The last decade has seen a tremendous increase in the number of smartphone users. There is not a second thought about what makes people so engaged in their phones! Yes, you know it! It’s the multi-level engaging applications.

We see the number of apps increase every day and so does the competition in the app industry. If you want to build an app that will sustain amongst the billions of apps that are available in the market, then you should have at least one unique feature that it provides.

There are over 2.7 billion smartphone users across the globe and these users have become habitual to the quality of the app. Users do not settle for less than high-level quality of the applications on their devices. One lingering bug or functional issue can damage the entire user experience.

Facts say, only 4% of the customers who are not really happy complain about your app. This is an unpleasant situation and only about 29% of the app developers do immense testing and remaining fail to see this. An ineffective mobile app testing strategy affects the quality of the app and this is where your Quality Assurance comes into the picture.

QA Mobile App Testing

QA means quality assurance and app developers carry out multiple tests to make sure that the app is functioning properly and also to find and fix the bugs. QA testing is not just the process of fixing the bugs as most people think, it involves many more tasks than fixing bugs such as:

1. Testing and fixing the errors and bugs

2. Finding flaws in the UI/UX part

3. Meeting the app requirements

4. Ensures logic flow exists

5. It also monitors the app and lets the developer do the job effectively

In the entire process of app development, Mobile app testing is a significant part. Missing the testing part completely may be enticing but this may make your app fail in the market. Facts say that about 32% of app failure is due to insufficient time allocated for mobile app testing. By this, one can understand the importance of mobile application testing.

According to statistics, only four percent of the app users write a complaint about the bugs in the app to the company, remaining just uninstall the app. If an app is defective, the lesser the user it attracts and in turn, leads to the complete failure of the app. Though mobile testing indulges cost, it is an important part of the long run of the product.

Now that we know the importance of the QA mobile app testing, let’s see the popular testing techniques involved. There are two types of mobile app testing techniques, manual testing, and automation testing. There has always been a debate in deciding the right testing approach to follow for app testing.

1. Manual Testing: As the name suggests, in this, all the tests are carried out manually by a QA analyst. In this process, the analyst finds all the defects or errors made during the software development process by testing all the attributes of the app.

During this process, the QA generates reports while they run mobile app test cases for all the scenarios. In this job, the testers create certain conditions and execute to test the mobile app. As said earlier, these test cases are done manually and do not involve any automation tools. Since it involves humans to perform the tasks, it consumes a lot more time. In this method of mobile app testing, it allows the testers to execute preliminary tests which cannot be done through automation testing.

Manual testing is considered the best testing approach for android apps than for the iOS app. It permits the tester to find more bugs and fix them. When it comes to the iOS app, manual testing is not considered the best technique as it requires many tools to detect the bugs which humans can possibly do. Manual testing is economical compared to automation testing and it is not an appropriate method for high volume regression.

2. Automation Testing: In the automation testing process, the testers write certain codes to run the testing method. Codes are written in such a way that the automation tools run one by one and execute the test cases. This process does not consume much time and the objective of automation testing is to bring downtime required in testing.

The most effective method of finding bugs and errors for mobile apps is automation testing. Though the cost involved in this approach is high, it gives a good return on investment in the long term. As it uses automated tools to find the errors, there are fewer chances of bugs going unnoticed. Every small error gets identified in automation testing. Also, the QA testers find this approach suitable for an iOS app as it allows the QA to examine and find them in less time.

The main objective of testing is to put yourself into the customer’s shoes and use case scenarios to perform tests. One should learn their target audience before building an app which will surely make your app a success.

As we have understood the better and suitable app testing techniques, it’s now time to see the strategies involved in the testing process. In a testing strategy, we get to see how a particular issue or a factor affects your app performance. It also focuses on the areas where mobile app testing varies from desktop testing and helps in designing an effective testing strategy. Let’s see them one by one.

Cross-Platform Testing: In recent days, users can access your app from various devices including mobile, tablets, desktops having different platforms. As your app cannot be tested on every available device and configurations, it is always better to test on a handful of the devices that will make you find issues or problems in most of the platforms.

Cross-platform testing is a very significant step of QA and is executed to find out the response of your app in various environments. It helps in tracking the issues that may differ with different configurations or platforms such as stability, user interface, functionality, and performance issues.

Earlier tools used for cross-platform testing were limited, however, now we have lots of options for testing like Browserstack, Testize, Test Plant, Browsershots and many more.

Functional Testing: Mobile Application Functional Testing includes testing of Android Apps, iOS Apps & Web Apps for mobile surfers. In this process, testing is performed to validate if all the elements of the app are functioning as expected. When the device is changed, the app should be self-adjusted as per the UI.

Mobile app functional testing is carried out to check the app in terms of functioning, convenience, consistency, etc., When the app is running in the background, it should not slow down the other apps, must be compatible for all types of screen sizes, user should be able to take the calls even when the app is running and most importantly it must be accessible for all the devices.

User Interface Testing: UI testing also known as User Interface testing in the mobile app is also a key aspect in the testing process and cannot be taken lightly as this can help the app succeed. Think from the user’s point of view as to how you want an app to be. An attractive graphical UI can always keep the user more active and engaged.

Two important validations to be done for the mobile app is how user-friendly the app is and the response of the app across the various devices on different platforms. A friendly UI app attracts the user more than a deeply developed site with a lack of UI. Intense UI testing can be done depending on the app purpose such as gaming app, business, education app, etc., Recommended tool to test UI is Experitest.

It is always advisable to carry out the tests at least on 3 various OS versions. Some of the features to be tested during the UI testing process are:

· Resolution of the screen

· Size of the screen

· UI elements such as buttons, images, icon

· Colour and theme style of the device

· A single touch or multi-touch feature

· Short or long-press

· Location

Localization testing: This is a method of software testing technique to see how the app responds as per the local culture or setting. In this process, the app is designed according to the targeted region and language.

Concerning the target region or country, the application is tested for UI, language, date & time format, currency and many more to ensure that the app is competent for that specific region. For example: if the user is in the US, the currency, date and time format should show as per the US standards.

The main objective of executing localization testing is to examine the relevant language and cultural features for a specific region. This process involves modifications in the UI and settings as per the specifications. Selenium is one of the new tools used for localization testing.

Accessibility Testing: The procedure for mobile accessibility testing is always compared with desktop accessibility testing. Desktop accessibility testing needs fewer steps to perform successful audits, while, mobile accessibility testing has a different set of approaches or methods to follow.

Stats say that there are more than 85% of people with severe visual impairments and use screen reader software for their mobile devices. Many users may require accessibility approaches, especially blind users and others like

· people using a small screen

· Users with partial sight

· Users with color blindness

· Users with cognitive problems and dyslexia

· Flexibility issues with finger

Accessibility issues vary from device to device with different screen readers. Testers must have both the platforms an Android and iOS mobile to test mobile accessibility.

Let’s see the checklists required for the Accessibility Testing

1. Testing screen reader– This test differs in the desktop version and mobile version

2. Application zooming- Users with poor sight use this button and this concept is similar to the desktop, however, the mobile app has the pinch feature to zoom the object and the desktop has the zoom option for a better view.

3. Color ratios: Colour ratios can be examined on the desktop using the toolbar. To get the actual color, it is suggested to use the screenshots.

4. Readability of the Site / Site readability: The quality of written language or text should be easy to understand to the users. There should not be any complexity in understanding the content and this remains the same for both mobile and desktop.

5. Navigation: Navigation for the mobile app should be compatible, well structured, logical and graphical or pictorial.

External Factors Testing: In this process, testers ensure that external factors like network connectivity issues don’t hinder the app experience. Everyone has experienced the problems due to poor network. You will be on the call walking on the streets and when you enter into the lift, your voice will not be audible due to the connectivity issue.

When testing network connectivity, QA must consider these five major situations on how the app responds to the below scenario.

· Wi-Fi connection

· 2G/3G/4G connection

· LTE connection

· No connection

· No SIM card

QA must also test for other scenarios when users use their app for business purposes and they should not lose any ongoing tasks when stepping outside the coverage area. This will certainly lead to customer dissatisfaction.

Some of the other bad experiences would be due to poor network connectivity involves, app time out, app crash, loading for a long time, app freeze, etc.,

Performance Testing: The aim of conducting performance testing is to check the functionality, resource consumption, stability and other elements of the app under various situations. Some of the commonly recommended tools for performance testing are Robotium and Money Runner for android devices and Automator for iOS devices.

The main objective of performance testing:

· Load Testing: To ensure that the app works fine and meets all the requirements for the normal user load by checking the time taken or response time under different user requests.

· Stress Testing: It is nothing but testing the app’s working capacity at high loads.

· Stability Testing: Under this test, the QA checks the functionality of the app for the long run work under normal load.

· Volume Testing: In this testing, QA tests the response of the app for an expanded database under normal duration.

· Concurrency Testing: To check on how many users can work with the app simultaneously.

Apart from the main tests, there are other validations to check the performance of the mobile app:

· Does the app work the same for different network conditions?

· To find out if any other application and designs that can reduce the performance of your mobile app.

· Gauge the app capacity to work on all the planned load volumes.

· To check if the application meets the response time requirements

· To verify the stability of the app for various conditions of a hard user load.

· To make sure that the performance of the app is not affected when there is no internet connection.

· To achieve optimal performance for the existing client-server configuration.

· Security Testing: The goal of security testing is to check the system security and to investigate the risks related to it. Also, to provide complete protection to the app from viruses, hackers, leakage of sensitive data due to unauthorized access

There are few validations listed below to be performed to test mobile application security

· To ensure that the user information is protected from network attacks. Sensitive information such as login credentials, bank account, and card details, etc.has to be secured and shall not be found by selection in an automated system.

· Hackers should not be able to steal other users’ password and this can be done by verifying the app’s security system with a strong password.

· Authentication is an important aspect and your app should not give access to unauthorized users to view the customer’s sensitive data.

· The application should be secured from the SQL injection attacks.

· Secure the network and app from Dos attacks.

· Secure app on the client’s network from malicious attacks.

· When the program is running, the system should be secured from malicious implementations.

· Protect sensitive information from unauthorized users by providing session management.

· Avoid all the possible harm of file caching.

· Verify the user files and avoid possible malicious effects

· Examine the system file interaction, find and rectify the vulnerabilities.

· Avoid the damage caused due to the action of cookies.

Let’s now summarise the strategies of Mobile App testing

· Before going to test the app, one should know their app

· Know the differences between a mobile app and a desktop app

· Consider the OS and hardware specifications

· Check app on a real-time basis by using real devices

· Always use the familiar tools for testing than trying unknown tools

· Make use of cloud mobile testing

· Record the test results with screenshots, videos and make it documented.

· Test your mobile app for both mobile and tablet versions.

· Validate performance of the app

· Always good to use a combination of both manual and automation testing

Hope this article helps you to test your app in the best way possible. Feel free to reach out to our team to discuss any of the above-mentioned points so that you can build a stable app that has been tested for gaining a productive output.

As we see the number of smartphone users is increasing every single second, the growth of the mobile app market is also rising at a greater speed than ever before. Regardless of the scope and category of the business, whether it is small scale or large scale, the companies are bringing up their mobile app by using various platforms to build mobile apps to help their customers meet their needs and to serve better customer experiences. 

Peter Rojas, co-founder of Engadget and Gizmodo says “ I think the biggest change, and the one we’re already starting to see take shape, is that globally the majority of internet usage will be done via a mobile device and for most people, the mobile web will be their primary – if not their only – way of experiencing the internet.” With the increase in the usage of devices such as tablets, smartphones and other wearables like smartwatches, most of the companies have realized the importance of having a mobile app for their business. Companies spend huge amounts of money on hiring the best app developers to build their business apps. 

If you are a person with an idea of developing a mobile app, this article will help you understand better about mobile app development tools and platforms. Recently there are numerous platforms & tools available for app building and one may need not to know too much of coding to do so. With available tools and existing templates, you can develop a high-end mobile app. All you have to be aware of is the usage of the right tool to build a perfect mobile app. 

Before getting deep into knowing the mobile development tools, let’s understand what they are and how we can accomplish the tasks that we have, these tools. Mobile Development Tools are nothing but software that is designed to assist in mobile application creation. There are two types of tools, native mobile development tools, and

cross-platform mobile development tools. Now let’s learn more about it

Native mobile development tools: These tools help in building high-quality apps that interact on a single operating system. As the app is designed to work on a specific device and its operating system, it can use the hardware and software of the device providing optimized performance. 

On the other hand, Cross-platform mobile development tools help in building a universal app for various platforms including Coding platforms, Low-coding platforms, and No-Coding platforms. These are cost and time effective in terms of building the app. Compared to a native application, a cross-platform environment has more issues and lower quality. 

You will be amazed to know that there are several mobile app development tools available in recent days. But let me ask you, do you know the right one to use? Are you paying for the tools which are not necessary and how do you avoid overpaying on the unwanted tools? Should you be a developer to use these tools? 

Well! This article will help you learn more about the best mobile app development tools. Now let’s find out the best tools to build a mobile app.

Xcode:                            

IDE’s are the latest way to build and design software. Xcode is one such IDE for macOS which has provided a new dimension in designing software. Xcode was first released in 2003 and has evolved over time, getting stable with each release version. V 11.3 is the latest stable version of Xcode as of today. Cocoa and Cocoa Touch makes use of the innovative programming language called The Swift. The combination of Swift and Xcode tools enhances the programming experience to an all-new delightful level.

Our hand-written UI code will be visible in the design canvas of the Live rendering Interface Builder. This live rendering Interface Builder reflects the UI changes instantly as soon as the code is changed or modified. Xcode provides all the tools required by a developer to build an application for Apple products such as iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch, etc. Xcode offers a centralized workflow for Design, Coding, Testing, and Debugging.

Android Studio:

Applications for Google’s Android Operating system are designed by the infamous IDE called the Android Studio. The implementation editor of Android Studio is a user-friendly interface for Android developers. This implementation editor offers a handful of coding and designing shortcuts. Designing the application layout is no more tedious coding effort. The Layout designer of android studio offers an easy to use drag and drop layout designer for designing your application layout without spending time on coding. 

The newest version of Android studio provides many attractive features like quick fixes, Android-specific refactoring and built-in support for Gradle. Lint tools help in usability, version compatibility, catch performance and other issues. Some of the other attributes include App-signing abilities and ProGuard integration, template-based tools help in creating generic android components and designs. A rich layout editor helps the users to preview the layouts on various screen configurations and allows the user to drag-and-drop UI components. It also supports in developing android wear apps. 

Adobe PhoneGap:

Nitobi created a mobile application development framework, which was later purchased by Adobe Systems rebranding it as PhoneGap. An open-source version was released later which was called Apache Cordova. Adobe PhoneGap lets the developer work with one code base, for a different group of technologies. It is an open-source, cross-platform tool that makes use of languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Web APIs for building applications. 

The developed applications are nothing, but a collection of HTML pages wrapped in the application shell, these are fed to native platforms using native API’s. Just like creating any other website, the developers use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create files with PhoneGap. 

These files are hosted on the server’s local directory or in the cloud. Plugins are responsible for accessing these files when even the application is being executed on the device. Due to these extensive features, applications design using PhoneGap are highly reusable and lighter. The UI experience and its quality vary from one operating system to another. The Web View Engine of the OS is responsible for rendering the UI. Earlier PhoneGap required an Apple computer to create iOS apps and a Windows computer to create Windows Mobile apps until the major upgrade announced around September 2012. PhoneGap Build generates apps for every supported platform by letting the developers upload JavaScript,CSS, HTML source code to the cloud compiler.

Ionic:

Ionic is a user-friendly framework that is very easy to learn and understand which offers numerous prototypes. Ionics’ ability to integrate with Angular makes it a great environment to work on. Ionic is built on a standard web Technology allowing the developers to build cross-platform web applications very easily which are Hybrid and Progressive in nature.

Ionic Studio is a visual development environment that is powerful and locally-installed environment that helps us build stunning apps easily in minutes. 

Ionic is designed in such a beautiful way to display and work on all platforms and mobile devices that are currently available. It includes ready made components, attractive base themes, typography which are adaptive in nature for all the platforms, helps in building a wonderful app. Ionic is created to execute and run smoothly on the latest mobile devices with best practices like touch-optimized gestures and  efficient hardware accelerated transitions. Ionic imitates the native app user interface guidelines and uses native SDKs in achieving the UI standards and device features of native apps along with the full potential and flexibility of the open web.

Onsen UI:

Based on HTML5, JS and CSS languages, there are several mobile app development frameworks available in recent days. Onsen UI is one of JavaScript Frameworks and can be combined with Monaca to develop mobile apps like PhoneGap/Cordova which allows making use of phone native features. Onsen UI components are JavaScript framework agnostic and can use AngularJS, Angular 2+, jQuery, Vue.js, React or Meteor.

Onsen UI is a JavaScript framework-agnostic after the release of version 2. This means the developers can build mobile apps with or without JavaScript Frameworks. It’s the features of Onsen UI that makes it so popular. Let’s look at them one by one

• Easy to learn – Onsen UI is a powerful tool used to create mobile apps with high complexity, yet the tool is so simple which makes it easy to understand and work with. There are a lot of resources like community forums, documentation and other interactive tutorials which makes the learning process easy and simple to use.
• Native Look – Onsen UI supports both Android and iOS platforms and helps in making the changes to the appearance and style of your app anytime using the same source code for the platform you have chosen to work with. It also comes with ready to use UI components like lists, toolbar, forms, tabs, sides menu, and the list goes on.
• No need for IOS/Android SDK – Onsen UI helps to build your app without configuring or installing the IOS/Android SDK, which makes this one of the best features.
• Zero-Time Setup – You may need not know anything new to use the Onsen UI as permits you to build your app with the technologies you already know like HTML, CSS, and JS. This makes it easy and no extra time required to build your app.
• Optimized Performance – When it comes to lower-end devices, users are concerned about the slow performance on some Cordova/PhoneGap apps. Onsen UI team has worked on the issue and made it optimized to work on a wide range of devices.

OutSystems:

OutSystems is an application development platform that requires minimal coding, hence enabling users to build, deploy, manage, and change professional-grade mobile and web apps in no time. OutSystems offers more than 140 ready-to-use UI templates and layouts to speedup UI development time. OutSystems provides multiple sorts of support options to help developers maximize the use of the software. It provides many exciting features like knowledge base resources, a customer onboarding program, unlimited email support, exclusive webinars, and online training and tutorials.

Integration with OutSystems is easy. There is no need to write custom code for configuring integration thus significantly reducing effort and time eliminating errors.OutSystems generates all the data structure and methods to combine with external system. SAP system is built by integrating SOAP and REST services which makes it easier for the developers to use them optically in the application logic. From the developer’s point of view, there is not much of a difference between invoking a REST API, an OutSystems method or a SAP BAPI.

Xamarin:

Xamarin is an open source app platform and a popular cross-platform product for building mobile apps from Microsoft. It uses C# and .Net languages for building apps on iOS and Android platforms. It also allows sharing 90% of its code across the major platforms.  Xamarin company was built as a commercial project until Microsoft took over it in 2016.  It became a part of  Xamarin Visual Studio Integrated Development Environment as the Microsoft made Xamarin SDK is open-source. 

Xamarian uses a single language i.e C# to build apps for all mobile platforms. Because of its natively compiled feature, Xamarin is the best option in creating high-performance apps with the native feel and look. 

.NET is a developer platform combined with different tools, libraries and other programming languages that can be used in developing many types of applications. The .NET platform provides elements that apply to various types of apps along with added frameworks like Xamarin, .NET helps in developing specific kinds of apps. 

Features added in the .NET platform are the programming language C# and its compilers, base libraries to work with dates, files/IO, string and many more. Tools and editors for Linux, Windows, macOS, and Docker. Xamarin extends the .NET platform with tools and libraries helping in developing apps on iOS, Android, macOS, and more.

Appcelerator:

Appcelerator is one of the best and leading mobile development tools liked by many of the developers? It is an open, extensible development environment for building native apps over various mobile devices and platforms including Android, iOS, BlackBerry also HTML5 and hybrid. Appcelerator uses a single JavaScript codebase for developing cloud-connected mobile apps and rich native mobile apps.

The development process is simplified by an Eclipse-based integrated development environment (IDE). It comprises an open-source SDK with over 5000 mobile OS APIs, devices, a powerful Eclipse-based IDE, Studio, an MVC framework, Alloy and Cloud Services in the mobile backend. 

For any commercial application, the Titanium SDK and an integrated development environment (IDE) are offered free of cost. Appcelerator including cloud services, additional support, and analytics capabilities comes with an additional charge. Certification courses and training programs are provided for an additional cost.

React Native:

React Native is yet another powerful tool for creating native apps for iOS and Android. It combines the best components of native development with React, a high standard JavaScript library for developing user interfaces. The best part is, you can make use of React Native on your existing iOS and Android projects or you can simply create a new app from the start using the JavaScript provided by native code. 

One can develop a platform-particular version of components using a single code that can be shared across multiple platforms. With React Native, you can manage dual platforms and share a common technology. React Native allows you to develop a rich native app providing ultimate user experience. 

MobiLoud:

MobiLoud is a WordPress plugin that helps in building a native mobile application for both iOS and Android devices suitable for all business types. It combines with WordPress websites to transform them into native mobile apps and permits the users to publish the apps on Google Play and Apple App Store. The advantages of using MobiLoud tools include push notifications, login, and subscriptions, mobile advertising, performance monitoring, external link embedding, offline access, and analytics. 

White label branding helps users in personalizing the font, color, style, logo, and content of their app which is facilitated by MobiLoud. It also helps in building a mobile app quickly and in the easiest way for your WordPress site. Since they use native apps to build mobile apps, the execution is pretty fast and smooth on iOS and Android devices. It also offers more features and functionality than any other competing websites in creating app services.

Conclusion:

Having said about all these tools available in the market, we can conclude that the demand for mobile apps continues to grow day by day, the pool of tools and solutions also continues to grow in helping the developers save their time in building high-quality apps. When thinking of building your app, don’t wait to try one of these top 10 mobile app development tools. You need not worry about getting committed before going to use these tools as most of them offer a free version, trial or a demo version. So be wise to choose the best tool that suits your app. 

Each tool has its pros and cons based on their limitations and strengths. Choosing the right framework as per the project requirements will always be in the hand of the app developer. One should be wise enough to make the use of the right tool. It has become a lot easier to build mobile applications these days, thanks to mobile app development tools making it easier, faster and convenient. 

Over the past few years, the usage of computers have been overtaken by mobiles which have led to building mobile apps for the business. Kudos! If you have thought of creating a mobile app for your business. Indeed, it’s a great idea for growing your business in the future. Creating a mobile app involves multiple steps that need much effort or skill to accomplish which a few talented developers in Gurgaon and Bengaluru have mastered. Well! Be calm and need not worry, we have made your job a little easier. We have made every step of the entire process from building the mobile app to launching it on the app store very simple and easy to understand. So, without making any further delay, let’s get started to get your mobile app built.

Key points to keep in mind before we start:

1. Know your competitors
2. Does your business need an app
3. Concerns in terms of business perspective 
4. The objective of your app
5. How to protect your idea
6. Building your mobile app
7. Launching your app on the app store
8. App Efficiency

Now, let’s see the step by step approach involved in developing a mobile app

Know your competitors in Mobile Apps

Winning a place on the user’s phone is not so easy as it seems. Recent research says, there are over 2.7 billion smartphone users globally and will be pounding in the coming years. Studies say that, on average, 10% of people use their phones over every four minutes. Well to think of what’s everyone doing on their phones, and the answer is… they spend 90% of their time on apps. This is something to cheer for the one who wants to develop an app. 

Looking at the recent statistics, It is said that

1.  Over $189 billion of revenue is expected to be generated from mobile apps by 2020
2. We have 2.2 million apps in the Apple App store available for download and 2.8 million apps in the Google Play store.
3.  21% of today’s generation open an app more than 50 times a day
4.  49% of the crowd uses the app more than 11 times every day.
5.  57% of the usage is done by digital media.
6.  At last, on an average 30 apps are being used by the smartphone users

Looking at these numbers, you can be sure that there is an immense number of apps to compete with. However, there is still a chance to get into the run as long as your app has that X-factor which makes you stand out of the crowd.

Does your business need an app

The most effective way of staying connected and building a relationship with your customers in recent days is through apps. So it’s obvious that the mobile app is an important aspect of your business. Facts show that in the US, an average of 2 hours a day is spent over mobile devices and 86% of the time is spent on apps. Be it a gaming app, a social media app or an e-commerce app, customers rely on mobile apps. As long as customers are in love with the apps, you can always manage to have a place in their device.

Checkout what should you consider before planning to get started with mobile app development for your business.

It is very important to have an app in terms to achieve success in business and over 70% of smartphone users agree to it. Also, 50% of the users make their shopping online and 70% of the population are likely to use the apps to avail offers, coupons, and notifications of the products. In other words, the key resource of attracting and making customers loyal users is to have an app. Launching an app has proven to have a positive result for over 84% of small business owners and so do you.

  Let’s now see how can an app help you in your business

1. Staying in touch and being available to your customers 24/7

The first thing everyone does in the morning these days is to peek in their smartphones and an average of 75% of the population have their phones all day. This means, you are in contact with your customers round the clock through your app, which is an advantage for your business. 

2. Excel in Customer satisfaction

When it comes to the digital world, the experience is what matters a lot for your customer. Expectations of the customers are pretty high in for mobile app development when compared to any other engaging apps. Based on how well you have been able to anticipate customer needs, either you will earn the customer’s loyalty or lose them forever. Better service can keep the buyers engaged or even make them buy your app. When we say “Good Customer Experience” includes how easy it is to search for a product, quick responses, wait time, etc…

3. Creating the Brand

Making a mark in people’s minds and winning their hearts is not an easy task. As said earlier, business apps are the most effective means to reach your customers and grow your business. To create recognition for their brand, companies spend a lot of money on advertising their products. 

4. Manage Customer Loyalty

Developing customer loyalty requires a lot more effort in these days and your app acts as a direct means between you and your customer to help this. Until unless you provide the best customer service, succeed in meeting and exceeding customer needs, you will surely be able to get more happy customers.

5. Keeping your customers engaged

Having a happy customer and making them come back, again and again, is the key to your business success. Attracting customers and make them stay loyal can be achieved by customising their needs through the apps. Helping them find the right products with minimal work makes the customer stay engaged in the business for all time, which is, of course, a good thing in terms of business.

6. Direct connection with customers

You can always stay connected with your customers through the app and improve direct marketing. Help businesses manage the marketing strategies by notifying the customers directly and one of the most effective ways to reach them is, your android or iOS mobile app.  

7. Understanding your customer

What is your customer interest? What products do they likely to choose? who spends more time on which category? When does the business get more sales in a week? All the answers for these questions easily answered by app analysis

8. Leading the competition

We live in an era of technoids where smartphones does most of their daily activities including business. Attracting this group of technoids can be easy if you the best app idea in you. 

Now that we know all the pros of having a business app and how helpful they are in terms  of running a successful business, let’s look into the aspects of why should a business choose your app. There are few non- technical and technical concerns involved for the companies before working with the app development company

Non-Technical concerns

1. Cost & Timeline – How much cost is involved in developing your app and is it cost-effective. Have your reports handy to help companies calculate the estimates. What is the estimated time requirement in launching your app and when can you see the returns.

2. Whom to work with – Always choose whom you want to work with, who has the same potential and views as yours. Music, gaming and lifestyle app won’t be appropriate for a business app.

3. Projects & Products – You can always have an idea on companies ability by their previous successful product launch and development.

4. Process of project management – knowing the initial practices of a company in planning, execution and developing the work will always help you in having a good rapport with the clients.

Now, let’s get into the Technical part

1. Technology and Platform – Picking a company that has over years of experience on the platform you work will be a wise decision to make. Know the tools and technology the company uses for the development, do they rely on native apps or hybrid. 

2. Preferred language for App development – iOS applications use Swift or Objective C, while Android apps use Java as their language. So one must be skilled enough to develop the app on different platforms.

3. Updating to the latest versions – As we see constant launches of new phones from the manufacturer, you should always be up to date with the latest versions and changes in the OS. 

4. Support on Version Upgrade – Ensure that the development company also supports in post-launch and maintenance for latest versions.

5. Designing the App – Developing an app and designing the app are two different aspects. You need a competent and experienced designer to build your vision into an app. It will be a win-win situation for you if the company has a design team.

6. Source Code – Check if the company can give the rights of owning the source code of your app so that you can make any changes and upgrades in the future. Going back to the developer every time to make the feature changes may be a pain if  you don’t own the source code

7. Cost & Timeline – Cost estimation and time outline depend on the platform you chose. Make sure you discuss these in detail

Evaluate the idea of developing the app 

• Every new app emerging in the market has been developed to solve the problem. Are you ready to make an impact on users by filling this gap of solving issues? 

• Know your intended audience, plan your marketing strategies by asking more questions on your target audience.  What are their likes, their interests, the generation they fall under

• Know your competitors, think on how ideal solution can you propose for the existing problems. Focus on the failure of the competitors and make it a key feature for your success

• Analyse on how your competitors are working on solving the problems. Study and research on their strategies of having demand in the market. Think on how capable are you in having different idea

It’s time now to learn how to Protect your App idea

You have won half the battle if you understand the importance of app idea in a business and how to develop it. What if someone steals your app idea before you create it? And if you want to validate your idea check here Don’t you worry, here are some key things you have to look at and prevent every possible threat. 

1. Get the Copyright for your App – It is hard to get the copyright of an idea before the completion. However, you can still get it by creating some basic attributes like name, logo or some graphs.

2. Get signed for Non-Disclosure Agreement – Ensure to get a sign for non-disclosure agreement from the people whom you work with which help in constraining the designers, developers and other people in disclosing your app idea

3. Explore a Non-Compete Agreement – Find developers who will sign a non-compete agreement, so that they will not work on your rival competitors for the period of your project

4. Patent your app idea – Although this a complex process and take time to obtain, you still can apply for a provisional patent which can help secure your idea over a period of a year

5. Apply for Trademark – Name, company logo, icons, and other important details can be trademarked stopping others from imitating your app ideas. It also helps in creating a dated document which serves as an evidence

Development Process of the Mobile App 

Now that all the pre-checks have been taken care of, we will now look into the mobile application development process step by step

1. Design: Work with proficient designers to achieve an appealing, functional and robusting app design that can be operated on various devices across the globe. Ensure your app design goes well with your brand. 

2. Development: Developing an app can be a cakewalk if you have a team of qualified developers. Usage of the fine code of language will provide great performance and high-speed functionality. 

3. Module Integration: Module testing and integration include various aspects of system and software performance, functionality and quality. 

4. Testing & Error Fixing: Testing the app in real-time scenarios to ensure that the app is good to go and compatible to use with zero bugs and errors. If any glitches or bugs found, it has to be fixed then and there.

Checkout our another blog sharing more information about Mobile App Development Life Cycle.

6. Deployment: As your app is ready for the launch, it time to submit for market approval. Time to earn rewards on your marketing efforts and app store optimization.

Launching your App on the App stores : 

Let’s see what it requires to add the iOS mobile App to Apple App Store (iTunes)

1. Creation of an App ID:  Every app has a unique App ID or application identifier.  The First type of App ID is called a Wildcard App ID and the second type is called an Explicit App ID.  You can use a Wildcard App ID for all apps and do not enable app-specific capabilities. Where in, an Explicit App ID can be used to enable certain iOS features such as In-App Purchase and Apple Push Notification service in your applications. 

2. Distribution Certificate and Distribution Provisioning Profile creation: In Order to create an iOS provisioning profile for distribution, we need to get a distribution certificate first. Check  Apple’s guide on Code Signing Your Apps for more information. After having the distribution certificate, an iOS provisioning profile has to be created, this is exclusive for App Store distribution. You can distribute multiple applications with just one provisioning certificate if you have created a wildcard App ID

3. Code Signing and Build Settings: Configure the build settings in Xcode from the list of targets available in the Xcode and select Project Navigator. Update settings in the Signing section in Build Settings tab. Set the Code Signing to Automatic.

4. Register Your App: Through Xcode, you need to upload your app’s build by selecting ‘Generic iOS Device’ in Xcode as the deployment target. Choose ‘Product’ and click on ‘Archive’ from the top menu

5. Add your App on iTunes Connect :  iTunes, the commercial part of the App Store handles transactions and you can just go to iTunes Connect and choose ‘Add a New App’. Complete all the steps as instructed.

Adding an Android App to Google Playstore:

1. Register and Create an account:  If you have an account with Google, sign up registering as a publisher with a minimal fee. Verify using the email sent and Accept the terms and conditions 

2. Access to Developer’s Console: With a verified account, you can access Google Play Developer Console and manage to publish your app in all the stages. 

3.  Complete the form: Fill in all the required information and follow the instructions

4. Merchant Account: Link your Google Payment Merchant account to your profile which will be used for all transactions including app purchases and subscriptions

5. Upload Your App: Go to the All Applications tab and click on ‘Add New Application’.  Choose the default language, add your app’s title,  click ‘upload APK’ and you are good to upload your .apk file.

6. Testing Your App: Testing the app is an important step before the launch. Ensure to release a beta version and get the feedback and review for improvement

7. Store Listing Process: See how your App looks like after the launch. Enter all your app description, promo video links and screenshots, Give your contact details and save.

8. Pricing and Distribution Details: Add your price details or state it if it’s a free app. Choose your Distribution Details by selecting the different countries

9. Filter your Device and Publish: based on compatibility, you can select to mark the specific devices you wish to distribute the app on.  Publish your App by clicking the ‘publish this app’ button and there you go. 

Few last steps which will help in getting you more downloads

• Learn your customers and research on your competitors
• Select the Right App Name
• Use your keywords effectively
• Create an Appealing Description about your App
• Choose an impressive Icon

If you are a mobile app developer yourself, ensure you cater to each of the features that have been detailed out above. If you are looking for mobile application development companies, always check that these companies have talented android and iOS app developers as required.