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How to Measure ROI for Your App Development

To learn about and understand how businesses work, it is necessary that you understand the set of terms related to business. Among those terms, the one which is widely used is Return on Investment (ROI) which is a method of determining the efficiency of an investment. It is a key metric used to rank the attractiveness of a number of different investment alternatives and is expressed as a percentage or a ratio. Generally, the Return on Investment can be calculated by any of the following formulae: So, if a business spends USD 1000 per month on an advertising campaign and generates USD 2000 in return directly from that campaign, you get ROI by dividing 2000 by 1000 which is equal to 2. This means that for every single dollar spent on the campaign, the business earned two dollars. ROI calculation helps you understand what is working for you and what is going against your business. Hence, you can introspect and invest in areas where you can earn and generate more revenue. ROI for App Development Think of the last few times you made a purchase. Were they in-store or online? For most of us, they were made through our phones using a mobile app. The convenience that such purchases offer has attracted many people towards online purchases which have resultantly boosted mobile commerce. The industry is only going to grow as research indicates that mobile commerce will reach USD 250 billion by 2020. This trend has also caught the attention of organizations who are now realizing the importance of mobilizing their work applications. While there are certain obvious advantages found in mobile app development for business, there are issues that make manufacturers reluctant to go mobile. The reluctance usually arises from the fact that they are not sure about the factor of ROI for mobile apps. This is quite reasonable because financial success for the mobile apps in the current complex and competitive marketplace is not an easy task. The mobile apps developed by the enterprises comes at a hefty price. Hence it becomes important that they provide a solid ROI. In the following section, we will discuss ROI in different types of apps and finally the steps involved in measuring the ROI for an app. ROI in the Development of Hybrid and Paid Apps The pay-per-download model can be the fastest way to obtain an immediate ROI for your app’s development. However, this method is not received well by users, as they are reluctant to pay an initial cost for an app that they have not tested. Customers usually hold high expectations of such apps which are often not met, hence, leaving the customers unsatisfied most of the times. Not every app is essentially designed to make money directly; there are other ways to monetize the apps rather than making customers pay for it initially. Different business models have been used for applications, the following two among them, have gained popularity among paid-for apps. Setting low prices for downloading the app: In such cases, the price for downloading the app is kept very low, so the cost of purchase for customers is not high. Such application development usually obtains a decent ROI in the long run. Setting high prices for an app: Some relatively well-known brands may go for high prices for their app because they are sure that the product will get sold. This should be the case when the ROI for the app is guaranteed otherwise it can backfire. ROI in Hybrid App Development The hybrid app provides more possibilities for monetization; hence, they are found abundant in the market. These apps focus on obtaining benefit after they are downloaded. ROI for such apps may be obtained through advertising, in-app purchases, and subscription payments. Other Kinds of ROI in Mobile Application Development ROI can be achieved in different ways in application development. Some companies sell user information to third parties to generate revenue. Others seek to analyze user behavior and patterns within a given industry. As long as the app provides a service that is useful to the customers, the app is bound to obtain a good ROI. Steps Involved in Measuring ROI of Mobile Apps Define Your Objectives The most crucial step of all is to know what you want to achieve from an app. It is important because other steps logically follow this. This must start before the designing of the screens and even before starting to write the code. Every mobile campaign can be measured by one of the two intended outcomes: Evaluate your consumer interaction: Focus is on mobile influence, user acquisition, and retention rate. Evaluate your workplace efficiency: Focus is on sales and marketing, asset management and field service. The mobile app developers must be clear about the business objectives and key metrics at all stages of app development. Without proper implementation of this step, you may not be able to effectively utilize your funds in the app development process. App Development Costs This step is important because you may need to ensure that you keep within the confines of the budget and do not consume any excessive resources in the app development process. Keeping an account of the developmental costs is necessary because you are going to need it to measure it against the key performance indicators as discussed in the next step. Development Costs generally include: Implementation costs Hardware costs Support and integration It must also be kept in mind that after the app has been developed, there is also a need for a maintenance team which adds to the long-term development costs. Give Each App a Measurable KPI Key Performance Indicators (KPI) is a business metric used to evaluate the factors that are important for the success of an organization. They differ from one organization to another as some may consider net revenue as a KPI while others might consider customer loyalty metric or retention rate as a key performance indicator. This goes hand in hand with the

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Why You Should Develop an Own Radio Station Mobile App

You must be wondering why you need to develop a radio station app when people have a wide spectrum of options to get worldwide news, listening to music, watching videos and movies, etc. But as they say Old is God; and radio is one exclusive and vintage medium that people have fond memories of. At a time when there was no television or the internet, radio was the sole source of information and mass entertainment. Yes, whether it is listening to the radio news bulletin or the live radio cricket commentary. It is altogether a totally different and unique experience. You cannot compare that excitement and thrill with television. Ever since radio broadcasting made its inception during World War I, it has become the most vital medium of mass communication. The first radio stations were set up in Pittsburg, New York, and Chicago in 1920. By 1923, there were as many as 450 radio stations sprouted across the United States. Without any doubt, radio broadcasting has traveled a long way ahead of becoming almost a century older. As the technology digitally transformed, the radio stations first went on to go online and then with the advent and flourishing of mobile applications, it saw another important transition. They are available in the form of mobile apps; meaning you can tune to a radio station using its particular app. Now, let’s figure out a few specific reasons why creating your own radio station app has become successful trend in the app market. The Market Trends and Statistics If you think that social media, YouTube and television channels have dried out the radio market and listeners, you would be amazed to find out the interesting facts through these statistics. Statista reports that an average listener tunes to the different radio stations for about 13 hours and 40 minutes approximately in a week. In fact, according to another website, the radio’s streaming ad is expected to hit around $2.3 billion by 2022. And if these numbers are still not convincing to change your mind then please note that 45% of the users usually recommend favorite radio stations or apps in person. The report presented by Nielsen Music further excites story. It informs that the audio has performed better in comparison to the video as far as streaming activities far concerned as 54% of all online streaming activates takes place through the radio. In fact, the demand for the music has also increased by 9% as compared to the previous year. According to Edison Research, the popularity of the online radio constantly surges in the recent few years and this growth is visible in different demographic regions of the world. The Report on Internet Radio Trends indicates that 95% of listeners are tuning to stations by mobile apps. Allowing Additional Access of Audio Stream The mobile radio application offers you the widest choice of stations to a listener that a traditional radio set or transistor cannot provide due to analogue signaling system. The users also receive high-quality audio streaming, which enhances their experience while listening to music or any other program. In order to offer that optimal experience, it is recommended to choose AAC+64Kbs streaming quality or higher. The radio app will also let the user to get an access to the additional live radio streaming created to target a particular domain. In short, the users get more access to your content such as the articles, blogs, and interviews etc. Compete in the Market Since you are a mobile app owner, you have to face a stern competition because the numbers of mobile apps have increased excessively specifically in the on-demand market domain. This competition is getting tougher as new players are entering the field. For instance, Apple’s entry with the music streaming app has already created a lot of buzz around. However, if you want to surpass every other app then make sure that you offer something extraordinary that draws the attention of the listeners and plan your strategy differently. Acts as the Best Promotional Tool We all know that radio has been one of the most important medium for advertising products and services. Now with a radio app, you would be able to send targeted messages to potential listeners if there is any promotional offer or customer reward. The message would reach each listener and you don’t need to employ any other marketing tool. If you want you can restrict the geographical boundary of your target listeners to whom you want to send the message. Another method is employing the tactics of similar to beacon technology wherein you send the message to the user if your promotional campaign in close proximity with the user device. Radio App a Revenue Yielding Business Every business entrepreneur who literally invests in the mobile application expects to get optimal Return on Investment (ROI) from the app. And be rest assured that if you are banking on the radio app, you would reap good profitable revenue. We have already discussed earlier that the revenue of online radio app have amplified in the recent years. One of the major reasons leading to this increment is the app monetization plans and policies. According to a statistic, the Internet radio ads will comprise 20% of all radio industry revenue by 2020. In fact, a column has been published in the renowned magazine Forbes which says that advertisement on internet radios will be the next big thing for the businesses. Radio Apps Better Than Websites In a debate about which is better; a radio mobile application or a website; the former excels over the later. This is because websites are less responsive and have few features in comparison to the apps. Secondly, the apps tend to offer far better User Experience (UX). The radio apps built on native platform provide advantages including background streaming and notifications. The apps are also more interactive as well. The Facility of App Customization One of the major factors that can push more traffic to your

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How Mobile Apps Benefit Construction Businesses

In a tech-driven ecosystem, business firms from all verticals look forward to optimizing their productivity. To that end, mobile apps have penetrated deep into most of the industries, including real estate and construction. A survey involving more than 600 employees from the construction industry reveals that 80% of the respondents regard mobile technology to be of high priority. Also, the reputed app developers collaborate closely with the real estate companies to build customized solutions for business. So, it is obvious that everything boils down to mobile apps and their implementation across the industry. For instance, robust apps have been developed for calculating the amount of concrete required to prevent cracking. Besides, AutoCAD enables the constructors to develop the structure virtually. You must also be aware of painting estimator and customized estimator apps that streamline the construction process to a significant extent. This apart, construction supervisors also use apps dedicated to construction management, which keeps them updated about the proceedings on a regular basis. They can maintain the records and take necessary decisions simply with a tap of their finger. Benefits of Mobile Apps in the Construction Business Depending on the type of task that needs to be accomplished the apps need to be developed in a customized way. Have a look at the following benefits of mobile applications in the construction industry: Enhancing Workforce Efficiency It is important for the construction managers to enhance the transparency and efficiency of the operational process. With powerful mobile applications at their disposal, they can carry out monitoring, scheduling and authorization of the process. Using customized apps in this mechanism pacifies the overall process as it delivers a faster channel of communication. In supplier management and scheduling, mobile apps can prove extremely handy. These days, ready-mix concrete suppliers use customized apps, through which a map interface can be shared by the supplier with the customers. This ensures active management of the agreements at the service level. Replacing papers with mobile apps is a step forward towards digitization. A clutter-free workplace keeps the productivity level optimized. Maintaining Desired Safety Levels Mobile apps can substantially mitigate the high hazards associated with operations within the construction industry. As compared to other industries, the rate of injury in the construction sector is higher. The construction managers, using mobile platforms, can keep a track of the training sessions. On ensuring regulatory compliance, they can improve the level of safety for the workers. Another benefit of using mobile apps in the construction sector is it allows an immediate reporting of injuries and safety concerns. The authorities can manage these issues with greater care, bolstering the regulatory compliance as and when required. Running Projects on Time In the construction industry, one of the biggest challenges lies in completing the projects on time. These delays are often caused as a result of rework. For instance, after the construction of a project commences, certain parts may have to be redesigned. This escalates the overall cost and the project takes more time to be completed. Using rendering tools and software, it is possible to create 2D and 3D renderings, which eliminate such hassles. Most of the construction firms use these tools to create virtual tours and renderings, which help in detecting construction issues before the process actually starts. Using customized apps for construction, the managers are able to sync and organize the operational activities. They schedule the task and ensure that the construction work takes place at the scheduled hour. This also helps in optimizing the resources. At times, a construction manager may have to oversee the process at two different sites. Using these apps simplifies the process to a great extent. Various cloud-based project management tools are available, that enables the managers to view the projects and review the completed task. They can also get real-time data, reducing delays in the construction process. Better Communication Process The lack of a robust communication mechanism in the construction industry can complicate things up. At times, communication gaps between the project managers, supervisors and owners lead to misunderstanding. A seamless communication process is necessary to ensure that all the heads associated with the process remain synced together. Through construction management apps, these three groups can get a complete view of the project and the overall communication process is improved. It is important to maintain transparency and leverage the communication process in the construction industry. The reason is, the project stakeholders get an increased visibility and they feel that they are actually involved in the process. This fosters a better relationship between the stakeholders and the other parties involved in the construction process. Integrating the right app can reduce misinterpretation of information and keep all the departments tuned together. Mobile Apps Can Boost Productivity According to a statistic, a construction worker spends only 30% of the time on the core job. The remaining time is wasted in carrying out unimportant tasks like cleaning up, transporting the materials, keeping the site organized and so on. By using mobile apps, the construction managers can optimize the work, and the workers can channelize their energies only to the productive areas. It is for this reason that optimized digital solution is the answer to a large segment of the construction firms. With the evolution of technology, IoT and other mechanisms are making their way into the construction sector. These can be connected to the mobile apps, so that people can keep a track of their operations and control them from a single platform. The construction firms can seamlessly manage all the domains within the logistical chain through these apps. Robots and drones are likely to penetrate into the construction industry in future. Dedicated apps are being developed to streamline the process, integrating technology flawlessly into the operational process. Real-Time Analytics In recent years, business intelligence and big data have grown tremendously. The task of integrating these technologies in the construction industry calls for robust apps. Previously, the reports had to be created at the end of each day. However, app

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What Makes a Mobile App a Necessity for Your Jewelry Business?

The digitized business world has become highly technology-oriented. Mobile apps are being extensively used in various industries, and the jewelry business is not an exception. Mobile apps have proven to be versatile marketing tools. A powerful mobile strategy goes beyond a mobile-friendly website. A customized, business-oriented mobile app can streamline your jewelry business. Given that 80% of the internet users use smartphones, it is logical to reach out to your potential customers through a powerful mobile application. The forward-thinking jewelry entrepreneurs have already integrated sophisticated mobile apps into their business. From strengthening their customer service to leveraging the marketing strategy, mobile apps can benefit your business in a number of ways. For any jewelry businesses, investing in a powerful mobile app is a smart decision. Benefits of Using a Mobile App in Jewelry Business Let’s explore the benefits of investing in a mobile app for your jewelry business: Greater Visibility Think of mobile apps as a mechanism to bolster your point of sales marketing. An average person spends 89% of the time they use a mobile phone on apps. This enables you to get across to potential buyers through these apps. When your products are available at their fingertips, your business potential gets a boost. Eventually, mobile apps open up a new gateway, through which you can tap the customer base. It is a cost-effective way to reach out to your customers. Customers today have become tech-savvy and they prefer avoiding crowds and queues. Sitting back at home, they can comfortably browse through your collections on the apps. Even when they are outdoors or travelling, you can remain in touch with them. Informing Your Customers For any business to grow, a consistent connection between the company and the customers is a necessity. A dedicated app for your business serves as a tool to keep the customers updated about the latest offerings. In case you have a new design in your collection, you can send them push notifications. This is one of the most effective ways to make the potential buyers have a look at the jewelry. The virtual stores make the products accessible to your customers. At the same time, you can enhance the sales prospects and let the buyers engage with your business. Besides, when you offer classic and trendy jewelry along with lucrative images, customers find them attractive. You can eventually inform them and make sure that your customers return to the app in future to explore the collection. Knowing Your Customers When it comes to high-value purchases like jewelry, customers need to make informed decisions. Even if you have a physical store, it is important to have a mobile app for your business. This helps business owners and marketers to know the tastes of their customers. Often, customers want a channel to communicate with the business firm. Particularly, while jewelry, they need to convey their preferences to you. Right from the designing process to delivery, a seamless interaction is necessary. You may also carry out polls and surveys through these apps in order to know their expectations. Integrating a mobile application enables business owners to get closer to the aspirations of potential customers. An interacting shopping experiment, on the other hand, leads to a greater retention rate. Cost-effective Branding and Promotions In the jewelry business, branding and promotional activities can be expensive. Traditionally, entrepreneurs incur huge expenses and this amount can be curtailed, when you have a mobile app. A dedicated mobile application can couple up as a promotional tool, through which you can create a better brand awareness among potential customers. Developing a mobile app involves certain costs. However, this amount is reasonable, considering that a successful jewelry company needs to spend several times more while carrying out the campaigns. Besides, an intuitive app enhances the overall experience of the users. They get a good impression about your business. Enhancing the user experience is one of the most strategic ways to retain them. Eventually, you can carry out your branding and marketing processes through a single platform. Personalized Shopping Experience With a customized business app around, you can deliver a personalized shopping experience to your customers. It can lead to 42% greater customer retention and 32% increment in cross-selling and up-selling. Presently, entrepreneurs are striving to furnish every little detail about the available products to their customers through the mobile apps. This enables the buyers to make better informed purchases. Eventually, you can enhance their experience and it leads to a greater revenue generation in course of time. The robust apps offer several payment options to the customers. A flexible model for payment and seamless customer experience helps a company win the loyalty of its customers. Sharing Your Products When you come up with desirable and stunning jewelry for your customers through the apps, they are likely to share them with their acquaintances and loved ones. Particularly, with the inception of social media platforms in business, the scope of sharing has become prominent. The sharing options are available in the mobile apps, through which they can share and forward the items to people they know. This leads to an indirect marketing effect, where a greater number of people get to know your business. Fashion enthusiasts often find jewelry alluring enough to shop them. They also share these items along with their experience on platforms like Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram. Your business gets a wonderful prospect to grow, with a greater visibility. Integrating AR Through Apps A large segment of business firms has already incorporated AR (Augmented Reality) in their apps. It enhances the overall shopping experience of the customers, providing them with better choices when they make the purchase. Through AR, computer-generated images are superimposed on the user, providing them with the opportunity to check out how they will look when they wear the jewelry items. Customers find it easier to compare the products and find out the model that can suit their looks. In the virtual business world, people cannot check out the items

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Android or iOS App Development: Which is Best for Your Business?

Choosing the platform for your mobile application is a major step towards its success. A majority of the population is working upon the digital devices and is a huge market for the organizations to serve. But, the population is diversified and distributed across a number of platforms on their devices and hence makes it important for the organizations to choose which platform to target and gain a larger market share for themselves. Two of the leading platforms upon the mobile devices of the people around the world are Android and iOS. They constitute the largest share of the market leaving all other operating systems aside. The recent statistics show that Android seems to be the most popular and tremendously used mobile operating system in the world with around 2.5 billion monthly active users. It makes it being used in around 87% of the mobile devices being used in the world. While iOS keeping no away from the race had a market share of around 13.% making it the second most popular and highly used mobile operating system in the world which seems to be growing continuously. The latest versions of the iOS platform are gaining popularity and continuously contributing to the growth of iOS. Things to Consider Before Developing an App A number of organizations look forward to going ahead with an application for both the platforms. But before going ahead with the development, organizations have to keep up with the following conditions: The application has to be beta tested. The market may like your application or may not. In case it doesn’t, going for both the platforms at the same time would be a setback for the organization. For the organization in their expansion phase, it’s important to manage their finances and keep them intact without any leakage. The cost of app development upon both the platforms would incur an extra amount to be invested in upon the various aspects of application development. Factors to Consider Before Choosing The Right Platform for App Development Choosing the right one may be a tough choice when you don’t know your market. When you know it, it’s not very difficult to take the right path and succeed. The choice may depend upon the given factors: Target Audience Finding the target customers and segregating the right potential customers from the rest is the first step to choose the right one for your organization. The right platform is the one that has the largest number of the target market for your product or your service to serve and hence lead you to success. Although Android may have a larger share of the market but still may not have the largest share of the target market in comparison to iOS. Although the size of the market matters, the size of the target market still matters more. App Downloads Android has a larger market than iOS and hence has a greater number of downloads than iOS. Android hosts a number of advertisements on its platform and hence, raises more money from them making a huge profit. This may seem to be a fair point in the decision to make choice but is limited to circumstances and areas related to the stream of the application service. Average Revenue The motto of every business is to earn profits after all. A large number of users may not bring in the desirable profits that a small number of users may bring in who have a better wallet size. Therefore, numbers are not the only game to play in the market, there’s a lot more. Android had an 82% increase in its revenue in 2016 but still lags behind iOS in the profits. App Development Cost While going through several factors, development cost plays an important role in the selection of the platform for application development. Organizations need to verify and see if the development cost of the platform is worth the market they’re looking forward to serving. The organizations need to seek revenue and returns and only then go ahead with the development. App Update Both the platforms release new updates at least once in a year. The impact of the updates upon the application users and the application downloads is often neglected but is of high importance. This can highly affect the success of the application and the service you look forward to providing with it. Advantages of Android App Development Android has a wider community base and hence has got wider assistance for the users as well as developers. A number of platforms serve to Android due to its large number of users and hence is easy to design and ready to go templates designed. Android apps are easy to use and release out in the market with good marketing support and broad strategies due to their abundance and highly compatible platforms. Disadvantages of Android App Development All Android devices are highly different and each device is developed with different things in focus. Android applications fail to keep up with the different features and aspects of different devices if are not developed properly keeping the points in focus. Android apps go through a complex process of testing due to the high variations in the devices and versions. This makes the testing process time-taking, recurring, and costly. Advantages of iOS App Development iOS has a higher stratum of users as their market and hence has a larger inflow of the revenue compared to Android. iOS is specially designed for Apple devices only and hence, can leverage the features and mobile prospects efficiently and effectively. Disadvantages of iOS App Development Apple store has strict and intact guidelines for the release of an iOS application at the Apple store. Hence the applications have higher chances of rejection due to a number of issues. iOS applications once developed have a complicated process to be customized and have restrictions. Both platforms have got their own benefits: iOS applications are good in revenue generation. iOS applications are less complicated to develop. Serves

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How to Develop Apps for Foldable Smartphones?

There were 3.2 billion smartphone users in 2019. And according to Lefttronic, an average smartphone user has over 63 interactions with their phone every day. Another report by IAB revealed that almost 60 percent of online searches now came from mobile devices.smartphone users statistics So, what do people use their smartphones for? As per report, over 90 percent of the time of smartphone users is spent on apps. And an average person uses over 30 apps. If we were to say that smartphones and the apps they offer are now a staple of modern life, it wouldn’t be a sweeping statement to make. Now, the industry has moved beyond conventional smartphones. While there was a time when merely having a smartphone with optimum features was enough to satisfy the masses, now consumers want more. Factors to Consider When Developing Apps for Foldable Smartphones A recent innovation within the smartphone industry is the launch of foldable smartphones. For app developers, this poses a very serious question – how does this recent invention within the smartphone sector affect app development? Here are the factors and alterations you must consider when developing an apps for foldable phones. Make it Resizable One distinct feature of foldable smartphones is that their screens are significantly larger than any of the smartphones that we are used to. Additionally, most foldable smartphones are equipped with multi-window mode. As an app developer, you must make sure that the app you develop is compatible with both the size of the screen and the multi-window mode. The easiest way to do so is by using the code “resizeableActivity=true”. What does this code do? Well, it helps the system in assuming that your app supports multi-window and resizable screens. Hence, this code helps an app being compatible with a variety of screens. This includes foldable phones, freeform windows, and desktop screens. Account for the Two States of the Phone Also, make sure to account for the two states of the phone. What is the biggest difference between a conventional phone and a foldable phone? The glaringly obvious difference is that there are two ways you can use some foldable phones- i.e., with folded screens and unfolded screens. This will affect the functionality of the app. You need to consider which features you wish to reflect on which screen. For instance, the unfolded screens of foldable phones give you quite a lot of room to work with. You can use it to provide an additional enriching experience. Here, it is better to allow users to navigate with multiple fingers simultaneously rather than one. It is essential that you create an app that works optimally for both screens. Adjust the Screen Ratios The form factors of foldable smartphones are likely to vary quite a lot, depending on the manufacturer. While some manufacturers are opting for very high, long, and thin screens, there are other phones that might feature bulkier and shorter screens. It is essential that you test your app for various screen ratios. This will ensure that your app is compatible with as many devices as possible. Use maxAspectRatio as well as minAspectRatio to identify the lowest and highest ratios the app can handle. Multi-resume There is nothing more annoying than one app pausing when you open another. And this what multi-window mode help in combatting. Yet, still, when apps run on Android versions lower than 9.0, only the app shown on the screen is resumed after the phone is locked. The good news is that Android 10 and above, this glitch has been taken care of. All apps functional are resumed in the multi-window mode. Apps for foldable smartphones must also be developed, keeping this factor in mind. Add the following manifest meta-data to support this function within your app: Supporting Multiple Screens Simultaneously While currently, foldable phones only require one screen support at a time, there is no guarantee that the future will remain the same. In fact, many think soon; app developers will have to account for multiple screens at the same time. Handling such a change won’t be hard for app developers, even though it might currently seem daunting. This is because the configuration required for multiple screens is quite similar to the projected screens via Chrome OS. Already, Android 10 and above support simultaneous activities on secondary and primary displays. In the secondary display as well, multi-screen and multi-resume functionality will apply. When creating an app for a foldable phone, you will have to decide which of the two-screen you want as your primary screen. Account for the window resize, configuration change, and context update that must occur when an activity moves to a secondary display. You must also specify the same to your users. Ensure Quality Just like there is a wide variety of smartphones today, each company is now coming up with its own type of foldable phone. Again, app developers must make sure that the functionality of their apps remain optimum regardless of the type of foldable it is operated on. It is advised that you take it one step at a time. Begin by figuring out how many devices your app must be supported on. Research on their ratio and resolutions. Then, develop an app keeping it all in mind. The more types of foldable phones that hit the market, the more difficult it is to ensure functionality. Why? This is because no one wants to run that many tests on different devices, right? Well, you can thank your stars and the developers who have created emulators. Recently, following the launch of a foldable Samsung phone, Samsung also released an Emulator for app developers. However, for those of you who wish to ensure that no errors are made, it is best to do it the old-school style and run the app on each type of foldable device available. Users don’t compromise on quality, and neither should you. Cater to Feedback Whenever you enter unchartered territory, mistakes are bound to occur. Considering that foldable

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Everything You Need to Know About Developing a Restaurant Reservation App

We are all part of a mobile generation where products and services of almost every business are now just a click away. F&B is one such domain which is increasingly penetrating into the digital world. Apart from online food ordering, restaurant reservation is another aspect this industry is keenly working on. People can browse through an eatery’s menu, reserve a seat, and pay for their meal all via a mobile app or website. Pre-reservation not just saves them time, but also steers them clear of the hassles in case the tables are already occupied. If you are the restaurant owner, you would know exactly what it is like to manage bookings day in and day out. Handling all those phone calls, manually showing people to their seat, taking orders, and sometimes even managing cancellations is easier said than done. Schedules could get overlapped because to err is human. Demands might surpass supply leaving your chefs all beaten up. This is where you need a restaurant reservation app. The question is how to develop the best one? Types of Restaurant Reservation Systems Before we delve into the details, there are two types of online reservation systems for restaurants: Third party mobile apps built by someone else where restaurant owners can only list their tables. Dedicated mobile apps for your own restaurant where owners can customize the way they want to attract guests directly. Your choice would depend a lot on your budget. If you own an eatery and would not like to invest in building a platform of your own, a third party site or application should be your best bet. On the other hand, if you want to avoid the monthly or yearly expenses of using third-party reservation platforms, building a dedicated restaurant reservation app should be your goal. Why Build a Dedicated Reservation App for your Restaurant? The last thing you would want in your eatery is empty tables. You pay for the manpower, infrastructure, power bills, utilities, and of course, the food you prepare. However, everything boils down to zero when tables are open and sales aren’t rising. By the same token, you also do not want your guests to go home disappointed because they could not find a seat in your restaurant. Where the Internet is easily accessible, a food lover should be able to book a table and order a meal without having to visit the place in person initially. This is where you want to give them the convenience of pre-booking. A dedicated restaurant app is the solution you need. How does a reservation app benefit a restaurant owner? Receive advanced information about the number of guests visiting you and the schedule. Because meals are pre-booked, you can prepare the dishes in advance, thereby reducing wastage of food. Lower instances where you have to refuse service to customers due to non-availability of cuisines. Reduce the chances of empty tables, increase sales, and improve ROI. Gain full control over your resources in a single, centralized platform. Access key information that helps you analyze guest expectations. Do away with manual bookings and save time. Send out direct messages of non-availability so you do not disappoint your customers. Interact with your guests on social media integrated in your app. Attract repeat customers by enabling loyalty programs when they use your app. This can be anything including a special discount or a priority booking. Increase brand awareness of your restaurant via your dedicated reservation app. Personalize customer experience by suggesting meals they are likely to order. How does a reservation app benefit guests in a restaurant? A customer looking for food does not have to call up the restaurant to book a table. He can make a reservation over the app and get a confirmation via email or SMS. No more waiting for tables to get empty or wasting time in deciding which meal to order. Take a look at the menu and services anytime you want. Read reviews prior to visiting the restaurant in person. Important Features of Restaurant Reservation App Whatever you choose, every restaurant reservation app must have a certain set of features – one for the guest and one for the admin. Let us discuss them. Set of features for guests Sign up form for registration via email, phone number or any social media channel Search filters by type of food, seating, time required, location, suggestion, reviews, rating, etc GPS navigation to drive guest to the right location Details about bookings being open or closed Menu with detailed information about ingredients and pricing Seating plan to reserve the table of choice Secure payment gateway to enable prepaid orders Guest profiles to view booking history and easily access recent orders Booking confirmation via email and SMS Room for reviews directly on the platform or via social media Reward programs or point-systems to attract regular guests Push notifications about the latest offers and additions Help section to resolve common issues and answer frequently asked questions Set of features for restaurant owner Seating plan in the form of a chart for easy table management Ability to view bookings and open tables Calendar to schedule bookings, manage waitlists, and display open hours Search filters by number of guests, booking time and table selected Feature to track payment methods and all monetary transactions Messaging to confirm or cancel bookings via email and SMS Feature to combine tables and optimize seating plans Reservation history and guest information to suggest cuisines based on previous orders Customizability of menu, images, pricing, and other crucial details Point of Sale system to streamline the entire workflow 6 Stages of Developing a Restaurant Reservation App You need professional help to develop a restaurant reservation app. The right talent must be hired to build an application that is highly functional. If you are planning a dedicated app for your restaurant business anytime soon, you need to look for professional app development company who would brief you about the following 6 steps before finalizing the project. Conceptualization

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The Ultimate Guide to Create a Video Conferencing App like Zoom

2020 has brought massive uncertainties where people worldwide are being recommended to maintain social distancing from one another. And such uncertain circumstances have forced the global population and businesses to work from home. To make sure to work seamlessly, maximum people have been dependant on video conference calls. And this opens the way for video conferencing apps like Zoom that has an amazing platform for businesses to conduct meetings online. According to a report by Techcrunch, video conferencing apps were downloaded over 62 million times in just one week of March 2020 for both business and personal uses. And it displays the demand and sparks the video chat application industry holds. Hence, if you are a budding business person who is planning to enter the market using his/her own video conferencing app, you are just on the perfect track. Currently, it’s a great idea. So, let’s see how to develop a video chat application like Zoom, why you must develop such an app, and its development cost. Why You Should Develop a Video Chat App like Zoom Here are 3 major reasons why creating a video conferencing app like Zoom is a billion-dollar idea: The Value of Video Conferencing Market Will Be Over $50 Billion by 2026 Your object of creating a video chat application like Zoom must be earning money from it. And this is possible only if you invest in a flourishing and healthy market. And the good news is that the video conferencing market is competent in helping your application development. As per Global Market Insights, video chat apps’ market value will exceed $50 billion by 2026. With the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis and cancellation of many social events, the popularity of video chat apps is increasing in all industries. This will drive the video conferencing market popularity in the long run. There Is Sufficient Scope to Develop and Flourish in This Market Not only businesses use video chat apps. A study shows that only the education industry holds over 10% of video conferencing market shares. Since education institutions are closing day by day or providing limited entries, there are more scopes for these players to enter the industry and develop. Video Chat Applications Are Becoming Highly Popular after the Pandemic During the lockdown period, people are taking assistance from technology for handling procedures, working, and staying connected with their loved ones. This is why, according to a report by Statista, global downloads of video conferencing apps like Zoom increased by over 100% in March 2020. It showcases the increased popularity of video chat applications and why you should invest in this industry. So, this is why investing in a video chat application like Zoom is just a killer idea. To succeed in this market, you should know how to create such an app. Let’s look into this! How to Develop a Video Conferencing App like Zoom Building a video chat app like Zoom successfully needs time, powerful study, persistence, and smart planning. Let’s explore the steps you should follow for developing a video chat application like Zoom! A Rock-Solid Idea & Market Study While remodeling an idea of a video chat app, you must conduct a complete market analysis. Explore the plans of your possible competitors and your idea’s possibility in the market. Ensure to include some special components in your app to make it different. Depending on your unique concept, you can find your target audience as per which you can make the app design. Alluring Video Chat App Designs After having a clear idea, you must set an amazing UI/UX design for your users. To develop your app for millennials, ensure to make attractive designs, and utilize a bright color scheme. Also, if you want to allure businesses through this app, use soothing colors and make it subtle. Nevertheless, if you want to make it for a group of people, your designs must be simple and intuitive like Zoom. Back-end Development This is the backbone of the app development process. The database, web server, and app server come under an app’s backend development, which set the basics of the backend depending on which you can include different functionalities in your application. Scalability is necessitous as you would need numerous users to stay in your app simultaneously. Technology Stack To introduce a single platform app, you can get many choices to select from like Kotlin and Java for Android app development whereas Objective-C and Swift for iOS app development. However, if you want to introduce a cross-platform application, you may select between Flutter and React Native. You may get help from an efficient app development company if you can’t choose this. Testing your App Testing is a crucial procedure in the video chat app development. Before releasing your video conferencing app, you should concentrate on testing it for eliminating the scopes of any error and bug in it. Must-Have Features to Build a Video Chat App like Zoom Now, let’s check out the must-have features to add when developing a video conferencing app! User Profile Management Users become an exceptional entity in your app’s ecosystem after registering in the app. You can recognize them with their profile using all appropriate data incorporating user names and display pictures. Follow the key principles while creating a user profile: streamline it structurally, allowing keeping some data private, and do not overload the screen with extra information. Allow users to edit their profiles easily and hassle-freely. App Onboarding Ensure to make a simple app onboarding process to attract your users. For this, you should give them both choices of registering in your app manually or using social media. Moreover, the user authorization procedure must be secure and easy so users can utilize it with no worry regarding their accounts’ safety. Video and Voice Calls To set up voice and video calling features in your app, you will need a Publisher-Subscriber pattern that you can derive via a technology known as WebRTC. Ensure that all users can

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app development

Apple’s Widget Kit update lets developers build for the Lock Screen and Watch with the same code

At a developer briefing following Apple’s keynote address at its Worldwide Developer Conference this afternoon, the company went into more detail about the different types of widgets developers can now build for the iOS 16 Lock Screen. Inspired by the Apple Watch’s complications, Apple said these new widgets can help developers leverage key information from their app and display it where people can view it at a glance. Notably, all these Lock Screen widgets will work on both iOS and watchOS because, starting with watchOS 9, complications will also be powered by WidgetKit. That means, for the first time, developers will be able to use the same code to generate glanceable information on both platforms, where the differences between platforms are handled automatically, Apple noted. That is, the widgets will be created using the appropriate system fonts by default, and the Lock Screen widgets will be tinted for maximum legibility. At launch, developers will be able to choose from three different widget designs: circular, rectangular and inline. The circular widgets are ideal for displaying a small image, page or a few characters of text. These widgets would be great for doing something like letting the user know with a glance how active they’ve been today or if it’s time to go for a run, similar to Apple’s activity rings. Another widget design, rectangular, provides a larger canvas. This could be better for displaying something like an upcoming weather forecast, Apple explained. The inline widget, meanwhile, provides a way to convey information with a tiny amount of text and SF Symbols — Apple’s library of iconography that today includes over 4,000 different symbols. These inline widgets would display above the Lock Screen’s clock and next to a system-supplied date string, such as “Mon 6” (for “Monday the 6th). In an example published alongside an upcoming WWDC 2022 session, Apple showed how this widget could provide the weather above the clock. Here, the date is followed by a sun symbol for the weather, as well as the current city. All the widgets will be designed by developers using WidgetKit, which is the toolkit that’s already being used to build home screen widgets for iOS, iPadOS and macOS. With the WidgetKit update rolling out later this year, developers will also be able to build these new widgets as well as complications in watchOS. This could greatly expand the capabilities of home screen personalization apps like Brass, Widgetsmith and others, which could provide a set of matching widgets for the Home Screen, Lock Screen and Watch, allowing users to customize all their devices in the same way. Another new feature will give widgets the power to show real-time information. Developers will be able to create Live Activities, which are built with Swift UI, in order to provide the most current information to the Lock Screen. Like widgets, these Live Activities are also built with Widget Kit. The difference between a standard widget and a Live Activity is that developers will update the latter’s presentation and state in real time so the most up-to-date is shown when the user looks at the widget. In reality, Live Activities are basically just real-time widgets of sorts, but Apple has given it a different name. The updates to Widget Kit will roll out with iOS 16 later this year. Blog Source- https://techcrunch.com/2022/06/06/apples-widgetkit-update-lets-developers-build-for-the-lock-screen-and-watch-with-the-same-code/

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