1. Usability – Successful mobile application development often is the result of implementing acute usability design into the mobile application from the very beginning of the design phase. The best mobile apps have an interface that seems seamless with content, features, and the device itself and they allow users to effectively and intuitively navigate and utilize the mobile applications functionality. The applications that create a effective user experiences are often taken for granted; however, those that fail are destined to suffer from a lack of success. It is easy for people to fall into a trap of wanting to do too much so we highly recommend working with usability experts that can help forge powerful interfaces based on intuitive principles of design into your application.
2. Functionality – Mobile applications are not web sites. Mobile-optimized websites are for that purpose and if that is your goal, we recommend pursuing that route instead of developing a mobile application. Mobile apps should be designed and developed to take advantage of all the inherent features and functionality of the mobile device, such as GPS, camera, motion sensors, NFC, etc. Likewise mobile applications should focus on functionality suited to instant regular access from a smartphone, such as product reviews, social networking, information portals, photo sharing, etc.
3. Utility – Valuable mobile applications provide utility. This is crucial for mobile application development projects, as utility ensures that users will continue to interact with an application long after the initial interest has dissipated. Does your anticipated project provide a useful function to potential users? Is there a reason they will use your app day after day? If not, you should reevaluate your project and develop a plan that creates value and provides functionality for your anticipated end users.
Google very recently introduced Android 4.0, otherwise known as Ice Cream Sandwich, along with the new phone that will ship with the it, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. The improvements that it offers are certainly significant, ambitious and compelling to the marketplace. Here is a quick list of the highlights that are being discussed by Android application developers:
1. Unified UI Framework – The new Android UI is now consistant across device form factors. Android developers can now write for Android devices across the board rather than phones or tablets separately.
2. Android Beam – NFC-enabled Android phones can now use Android Beam to share information about their apps with each other when the phones are in close proximity. Users can now exchange contacts, configure multi-player games, initiate chats, etc. Android Beam can switch over to Bluetooth for large data transfers; and it doesn’t require manual device discovery or pairing. Android application developers are very excited about this feature.
3. Face Unlock – Android 4.0 uses the technology as an optional way to unlock the device. Users can also use PIN entry or pattern tracing to unlock their devices.
4. Calendar API – Simplifies the process of adding calendar related services to apps. It allows apps to add and manage events, alerts, and reminders through a shared database. Very useful for mobile applications for Android phones.
5. Visual Voicemail API – Includes the ability to access incoming messages, voice transcriptions, and audio files from multiple voicemail service providers. The Phone app can be integrated with developer apps.
6. Enterprise Enhancements – Ice Cream Sandwich comes with a new VPN API that makes it easier to create apps that rely on secure connections.
There is certainly a lot to be excited about with Android 4.0. If you are contemplating building a mobile app for Android devices be sure to discuss all that is available with an Android mobile app developer to make sure you don’t miss out on a great opportunity to leverage the power of this exciting new operating system.
If you’re thinking about developing an application for iPhone, Android application or an iPad application, your potential audience is massive and growing at an accelerating rate. Individual smartphone users across the globe will have downloaded 98 billion mobile apps by the end of 2015 according to a recent estimate by Berg Insight. And while this is encouraging news regarding usage, it also points out that it is more important than ever to carefully develop mobile applications that will stand out in the marketplace and stay on your users smartphones.
One of the key attributes and considerations that we tell our clients when discussing mobile application development is that they need to do more than just market a business. While this often seems to be a driver to build mobile applications, it’s far from the only one. You should consider functions such as customer service, a tool to augment your product line or simply providing your customers a mobile application of value that they will utilize regularly. This way your app is something that they will interact with regularly, this isn’t necessarily the case with apps that exist solely to promote. Consider all aspects of your business and goals and then develop an app strategy that actually supports those goals and works inline with them.
The second idea that we always tell clients is that an app should deliver value. Even if it’s free, the app needs to give the user a reason not just to download it but to actually use it. Reasons will vary by business and industry–giving you lots of opportunities to be creative. You know your customer, see that they will get some value from your app. If you do they will appreciate it and use your iPhone or Android application.
Finally, have a plan to get the word out. Just like with your website, a mobile application won’t just magically find an audience. They need to be marketed like any other part of your business. This could be as simple as a sign in a physical retail location, links from an emails or your website, or a mention that you have iPhone, iPad and Android application on your print marketing materials. Remember that apps are hip and new, people want them and it very easy to get people to download them if you let them know that you have an iPhone application, iPad application or Android application available.