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App Development Blog

Why Do You Need An In-house Dev Team?

Within the past few years, smartphones have taken off in popularity quite fast. With the advent of cheap Android phones designed and developed by a number of Chinese firms, more people from different socio-economic backgrounds have been able to afford and use these phones. This has allowed many people previously unable to join the smartphone boom due to economic reasons to join and expand the market.

With so many people using smartphones now, there is a dire need for smartphone app developers who will develop apps for a number of different devices on the market. The current smartphone market is dominated by two major mobile operating systems, mainly Android by Google and iOS by Apple. While iOS is only used by devices from Apple itself, android is the go-to option for most smartphone developers. That means that app development services for either the iOS platform or the Android platform are needed in big numbers. 

With so many people using smartphones now, brands and businesses have started to look to this medium to do business. With around four billion people worldwide using smartphones, marketing or even conducting your business through mobile apps has become quite popular. Conversely, as mobile apps grow in use, time, and popularity, people spend less time using mobile web browsers. This means that customers who rely primarily on mobile devices for their internet usage are now being lost as customers to those brands who use websites instead of mobile apps

So that means that no matter how responsive or how visually appealing your website might be if you do not have an app to go with it, you might be losing potential leads. Now, if you are a small company or just have a tight budget, then outsourcing your mobile app’s development and its upkeep might become too expensive for you in the long run. If not expensive, it might become too much of a hassle to make sudden changes or updates to the app according to market trends. So the best solution is to have an in-house development team that will not only develop your mobile app but also look after its maintenance and upkeep, as needed. 

Let us look at some of the reasons why having an in-house mobile development team is to your benefit. 

Enterprise mobile apps are becoming more common

Enterprise mobile apps are becoming more common
Enterprise mobile apps are becoming more common

If your company has workers that are spread over a large area instead of a single place, then having an enterprise mobile app might be the best way forward, which will focus on security as well as be customized for your business. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies had to fall back to working from home, and the first problem many faced was interconnecting their corporate structure and data digitally so that their employees could work without any problems while still being accountable for their time. 

Those with enterprise apps easily gave their employees access to their required data and allowed them to contact anyone necessary to their work without worrying about their geographical proximity. 

Customers are now more mobile-oriented

Customers are now more mobile oriented
Customers are now more mobile-oriented

People nowadays are relying on their mobile devices, even for shopping, more so than in-store or even via website. Especially last year, with the majority of people around the world in some form of isolation or lockdown, online shopping was the only way for many to buy products for use, and the vast majority of those customers shopped via the shop’s mobile app. 

With the current generation of mobile-savvy adults making over two-thirds of their online purchases via mobile apps, it is easy to say that this is the way for brands, especially those targeting this demographic. 

Better customer retention

Better customer retention
Better customer retention

The presence of a brand’s mobile app on a smartphone is a constant reminder to the user about the value of that brand. That allows the user to ignore the competition somewhat, especially if your app is already serving its purpose. 

Not only that, but by tracking how often they use your app, you can even lure less frequent users by offering them discounts or rewarding frequent and loyal customers with loyalty bonuses. This allows you to use the data generated by each user and target them accordingly without wasting valuable resources. 

Another good feature mobile apps provide is to push geofenced notifications whenever they come near your physical store to offer discounts or deals. This can be utilized well to capitalize on customers’ impulse-buying capabilities. 

Outsourcing Development is not so satisfactory

Outsourcing Development is not so satisfactory
Outsourcing Development is not so satisfactory.

For many companies, outsourcing their app development tasks may seem like an easy choice, but there are a number of problems associated with it. A majority of companies who outsourced their app development and maintenance faced a few problems, according to a study by Wakefield.  The first issue was the cost, which ended up being higher than what most of the companies had expected to pay. The second problem, and one related to the first problem, is that there were high costs associated with outsourcing the maintenance of the app. The third issue was the lack of quick customization that outsourcing offered. This resulted in many companies feeling as if the resultant app was not what they envisioned it. Due to issues such as delays, lack of quality work, or not following best industry practices, oftentimes, the resultant app was not up to the mark for long-term reliability. This cost the owners of the app even more. 

Having a mobile app for your business is fast becoming a necessity in today’s market. If you keep outsourcing the development and maintenance of your mobile app, there are a number of problems you might run into. The first problem is the cost that you might accrue when you outsource to a mobile app development company. Another factor is the dependency factor. If you outsource your app to another company, you join its fate with that of the development company. That means that often, the quality of your app and the speed with which changes are made in the app will depend on the development firm itself. This means that not only would you lose a market opportunity if updates are not made timely, but you might also put your sensitive corporate and customer data into the hands of another company. 

While hiring new staff for an entirely new team might not be so feasible, a great way to counter that might be to invest in upskilling the existing staff so that they might take over the development duties. This way, you can have an in-house development team with multi-skilled members without spending much of your budget. 

If you are looking for a reliable and budget-oriented mobile app development company, contact App Development Pros. Their expert teams of developers are present to help you develop the app that will help your brand reach its potential.

Also Read: Top Android Development Trends In 2021

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App Development Blog Tech News Technology

6 Best Video Editing Apps for the Android

Nowadays, everyone has a camera embedded within their smartphones at all times. And with the advancements in camera technology, the videos and photos turn out far better than the grainy photos of yesteryears. While you enjoy snapping photos and recording videos, there may come a time when you might want to create a video montage for someone or some event.

Similarly, in a professional setting, a digital marketer might want to create a video for one of their clients. They might not always have access to a reliable computer to do that, such as while on the go, or simply because they rely on their Android device for all their business needs, so they never needed a computer. And many professionals are now opting to get mobile devices such as phones and tablets over bulkier laptops and PCs.

In both these cases, you would want to use a video editing tool on your Android device to do the video editing. But you might be confused about the quality and reliability of the vast array of video editing tools on the app store. While the app store may host a large number of tools for video editing developed by an amateur Android app developer, which is barely up to the mark, we have compiled a list of the top six tools for the Android platform that are sure to turn out high-quality videos. So, let’s get on with it. 

  1. Viddy:

    viddy
    Viddy

Viddy is a great little tool for creating video montages by helping you create great videos for your family or friends that perfectly capture the emotions you were trying to portray. This app is designed for amateur users who are not proficient with professional video editing tools. This means that with just a few taps, you can create a great video without any hassle, using a number of your video clips and photos available in your gallery. The small number of steps required to make it work, or the general ease of use, makes it a highly recommended tool for those who just want a video editing tool a couple of times a year or are beginners.

  1. FilmoraGo:

    FilmoraGo:
    FilmoraGo

Filmora Go is a well-known tool for those who have dabbled in video editing on mobile devices. The best feature that it allows its users is the real-time preview it allows, which makes tweaking the video montage easier before rendering it into a final video. The steps required to make it work are quite simple. Just choose the video clips and/or images you want in the video, choose the theme that suits your needs, any filters you might like, choose to put in music, add titles, and finally, the video transitions, Tweaking the result before exporting the video to your device storage. It also allows us to share the resulting video directly to any number of people we want, through the different social media platforms.

  1. Adobe Premium Clip:

    adobe-premium-clip
    Adobe Premium Clip

Media manipulation tools by Adobe Industries are always quality tools. Be they developed for mobile or PC, they will provide quality results regardless of platform. 

Adobe Premium Clip is a great example of that. It is quite an enjoyable app to use. It is fast, allows you to share videos directly to social media platforms, and the number of features it sports makes it quite helpful. It also allows us to automatically create videos, which only requires us to choose the sound stream, the images, and the video clips we want in the video, and finally, after the video is rendered, trim and edit the video as required before sharing it. The editing of the final video’s light adjustment and colors is a great feature missing in many other tools.

  1. Movie Maker:

    movie-maker
    Movie Maker

This tool gives us a number of features, such as various filters, visual effects for animation, and many other effects that are helpful in making your videos better and more catchy. It allows you to trim your clips, crop the images, and rearrange the order to add them. Movie Maker allows you to create beautiful videos by selecting the filter that suits your needs, your choice of automatic video editor, add emojis and other such animations and then render the video. Finally, the video can be shared directly on many social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and others. This is a tool mostly recommended for amateur or recreational use, as it is not as professionally featured compared to some of the other tools on this list.

  1. PowerDirector:

    PowerDirector:
    PowerDirector

PowerDirector is a great tool for any user. It provides us with a number of features and effects, video editors, and much more to make your video editing experience even greater. One of its most iconic features is the slow-motion video. This makes it one of the best tools for video editing out there. Similarly to the other apps on this list, such as Magisto or Movie Maker, it creates videos with a number of features and effects, but what makes it stand out from the crowd is the ability to rotate the video, slip and trim the video, before rendering it out in High Definition, or HD quality. This last feature alone is enough to help it stand above many similar tools.

  1. Magisto:

    Magisto
    Magisto

A great video editing tool by the video hosting platform Vimeo, this tool is known and loved by many users of Android services for video editing. It was also one of Google’s “Best Android Apps” list of 2015, so it has been in the market for a long time. Its most iconic feature is the ability to turn a few video clips and images into a high-quality automatic music video for its user. This feature allows us to use well-written filters, smooth transitions, and many other effects that help create a resultant video, which is far better than that created using many other tools. It also allows us to share the video to social media sites easily.

So, how many of these tools were you familiar with, and how many had you used before? No matter what tool you use from the list above or any other tool you are familiar with, the result should be attractive, and most importantly, if the video was for a marketing purpose, then it should be able to attract leads as required. A good video that does the job that is required of it is what we would need as a digital marketer.

Whether you knew about any of these tools or were not aware of them, this list will surely help you choose the video editing tool that will suit your needs, whether you are a professional looking for a tool on the go or an amateur looking to create a video for sentimental purposes.

If you are in the market for a reliable Android app development company, then contact App Development Pros and let their expert developers handle the app for you.

Also Read: The 5 Best Android Phones 2020 Offers

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App Development Blog Tech News Technology

The 5 Best Android Phones 2020 Offers

Not everyone prefers to buy and use an iPhone. Some do not want to spend the premiums an iPhone costs, while others think that alternate mobile platforms, such as the Android OS, offer better functionality and features. The fact of the matter is, unlike the iPhone lineup, the android capable smartphones cater to a lot of people from different financial backgrounds, with phones that match and sometimes exceed the iPhone and are priced similarly to cheap budget phones for people who cannot spend so much yet would still like a smartphone. Frankly, android mobiles have done a lot in assimilating a large part of the world into the smartphone era.

While there are other proprietary mobile operating systems besides Android and iOS, these two have the majority of phones in the market covered. And unlike iOS, which is only developed for phones by Apple, android is licensed by a lot of vendors around the world, so that means people have a wide array of choices to select from according to their budget or requirements. Similarly, there are a lot of companies that offer Android app development services to companies, which means that there are a lot of apps for Android users to use as well.

The list we have curated below consists mostly of premium smartphones featuring the Android OS, as they are usually the ones that have the best features for that year. But some on the list can be considered budget phones, and if bought on sales such as the upcoming Black Friday sale or the Cyber Monday sale that comes right after, they can be bought for a lot cheaper.

Now let’s move on and look at the list itself, and you will see that it covers devices from the likes of Samsung and OnePlus to the relatively new Xiaomi, which has rapidly risen among the ranks to get here.

The Best Android Phones this Year:

Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20 Plus

samsung-galaxy-s20-and-s20-plus
Samsung Galaxy S20 and S20 Plus

Released in March of this year, the Galaxy S20 and the S20 Plus are Samsung’s latest offerings for their premium flagships. 

The S20 Plus has slightly better specs, with a larger screen, a bigger battery, and an additional depth-sensing camera lens, as well as better storage options; it is quite similar to its sibling, the S20.

The camera array on both phones includes a 12-megapixel basic lens, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and a 64-megapixel telephoto lens. They both sport the latest SnapDragon 865 chipset or the Exynos 990 chipset, depending on where you buy it from, which can be bought with up to 12 GB of RAM. The displays are top-notch, with a resolution of 1440 x 3200 and a refresh rate of 120Hz. With a premium design and premium features, this is arguably the best Android phone around this year.

OnePlus 8 Pro

oneplus-8-pro
OnePlus 8 Pro

Released in April 2020, this handset is the latest and the best offering from OnePlus this year and a great competitor to the Samsung handsets. 

With a great screen rivaling the Galaxy S20 with a large size of 6.78 inches, a resolution of 1440 x 3168, and a great 120Hz refresh rate, and sporting the same SnapDragon 865 chipset and similar specs as to its rival’s flagship, it is arguably one of the best handsets you can buy this year.

The camera array, which includes two 48MP cameras, an 8MP, and a 5MP camera, might not be as great as its closest competitors, but it makes it up with a whole array of features for a lot less cost. All in all, it’s a great addition to the list.

Oppo Find X2 Pro

oppo-find-x2-pro
Oppo Find X2 Pro

This handset is Oppo’s best phone ever produced. Released in June of this year, this phone by Oppo sports a high-resolution screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and a large size, which makes it easier for the user to utilize Android services such as games or media viewing with ease, especially when paired with the top of the line SnapDragon 865 and 12GB RAM. The battery, while not great, is nothing to scoff at either. 

The premium specifications this phone sports result in a price to match, with this phone being one of the most expensive offerings on this list. But if you can ignore the price, you will find that it is a great offering from Oppo, with dreams of rivaling the likes of premium handsets.

Xiaomi Mi Note 10 

xiaomi-mi-note-10
Xiaomi Mi Note 10

This phone is not something most people would probably have heard of, as the company that produces it is a relative newcomer in the market. But this unlikely candidate deserves to be given a chance.

With a serviceable and amazing penta-lens camera array, which is led by the 108MP main camera, a bright AMOLED display, fast charging, and a design that fits itself to your hand, this phone is truly a masterpiece. 

The only drawback, in our opinion, is the somewhat middling SnapDragon 730G processor it comes with, which makes the performance a little lackluster. The battery life is quite average despite the massive 5160mAh battery it comes with. 

But for the price, it is a great device that gives you a nice phone for a lot less, and we can ignore its shortcomings.

Motorola Edge Plus

motorola-edge-plus
Motorola Edge Plus

Motorola has been out of the smartphone competition for some time now, with only a mid-to-budget range of phones being produced by it. But the Edge line has headlined its entrance back into the greats.

The phone, as the name suggests, comes with curved edges, which have a large 6.7-inch size with a resolution of 1080 x 2340. It also sports top-end specifications from the SnapDragon 865 processor to the great camera array, with the main camera being a 108MP snapper, as well as features unique to the Motorola line, such as Moto Actions. 

The price, however, is a letdown. The phone is quite pricy but doesn’t quite reach the level of some of the other flagships on this list. 

But if you lean more towards style and design and can overlook its missing features, we can assure you it is a great phone to have.

These are just a few of the amazing smartphones released this year. Many offerings from these companies and more could not be discussed today but are worthy of being called great. If you are looking to buy any of the above smartphones, we would suggest that you look for the upcoming deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday and grab the deals instead of spending full price. 

If you are looking for an Android app developer, look no further than App Development Pros for all your Android app needs.

Also Read: Android Tablets 2020: 5 Top Picks For You

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App Development Blog Tech News

3 BEST APPS THAT HELP KEEP YOU HEALTHY

As more time passes, more and more people are turning towards a healthier lifestyle. They are trying to eat better, sleep better, and work better. They are regularly exercising or going on walks and jogs. That was a great thing until the pandemic happened and turned our lives upside down. We are stuck in our homes. Some of us might be able to get outside for a quick jog in the morning and maintain a safe distance, but most of us cannot do that. Also, even if the pandemic hadn’t happened, there would have been a lot of things that would have gone wrong, and all our hard work would have been lost. We might have trouble purchasing the right items, or we might get lazy and stop going on our routine jogs. Also, staying at home has resulted in a lot of people binge eating all day long. There are a lot of distractions that could take away our focus. And this pandemic has certainly not helped.

One of the worst things that has happened to us is that we have lost our habits. Humans are creatures of habit, and we like staying within them to maintain a certain flow to our day. Without these habits, we are confused and concerned.

Fortunately, we all carry something in our pockets to help us get back in the game and reclaim our health. That is our mobile phone. All it takes is a mobile app maker, and you can easily download the best health apps for iPhone, Android, or Windows and use them to get your health back and on track. Here, we will give you a list of the best free health apps in 2020, so read on.

Runkeeper

Runkeeper
Runkeeper

You might think that Runkeeper is just your regular running tracking app, but it is so much more than that. It uses habit-forming cues and activities to reward you through the mobile game and provides a complete and holistic approach. You can also use this app to maintain your diary and note everything that impacted your run. These are the sudden, sporadic events that happen when you go out jogging. Normally, an app doesn’t consider that, but Runkeeper does this perfectly. This allows you to look at the trend over time and see what affects you negatively and positively. Once you develop a craving for this app, you will find it easier and easier to find time to run. Compare this to the best health apps in 2018, and you will see just how much technology has advanced and what options are now available to you. This technology has made Runkeeper one of the best fitness apps.

MyFitnessPal

my-fitness-pal
MyFitnessPal

There are a lot of MyFitnessPal-like health apps available in the market, but MyFitnessPal takes the cake. You can easily track what you have eaten in a day or a week and work towards better eating habits. One of the reasons why people trust MyFitnessPal and not the others is that most apps give you statistics and nutrition facts that are not based on science. Over time, this could become disastrous for your health. MyFitness Pal, on the other hand, is backed by science and is goal-centric. You can use it to set your targets. The format is very user-friendly, and you have a simple and clean sheet to enter your daily diet. You can set your targets, and the app will help you pursue them. If you are unsure, you can even get the help of a nutritionist to set and achieve those targets.

MyFitnessPal has a huge database of more than 11 million food choices. Not only can you record your eating habits, but you can also even track your steps and exercise. You can receive motivation from your peers. Even if you don’t want to create a goal, the app will do it for you based on the personal information that you have entered into it. If you are a business in the healthcare industry, you can contact an Android or iOS app maker and build your app.

Lark

Lark
Lark

Lark is one of the best fitness apps in the market because of its holistic approach, comprehensive style, and the latest technology. It helps you lose weight, get fit, prevent diabetes, and track, monitor, and manage your chronic conditions. Lark utilizes state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence technology along with expert coaching and smart connected health services. What Lark does is put you in touch with your coach, who will help you track your sleep, medication, diet, weight, and more. You will receive motivation, encouragement, and advice to help you achieve your goals. Lark also has a Diabetes Prevention Program that enables you to lower your chances of contracting this disease by offering you educational sessions as well as a personalized diet plan and exercise plan.

Don’t worry if you don’t have an app like Lark. You can contact your iOS and Android app maker and tell them your requirements. If they are technologically advanced, they can build you a health tips app like it.

Conclusion

If you have these apps on your iPhone or Android phone, you won’t need anything else. You can stay in your home, safe and sound, and watch what you eat and how much you exercise. Soon, you will build your habits back up again.

 

Also Read: Challenges that mobile app developers face when developing cross-platform apps

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App Development Blog Tech News Technology

5 REASONS WHY EVERY STARTUP NEEDS A MOBILE APP

We live in a world where more and more users go online through their smartphones. They use their mobile devices for browsing, playing games, networking, shopping, and everything imaginable. According to GlobalStats, around 50% of internet traffic is through mobile devices. That is a huge chunk of consumers.

This means that if you want to target your audience, you have to have a strong presence on mobile devices. This is where mobile apps come into play. You might have a strong website and an ever-stronger social media presence. Still, if you are not using the mobile to attract and connect with your customers, then you might find yourself fighting a losing battle against your competitors.

If you are a large corporation with a marketing budget of hundreds of millions of dollars, you might make up for it in other ways. But if you are a startup, you don’t have a lot of options. You cannot go for paid marketing as your budget is already tight. Your customers don’t know your name or brand since you’ve just entered the market. This is one of the ways that you can lose a lot of opportunities in the market.

If you are a startup, then having your mobile app is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity. It is vital to your marketing strategies, and it is one of the things that can help you compete with the giants and get your share of the pie. Your customers are spending more and more time on apps. If you don’t have an app, you might lose your customers to competitors who do have their app. That is why you must create a mobile app for your brand.

Here, we list down the top 5 reasons why you need a mobile app for your startup.

1. More Visibility

More-Visibility
More Visibility

When you are in the beginning phase of your business, everything is about visibility. All your efforts are targeted at making sure that the customers know who you are, where you exist, and how to get in touch with you when they want the products or services that you offer. Also, you must keep yourself front and center in the minds of your existing customers. People are bombarded with around 5,000 ads every day. This makes it hard for brands to make their names stick in users’ minds. You need to have a strategy that you can use to make your brand memorable enough so that when they need you, they remember you.

Having a mobile app is a great way of letting consumers know that you exist. Every time they open their mobiles, they will see your app and icon, which will refresh their minds. Remember that you have to make sure that you use every way to get and sustain their attention. You can contact agencies that build Android apps or iOS apps so that they can create the perfect app for you.

Also, when discussing a mobile app, ensure you don’t develop the same type of app everyone else has. You have to be unique enough and different enough to leave an impact every time someone opens your app. Talk to the agencies that build iOS apps or Android apps and let them know what you are asking for.

2. Promote Your Products and Services

Promote-Your-Products-and-Services
Promote Your Products and Services

Obviously, you need the app to promote your products and services. It is not only there for your brand visibility. Your app is the best way to ensure customers get to know your latest products and services. Notify them of any changes that are happening or new products and services that are coming out. Make sure that when they open your app, they don’t have a hard time finding your products. Keep it user-friendly and super simple.

This again calls for customization. You can’t get the same type of results if you are working with the same app that everyone else is working with. You have to stand out. You have to make the customer want to interact with you.

3. Boost Your Customer Service

boost-your-customer-service
Boost Your Customer Service

Customers are the backbone of any business. You must ensure you gain new customers while keeping the existing ones intact. It doesn’t matter what products or services you are offering; you have to ensure you are there for your customers. This is the age of personalization, and every consumer wants to be treated differently. Now, you need a mobile app that gives the customers a means of contacting you no matter the time or where they are.

4. Engage Customers

Customers Engagement
Engage Customers

Mobile apps are the best way to engage your customers and build a relationship with them. Not only can you generate more sales through this method, but you can also increase customer loyalty. Through your mobile app, you can send push notifications to communicate with your customers. You can have a tab that customers can use to contact you, and you can answer their queries or handle their grievances. This will increase customer engagement, and that will automatically increase sales as well as referrals and word-of-mouth marketing.

Wrapping up

For startups to survive, they need to integrate the latest technologies to beat the competition and reach the top. One of the technologies that startups can leverage is mobile apps. They can connect with the customers, keep them engaged, show them their products and services, and provide better customer support to win their trust and earn their respect.

 

Also Read: Why custom app development is trending for businesses 

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App Development Blog Design Tech News Technology

Step by Step Guide for Mobile App Marketing

We all know how important mobile apps have become for any business. Even before the pandemic, we saw that a major chunk of consumers was using their mobiles to access the internet and interact with brands. This gave rise to the mobile app technology. Since the pandemic hit the globe and physical distancing and isolation came into practice, mobile apps saw a sudden and rapid rise. People were using mobile apps for everything, whether they wanted to buy groceries, play games, meditate, keep fit, or anything else.

Mobile App Statistics

Currently, there are more than 8 million mobile apps in the world. Most can be accessed through the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. We see crazy statistics like

  • 21% of millennials open an app more than 50 times every day.
  • More than 90% of the consumer’s time is spent on some app.
  • More than 50% of all digital media usage happens through an app.

With these staggering numbers in front of us, we know that the only way we can ensure that our app remains at the front and center of our customers’ minds and that we increase our app’s reach is through mobile app marketing. Otherwise, we will be among the many businesses that create an app and wait for someone to come and download it. But it rarely happens.

Mobile App Marketing: When, Where, How?

The question that comes to mind is what is mobile app marketing, when should we start it, and how to market your mobile app.

  • Should we start marketing after we are done with the mobile app development phase?
  • What are the different methods that we can use to market our apps?
  • Where should we market our apps?

These are only some questions that make it hard for a business owner to sleep at night.

You have to understand that mobile app marketing is not something that you can start after you create an Android app or an iOS app. This is something that you start as soon as you decide that you want an app for your business. You have to make sure that you get the word out to your customers so that they can anticipate the launch of your app and become your loyal customers.

Mobile app marketing involves a lot of things, like identifying your target customers, reaching them through their chosen social media platform, and communicating effectively.

Here, we are giving you a step-by-step guide for mobile app marketing.

Read on.

1. Determine A Release Date

Release Date
Determine A Release Date

The first thing that you have to do is to find out when you will be launching your app in the market. Whether you want to create an iOS app or an Android app, you have to know the rules and regulations of the app stores so that you can work accordingly. Planning for the release in advance will help you prepare for the launch and any problems that might come your way.

2. Understand Your Customers

Understand-Your-Customers
Understand Your Customers

Most companies don’t do market research before creating or releasing their apps. That results in an app gathering dust in the app stores without movement. Before you go ahead and create your app, you must find out who your customers are, what pain points your app addresses, and more. If your app provides the same features as a host of other apps in the market, you won’t be able to solidify your presence. Make sure you know what your customers want from your app and then build it.

3. Create a Landing Page

Create-a-Landing-Page
Create a Landing Page

Think of ways that you can use to tell your customers about your app. Maybe you can mention it on your website, but will it be enough?

You need to get your customers excited about your app. You need to get them talking to each other and you about your app. One of the best ways to do it is to create a landing page that specifically addresses your app’s features and its launch. You can also launch a teaser video for your app. Once you have the video, you can even use it on social media platforms as an ad. Once you have your landing pages, offer your customers a reward in exchange for their email addresses and let them know the updates about your mobile app.

4. Outreach Initiatives

Outreach-Initiatives
Outreach Initiatives

One of the best ways to promote your app is by collaborating with influencers, other publications, and bloggers. You can contact the influencers and bloggers in the same niche as your brand and ask them to send backlinks to you. They can also provide honest feedback about your app. This will greatly enhance your app’s visibility.

5. Promote On Social Media Channels

Social-Media-Channels
Promote On Social Media Channels

This one is a no-brainer, but it has to be stressed that you must use every channel that you can. These include, but aren’t limited to, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and more. Wherever your target audience exists, you have to ensure that you are sending communications about your app.

6. Create A Content Marketing Strategy

Content-Marketing-Strategy
Content Marketing Strategy

One of the surest and best ways to reach your customers is through your blog. Make sure that you create a content marketing strategy for your app and start on it even before you start building your app. When it is time to launch, you should have a blog with relatable and relevant content for your users. You can share the various features of your app, you can talk about the rewards that you will be offering, you can share videos and screenshots, and more.

Final Thoughts

These are some of the ways that you can market your app and ensure that your target audience not only knows about it but is also excited about it. This way, your app’s visibility will increase, and when you finally launch it, there will be people who will search for it and download it.

 

Also Read: Mobile app development services for your business

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App Development Blog Tech News

The War between the Trump Administration and Tiktok

The latest news about the war between the Trump administration and ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, is that TikTok has sued the government. This is a direct response to the executive order that the government passed earlier that basically forces ByteDance to sell the app TikTok.

TikTok is now trying to get the executive order thrown out. Unless this happens, TikTok will be banned by mid-September, according to President Donald Trump. It has been more than a month since the Trump administration has been threatening TikTok. On August 6, the Trump administration gave ByteDance a month to find an American buyer for its hugely popular app TikTok. Afterwards, this date was extended. They also told ByteDance to delete any data about TikTok creators based in the United States. Not only are they concerned about American users’ data, but they are also banning ByteDance from any transactions. This will greatly affect the app’s performance on Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store. The same is true for another Chinese app called WeChat.

As Americans, the Trump administration prefers an app made by an American application development company rather than going for something made in China. India did the same thing earlier by banning a host of Chinese apps, and Australia is considering following suit.

TikTok has seen a meteoric rise in the United States, especially during the lockdown, as people logged in to pass the time. They found TikTok a great way to eliminate boredom, interact with other users, and create content. It is a great platform for entertainment, self-expression, and connection.  According to expert Android developers, the app has been downloaded over 2 billion times. Its largest market was India, closely followed by Brazil and the United States of America.

The top users who stand to lose a huge amount are:

1 Charli D’Amelio

2 Addison Easterling

3 Zach King

4 Loren Gray

5 TikTok

6 Spencer X

7 Dixie D’Amelio

8 BabyAriel

9 Jason Derulo

10 Will Smith

These are only the top content creators on TikTok. There are others, though most of them have started channeling their traffic to other platforms since the executive order came a few months ago. TikTok users are now transferring their traffic to YouTube, Instagram, Twitch, and other platforms with a decent presence.

Currently, TikTok has announced that it will create more than 10,000 jobs in the US alone over the next few years, like engineers, iOS developers, and more. This is their way to appease the U.S. administration and remove the ban that will come into effect in September. TikTok has also said that it will be setting up data centers in Europe and Ireland, and it will be investing around $500 million, too.

 

Also Read: The future of mobile app development services, features of apple watch series 8

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App Development Blog Design Gaming Technology

Most Popular Mobile Games in 2020

Mobile video games have really surged in the current situation. You’re stuck at home. You’re not working. You have absolutely nothing to do. So, you turn to the one thing you know will entertain you for hours.

Video Games!

People used to think mobile games are meant only for teenagers, but the current situation has proved them wrong. There are all sorts of people playing mobile games. The games range from Candy Crush to Game of Thrones and everything in between. Games give you the chance to relieve your stress and have fun. Also, thanks to multiplayer games, you can interact with strangers and make friends. It’s easy. You are both interested in the same thing. Various mobile game development has whole communities dedicated to them, and people interact with each other, help, and guide each other. A mobile game is not just a game; it is an entire world.

The only problem is that there are literally thousands of games on the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store.

How do you know which game to play?

You can’t just download every game and then delete it later.

So, we thought we would list down all the popular games that people are playing in 2020 so you can play, too.

1. PUBG MOBILE

Who here hasn’t heard of PUBG? Nobody!

PUBG is one of the most liked and most played games in the entire universe. One of the reasons is that it introduced a new and unique concept. The concept of ‘Battle Royale’. The players will land on an unknown island. They will have to make sense of the place, and they will have to fight with each other. The area of the battle arena will keep on getting smaller and smaller so that the players can come closer to each other. That makes this game even more addictive.

If you are wondering whether you will have the same experience on a mobile that you had on a PC, then you can rest assured. All the maps are the same and even carry the same names. The company that created PUBG Mobile took care of that.

So why not play PUBG on a PC? Why go for PUBG mobile?

There are a lot of options for you when you play on mobile. You have a lot of modes that you can play in, like sniper mode, war mode, mini-zone mode, and more. You can play with an FPP (First Person Perspective) or TPP (Third Person Perspective) server. Also, you are just going to love the gun recoil. It’s almost as if it’s real.

The game is available for iOS and Android. If you are interested in iOS or Android application development and think you can have a game of your own in the future, remember that the creators of this game used Python. Start brushing up on your Python skills NOW!

2. Call of Duty: Mobile

Call of Duty: Mobile is the ultimate experience for any gamer. It has the visuals, the hugely popular maps, and the smooth gameplay that every gamer desires. There are two modes that you can play in:

  • Battle Royale, where you have to survive an onslaught of enemies.
  • Multiplayer, where you have the traditional teams of 5, and both teams fight.

Thanks to these features and more, Call of Duty: Mobile is making waves in the Play Store and App Store. It has been downloaded more than 250 million times, and it doesn’t seem like it will stop.

Even in 2019, it was one of the most popular and addictive games globally. Now, more updates will satisfy you and keep you busy for hours. The developers have included the zombie mode and the sniper vs. sniper battle. Also, they have added new maps for you to explore.

Overall, this game is one of the best pieces to showcase Android and iOS application development skills. It is available for both Android and iOS smartphones.

3. Game of Thrones: Beyond the Wall

We all know that the Game of Thrones series was widely popular on TV. The novels did well, too. The TV series broke a lot of records and was watched around the world. It immediately started a fan following, and lots of forums and websites sprang up related to it. Even though the ending was a big let-down, people still love the show.

Become a Lord in Westeros and create your sigil, train your army, and fight for the right to the throne. You also get a dragon egg. Raise your dragon and smite your enemies where it hurts the most. Form alliances and further your cause.

4. Subway Surfer

Did we just save the best for last?

Yes, we did!

This is the decade’s most downloaded game, with over 1.5 billion downloads and counting. The gameplay is fairly simple yet quite addictive. You have to run as fast as you can and dodge the oncoming trains to survive. Why are you running? To escape the Inspector.

The game has some cool visuals and vivid graphics that you will fall in love with.

Conclusion

If you want, you too can create your own game by working with a company that offers game and mobile app development services to individuals and businesses. In the meantime, play these games and tell us what you think. Which one is the most addictive game you’ve played?

 

 

Also Read: Hire mobile app development services

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App Development Blog Design Technology

6 New Technologies for Mobile App Development

Ever since the emergence of mobile apps, they have taken the digital world by storm. In the earlier days, we thought there would be more games to play and more entertainment apps, but they have taken over every industry. We now have apps for anything that we can think of. So much so that if you want to have a successful business nowadays, you must have an app. It has become one of the best ways to communicate with your customers and build a relationship with them. Every month, people download millions of apps. In a survey, more than 80% of consumers reported that
They would likely buy from a brand that has an app.

In these situations, having an app is not a luxury anymore; it is a necessity. Businesses face fierce competition, and they have to do everything that they can to stay ahead and stay afloat. This has given rise to the profession of custom mobile app development. There are amazing and creative custom app developers out there who can give you the app that you want. They are skilled and keep up with the latest technologies and trends.

So, what are the latest technologies related to mobile app development?

Here, we are going to list down some of them.

Most Popular Types of Mobile Apps

The big question when mobile app developers have to develop mobile apps is the type of app that needs to be developed. This requirement varies not only based on the client’s requirements but also on market saturation, developers’ comfort level with the technology, etc. Some of the basic types of apps are listed here:

Latest Mobile App Development Tools & Technologies

Due to the intense competition, custom Android developers and iOS developers need to keep themselves abreast of the latest technologies that are entering the market. This way, they can develop high-quality apps that provide a unique and fun user experience to the consumers. This way, businesses can capture their target audience and increase their sales. Some of the latest technologies are:

1. Node.JS

node-js-programming-language
Node.JS

One of the latest and most cutting-edge technology to hit the market is NodeJS. It is a front-end development tool for custom iOS developers as well as Android developers. When it was launched, it became a huge tool as it saved a lot of time and effort on the developers part and made their lives much easier. Now, it has become a huge library of tools and frameworks. Due to its power and ability to deliver, it has quickly become essential for a developer.

2. Swift

swift-programming-language
Swift

Swift is an open-source programming language. You can easily create apps for iOS, OS X, watchOS, and tvOS using this language. It uses C and Objective-C. Swift provides developers with some top features that make development easier, smoother, and much more fun. As a scripting language, it is one of the first programming languages that are highly expressive and enjoyable. It is also one of the most industrial-quality languages.

3. Objective C

objective-c-programming-language
Objective C

Objective C is an object-oriented language. It is a general-purpose language, and you will see a lot of apps being developed for iOS and OS X using Objective C. As far as Apple devices are concerned, we see people gravitating more towards Objective C than any other language. Even though it is a traditional programming language, it still provides a lot of features to developers of iOS and OS X-based apps.

4. PhoneGap

PhoneGap-to-create-hybrid apps
PhoneGap

If you want to use JavaScript, HTML5, or CSS3 to create mobile and web apps, then PhoneGap is the one for you. It is a highly in-demand mobile app development framework. Most developers use PhoneGap as it doesn’t rely on platform-specific APIs. You can use PhoneGap to create hybrid apps.
Hybrid apps mean that they are neither native apps nor web apps. PhoneGap offers a cost-effective solution for app development over multiple platforms.

5. Appcelerator Titanium

appcelerator-titanium-open-source-framework
Appcelerator Titanium

Many developers opt for cross-platform development these days, and we don’t blame them. If you are looking for a tool to help you with cross-platform development, then Appcelerator Titanium is the one you are looking for. It is an open-source development kit that uses JavaScript, mobile backend as a service (MBaaS), mobile analytics, and more to create high-quality cross-platform mobile apps.

6. DOM Frameworks

document-object-model-cross-platform
DOM Frameworks

DOM stands for Document Object Model. It is a framework for cross-platform and language-independent mobile app development. If you want to create simple apps that are not too heavy, then DOM frameworks are the way to go. People use DOM frameworks for various elements like network communication and animation, among others. The DOM frameworks include various common frameworks like CSS frameworks, JS frameworks, and more. You can use these frameworks to create almost anything that you want. They are pre-prepared so it saves you a lot of time and energy.

Conclusion

Mobile app development has come a long way since its inception. And there is still more to come. The only way a mobile app developer can survive in the market is to keep abreast of the latest technologies and learn how to use them. Keep your eyes on the above-mentioned technologies and create stunning and highly functional apps for your customers.

 

 

Also Read: Custom mobile app development from Mobile app development services

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App Development Blog Design Inspirations Technology

5 Top Flutter Widgets For Developers

If you have ever delved into Flutter, you might have thought that it has a very steep learning curve. It might be true. A lot of people say the same thing. But the learning curve is steep because we probably take on too much simultaneously. We try to learn everything at once and fail at it. The key is to learn one thing at a time so that we can manage the curve according to our learning styles and according to our intellect. Once you do that, you will realize that learning Flutter is not that big a deal and you were just making a mountain out of a molehill.

What are Flutter Widgets?

Here, we will discuss Flutter Widgets, what they are, and what they do. If you want to do custom app development, you must work with widgets. If you want to do any kind of app development, you will have to use widgets.

Widgets are elements that you use in your user interface. Anything could be a widget. It could be the text, a button, checkboxes, images, etc. Suffice it to say that everything you use in your user interface is a widget, whether for custom Android development or iOS.

If you know what custom iOS development is or what Android development is, then you will fully understand the concept of views (in Android) and UIViews (in iOS). Just think of your widgets as blueprints. They tell Flutter where you want to place certain elements and how to render them for the outcome.

Here, we list the top 5 Flutter widgets for developers, young and experienced alike.

1. Safe Area Widget

safe-area-widget-front-layout
Safe Area Widget

Do you know the concept of notches? If you are building apps for modern-day devices, you must. You might not like them, but you are stuck with them. The main purpose of notches is to shift the elements from the front face of our phones. But the problem is that rounded corners and notches screw up the app’s layout. When you use Flutter to build your custom apps, you have the choice of using the Safe Area Widget to work around this problem.

This widget does nothing more than wrap your main layout so that there is no overlapping of content or clipping. It’s easy to use and you can ensure that your users see all the content that you want them to see.

2. Expanded Widget

expanded-widgets-fixed-screen-layout
Expanded Widget

In Flutter, you have to work on a screen layout that is comprised of rows and columns. Whatever you do, you have to do it between these rows and columns. Having a grid like this is beneficial as you can arrange all your widgets on the screen in an organized and systematic manner. The problem is that the rows and columns can distribute your elements according to the available space. What does this mean? It means that all your elements might come on the screen on the left side, or they can have an equal amount of space between them. When this happens, there might be some extra space left between the elements.

What are you going to do with the extra space? How will you fill it?

You will just use the Expanded Widget to take care of it. Just put the element inside this widget to make it expandable. Whatever extra space is left, the expanded widget will take it up.

3. Wrap Widget

wrap-widget-make-design-smooth
Wrap Widget

Earlier, we discussed that we place elements on the screen on a grid of rows and columns. These two are widgets themselves, and they make designing the layout smooth and effortless. You can place your widgets on these rows and elements any way you like. But what happens when your widget is too wide to fit into the rows? When this happens, you see a black and yellow block on your screen and the accompanying error ‘Right overflowed by 471 pixels’ or something like that. So, how are you going to take care of this problem?

With the Wrap Widget, of course.

The Wrap Widget is the same as the rows and columns grid that you’ve been working on. The only difference, or should we say advantage, is that it has the power to adjust the elements that you want to put on the screen. It knows how much space is available on the screen and adjusts the elements accordingly. You can arrange the elements horizontally or vertically. You can even change the direction property.

4. Rich Text Widget

rich-text-widget-makes-style-variations
Rich Text Widget

If you want to display a paragraph in Flutter with different styles, then the Rich Text Widget is the one you want to use. You implement multiple TextSpan widgets inside the Rich Text Widget and set a different style for each. This way, you will create a tree of TextSpan objects, each of them inside the main Rich Text Widget. You can show multiple styles on the same line or paragraph.

5. ClipRect and ClipRRect

cliprect-and-cliprrect-for-rectangular-shape
ClipRect and ClipRRect

These two are almost the same, that’s why we thought of discussing them together. You can use them to clip an element with a rectangular shape. The only difference is that while ClipRect uses a rectangular shape with edges, the ClipRRect widget uses a rectangular shape with rounded corners. Other than that, they both have the same purpose.

Conclusion

So, these are some of the most used and popular widgets in Flutter. They are also the basic building blocks of any custom mobile app development project. So, make sure you explore them fully and find out all your options. Happy Coding!

 

 

Also Read: Why custom app development is trending for businesses