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To make predictions about the future of the app world in the dynamic environment of today is not something equivalent to look in a crystal ball and determine the upcoming events of the future. Yet, by thoroughly analyzing the app world, prevalent technology, and the consistent explorations, here are a few ways determining transformation in the world of apps, take a look.
Retaining customers is quite a tough task Retaining users is certainly a tough task, and when it comes to mobile apps it becomes a little more tougher. It is because of the fact that it is a difficult job to develop and then maintain the taste of the users for one thing for a long span of time. Google play and Appster also thrive hard to retain the users as most of the people abandon the app within the time span of 30 days. The art of warm and gentle persuasion, smart notifications, and gamifications are some approaches that are taken up by the developers to entice the users to return the app. The developers have also become wise with the reminder system of notifications. Constant reminders can annoy the users badly, hence a properly timed notification is a clever step. Enterprise-Startup Partnerships The future of apps may see big and small enterprises joining hands for creating several joint ventures and co-branded apps. This scenario has already been seen in the gaming world where the big guns have taken the lead and are either working in collaboration with the small players or have acquired over a some of the smaller business houses and studios. Getting Found will be harder With over 2 million apps already spread in the market, and several coming up, it will hard to carve a place for a new app in an app store. Moreover, the ranking system on popular app platforms, like iTunes and Google Play, favors already existing and popularly running apps. This makes the new developers to turn towards the methods of Facebook advertising, alternate discovery methods and growth hacking. iOS apps will be expected to integrate with wearables This incorporates the Apple Watch and a bunch of other gadgets, as developers will outline the designs for both wearables and phone. Apple always encourages and promotes those apps, which features its functions and attributes remarkably. If you also make great apps, and promote Apple by using it, Apple will feature your app. The wearables will also be integrated with the iOS by featuring those apps that can track the data of wearables. Apps become Startups Encashing success from the ideas of other people will now be an old talk. Apple has already become strict with its guidelines of publishing apps, it favors only those apps which have something unique in it. This will replace those who still make Facebook clones and common chat apps with those who will come up with something really great and problem solving. This will also make the audience smarter with having a knowledge of better products and services. These are some basic ideologies determining that app world is on the verge of transformation. In that case, it would be really interesting to see. In past year 2014, we have seen a rapid growth in mobile application development and its demand. When a new entrepreneur steps out in the app market, he has a vision in his head to target the 100 million users at once and rank in the category of top app providers. But, this is an impractical approach, and considered a mistake. The knowledge and vision of the tech entrepreneurs have encouraged them to build apps capable of handling a million users since inception, but doing this eventually result in never-ever launch of the app. This mistake makes them run short of money and time both as such softwares or applications that can accommodate millions of users utilizes a huge amount of funds and time. Moreover, as a matter of fact, when a new entrepreneur sets out in the market to build apps or websites, not all have unlimited money to spend and time to devote. Sometimes, a perfectly vision and ideas also lacks in determining the outcome of the final product. Therefore, it is recommended that if you have a superb app idea, it is better to create and ship an app that does not reach to a million users initially. The Practical Approach Behind Successful Mobile Applications Development
At the time of launch, there won’t be many visitors, so it's beneficial to focus on the aspects that can fetch you important feedbacks, like market validation. This approach will keep you informed about the positive aspects and shortcomings of your apps, which you can remove by fixing the issue including changes in the design and removing unwanted features. This will not only improve your site's efficiency, but will also help in scaling the development.
When your app fetches this much of users that you find it essential to take major steps, like app rebuilding, certainly go for it to keep your app performing properly. On the other hand, this is a reason to celebrate as it is a great problem where most of the developers never reach. You might have to rewrite the entire app from scratch if you have a sufficient demand, even then stick to an incremental approach that can keep the time frames realistic. If at the first iteration, you try to build an app, most of the smart investors do not put their money into it.
Every app faces some issues sometimes. When your app reaches to that point where it starts to face performance issues, never take the unwise decision of completely rebuilding the app- at least not now, when your app is quite new. Try to search the bottlenecks with specific tools that monitors bottlenecks. The whole crux behind the consideration that this approach of targeting millions of users is a mistake, precisely, suggests the new entrepreneurs that you should not blow the budget on mere expectations. You must spend your time and money wisely as per the current realities and requirements. What is Mobile App Prototyping Developing an app is a creative task which needs efforts from developers as well as designers. But some extra efforts are needed before developing mobile applications including the objective, feasibility, user flow, design interface etc. It requires market research for gathering full information about an app as per the needs of potential users. Key aspect of building an app is simply getting the good number of customers by providing proper benefits and for achieving this goal it is required to build a user friendly app.
Prototyping App Concepts Before getting involved into development related issues, prototyping can help you to work through design problems. Prototype can be an efficient way to work through design problems before getting deep into the coding. A proper prototype development can solve high level conceptual problems to lower level interaction related issues. It determines the optimal speed of transition, visual design, interaction between the components and many more issues including the response that application will provide. Storyboards with directional arrows could demonstrate the common idea, but an interactive model would be more efficient at fine-tuning the remedy. Why it is needed? It is obvious that if we have a proper model before developing anything, we can make it in easy and effective manner. You can easily evaluate design ideas and understand data flow model before investing development time. Proper prototyping not only save time but also leads to evaluation of technical architecture. Prototypes are often considered as the only way to communicate your app effectively. Particularly some real world interactive apps like location map apps, bar-code scanner apps, voice recorders etc need some extra efforts beyond the static screen design to make sure that these app will work well with real time users. Similarly some immersive apps like game development are less compelling while designing its static sketch format. Prototyping can help you in that case as it can take your app off the page and into real time model format. These may help you in better presentation and sharing with investors. Or sometime, it may help you elicit user feedback. Benefits from Prototyping Fast iterations Document prototypes allow you to quickly iterate and research with many concepts. It makes easier to identify less promising directions. Cost effective App Prototyping doesn’t need extra investment. It is inexpensive and altogether it can decrease expensive changes on the development end. Business context model and documentation Before development, prototyping can help you to present in a better way than simple static sketch. This may leads to the proper understanding of features, design and interaction. Easy to edit You or your customers can modify paper prototypes on the fly (e.g., modify brands, displays, add buttons) and hence save the time in customization. Some leading mobile app development organizations provide mobile app prototyping development services before developing an app. You can directly consult to them for converting your app ideas into reality. Live chat support is the most convenient option to provide real time support to customers, and also you can get better conversion by using it in an effective manner. Many softwares are available that can be used for giving instant access of technical support agent to customers which may lead to better conversion rate. A recent survey conducted with 2,000 consumers resulted live chat as a highly rated tool for customer service channel. This is scientific substantiation of what many companies already know. “62% reported being more likely to purchase from the site again. A further 38% of respondents said they had made their purchase due to the chat session itself. All these attitudes were even more prevalent among respondents who bought online at least weekly.” (emarketer.com Survey) By using it in the correct manner, you can:
Tips to increase the effectiveness of Live Chat to improve conversions:
How to choose the right live chat plan for your business Many live chat solutions are available but choosing the best suitable option is the smart decision. Below is the list of top softwares, you can go through them and choose the best one for your business.
These are some popular chat options that you can use for your business. Many other live chat solutions are also available in the internet, but it is recommended to review the service properly and then choose the best suitable solution for your business. Feel free to share your opinions through commenting. The recent development in the wearable technology has triggered Apple Inc’s desire to become one of the leading wearable products manufacturers. The upcoming iWatch is going to be initial steps of Apple which seems to be advancing towards a new horizon other than iPhones, iPads or other iDevices. The upcoming iPhone6 has created a lot of buzz among Apple lovers across the world and rumor has it, the users might be able to get a hold of the much awaited iPhone’s latest version by the month of September. However, the release of the new iOS8 and iPhone6 are not the only new additions that would be available for the iDevice lovers; it has been said that Apple has been working fervently over the development of its new product that would be accounted under the wearable technology segment. Apple’s Wearable Device: The iWatch Everything you need to know About iWatch It isn’t for the first time when talks of a wearable device getting launched by Apple have hit the tech market. In the year of 2012 as well, it was being said that Apple is going to launch a device that depicts the upcoming iWatch. But considering the enhanced chatter, we are bound to believe in the possibility of such an event. Here is some interesting information about the iWatch: Dimensions The appearance of iWatch is still a matter of one’s imagination, but it can be expected that the model will include a durable sapphire crystal display which is a result of Apple’s collaboration with GT Advanced. Features Along with the execution of tasks that are independent of other iDevices, the iWatch will also perform iOS compatibility dependent tasks like receiving messages, voice calls, and notifications. Basically, the iWatch will be a handy companion device to the other Apple products like the iPhone and iPad. Moreover, it is also expected that the iWatch will feature capabilities of wireless charging, advanced mapping and most likely NFC integration. Release Date Do you need an App for iWatch? The scenario might as well change with people spending less time over their iPhones as the functions of calling, texting, etc. can be carried out over the iWatch instead. So, it is necessary to create an application that helps in the enhancement of the utility factor of these wearable devices and eventually help your business grow on a larger scale. The development of websites on the CMS based platform has become the first choice of various enterprises. Easier development procedure and ease of maintenance can be considered as one of the important reasons for the switch from the conventional developmental methods like PHP or .Net. The CMS based website development has become the first choice of various enterprises. Easier development procedure and ease of maintenance can be considered as top important reasons to switch from the conventional development methods like PHP or .Net.
WordPress and Joomla are two such amazing CMS platforms that offer an easy way to the ownership of a website. Although there always have been debates regarding the superiority of one platform over the other. Here is the comparison of a few features of both websites, evaluation of which might lead us to a proper conclusion: Usage WordPress: It is utilized at its best when creating a Blog, small or medium sized websites and also corporate websites. Joomla: Joomla has a bit extended horizons when it comes to the development of websites, especially the ones belonging to the category of eCommerce and Social networking. Ease of Operation WordPress: The back-end of WordPress is considered to be user -friendly as it is less technical and hence easy to use. Users having a limited knowledge of coding can also create and operate a WordPress website making it preferable for beginners. Joomla: Joomla on the other hand is a bit complex as compared to WordPress. You might seem a bit clumsy using Joomla at the initial stage, but after a time of using you will discover the flexibility and immense variety of features offered by this CMS. Themes and Plug-ins WordPress: WordPress provides you with a wide range of both paid and free themes and plug-ins that can be found at the script’s homepage wordpress.org. Another great feature of WordPress is that it allows the installations of plug-ins and tools without the in-depth knowledge of coding. Joomla: Similar to WordPress, Joomla users can also utilize the vast collection of extensions that include plugins , modules, templates, etc., allowing users to increase the professional appeal of their website extensions.joomla.org. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) WordPress: WordPress makes the SEO of your website way more effective as compared to other platforms. It supports clean codes that are based on the coding standards of the W3C and also allows the usage of third-party SEO plugins such as Yoast SEO and All in One SEO Plug-in. Joomla: Joomla is a SEO friendly CMS platform that helps increasing the search-ability of the website’s content. It is integrated with SEF plug-ins that optimizes the search engines like JoomSEF. Interaction with Users: WordPress: The success of websites nowadays is not totally dependent over the quality of services provided, but also the kind of relations the companies have with its users. User-interaction in websites based over WordPress is pretty easy as they can express their views through the comment function as wells as through social media tools like Facebook, Twitter, etc. Joomla: Alike WordPress, Joomla also represents a strong platform that could be utilized for social networking by creating various communication measures like groups, messaging, blogs, articles, etc. Joomla also allows users to create a community where they can interact in order to enhance the productivity of the website. Management: WordPress: When you are using the WordPress platform for development, you have full control over the data as it allows you to administer all the files and also let you to modify the website theme and appearance in either way you want. Despite of the fact that the operation of a WordPress website requires lesser knowledge of coding, but in order to create a much ethical result one must have a good hand over the codes and logics. Joomla: Joomla represents a powerful Content Management System whose design is entitled to serve as an enterprise-grade CMS which means that it can showcase an impressive content management system for websites that represent a large enterprise. Security: WordPress: Security issues have been noticed in WordPress websites as cases of such websites going under attack by hackers have been noticed lately. Although there are numerous tools that can be implemented in order to enhance the security quotient like Sucuri WordPress Security Plugin, WP Security Scan, etc. Moreover, your own security measure can be implemented in order to avoid any kind of malfunction. Joomla: Joomla has often faced security breach issues as well, but it is capable of updating quickly in order to fix the reported bug. Ultimately, we are not trying to get into the debate of which platform between these two is better? We have simply mentioned the key features of both WordPress and Joomla and leave the conclusion part to you. The main criteria of selecting a content management should be entirely based on your requirement specifications. This blog will help you in the decision making procedure that deals with the selection of the best suited platform for your website. If you wish to share your opinions, you are free to post comments. The availability of numerous mobile operating systems in the market has always posed a challenge of creating the singular app for various platforms. The problem of recreating an app, a process that includes intense re-coding and financial inputs, has finally been resolved by the introduction of Cross Platform App Development Tools. Cross Platform mobile development has proved to be a revolutionary technological advancement as it benefits both developers and investors of any particular mobile application. Cross Platform mobile development refers to a technique in which a single codebase is developed for app that can be used on different operating systems.
Previously, developers had to create different source code for the same app in order to make it compatible with various mobile operating systems. For Example: an app that runs on iOS will have a different coding structure than that of what it will have while being run on Android. There is a simple answer to the transition i.e. the difference between the architecture of both iOS and Android. iOS and Android follow completely different ways of developing codes in order to create apps for their respective operating systems and the duplication of codes requires constant tweaking by the developers. The introduction of Cross-Platform mobile development tools has now made this task much easier. The need for Cross Platform Apps:
Before digging deep into the best framework for your application, let us get familiar with the basics of the types of apps. Native Apps An app can be termed as native if it has been developed for usage on a particular device or platform. The fact that a native app is built for a particular device and its OS is followed by the ability of such apps being able to use device specific hardware and software. For ex: A native app can utilize the latest technology available on your device such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) A native app can be installed directly on a mobile device and the developers are supposed to create separate apps version for various mobile operating systems. Internet connectivity may or may not be required for the proper functioning of native apps. Hybrid Apps An application that consists of the properties of both native and web application is known as Hybrid Application. These apps can function with or without the device being connected. Hybrid apps can integrate with the web-based services as well as the device’s file system. A hybrid app also has an embedded browser that improves the access to dynamic online content. There are various web apps that can be considered hybrid apps such as the online banking apps or apps that are stored locally like MS Word. Various Platforms Suitable for Developing Mobile Apps: PhoneGap PhoneGap happens to be the most popular cross-platform mobile development tool that has the capability of handling app for iOS, Android, Symbian, Blackberry and Palm. This platform is based upon distributed technologies and web shortcuts like HTML, JavaScripts and CSS3. The property of PhoneGap to leverage developers with the access to advanced hardware components like GPS tracker and accelerometer make it quite efficient. Additionally, PhoneGap also offers an Adobe AIR app and online training courses that help the developers to access native API and build more apps on its own platform. Sencha Touch Sencha Touch was one of the initial HTML5 mobile JavaScript framework that showed native properties on iOS, Android and Blackberry. The UI offered is incredibly beautiful and the data management system is up to the mark. Titanium Titanium is a development platform by Appcelerator that helps in the development of native mobile, tablet and desktop applications through the various web programming languages like HTML, PHP, JavaScript, Ruby and Python. Almost 1000 native apps are developed over the Titanium development platform per month. Titanium also provides its users with the access to more than 300 APIs along with location information. The apps developed in Appcelerator can be hardware based and there is a choice of storing the data on the device or over cloud. Xamarin Xmarin is a C# based mobile development platform in which the code is written generally for iOS and Android and compiled using different methodologies when it comes to deployment. It is quite useful when the work is defined among a team of various developers. Xmarin allows the calling of native APIs in the resulting application. The process of compilation in Xmarin is preceded by execution of code on a .NET framework at runtime and the assignment of a native dialect of either Android or iOS. MoSync MoSync is great tool for the development of cross-platform apps; its standard kit includes libraries for common technologies. The best feature of MoSync is that it allows native apps to be ported to iOS, Android, Windows Mobile, Symbian and Linux mobile platforms with ease. The design of MoSync is eclipse-like and supports C/C++, PHP, Python, Ruby, Javascript, and Java. |
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September 2016
AuthorHi, I am Prakash a working professional in Mobile and web development sector. Loves to read and share my opinions on upcoming and new technologies. Categories
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