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App Development: The Buzzword Among Startups

Consumer apps are in high demand, and business-oriented apps aren’t far behind with more and more businesses opting to take advantage of mobility. In the modern ecosystem, the advantages brought by mobile devices have transitioned from being luxuries to outright essentials—people demand products that work on the go, and startups are scrambling to enable these behaviors in new ways. The trends of innovation continue to churn out new ideas, iterate on old ones, and improve our experiences. 

Mobile is the modern startup battleground.

Every year we read about huge startup success stories. A simple visit to the iTunes App Store front page reveals plenty of apps which have become modern household names thanks to mobile success: Instagram, Snapchat, Fruit Ninja, RunKeeper, etc. We read about enormous valuations for companies like Uber or Snapchat, billion-dollar acquisitions for apps like Instagram, Waze, or WhatsApp. 

Mobile is valuable, because mobile is in demand. The average consumer in America downloads 42 apps according to research by Nielson. Though many of the apps are only used sporadically, having that presence on a consumer device is extremely valuable. One common theme you see in mobile app development headlines is that users are the primary link to success. Occasionally you’ll see something like Waze be acquired primarily for the technology, but it is far more common to see examples like SnapChat and WhatsApp, where the value lies in its popularity. As startups fight for growth, user acquisition is the primary focal point for mobile apps. 

Racing Ahead of the Competition

Early mover advantage in mobile apps has always been a big deal. As new devices come out there is always an opportunity to beat the competition to market and establish your company as a leader. We’ve seen this happen Many over and over again, with the earliest iPhones, iPads, Android and Windows phones, and as new devices introduce technologies like NFC, TouchID, heart rate sensors, etc. 

We’re seeing that trend continue during these last few weeks leading up to the Apple Watch release, as app developers prepare their ideas for the new watch platform. And while startups and developers see a lot of incentive to nab those new users when the watch releases, Apple is equally invested in the growth of Apple Watch app development, since apps are a primary driver on consumer devices. The Apple Watch is set to release on April 24, and as time ticks down to that date, Apple’s support of app development intensifies. 

Leading in iPhone app development and Android app development is what Software Developers India focuses on, developing and launching apps for startups, entrepreneurs, SMB and Enterprise. Our team has been the backbone of many multi-million dollar dollar businesses and helped market solutions to worldwide. 

For years Software Developers India has worked with entrepreneurs to provide cutting edge app development for startups in Silicon Valley. As these trends evolve design standards rise and fall and technologies are added into the equation, driving more and more variety.

Develop a Money-Making App Exit Plan

One of the most (if not the most) essential ingredient to a successful app startup is dedication. Not unlike Rome, most successful apps are not built in a day! While we can make a killer app that has all the hallmarks of success, it takes time and dedication to gain traction.  

For this reason, running and maintaining an app business is not a simple task and not recommended for the faint hearted. But what if you didn’t need to so much as maintain an app business as simply get it going?  What if you didn’t even need to be making money to be bought out by an enormous global corporation like WalMart? Sounds like a scam right? Believe it or not, this is a legitimate business plan these days!   In the last few months, our market analysts have seen one big startup after another accept big buyouts. Take the most recent buyout of Jet.Com, a recent darling of the eCommerce industry by brick and mortar legend, Walmart.   Jet.com is a upstart(up) company that has been determined to take down the eCommerce Goliath Amazon.com. To continue our analogy, this metaphorical David has spent the last two years building a userbase, developing its technology, and growing pretty rapidly.   But in that same amount of time, it has not made a single dime. Nor was it expected to for some years to come. So why in the name of Alan Greenspan did WalMart drop 3.3 billion dollars to gobble up this company?  

If you’re having a difficult time coming to grasp how this was actually a sound decision for WalMart (and it really was) it’s probably because you’re judging the industry by old, pre-digital strategies. Strategies where turning a profit was the biggest consideration in an acquisition.   Compare it to the consolidation of the Agricultural and Meat industries in the mid 20st century: companies like Tyson began buying up farms and ranches as well as meat packing factories. They were buying infrastructure, not necessarily a profitable company.   This is what WalMart’s approach is emulating (to a degree). This is also what makes the app and web business so profitable. A company like WalMart doesn’t feel threatened by Jet.com. They’re probably never going to be threatened by your app (though that doesn’t mean there isn’t a niche you can carve out).   But there is a company who concerns Walmart considerably: Our aforementioned Goliath. If the future of capitalism and consumption is Mobile First, then Amazon is ahead of the competition. WalMart may well be a giant of Brick-and-Mortar Retail, but the future is knocking.   So how does Jet.com factor into this? Wouldn’t it still be cheaper to build their own eCommerce platform? Because that’s basically what WalMart did: they bought a platform for their own services as opposed to buying company.  

But you also gotta think about the ancillary benefits of purchasing a pre-built eCommerce website or mCommerce app:

  ♦  While Jet.Com may not have survived how much money they were hemorraging, WalMart can easily afford it – and they’re buying an extremely popular tool.  

♦  Along with the website, they get an established, loyal userbase;  

♦  And we should mention that WalMart also gets the guy steering the ship – Jet.com Founder, Marc Lore.  

Not to mention the algorithms, development and design team, and all the other elements that went into Jet.com. For Walmart, this was as much as preparation for the future of retail as anything else.   App Exit Pros   So what does this have to do with you, the entrepreneur sitting at home wondering if an app is the right venture? It means that you can develop your own app, for a limited financial investment (our prices start as low as $2000!) and get a huge return on your money in 2 years or less.   Think about it: Jet.com Founder Marc Lore made roughly a cool billion in stocks and outright cash off this deal. And got a job. All because less than 24 months ago he launched a simple eCommerce website.   At SDI, we study the advantages and disadvantages of various app exit plans everyday. We know that one of the primary reasons that giants like Walmart are willing to drop over 3 billion on a non-profitable company is that it’s less risky.   Yep, you read that right! Think about it from WalMart’s perspective: they’re trying to find the magic arrow that will stop the eCommerce juggernaut that is Amazon.com.

They could spend the time and money to build the platform and shift users to it – but what if it’s not good?   News spreads fast in the digital era. If Walmart’s first huge foray against Amazon is a flop, it will be exponentially harder to convince users to get onboard with any later attempts. Even if it’s a success, there’s no guarantee it would be a rival to Amazon.   On the other hand, Walmart can bide its time, watching for the a unicorn (hows that for mixing entrepreneurial and mythological references?) – a company that’s got it all: the tech, the users, and, of course, the innovation.   With this acquisition, Walmart gains a platform they know is excellently built, that has a large and loyal userbase (that’s still growing!), and that has some real potential to threaten Amazon. All in all, not a bad deal for 3.3 bil!   So what we’re saying is that the old guard of American businesses feel it prudent to purchase so called tech disrupters than it is to try and do it themselves. This is excellent news to the average entrepreneur; after all, it creates opportunity!

Top 5 Ways to Get Users Addicted to Your Mobile App

How to Create an App that Rocks the App Store

I sell things. It’s what I do. But to do that, I need to know how to market what I’m selling. The secret about salespeople is that if you dig hard enough, you will find a marketer. So when it comes to app development, I don’t care about coding or even design – as long as it’s the usual awesome work my team does.

What I do care about is getting apps the downloads I know they deserve. Yes, a well designed and developed app will naturally be more attractive to users. And yes, that naturally leads to higher net visibility. Digital marketing is a process that starts with the idea – but it kicks into high gear once the app is launched.

We aren’t talking about Search Engine Optimization. Or Social Media Marketing – both are really important parts in the app marketing process and you should definitely study up (see some of our past work here). But today, I’m going to focus on something we haven’t talked about in awhile: App Store Optimization.

Let’s cover the basics: what is App Store Optimization (ASO)?

ASO – An Essential App Marketing Step

63% of apps are discovered through an App Store – whether it’s Windows, iOS, or Android. ASO is about improving your app’s visibility – i.e. getting you into that 63%. Like SEO, ASO relies heavily on proper Keywords; unlike SEO, ASO doesn’t require robot.txt files and only minimal work with meta descriptions.

ASO starts with content. To create an app that gets ranked in the app store, you need to know your target market: what they’re interested in, what is attractive to them, and, most importantly, how do they search for things? What phrases or words are being used?

Knowing these keywords is important. We seed a handful of them throughout the app; the more appropriate keywords you have, the more search engine and app store visibility you will have – at least to a point.

As the name implies, it’s about optimization. Finding the right balance (i.e. proper keyword to content ratio) is important: Google, Yahoo, and Bing all penalize for what is called “keyword stuffing” – as do the major app stores. Again, it’s about balance.

So you not only need to find a good amount of keywords, but you also need to make sure they are the right keywords. You don’t just pick any ol’ keyword. Not only will you (once more) be penalized, but you won’t attract the right audience.

And then you have to make sure you’re using “long-tailed keywords.” These are strings of keywords or commonly searched questions like “how to get my app in the app store.” These are more effective than just keywords because they’re contextually based – you know that person is interested in apps ranking in the app store.

Your most heavily searched and appropriate Keyword phrase has a special place: the title of your app. Kissmetrics, a popular digital marketing analysis firm, found that apps with Keywords in the title were placed over 10% higher in the app store than those without.

And the last wonderful aspect to keywords? There’s no right answer to the correct amount of keywords or longtail keywords to content. It’s something you have to figure out by iterative testing. Tools like MixPanel and Google Analytics tell marketers what works and what doesn’t – in real time.

Beyond Keywords

Obviously, ASO involves more than keywords. I see ASO as being built on three main pillars, and keywords is only of them. The other two? Downloads and Reviews.

• Downloads

1. Wait, you need to get downloads to get a higher rank so I can get downloads? Unfortunately, yea, you do. This is a little hard to determine exact numbers (especially on The App Store, where we can’t see the number of downloads), but research seems to indicate that the algorithms both Google and Apple use seem to rank apps with more downloads more favorably.

• Reviews

1. One of the best ways to get your app in to the app store top ranks is to have good reviews. Unfortunately, most people only think to review when something goes wrong, so your app has to remind them. Simple push notifications driving people to the app review page are easy enough to do and have proven to be pretty effective.

Apple and WWDC16

WWDC16 is Apple’s annual conference for iOS developers. They routinely announce all the cool new things that iOS has. But, as I said earlier, I’m not a developer, so why do I care?

Well, first and foremost, I do work at a App development company, so it helps to know how Apple’s new features will change the dev world. Secondly, let’s be honest, Apple makes some cool stuff. It’s fun just to see the new toys they’ve created! And finally, there’s often little tidbits that don’t seem to impact development too much, but mean a lot for marketers.

So what was it this year? Yup, that’s right – changes to the App Store. Technically, the changes weren’t even part of WWDC – it was announced right beforehand. Either way, the news didn’t make too many headlines, but it definitely caught the attention of my marketing team.

• Apps with a subscription are probably the best approach to sustainable revenue generation. Previously, Apple took a generous share of those profits – 30% in fact. As of yesterday, they’ve halved their cut to 15%. That’s right app entrepreneurs: you now get to keep 85% of the profits your subscription makes on the App Store.

• They’ve reduced the time it takes for apps to be reviewed. This is a huge sticking point between my dev team and the App Store. The review process is supposed be short – a few days at most. In reality, prior to the changes it could take weeks. Even a few days is a long time – and the new rules acknowledge that. Apple now intends to have most (90%) apps completely through the review process within 2 days. This isn’t really a marketing thing, but still important.

• Apple will now have sponsored ads to be displayed during searches. This is good news for those with the money to pay for an ad, but could make it harder for Startups and entrepreneurs. All the more reason to save money where you can!

• The last new App Store feature we’ll talk about is the new 3D Touch feature that allows you to share any app with anyone in your contacts – with only a few taps. This is huge and will greatly increase an app’s ability for potential downloads. Remember, the easier something is for users, the more likely the are to do it!

Putting It All Together: App Wireframing and Prototyping

Wireframing and prototyping are exceptionally useful and underused tools in the tech world. Website and app wireframes are useful to determine the layout and overall look and feel of each screen or page. Prototyping is an effective tool for validation and as a way to test your development company.

But, as a development and prototype design company, one of the best areas we’ve seen for prototyping is turning it into a demo. This demo can be then used to really wow potential Angel Investors and Venture Capitalists. The more impressed those guys are, the more likely are to throw some funding your way!

So why don’t we cover Wireframing, Prototyping, and Demos and how they can help entrepreneurs looking to grow their business. More than that – we’re going to flip this on its head and talk about how the clever entrepreneur can make some extra cash off wireframing and prototyping. Contact us today and get talking to expert developers in Silicon Valley.

Wireframing

Wireframing is probably the most well recognized of these three app and website design steps. It is basically a low-tech prototype…extremely low tech. Wireframing is basically a sketch of each page or screen in an app or website. It can be done on something like a poster board, or even just draw it on a whiteboard.

We can also make some digital wireframes too. Digital wireframes are great because they’re easily changeable and are more realistic off the end product. The whole purpose of a wireframe is to outline how each screen of your app will look – where you begin to create layouts and decide on your app’s design.

A wireframe that’s easily changeable means you can test out more wireframes – and even do side-by-side comparisons. Thus, a wireframe website is a useful tool. Of course, a wireframe website or app will need to incorporate storyboarding.

A storyboard is basically where you take a step back from your wireframes. Our wireframe design team uses storyboarding to look at how an app or website will look as a whole. This is how you determine if the flow or your app is logical and clean; basically, you’re examining the overall structural design.

Prototyping

Prototyping is where you can get to validating your idea. It’s basically a proof-of-concept:

•  Does your idea work as expected?

•  Do the main features contribute to the overall purpose of the app or website?

•  Does the flow of the website worked as planned during storyboarding?

•  Are the issues (and yes there will be issues – make sure you’re ready for any hurdles that may arise) coming up insurmountable?

•  Is it solving the problem you need it to solve? If not, is it solving another problem that you can pivot towards?

A prototype is an essential step in the app development process. Beyond all of the above questions it helps to answer, it allows you to do some preliminary testing. If you build a prototype website, you can allow access to a limited number of people in your target market.

We’ve found that early testing is a brilliant way to make sure that your idea actually helps your target market. More often than not, we’ve seen other development companies build a website for their clients that looks great. But it was only verified by designers – and not by the people who designed it.

An important thing to remember in app and web development (or any enterprise, really) is that you are trying to sell it to yourself, or to developers. You’re trying to sell it to your target market – if you want your app to grow, getting early testing is invaluable; plus if you test it with early adopters, you create a buzz!

Demos

While a prototype can be used as a demo, we don’t necessarily suggest it. You’re going to want to clean it up a little if you want to impress potential investors. These are savvy guys who watch presentations from hundreds of entrepreneurs. Go big or go home.

Demos are basically an MVP (Minimal Viable Product) and have several distinct advantages:

1.  It shows that your idea is feasible;

2.  It allows investors to see if your idea functions like it’s supposed to;

3.  It’s proof that you have the talent to do the work;

4.  When you build a demo, it shows your willingness to invest money in your own idea. Don’t worry – we build prototypes for a low price starting at $2,000.

5.  Most importantly, it shows you have the dedication to perform the work;

Other Benefits

First and foremost, having a tech company create a prototype is an excellent way to vet a potential development partner. It’s a way to see their coding ability, the way they think about design, and to see if they can deliver what they say – and on time. We love the chance to test our skills against other development companies – just send us an email!

But here’s the real test: as we keep saying, these are essential steps in the development process. Steps that every entrepreneur should undertake….which sounds like a problem to me. Where there’s a problem, there’s a solution – and we’ve got the solution you need.

If this is an essential step, then why not provide a tool to make it easier? We develop app and website wireframes and prototypes constantly; we can easily make a website that does the same for any app or website. We can even create a wireframing app! This is a marketable solution that can be sold to other entrepreneurs!

How to Make Money with an Emoji App

As an app development company, we obviously care a lot about the hottest app trends out there. We’ve written about everything from apps like Pokemon Go to monetization strategies for apps of all kinds.

This post will cover yet another area where you, as an app entrepreneur, can make some money. Today, we’re going to be talking about how to make a good emoji app for Android and iOS – yep, those symbols that are quickly becoming a lingua franca of the teen and 20 somethings out there.

Emojis are growing with rapidity that is a bit off putting – if you’re anywhere near my age, you’re barely able to text someone. The idea of learning another language – and this one pictographic – is unsettling at best!

But part of being a good entrepreneur (one who has run his own tech business for going on 2 decades) is recognizing a good market opportunity when one is staring you in the face. The cold truth of the matter is that the Emoji craze will only grow more intense. Which, as any savvy business person can tell you is damn good news.

An Emoji App is especially useful to the serial entrepreneur. The ones who want to invest some cash, make a great product, and get out! This requires a great app exit plan (we can help there too!) but for the entrepreneur who doesn’t like to be tied down, an emoji app is a great option.

The best Emoji apps are representative of a type of app; apps that are extremely popular, but only for a brief time. This doesn’t mean that there isn’t money to be made or that you should avoid them. In fact, these apps are great for a quick ROI. Even better, with the proper monetization strategy, you can make a good ROI.

It also means that you need a good exit plan. Basically, an app exit plan is something you put place before you even launch your product. Your goal? To build the app quickly, get users, and then sell it! Believe it or not, this is an actual, viable monetization strategy!

Large companies love to buy up startups to take advantage of their ingenuity and popularity. Just look at Walmart’s recent multibillion dollar acquisition, Jet.com. This company started just about 2 years ago – and the CEO just became a billionaire overnight!

These types of apps are easy to build – which means inexpensive and time-efficient. If you’re anything like me, low costs, quick turnarounds and a large market all are music to your ears! So let’s take a look at how to make money making popular app

Market Research

As with any enterprise venture, the key to success is research, research and more research. Market research tells you about the competition, which is important. Knowing how the competition works let’s you develop a hook – something different than everything else out there.

A hook can be any number of things. It can be a unique feature like emojis that are focusing on a single thing, like Pokemon Emojis. This requires several levels of research:

1. First, you need to see what’s popular right now and figure out how to capitalize upon it. This is why something like an emoji app works especially well here. With as easy as it is to build an Emoji app, you can easily capitalize on trends. And it’s easy to update, so you can keep taking advantage of popular trends.

2. It can be something unique that your app offers that another doesn’t.

3. Finally, you could do something exactly like the competition – but better. This may be the hardest of the 3 because even with the awesome coding our developers do you’re still working against the popularity of another app. But if you can pull it off, it also has the biggest payoff.

But market research is about more than studying what the competition is doing wrong (or right). You also need to study your target population – what do they like? What do your potential consumers want in an app? Spend time (and a lot of it) figuring out your market.

Monetization

Now we get to the meat of the matter: how do you make money with an emoji app? Anyone familiar with an app is also familiar with the fact that most are free. So how in the world do you make money off a free app?

Well you can’t charge to download or even signup for this type of app. No matter how small your download fee, people will choose a different option. This isn’t to say you can’t charge for apps. But in order to do so you need to build an app that is needed which requires more time, investment, and dedication.

Emoji and other trendy apps are not something that people will pay for. But believe it or not, the app economy isn’t about sales. It’s about downloads and active users. Lets go back to our example of Jet.Com: the company wasn’t profitable and wasn’t expecting to make any money for a few years. But it has a ridiculously high number of active users – which companies who buy startups love.

However, you can still make money with a trendy app before selling it to a larger corporation. Ad modules put a decent chunk of change in your pocket, enough to keep the lights on and even make some money back (though nothing to write home mom about).

But for this type of product, you want to be pushing in-app purchases. For an emoji app, your best bet would be to push new keyboards with new emojis or even more material goods (nothing saying you can’t offer custom tees with your emojis on it – for a small fee, naturally).

A mobile app for every customer need

Have you ever wondered why is there a mobile app for every little action that we could have performed manually or we used to perform manually in previous times? Technology has taken up the world so fast that saying previous times makes us feel little old, huh? From ordering grocery, to purchase tickets, apparels, booking a cab to reach a gathering/workplace; every little task is being performed through mobile apps.

Besides getting our daily routine based tasks done, approximately 60% of people use smartphones or may be more than that. Seeing all businesses coming up with a dedicated mobile app is not surprising anymore. With increasing number of smartphone users, people are going towards more ease in their day to day activities. That is why now we have apps for ordering food, for ordering a cab, for ordering grocery, for ordering apparels, accessories and shoes. The mobile app development company SI Global Solutions has shared with us the benefits of having a dedicated mobile app for every action or for every business.

Benefits of a dedicated mobile app

Mobile apps offer flexible engagement opportunities. A specific app allows you to reach your target and basic customers easily and directly. If it’s a specific product app, an organization can directly send updates, what’s new, new developments, offered services to the targeted customers,etc. You can have all the information, in fact comprehensive information, about the users through the backend of your mobile app and gives you a clear picture about where are your users from, which feature of your app is the most used and which feature of your app is the least used. Such analysis becomes the base of further developments of the product and actions/additions in the mobile app are taken accordingly.

Applications are constant reminders of your business existence. It increases your brand visibility tremendously and has more importance than just having your presence by a phone number. Since your business is in front of them all the time, it helps in building loyalty within the customers.

Mobile apps have made communication easy and cost effective. Now people do not have to necessarily spend a penny on regular SMS messages and paper newsletter. Communication is simplified and more secure than before. So we can surely say, apps reduces cost.

Considerations before developing a mobile app

Many businesses have the perfect idea of a mobile app but not every app is developed or gets successful. As there are some necessary ingredients for preparing a meal, in the same way there are some necessary ingredients for developing a mobile app that SI Global Solutions company wants to share with us after their vast expertise in mobile app development and design.

• Research: before developing a product, one should brainstorm and get enough input about the idea that would be beneficial for the customer or not. Are people going to use it or not?
  Research is the answer to this question. The more you research, the more you are aware of the existing possibilities, facts, risks, challenges, etc. To understand your customer needs, polling or survey can be a way. This will surely help a company to come to a fruitful conclusion.
• Purpose of the app: either if it’s an app or any other project, the purpose is necessary to be defined well. How can we expect ourselves to come up with an end product to be successful if we do not clearly know its purpose? One needs to think from a customer point of view to get better results.
• Time and resources: software projects not only ask for financial investment but also for time and resource investment. Just like anything that is technology based, apps have to be up to date, maintained and relevant to offer best services to the customers and ensure improvement.
• Business requirements: every decision you make should stand fully on your business needs and requirements. Something that functionally needs a desktop based system, having an app for the same system is worth for creating ease for users and also because of the performance benefits that we have been discussing.

How lean startup formula can be applied to mobile app development

In the rapidly changing business world, you can never be sure how tomorrow is going to change. Especially, this is the case with new ventures that are into mobile app development. You might already know that many startups are using lean startup formula which comprises of a validated learning along with short development cycle.

The startups get oriented in the simplest possible product to release into the market and see if it has demand or not. If the product has great demand, the product is released into the market with new features. If it doesn’t get enough support, it is redesigned as per the feedback and released into the market.

As one of India’s top mobile app development company, Promatics Technologies creates mobile apps for startups taking maximum advantage from lean startup formula. It is not only a great opportunity for startups to achieve success, but is great for us developers to optimize the app development process. Let’s see in detail how it looks like and how it can be applied into mobile application development.

What is lean development methodology?

If we talk about lean development methodology, there are some principles of developing mobile apps. The lean startup method for mobile app development is used for building and launching new applications quickly at the lowest possible cost. Lowest cost doesn’t mean that we develop cheap apps, but develop mobile apps in a cost-effective way.

This methodology is built around a strong emphasis on risk mitigation and performance optimization. The main objective of this methodology is to market the app quickly. Test the app and find what’s wrong with it. Most mobile app development companies launch large convoluted systems into the market with a little guarantee of success. They throw the best concept on the table. Later, they strip the border lining of the irrelevant features and keep the rest.

The requirement is then sent to mobile app development companies. When the mobile app development process is completed and the app hits the app stores, huge marketing budget is deployed and downloading starts flowing in.

When the downloading figures start to drop, everyone is confused about what went wrong. The reason is that even though people liked the app, it was hard to use. As the concept was never validated and no thought was put into risk management, the odds were not in your favor.

How to apply lean startup formula?

The lean startup formula has been into light in the recent years. The main objective of this methodology is to incorporate customer validation as soon as possible. The Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is used to describe the first product that is released to test the market.

This methodology was originally developed by Eric Ries while working on the web products. The websites can easily be shielded from unauthorized users. One can instantly deploy new versions and there are plenty of testing tools available. The same is applicable to mobile app development. However, there are a few characteristics of mobile apps that make it difficult to apply lean startup methodology.

It is hard to distribute Beta versions in iOS. However, it is easier to create a special version and distribute it for Android. Lean startup methodology makes it difficult to do secret publication and the app developers are not allowed to incorporate a separate login for limited number of users. In this methodology, quick iterations are hard as it takes 1-2 weeks to review iOS apps. Fortunately, it takes only 30 minutes to review Android apps.

So, if you want to bring the best out of lean startup methodology, you should follow a few guidelines:

• First, develop the mockup and test them by giving it to users. Get feedback from the users and work accordingly.
• Create non-native prototypes, as they are easier to build than native ones. The product might work in a reasonable way and will be better at getting feedback from the users.
• Focus more on the new features of the app and work on them to add some initial value. This will be good to engage users and keep them using the app.
• Initially, it is advised to develop only on one platform. Build it on other platforms, once it is good enough to build for other platforms.
• Use appropriate tools for A/B testing, as it will reduce the time and effort. You can enable faster experimenting with A/B testing. You can get answers to many questions by data driven testing of strings and colors.

With a few guidelines to follow, lean startup methodology can be applied easily to mobile app development. Using lean startup is important if you want to build a product that offers lot of value to the customers.

Wrap it!

The bottom line is that lean startup methodology is an ideal method for startups to maximize customer value. This methodology takes the idea of developing an MVP and going through the process of validated learning. The main idea is to figure out what customers want and how to build a product they actually want. This methodology has grown in popularity due to its principles that help in boosting the efficiency of the end product.

The key benefits of lean startup formula are: faster time to market, build better products based on customer expectations, less wastage of time, less financial risk and lower cost. It’s like developing a product with the purpose of releasing it for testing. MVP is deployed for testing among early adopters whose feedback will be collected for improving the product. The challenges of developing an MVP are a bit difficult for mobile as there is a higher bar for mobile apps. They have to be more refined with fewer or no bugs. The early adopters and beta testers are the key for customer discovery.

Outsourcing, in-house or freelancing for mobile app development?

Most of the times when companies plan to develop a mobile application they end up asking the following three questions:

• Should we go for in-house resources?
• Hire an external mobile app development firm i.e. outsourcing partner?
• Hire a freelancer (mostly applicable for micro and small businesses)?

On the paper, it might come across as simple questions. But in reality, it is not an easy-to- do task. The mobile app development company Indus Net Technologies will try to help all clients that have been (and will be) in this situation.

Building a mobile app is no cake walk. It largely depends on your business objectives, budget and deadline. And if you don’t hand-pick your options rightly, then it can have a boomerang effect on your business once the mobile app is developed.

So, let’s not try to find answers in a jiffy but rather look for both Pros and Cons of the three above mentioned options. Obviously, the decision and choice will ultimately be the client’s.

Since we are talking about mobile app development, let’s take a quick look first at some figures from the world of mobile apps before we set out to find answers:

• The number of mobile users is likely to reach to 5.07 bn by 2019.
• According to the latest data from Yahoo’s Flurry analytics, 90% of consumer’s mobile time is spent in apps.
• According to an Extract report, in 2016, the global number of application development firms stands at 8.7 million, out of which Asia has 7,600,000.

The figures distinctly show how the mobile app development market is evolving. And with this ever-increasing number of mobile phone users, today, almost every company (read: from massive Fortune 100 entities to startups) have jumped onto this bandwagon of developing mobile apps. So, you are in the thick of competition and need to make the right moves to stay ahead. Hence, choose your mobile app developer carefully and wisely.

In-house resources

On the onset, it might seem that hiring an internal team is easy as all the work can be done under one roof. Supporters of this concept believe that information remains within the company and there is more clarity among the workforce. But it doesn’t mean there aren’t any disadvantages.

Remember what Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff had said: “Every disadvantage has its advantage”.

Advantages of utilizing in-house resources for mobile app development

• Can keep a close tab on all the proceedings of the app development. In short: complete control over the project.
• Since everything is happening inside the house, the company can decide and choose the kind and size of workforce they need for a particular project.
• You can innovate, customize and modify the app whenever you want to.
• If you have time constraints, you can utilize more manpower (the decision is yours).
• It’s within the company, so the employees will have no ideological clashes among the workforce. Also, there will be more transparency in the process.
• Need not worry about who owns the source code.
• You can pick and choose the technology that best suits your business objectives.
• If you have less workload and strong financial position, more manpower and funds can be allocated.

Disadvantages

• It might be costly to build an infrastructure, maintain a team and also invest in equipment and software.
• Buying mobile app testing devices for multiple platforms can be expensive.
• You need someone to supervise the project, designers, developers and testers. So, you need to designate the right kind of people to develop the app. In case you have a lean team and someone falls sick or moves out of the project, it can result in a “boomerang effect”.
• The mobile technology is constantly changing and one needs to keep abreast of these changes and evolving platforms. Lack of experience and expertise in the internal team might be a concern.
• Developing an app is not a one-time job. It’s a continuous process and requires testing and updating from time-to-time. If the internal resources are busy with other projects, then it might pose a hindrance in this case.
• It might be a costly affair if you want to get important licenses, certificates for tools, software and codes.

Outsource resources

Teaming up with an outsourcing firm to develop your mobile app is always an option if you want quality work done and also want to save time and money. However, study the Pros and Cons of outsourcing below before taking the final plunge.

Advantages of hiring an outsourcing firm for mobile app development

• You can go for the best and experienced outsourcing mobile app development firm (if your budget permits). In brief, you have the power and freedom to choose the best skill set available in the market and that too according to your needs and budget.
• Reputable mobile app development companies offer end-to-end services (from ideation to technical support).
• Low cost of operation and labour and reduction in overhead costs.
• You can get quality work done without worrying about long-term commitment.
• Team of experts with deep industry knowledge and experience can help you come up with more innovative, ground-breaking and latest trends in mobile app development.
• The firm designates a team of developers, testers, designers and project managers for your project only.
• You need not invest in technology and infrastructure. The outsourcing mobile app development companies have it all. This saves both time and money.
• Finally, it lets you focus on your core business.

Disadvantages of hiring an outsourcing firm for mobile app development

• There might be some occasions when the outsourcing company might not give 100% time and attention to your project if they are dealing with a new, profitable project. This may cause delay in the delivery of the end product.
• Problems might arise if the outsourcing firm and your company work and live in different time zones.
• There might be legal issues regarding the ownership of the final product if the outsourcing terms and conditions are not clearly defined before sealing the deal.
• An outsourced employee might not have the same passion and understanding of the core values of the organization as an in-house employee.

Freelancing

If you are tight on budget, working on a small project and have a flexible deadline, then you can go for a freelancer to develop the mobile app. Freelancers are self-employed and provide professional services. Now, freelancers can be easily approached. But it can be a risky proposition too.

Advantages of hiring a freelance to develop a mobile app

• The most important advantage when it comes to freelancing is low cost. Since they are the only people working on a project, the budget is limited.
• Less legal hassle when it comes to agreements.
• They are easily available and will work according to your preference.

Disadvantages

• They are the only resource, hence, there can be delays in the delivery of the final product.
• If they are working on a complex mobile application project and get stuck during the development process, they cannot discuss it with a team. So, lack of limited domain knowledge, experience and assistance might result in low quality of the product.
• What if the freelancers ape your idea? Yes, this is a constant fear when recruiting a freelancer.
• In the case of utilizing in-house resources or outsource resources for mobile app development, the process is elaborate. For example: the teams take care of ideation, development, maintenance and technical support. However, freelancers are generally recruited for an specific task.
• Their commitment towards your project might come under the scanner. Since they are self-employed, they are always on the lookout for more profitable work. So, it’s best to get a proper legal agreement with them.

 

Mobile Explode: What Does Mobile First Mean

Mobile-First; you’ve no doubt heard of this new buzzword floating around interwebs recently. But what does it mean? How does a mobile-first strategy or UX design differ from a normal approach to app and web development?

Most importantly, what does Mobile first mean for business? How does it change how entrepreneurs approach the world of technology?

Let’s start with the basics: the definition and background. If you are already to get started on your mobile-first project, feel free to get in touch right away.

What is Mobile First?

Mobile first refers to the gradual move away from designing for desktops and larger screens from the get-go. This approach was created by Google Product Director Luke Wroblewski as far back in 2009 and is a realization that mobile web was here to stay.

Now we all know about Responsive Web Design and the key advantages it provides a business. RWD arose out of the need to code for the smaller screens of mobile devices. RWD and mobile first go hand in hand: Both are all about optimizing for multiple screens.

Obviously mobile-first is about coding for mobility rather than optimizing for multiple-viewing platforms. One element of a Mobile-First design is known as Progressive Enhancement. Basically, it refers to creating a mobile first UX design and adding features for when users are accessing a website from a desktop.

Progressive Enhancement (PE) is the inversion of an older design method known as Graceful Degradation (GD). This is where designers used to design for large screens first. Features would be removed or downgraded as the accessing device gets smaller.

I know, I know – they seem exactly the same right? Both result in a pared down version for mobile devices; both use RWD tactics; both are responses to SmartPhones and tablets. So how are they any different?

Well, as the name might imply, mobile first PE is all the mobile platform. It means you create an app or website that is clean, with a more limited functionality, but performs amazingly well and is meant to work with the needs of mobile users. GD is meant to optimize across multiple browsers and tend to be robust with tons and tons of features.

PD is preferred because the reality is that mobility is the future of our world.

Let’s take a look at some pertinent facts:

•  80% of Internet users use their mobile device to access the web;

○  This is for a total

1.2 billion

people who are mobile internet users;

•  In the United States, roughly a quarter of mobile device owners almost never access the web from a desktop device;

•  51% of media watched online is done via a mobile device, as compared to 42% of access from a desktop;

○  Interestingly enough,

Smart TVs

are the fastest growing “emerging device” for internet users, at 34%.

•  There have been half again as many app downloads as there are people in the world. When you consider that only 20% of people in Africa and about 40% of people in Asia have access to the internet, that’s a pretty stunning statistic.

At the end of the day, the truth is as plain as the nose on my face. Mobile first isn’t the next big thing, nor is it ‘here to stay.’

It can’t be the ‘next’ big thing because it is a reality today! If you aren’t already operating under a mobile-first principle, you’re behind the game. Don’t worry – SDI can help!

Mobile First Strategy and Enterprise

A mobile first strategy is pretty clear – when you go to build your website or app you do it so that it works the best for mobile devices. Look, most of the people in the US already use their phones to access the web.

Even more pointed, most market analysts believe that most of the developing world will bypass desktop devices, going straight to mobile. We’re already seeing this in areas like the Indian Subcontinent and Africa. Saying that mobile first is here to stay is like saying the sun is here to stay. Duh.

A Mobile First strategy, as mentioned above, designs first for mobile – but not only for mobile. The idea of Progressive Enhancement is that as your website or app grows its user base, you add features for larger and larger screens.

This not only means you can offer increased value to your ever-growing user base but it means you have an excellent and sustainable growth plan. With a mobile first strategy, clever entrepreneurs have a ready-made business plan with established, clearly identifiable goals.

Progressive Enhancement is away to continually add value to your platform. It approaches the world of business with the realization that the desktop is dead. Graceful Degradation on the other hand, designs first for a device that is increasingly less used. By the time you get to a mobile smartphone, the website you’re offering to your customers is ineffective and bland.

This isn’t a postulation or prediction. It’s not speculation or guesswork. It is the very undeniable reality of the tech enterprise world. Just look to the industry giants IBM. IBM has an entire mobile-first platform dedicated solely to growing mobile enterprises. IBM made the tech world what it is today – literally.

One cannot help appreciate this: IBM created the first commercially available computer (1952) and the first PC (1981). Now they’re the ones leading the charge away from the desktops they helped make popular and towards mobility. These are the signs the smart entrepreneur watches to anticipate new market trends.

Mobile First is Our Jam

At SDI, we don’t make any website, app, or software that isn’t based off a mobile-first strategy. Our developers and designers have been on board with this approach since it became clear just how massively mobile internet devices would change the way we do business.