience and commercially this game was a huge success. Companies like samsung, apple and a number of Asian mobile companies have started producing wearable gear for the growing market.

However this year a lot of new developments are expected to shake the world of Mobile app industry. Artificial intelligence, chatbots and messaging apps are expected get a major revamp. Artificial intelligence has always captured the imagination of human mind and this year it is expected to be upgraded. Companies are capturing consumer’s behavior and patterns in order to provide personalized recommendations. This is exactly the point where artificial intelligence and mobile apps can join hand and provide a unique end user experience.

Previously smart assistants such as siri, iris, alexa helped users in doing easy tasks. But AI has taken a next step in the form of chatbots which linger inside and outside of messaging apps. There is a new wave of Artificial intelligence which is the internet of things where different products and different users come together and behave in accordance with the owner’s desires.

Some of the latest developments expected to take place in 2017 are listed below

Location Based technology will be upgraded

One of the areas Artificial intelligence haven’t tweaked it in terms of technology is the location based service apps. Over the past few years advancement of location based services has given rise to a number of apps similar to ola and Uber which are maximising their profits through their location based model. This year it shows no signs of slowing down especially in the healthcare and retail business.

Integration of smartphone technology

Mobile apps are nowadays developed to be cross disciplinary. The presence of smart  Tvs, fridge and even washing machines have given rise to the smart home technology. Two companies which have revolutionized the smart home technology are Nest and ecobee. They developed apps that cater to IoT (Internet of things) and helped the users seamlessly integrate mobile platforms and other devices and backend infrastructure that can communicate and share data for an overall unified experience.

Web based progressive apps are slowly making an impact         

 
Progressive Web apps are gaining momentum in the market thanks to an increase in mobile  browser audience. Apps similar to offline map based services are perfect examples of Progressive Web based apps. These apps will let the consumers to use it without downloading it completely. In developing countries and third world countries where the users are still dependent on slow internet connections these progressive apps can be extremely useful. It makes use of the mobile app’s core characteristics which results in increased user retention without the hassles of maintaining a mobile app. Custom web development practices also has played its part in providing a better stance for developers in building mobile  apps.

Cloud based mobile apps will be on the rise

From businessmen, to IT professionals and students everyone are utilizing the cloud based apps in today’s world. Even simple game apps are allowing the users to save their checkpoints on cloud. This year users can expect apps which will take minimum space in the smartphone internal memory and can fetch data from the cloud storage. Google drive, dropbox and onedrive are just few examples. Cisco research has stated that by 2019 cloud apps will drive 90% of the total mobile traffic. Good times ahead.

Which platform is best to build an app – Android or IOS?

Ever since the evolution of smartphones, app development has undergone various astronomical changes and have used various platforms. The two most prominent and popular app development platforms, IOS and Android have been locking horns with each other, trying hard to out-smart the other at every single opportunity. It's not a straightforward answer to the question which platform is the best? There are a lot of parameters and scenarios to consider before we can arrive at a decisive solution. Let's analyze both these platform with regards to the following.

The demographics

Determining the target demographic is a very critical factor for the success of any business venture and both these platforms have precisely defined their target demographics and was able to cater to their needs brilliantly. IOS targeted the demographic that included people who have a higher income, higher spending capacity and those who have a higher level of engagement. While the Android targeted, a slightly lower income demographic and the developing nations. This does not mean people in the IOS-targeted demographic are not using an Android and vice versa.

The Revenue Models

The revenue models of both the Android and the IOS platforms directly reflects the revenue-generating approaches of Google and Apple respectively. A high percentage of apps, those support ads are present in Android, while the IOS has more users who pay for the apps.

The Development Speed

Android, even though being an open source, has hurdles with regard to lockdowns by carriers and OEMs and results in the new apps taking a longer time to adapt to the latest OS in Android when compared to the IOS. This has a direct impact on the development speed as an Android app takes a longer time to build when compared to the IOS. Another consideration to the development speed is the release-to-approval ratio. On average, Apple approves 4-5 updates per month while Android approves the same number of updates per day. So we can positively say that Apple gets your app to the market quickly and Android allows the users of your app to get regular updates more quickly.

The Apps – Cost & Features

• Cost

Hiring an IOS App development company or an Android App development company or doing the development process in-house, the cost can be measurable on all scenarios. As Android apps take a longer time to build, the cost of building those apps are obviously higher. This is where IOS edges forward as their apps bring in more revenue compared to the Android.

• Features

Being an open source, Android offers the developer a much deeper access to the operating system itself, thus enabling the creation of apps, enriched with features. Some apps are built to be run on a rugged hardware with a customized ROM. An Android platform suits well for these kinds of apps and has an advantage over an IOS platform. IOS on the other hand, with its more “locked-down” OS, compared to the “open” OS of the Android, was able to penetrate effortlessly into the business sector, offering secure applications.

Final Words

It's very much clear by this point, that not one platform can be crowned a distinct winner. Each of the two platforms has its pros and cons and are put to use, based on the various necessities. You as an application developer or an entrepreneur should be able to decide the platform that's well-suited for your app and its users. Sometimes both an IOS and an Android platform can be used to create one app to capture a major share of the market. Hence, make the right choice and take your app towards a greater success.

Reasons to use React Native for Cross Platform Mobile application Development

Developers who deal with both Android application development and iOS application development can skip the hectic task of learning the coding principles of both these platforms. There certain handy cross platform mobile application development frameworks like Phone Gap which help mobile app developers to ease some difficulties to a large extent. However, in the real life situations most of the cross platform frameworks fail to meet the expectation of the users. React Native is an exception to the point. It is getting a wide recognition from many a iOS app development company and android app developers as the finest framework for creating cross platform mobile applications. This article highlights the reasons for the popularity of React Native as a cross mobile application development platform.

Superior User interfaces 

In defining React Native, the creators of this framework has mentioned it as a “JavaScript library” for developing “user interfaces”. The react components concentrates on the view portion of the applications. React Native applications are written with view codes that contain tiny snippets of codes that indicate how a part of the application will be based on the set of input data provided by the developers. Abstractions are represented in a React native platform by means of creating components. These components can be easily modified, call-back, and manged at very level. Thus, this platform helps developers to create superior user interfaces.

Powerful patterns for building applications 

Native applications offer a superior look, feel and speed that many of the frameworks fail to offer. React Native provide simple but powerful patterns for building applications. For proper functioning, this framework needs a view for which the structure must be clearly designed by the programmers for the purpose of placing data. One of the greatest advantages of using React Native is the that the platform re-renders the components according to the changes done in the parent data. It has no data binding or micro managing of the view. When you alter the parent data, React readjusts the view accordingly by using the minimum possible DOM alterations to provide the needed result as wished by the programmers.

It enables superb user-interactions   

React active helps developers to create applications having less complexities, and superb user interactions. React codes figure out mark ups to link functions automatically. It never faces any kind of performance lag, and the implementation is also very easy. For making native applications for iOS and Android, React native serves as a great platform to build native applications.

React is very easy to learn 

React codes are very simple to read and understand. Programmers who know the fundamentals of JavaScript and HTML can learn it very easily. For the basic codes used in this framework is JavaScript. Newcomers may not find working with JavaScript as a difficult task.

Conclusion 

In addition to all these React active comes with an excellent ecosystem having even the latest features of the language ES6 enabled in it. It utilizes Flexbox, hence developers can use the very same code they use on Android or iOS to create applications. It has features like code sharing, and all the updates are made live, as well. On the whole, React Native is an ideal platform for  developers working on both android apps development companies and iOS app development companies. It will save the cost and time of learning three languages for accomplishing the task of cross-platform app development.

IPhone SE New Features & How Its Differ From iPhone 6s

Apple has given a makeover to its most beloved design and has released a new phone, iPhone SE. Claiming it as the most powerful 4" inch phone ever, Apple's iPhone SE is intended for a specific market segment that can be termed as "affordable luxury". This by no means portrays iPhone SE as a budget phone. The iPhone SE has most of the features of iPhone 6s but in a more compact hardware. Let's look into the features of this new phone and see what have changed, compared to the iPhone 6s and how they impact the multiple iPhone application development services.

Design & Specs

The new iPhone SE has the same Retina display of the iPhone 6s and comes in gold, silver, rose gold and space grey color variations. The sleek case with round corners take us back to the times of the iPhone 5s. Both the 6s and the SE version of the iPhone come with the IOS 9. It features the same A9 chip and M9 motion co-processor like the iPhone 6s. This ensures optimal performance for the iPhone SE. The RAM size is 2GB and the battery capacity is around 1643 mah. iPhone SE has two variations in internal storage, 16GB and 64GB.

Features Same as iPhone 6s

The functionality of the iPhone SE is boosted by a set of features that are similar to the ones present in the iPhone 6s

• Picture - A 12-megapixel iSight rear-facing camera

• Video Recording –  iPhone SE is capable of recording excellent 4K quality videos

• Live Photos – These are mini videos that are in the form of a picture that moves when the pressure is applied to it

• Siri – A personal assistant that allows the users to use their voice to send messages, search the web, get directions, etc.

• Apple Pay -  A feature that enables you to use your mobile like a credit card to make purchases.

• Carrier Options – The device is compatible with most of the wireless carriers.

Features Not Available Compared to iPhone 6s

• 3D Touch – iPhone SE doesn't have the new version of the multi-touch feature that allows the users to apply pressure to the phone screen for various applications.

• Lower Resolution Pictures From the Front Cam – The front cam on the iPhone SE can take photos of only 1.2-megapixels. This is a massive difference, when compared to the iPhone 6s that has a 5-megapixel Facetime camera.

Price

The "affordable luxury", the category, Apple wants its iPhone SE to be categorized, has to do a lot with the price points. It starts at $399 that is comparably less than the $649, at which iPhone 6s starts selling. The 64Gb version of the iPhone SE starts at $499.

Final Words

iPhone 6s is the most advanced iPhone to date, but the SE version of the iPhone, has successfully masked most of the functionalities of 6s in a compact design and at an  affordable price. As a user, if you're looking for the latest advancements and favor a smaller phone, iPhone SE is the right choice for you. As for the iPhone application development company, there won't be much of an impact with regard to the operation of the apps, as both iPhone SE and iPhone 6s has similar specs.

Best Strategy To Develop An Android application

In this smart age that is witnessing an unprecedented advancement in technology, mobile apps are considered a major source for revenue generation. Android app developers develop around a million app every day and not all of it is as successful as expected. To sustain in this highly competitive market space, every android app development company is trying to come up with a strategy that can be put into use to create a successful android app. Being an open source, there is nothing called an ideal or a perfect strategy in developing an Android app. The best strategy for an Android app development focuses on important parameters that has to be matched, for the successful development of an app.

Target Audience Should Be The Main Focus Point

The fundamental and the most important thought process in the app development is to be audience-centric. A through analysis of the target audience and their expectation goes a long way in determining the success of the app being developed. No matter how rich and functional the app is, if it's not meeting the expectation of the targeted segment, it's considered a failure.

Create A Seamless User Interface

The User interface is the first thing the end user notices in the app. It is very important it create an app that makes the user to use it without much difficulty. The navigation within the app, the operational functions of it's features should be extremely efficient, so that the user Is not confused while using it. An interactive UI ensures a better visibility at the app store.

Incorporate Excellent Features

The features of the app, its functionality and usefulness directly determines the success of the app. A features-rich app helps in reaching out to most of the target audience and ensures a high probability of downloads. Therefore, more amount of time has to be invested in exploring and finding out the best features that can enhance the success of the app.

Conduct Multiple Tests

Testing and development are two simultaneous processes, that make sure the end user doesn't  receive a faulty and non-functional app. Multilevel testing ensures errors are detected and rectified at the earlier stages of the app development and in turns ensure a refined version of the app for the users.

Make the app distinctly visible

A good strategy for android app development should consider marketing the app as important as developing it. To be competing in a vast market, an Android app has to induce rigorous marketing and use the proper channels of promotion to create a distinct visibility that helps in reaching out to the target audience. A stronger market value gains huge awareness and helps in sustaining in a fiercely competitive environment.

Conclusion

Being an Android app developer gives you a wide canvas to explore and experiment to come up with the best app for your target audience. The sheer size of the market can ensures huge success and at a same time colossal failure. Selecting the right strategy considering the factors discussed to build the right app gives you a fighting chance to stand out among the millions.