Cross Platform Mobile Apps

Creating an app can be a really exciting project, but it’s not without its challenges. In this article, we’re going to share with you some of the key things you need to know in order to create a successful app. Hopefully, this will help you get started on your project and achieve the results you wanted!

These 15 tips will help you build a mobile app as successful as Shine and Brainly.

1. Identify your audience

“In order to make your app successful, you need to know who will use it”, says Peter Davis, Founder of SalesElite.

This will enable you to check the business potential of your app idea (the market need), as well as examine how to communicate with your target audience (marketing message) and where to communicate (channels).

What should I do?

Build an MVP version of your mobile app and collect all user feedback by searching for stats and insights, checking trends, asking questions on forums, and conducting polls.

Make sure you check every source of information you can find.

After collecting all demographic data (e.g. sex, age, gender, location), and gathering some information about your users’ behaviors and motivations (pains and gains), you can discuss your idea with trusted people.

Focus on a niche audience – the larger the group, the greater the potential upside, but also the greater the likelihood that your app idea will fail.

2. Offer value

Even the simplest form of entertainment, like the Candy Crush game, provides an outlet for stress and relieves the boredom of commuting or standing in line.

In order to motivate the user to download and use the application, it should provide an important benefit to the user.

It may be related to the price of the service, the speed of information transfer, the functionality of the application, or the ability to access features or services unavailable from other sources.

Smart apps combine consumer needs, business objectives, and technological solutions.

CEO of WhatSignal.

Redundancy is good in nature. The most successful apps solve more than one problem at a time. This is according to David Gee,

Many people need comfortable, beautiful, and inspiring accommodations all over the world, while others want to rent their flat to foreigners with a lot of money.

3. Define your business model

In many cases, app developers monetize their apps by using various advertising-based business models. One of the most popular revenue streams is video ads. In-app purchases are also very popular among business owners. But there are many other business models to choose from as well.

“The best way to choose your mobile app business model is to analyze what your competitors are doing. If it worked once, it may work again”, says Ivan Lovre Marusic, CEO & Founder of RPG Overload.

The goal of every successful app is not to generate profits. There are categories of apps, such as apps for enterprise use, that have different benefits. Often, you build an app to save money or optimize business processes, not to generate revenue.

4. Define the scope of features

Your app idea is likely to have taken you some time to think about. All the wonderful things it can do, the features that might boost its functionality, have already occurred to you. Social sharing, notifications, payments, integrations – they seem indispensable.

There is no doubt that all of these features are useful, but it may be better to ignore them for now. If you focus on the wrong end of the mobile app development process, you will either lose time or quality. Each of them will hinder your core feature development.

Think once again about the ultimate raison d’etre of your app. Reduce it to a single sentence. Then focus on it. The rest will fall into place.

Most users need the simple solution to their problems, not a ton of features. An abundance of features may seem like a good idea, but it’s usually not.

Try to emphasize the core feature of your app as clearly as possible. Each additional option, each customization, each integration will make it harder for your users to see the value you provide.

You will also have to invest more time and money into customer support in the early stages of developing more complex products.

“A key rule at the beginning is less is more”, says Benjamin Stenson, CEO & Founder, Norsemen Home Remodeling.

5. Choose the right technology

“Choosing the right technology is crucial to building a successful mobile application” says Will Copp, Owner of Knox Concrete Contractors. There are three main options you can choose from.

Option 1: Platform-specific native apps

In native apps, the programming language used to write these apps is supported only by the operating systems of those platforms — iOS or Android. The user experience is enhanced by native apps because they leverage your device’s hardware and functionality to a high degree.

Option 2: Develop a native app for cross-platform use

This approach uses shared SDKs (Software Development Kits), but the apps still run natively. React Native and Flutter are common technologies for developing cross-platform native apps.

Even though you lose some native advantages, this is still the most cost-effective approach if you have a limited budget, but still want your app designed, optimized, and styled for multiple devices.

Option 3: Hybrid application

In addition to being compatible with all devices and operating systems, hybrid mobile apps are cost-effective, portable, and quick to deploy.

The downside is that you don’t get the advantages of native components and native interaction patterns, so some aspects of the user experience are sacrificed.

If you follow this approach for app development, you won’t need to write a different codebase for each platform. Instead, write one and use it across them all.

In order to accomplish this, we use basic web technologies like HTML for layout, CSS for styling, and JavaScript for interaction. Top web development companies are using latest UX and UI technologies like React, node.js, PHP, javascript frameworks to build websites and mobile apps.

6. Design a simple and intuitive UX/UI

An app’s design is crucial to its success.

“People prefer to use mobile apps with an intuitive yet simple UX and UI, whether they are B2B or B2C. For example, a simple UI doesn’t obstruct the data the user consumes. The app’s snappy UI adds a nice feeling, but remember that intuitive UX is crucial for user ease”, says Smithe Sodine, Founder of Smithy Home Couture.

As well as improving user acquisition and download numbers, well-designed UX and UI have many other benefits. A well-designed registration process leads to greater number of downloads and better user retention. In the case of easy-to-understand onboarding, users are more likely to stick with your app and recommend it to others.

Make it clear what the user will get from buying virtual goods if you rely on in-app purchases. It will boost your conversion rates.

7. Select your design and development team

“Your app development team’s talent, ability, and work determine the quality of your product.

You can hire a single developer to complete some projects, or you can outsource the work to an entire development team or hire a full stack consultancy partner who will not only provide you with technical expertise but also help you succeed in the market.

Your development partner should have a wide range of skills, be able to communicate effectively, and, above all, understand the task you have assigned”, says Sean Philips, Content Director of Ship Tracking.

8. Ensure your team is on the same page

One should verify the other as often as possible. Creative thinking and efficient project execution are difficult to pair.

It is inevitable that your first idea will have to be scaled down when faced with technology during a scoping session, and that is why you should define the core feature, the problem solved, and the target audience clearly.

Your custom software development team should understand the product, how it works, and how it can be useful or entertaining for users.

“When you really involve app developers in the creative process, they can be a great source of ideas. They are passionate about the technology they work with. To motivate them, you need to engage them in your vision and make use of their skills and knowledge”, says Jon Lightfoot, CEO & Founder of Strategic SEO Solutions.

9. Maintain high performance

“If you want your app to succeed, good won’t do”, says Desmond Holden, Director of RiseSpin.

Approximately two-thirds of mobile users clean up their phones at least once a month, which means getting rid of useless apps.

Not being listened to is one of the main reasons for abandoning an app in 2019. According to Localytics research, app users who feel listened to by their data are much more likely to continue launching apps. However, the performance of your app is crucial. According to Qualitest, 88% of users will abandon a mobile app that has bugs and glitches.

Users will hold you responsible for any problems they encounter while using your app. Not the phone manufacturer or the internet provider. Just you.

10. Ensure your app is safe

“Mobile applications that are unprotected pose a threat to the entire system. And we store and process critical data such as payments, banking information, access keys, medical information and personal information on our devices.

There are many ways to sort out security issues. However, ensuring mobile protection is not an easy process, especially when you have to identify a threat in a given app and define its security level yourself. Security practices are frequently followed by mobile app developers, while others are adapted to suit their needs”, says Gary Kelly, Director of Biz Tools Online.

Standard security practices include:

  • Encryption of sensitive data, such as databases, caches, and API communications
  • Managing cryptographic keys correctly and authorizing user sessions (tokens)
  • Validating tokens – assigning one to each device separately with different session expiration times
  • Implementing safe communication standards, such as HTTPS certificate pinning
  • Mobile security reviews include general OWASP-recommended checks

11. Provide third-party integrations

Enhancing your app with third-party services can increase user retention and enhance the overall user experience.

For instance, Google Maps.

You can check the fastest route from point A to point B, learn about public transportation options, and even hail an Uber directly from Google Maps thanks to third-party integrations.

You can boost your app’s credibility by integrating it with what people already use. This is especially useful for improving conversion and retention.

It’s often time-consuming to implement third-party integrations, so think them through before you implement them. It’s a shameful waste of resources to build an integration that only a few users will benefit from, this is according to Edward Drummond, Founder and CEO of LinkSpice.

Be sure that the third-party integration will provide value to the majority of users by doing your research right.

12. Plan a marketing strategy

The amount of information and content around us is overwhelming.

You need to select the right marketing tools and language to promote your solution because it’s harder than ever to attract users’ attention and convince them.

“A successful app is promoted well before it hits the app stores. This is why you should start as soon as possible. Getting your message across sometimes takes more time than developing the product. Your marketing plan can be divided into three phases: pre-launch, launch, and post-launch”, says Stephen Norris, CEO of Axis Videos.

Your marketing strategy can also be brought to life with a lot of tips already available.

13. Make regular updates

Building a successful mobile app and marketing it properly are two parts of a three-part matrix. The third step is to maintain the app after it has been released, this is according to Paul Parks of Jig Data.

Don’t forget to introduce constant improvements to your app if you’re building one. Fix bugs. 37% of mobile app users said they would stop using an app if they encountered bugs like crashes, freezes, or repeating errors, so make sure that every bug is fixed right away.

Develop new features and keep your app updated to show users you care about their experience. Constant updates also help you earn more from your app. Introducing new features and fixing bugs will ensure you reach a wider audience.

Watch the space your app consumes in the device memory. Always remember the most important reasons why apps are uninstalled. Pay attention to the overall quality, performance, and security of the user acquisition process (onboarding, registration forms, etc).

You should keep in mind that Apple and Google update their operating systems every year. Keeping your app current with recent OS updates may mean pivoting some features or changing assumptions. By adding a small (from Google’s perspective) feature like showing speed traps in Google Maps, apps focusing solely on that feature became redundant.

14. Upgrade based on feedback

To make sure your app updates are relevant for users, you need to know how your app is used. Analyze that data and respond as soon as possible, this is according to Gerard Omar, Founder of Host Cover.

Establish clear KPIs for measuring the success of your app. Keep track of as many KPIs as possible, but prioritize them. Implement a mechanism for providing more context about bugs so they can be reproduced and fixed. Use feedback forms or NPS prompts to ask users what they think. Report bugs as well.

15. Work on users retention

25% of users abandon an app after only one use, so make sure you do everything you can to keep them happy.

Your user retention rate will drop if your app isn’t engaging enough. Push notifications are the most popular way to engage users. Notifications can be used to remind users who have downloaded the app, but haven’t used it, of its existence and how enjoyable it is to use.

“You should always think of new ways to engage your users, such as user onboarding, in-app messaging, and remarketing”, says Jeffery Rose, Director of Cyber Sematics.

If you don’t provide real value to users, you will only frustrate them.

Summary

In today’s market, creating a successful app isn’t just for engineers. Instead, designers, innovative businessmen, and creative marketers are gaining ground. If you have an idea but don’t know how to develop a software product, you can easily find a partner who can develop it for you.

The way you plan your app business doesn’t have to be technology-focused. There are plenty of guides online about “how to develop an iOS app”, “what programming language is the future”, and “which framework is the best”.

You don’t have to have a technical background to solve these problems. Just talk to an experienced project manager or developer.

Lastly, execution is crucial. If technology is not your forte, you should not concentrate on it, since you have other more important things to do. You can’t describe it any better than this. It’s important to have a plan, and to run it smoothly. Brilliant ideas are worth much less than great execution.