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What Does it Take to be a Successful iOS App Developer? The Must Knows

At a time there are more than 1.5 billion smart phones in the world, everybody knows the answer to how important app developers are. The iOS market has been steadily growing and while Android is an app paradise, where the iOS scores is the money. iOS apps make a lot more money than Android ones for developers and here are the statistics to back it up. Google paid $5 billion to its developers in 2013, while Apple paid $7 billion. Role of an iOS app developer The software industry has been growing in leaps and bounds because of those numerous app developers who strive to bring to life any prototype that is given to them. Products like the iPhone, iPad, and the iPod are a result of their efforts. If this industry has always fascinated you and you are looking to make a name for yourself in this field, then you must imbibe the following qualities to become a successful iOS developer. Research ways to improve upon the performance of your app: Nobody likes to stare at the screen for a long time anticipating that their required app would finally open. If this happens, even though the quality of the product is very good, you may lose your customers to the competitive product that has a faster processing period. So in order to make your customers happy and make the best use of the resources you must use algorithms that provide optimal solutions. Some instances, which enable a better performance, are using scroll lists to minimize loading time, storing images and data in the cache etc. One other helpful tip to enhance the performance is to disable all console logs in the production environment. Write well-documented codes: A well-documented code helps your team members understand the functionality better and can be reused for similar logic. The documentation will also help you at a later date to understand the program flow at a glance instead of trying to devise the whole logic again. Organize your code changes better with a source code management system: A source code management system efficiently organizes all the versions of code you have created for your app. This way you can access any version at any given point of time. Some useful SCM’s are GIT, Mercurial, and Subversion. Test your app from a lame man’s point of view: Each application must be thoroughly checked for possible errors. Don’t take it for granted that the user will know the basics of operation. Become proficient in your domain: Know all that is to be known about your development environment. This will be very handy when coding under deadlines. Mastering the shortcuts will help you get more work done in less time. Don’t hesitate to ask for assistance when stuck: The iOS platform is huge and there is a new development almost every day, it is only natural that you may not be acquainted with all the information. It is good to get help when required. It’s important to keep updated with Apple’s policies. Remember, Apple launched the Swift code for developers a while back and you need to be well versed with the language. While the Swift by itself is not that difficult to learn, provided you know the other languages, you do need to take out time from your busy schedule to learn it. Blog Source- https://www.mindinventory.com/blog/what-does-it-take-to-be-a-successful-ios-app-developer-the-must-knows/

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The 7 Most Important Questions Related to App Development

Want to start making apps or do you want to hire a developer? When it comes to app development, these 7 questions must have surely crossed your mind! So here are the much-awaited answers. What is the cost of making an app? The cost of making an app can never be exactly calculated as it is depends on the scalability, technology capabilities, functionality, complexity and many other factors concerning the app. It can start at somewhere around $20, 000 and go up to somewhere around $200,000 and even more in some cases. What are the processes involved in creating an app? a. Ideation – fleshing out the idea, competitive analysis, research of market, design b. Concept Design – detailing functional requirements, creating specs and prototypes c. Processing Design – creating user interface, mapping out user experience flow d. Development – coding, functionality, operating systems e. Testing – check bugs, user experience’s quality, cross device functionality f. Marketing– launching and penetrating strategies, PR, communication and promotion How do we monetise an app best? The best ways to monetise an app without destroying the user experience are freemium, pay-to-unlock, Ad revenue, pay-per-download, free and paid versions, one month subscriptions, sponsorship and in-app purchases. What is the time taken to build an app? The approx time taken to build an app is around 4-6 months but after that it needs to regularly maintained for hardware and operating system updates and bugs. Does it make a difference if a similar product is already available in the market? We all know by now that no app is absolutely unique. What you need is competitive advantage which will help prove your app to be the best in the market. You should know what your competitor is up to and you should be able to surpass it. Do I make an iOS platform first or an Android one? The answer to this difficult and complex question is to have a long-term plan for both the operating systems especially if your app has a commercial purpose. What is the best way to launch an app? The key behind getting this right is to figure out the best communication method that will tell the users that you alone have the perfect solution for the problem. You need to use those mediums of communication where you know your target audience hangs out the most. Getting more answers to these questions will go a long way toward finding the right developer for your app. Blog Source- https://www.mindinventory.com/blog/the-7-most-important-questions-related-to-app-development/

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What’s the Right Platform For Your App Launch?

A crucial decision for an app company is to select a platform for app launch. Various decisions and preparations need to be executed systematically for the app launch. You will need to decide whether you would like to launch your app for Windows, Apple or Android or all the three. A few questions to consider will be, will the platform support the app, will it allow updates and help you reach millions of users for the desired cost. It is a lot of work to develop for one platform and your decision to launch will depend on understanding the app goals and each platform deeply. For iOS Most of the major apps are launched on iOS first. In fact, the reason in simple – iOS users are more likely to pay for your app than when you release it on other platforms like Android. If you are planning to create a tablet experience, then focus on iOS. It is because; the truth is transparent that Apple is the winner in the tablet market. Also consider that whether the app is free or not because iOS users are keener to pay for the app. Secondly, developing for iOS requires a skillful developer’s team and a Mac to develop. In addition, an app that runs on iPhone 5 will run on iPhone 6 as well but the same is not the case with Android. It is because Android manufacturers and distributes more than 400 types of phones. For Android If you have a freemium model, Android is a great choice. On a global perspective, Android is a dominating mobile operating system. Though iOS and Android are closer in market share, Android still beats Apple with 1 million app mark. If you are marketing your app in UK then Android is the best platform as in European market, Apple share is just 30 percent. Always understand what your customer wants, and you can make a wise choice. Android users spend on personalization, education and reading more than business and entertainment apps. Other things to consider while choosing a platform: An app needs to address the size of the market. iOS is quick and responsive, and there is less piracy. Unlike Google Play, it doesn’t have many quality issues. It is also important to understand that iPhone users are more dedicated and engaged to use apps. In addition, they are habitual to use error-free apps and, for this reason, they tend to pay more it. Finally, understanding the limitations of hardware and software of mobile phones to publish your app is vital for minimal hang-ups as you begin with alpha testing. Showing good amount of flexibility in using the tools to develop the app for different platforms is a critical decision as well. Blog Source- https://www.mindinventory.com/blog/whats-the-right-platform-for-your-app-launch/

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Business and a Mobile App: Changing Traditions, Expanding Boundaries

Ever looked back down a decade and wonder how much business has changed down the years? With ever evolving tech, businesses need to be up on their toes when it comes to embracing newer technologies and understanding when not to switch to something new. Often, whether a business becomes successful, depends on the technologies and methodologies on use in the workplace. Mobile apps have changed the way business is done. However, innovation has occurred rapidly, which have left the businesses struggling. As user expectation is much higher than a business can deliver, a new approach is required. Continuous Quality is key methodology for ensuring the app meets such user expectation. Continuous Quality is involved in every step of software development from design to production. It optimizes the time a software reaches to market with minimum risk. However, to ensure the success of Continuous Quality key building blocks are required: 1. All device supportFor the success of Continuous Quality, developers must ensure that tests are conducted for all current devices/OS profiles. In addition, app test lab must ensure that there is quick access to new releases and updates roll out on schedule. 2. EnvironmentsDevelopers cannot develop mobile apps before knowing how server, network and device “wind tunnel” factors affect the performance. Lab that runs the Continuous Quality must test app on active devices capable of up linking and downlinking the data from various networks such as 3G, LTE, and Wi-Fi. These tests must be implemented in different regions around the globe. Emulators never provide the required level of intelligence and feedback, which ensures the performance and usability regardless of environment. Hence, real environment test are necessary. 3. Coverage Across SDLCThe test lab should support all scenarios from first day to post production. Software Development lifecycle test must include unit tests, functional tests, load tests, and user experience on live device. For those testing the app must be able to provide both empirical and visual data to allow developers to understand what users experience on the device. 4. Integrating existing toolsTest labs that ask users to learn new skill leaving the known environment could be ineffective. Instead, lab must provide open integration with eco-system coding languages, CI servers, IDEs, and frameworks. By using Continuous Quality, app developers can quickly work and respond to new changes without compromising the quality. Right now, mobile adoption is growing much faster than web adoption was in 90s and 2000s. Mobile now has become major product platform for businesses and it will remain so. Blog Source- https://www.mindinventory.com/blog/business-and-a-mobile-app-changing-traditions-expanding-boundaries/

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Expectations Vs. Reality – The Journey from App Development to App Success

Any experienced app user and app developer knows that everything is not as beautiful as it seems when it comes to matching up to job expectations. While app development does fetch some great job prospects, it can be quite grilling for amateurs with their limited skills and experience. Theoretical knowledge doesn’t translate to real job experience in most careers, and it’s the same in the app development world too. Most freshers expect a lot more compared to what they can deliver. It is not wrong for the freshers who are into app development to have a different note of expectation which is significantly higher than that of reality. It is not easy to convert the mobile version of the website into an app format, and while there are app makers that help you go through the drill without extensive coding, they can only be used to design basic apps. On the contrary, it is easier to think the app as a tool where the users can get all the necessary information they want. How much time does it take to develop an app? App building takes time. The complexity decides the time limit – if you’re involved in a complex project, it can take up more than a year of your life. Most times, expect a month’s time to make the app work completely. The more you hurry, the less precision you get and eventually build up a failed app. Developing an app does not mean it’s approved. This is especially for iOS app developers, and they must be ready for the challenges. Read thoroughly through Apple’s guidelines before developing the app. So what is the next step? Does creating and making it live on the App Store end your work? Apart from regular updates, the other priority is on the marketing strategy. Know the desired audience and strive to reach out to them as much as you can. Speaking on the same context, do not be under the impression that your apps will automatically reach the target audience. It’s important to do some good app marketing and analytics. What do you want to achieve? App store optimization wouldn’t let you accomplish what you wish to achieve with the app. Keeping in mind the particular target customers and a proper marketing strategy is the only way to convert prospects into permanent customers. Then there is also the problem with the app developers who think that analytics can help to understand and read the app’s performance. On the contrary, it just helps to improve the app’s performance. Judging the users’ interactivity is not through download rate. However, if your app users visit few times a week, it’s an excellent sign. Blog Source- https://www.mindinventory.com/blog/expectations-vs-reality-the-journey-from-app-development-to-app-success

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What happens after you have decided to create an app and have it in the PlayStore?

If you’re launching the app in Google Play Store, you probably have a freemium model where users can buy extra add-ons to progress in the game or have access to extra features. Being optional, you can only count on a few users to actually buy the extras, and you need to look at monetizing your app. One of the best ways to earn extra revenues is to look at the different options of monetizing the app. Monetizing the app would be profitable way to earn from the hard work you have put into android app development. What are the strategies that you can use? There are three most common strategies that you can use to earn money from the app. Paid AppsPut a price on your app and let the user buy your app if they want to use it – however, statistics suggest that this is a good method only in the iOS store. It’s difficult to have Android users buying an app outright. A paid app is the most common way of generating revenue. However, it has own issues. If you are looking to raise the number of users downloading the app and generate more revenue, it won’t be easy. The most installed apps are always free and users always look from free options. Go in for a lower prices; set a price that user can pay easily. Make sure that the features offered in the app are not available with other apps. In-app purchasesThis is popularly called the freemium model by the developer. It is one of the most effective way of earning from app. The app is free to install but users can buy more value items or features from the app. This is a better model as users are able to assess your app and use it – increasing user engagement and trust. If users love the functionalities on offer, they can pay more for the extras. In this model, you provide a certain value for free; if the user does not pay for in-app purchase and they can continue to use it for long period. In turn, you always can increase the number installs. This kind of model is best for games, personalization theme or more. In-app adsIt is another way to earn revenue. You can add ads to your app. The app is free to use but you dedicate special ad slots that can come up at specific intervals. Whenever the user taps on the add you get certain revenue. This method has been used on desktop websites – if you are offering something valuable and the ads are relevant, they will not be a distraction. You can also employ other strategies like increasing subscription rates. or giving special offers time to time but opting for a freemium model or in-app ads are often the way android app developers and app entrepreneurs go to. Easy to choose and implement, they offer a constant source of revenue while you can focus on other marketing strategies. Blog Source- https://www.mindinventory.com/blog/what-happens-after-you-have-decided-to-create-an-app-and-have-it-in-the-playstore/

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NATIVE vs HTML5 vs HYBRID – The Review

“Because it is not about app development, but efficient development”. In past few years, people have rapidly migrated from desktop devices to handheld ones. With the growth of technology, mobile devices facilitated and enabled us to do everything that a desktop could. Cell phones, tablets, palm tops and more, there are a lot of ways to work today. So, what do you do if you’re looking at connecting to your audience through their smart devices? For connecting with mobile users, businesses need to get their presence on small screen devices with apps. So, what kind of app do you need to choose? Should it be a native app, or a hybrid one or the one built on HTML5? It’s important to understand the pros and cons of each – for one, which one is cheap? Native App Basically, native apps are those that uses native APIs of device and calls for high expense. These applications need to be programmed separately for separate platforms. For instance, the same app, with same user interface and features will be programmed twice, once for iOS and once for Android. A native app for one platform (say iOS) wont be compatible with other (say Windows). Moreover, the SDKs (XCode for iOS, Eclipse for Android, Visual Studio for Windows) and the programming language (Objective C for iOS, Java for Android, C# for Windows) will also differ. Thus, it calls for high expense but provides a better user experience. HTML5 App Unlike Native App, apps built on HTML5 are less expensive as they are compatible with all platforms. But with merit of low budget, there are some demerits too. The developer cannot make them available in the app store, as they are not dedicated to a particular platform. In easy language, they can be understood as web applications, which can smoothly run on the low resolution of mobile devices. They are made responsive, using HTML5, CSS and JavaScript. Programmers do not need to code them only once Hybrid App Similar to HTML apps, hybrid apps are also developed using HTML5, CSS and JavaScript but they are wrapped in some native application. For instance, we can consider a web application running in the native browser window (and not Chrome or Mozilla) like UIWebView (similar to WebView in Android). These jobs of wrapping the app into native applications, or making the use of Native APIs are done very easily using application like Cordova. These apps are easy to maintain and fast to develop. Your app development strategy needs to take into account your audience – your apps will have to be tailored to your audience needs. Go in for hybrid apps if you’re looking for best of both the worlds. Blog Source- https://www.mindinventory.com/blog/native-vs-html5-vs-hybrid-the-review/

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Improving Mental Health – How Can Mobile Apps Help Young People?

With one in every 5 young people suffer from a mental health problem every year and more than half of the mental disorders starting before the child reaches 15 years of age, mental ill health is a serious problem threatening the youth of the country. Increasing pressure on young individuals related to family, work and mostly education, make health and fitness apps a priority for them, much more than regular game and social networking apps which only secludes a young individual away from friends and families making him lonely and non-social. The statistics proving that apps can alleviate problems and help people cope better with their worries is not new. In fact, patients are sometimes encouraged to play apps and playing games as they can then forget their pain. Why choose apps to offer help? In today’s time a child gets a smartphone first and braces later! A smartphone which has the right apps in it lead the young person towards positivity and can prove to be one of the best tools to reach out to him and help him achieve his goals, solve his problems and lead a healthy and normal life. With the individual being in close and private contact with the apps regularly, they can be used to reach out to them to in several ways which include treating, diagnose and analyzing mental ill health. Youths do not open up to their doctors or family members easily and are often reluctant to take help from the people around them. Mental ill health apps are considered to be youth-appropriate channels as they offer rapid help, advice and intervention into a person’s mental ill health offering complete privacy to the patient protecting his name, illness details etc. A health and fitness app should be low in cost and high in efficacy. How can apps be introduced to such young patients? A mental illness patient can be slowly introduced to the world of apps. A positive approach should be owned when asking the patient to deal with the problem via the apps without making him realize his illness. Slowly, filter in information via the app to the patient offering proper detailed information about the mental illness followed by related advice and changes in lifestyle. This will help the treatment become effective and on finding positive changes in himself, the patient will get involved in the recovery process and be able to manage his own illness. Blog Source- https://www.mindinventory.com/blog/improving-mental-health-how-can-mobile-apps-help-young-people/

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Can Cloud Transform Your Startup?

For a startup, optimising resources is a prime prerogative. How do you want to use your resources? The initial stages of a startup are the ones which face the maximum challenges and overcoming them helps you cross most of the hurdles in your way. These problems are mostly related to technology, finances and infrastructure. Statistics reveal that by the end of this year, more than $180 billion would have been spent by companies on cloud services alone. Cloud computing technologies offer various business advantages which help innovate and develop any startup efficiently and rapidly.Let us first look into the 3 models of cloud services: 1. Platform – The first model of service is platform be it the framework development or operating system. 2. Infrastructure – Infrastructure is the second model which deals with storage, computing and hosting services such as cloud storage and virtual servers. 3. Software – Salesforce and email services are the end user applications which come under the third model of such services which is software. Now we will analyze how cloud can be helpful for a startup. Speeds up the development cycle – Not only does the development cycle become faster but the service availability improves drastically too. Reduces operating costs – Cloud offers pay-per-usage which helps reduce costs to a large extent. Swiftly scale-up and increased agility – Along with increasing agility and efficiency, cloud also helps start-ups to move faster and scale up and down rapidly. Better production – Start-ups can expand to new geographies without any trouble leading to better productivity in the future. Integrates easily – It can be easily integrated for any app Operational benefits – cloud offers automated services, more storage, flexibility and mobility to any startup. Have a structured approach Remember, your cloud strategy needs to take into account your business model and devise an apt strategy. In order to improve efficiency of work, here are some of the best cloud practises which make the job easier and swifter. It is important to identify the strategy and approach before starting work The applications can be hosted in different ways so it is advisable to evaluate the options available You might experience failures on your way so it is better to take care of them from the very beginning Data consistency, data partitioning and compute partitioning are some of the other good cloud practices Always automate everything from the start You can consult a good Web development company to know how to better use your resources. Whether you’re looking for newer way to use resources or just to integrate cloud within your business, the right strategy can help you to do more with your business. Blog Source- https://www.mindinventory.com/blog/can-cloud-transform-your-startup/

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The 5 Steps That Are A Must When Building an App

Sometimes, entrepreneurs and developers flounder on the basic steps, making an easy task seeming a lot more demanding than it actually is. Got the perfect idea for a superb app which will be loved by millions? Can already imagine your users using it happily and blessing you for it? It’s About Implementing! Regardless of the fact as to how brilliant or unique your app idea is, if any given app is not built well, it will become quite difficult for it to become a success. With the mobile app marketing increasing tremendously and becoming extremely competitive with every passing day, it is essential that your app is built right and reaches its target audience easily. The 5 Steps Here are the 5 basic steps for building a mobile app and getting it right! Identify the need In order to build the perfect app, it is important that you come up with a solution to solve one of the many problems being faced by today’s users. Once the need has been found, you need to validate your idea with the help of Google Keyword Planner and check how many people are looking out for your idea so you know that your app will be in demand. Another idea would be to come up with a landing page with your apps idea and ask users to give in their views on the same. Work on the features and the flow After the app is validated, you need to focus on the documenting of the app preferably with a wireframing tool. Be thorough with details as you put down your idea on paper, its navigation and features. Once the basic is complete, work on the features that can be done away with so that you are left with the app’s core value. Added features can be included in the app as an update. This will not only help reduce initial development costs but also allow the app to reach the market rapidly. Make design/designing your priority Your app is all about its design so never settle for a basic one. A good developer will always put design which comprises of graphics and user experience first and work really well on it. Moreover, when selecting a development company, always opt for one which boasts of a good development team and design talent as that it what will make your app sell and make it popular in the first place. Also check the development company’s credibility before starting work with it. Explore the competition Once your app is ready to be launched and all the work is done, you need to explore your competitors. Though you might find it difficult to make your own place in a huge market, having good competition ensures that your app has good opportunity and can reach out to a good number of existing users. Ask yourself what is different in your app that the users will turn to it instead of your competitor. You must also analyze whether your app will be able to sustain in the market even if it is a late entry. Make use of analytics so that you can keep a track of the number of downloads, app retention and user engagement to improve it in the future. Say yes to change When the app is almost ready, take the help of beta testers to check on the production as this will help ensure that your app will live up to the customer’s expectations. Also, if the app fails to do so at some point, you must be ready to make the necessary changes without delay. An app coding must meet user preference and in order to achieve this, test the app completely before it is launched. Finally, create developer accounts with Google Play Store and the App Store which will allow you to sell your app through these platforms. It’s important to be careful. You will do great to ensure that you’ve the right app developer complementing you, who can guide you through the process. An experienced app development company like Mindinventory can help you to get the right app out there, in the right way and ensure that you do not make any basic mistakes that can cost you in the longer run. Blog Source- https://www.mindinventory.com/blog/the-5-steps-that-are-a-must-when-building-an-app/

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