"The number of mobile phone users in the world is expected to pass the 5 billion mark by 2019" reveals a study by Statista. Mobile application development services have marked wonderful growth in past years. Mobile apps help enterprises to enhance their branding and boost their business values.
If you are a business owner, want to develop a mobile app, it is important to decide the platform. There are plenty of things you need to work out when choosing the right mobile app development platform. On which devices are your users likely to use the app. Windows, Blackberry, iOS, or Android? Once you recognize your user base, you will have more clarity about the type of platform you want to choose.
If you have been pondering more over this topic, do not fret. We are here with a few tips to help you make the right choice:
Consider User Experience
Successful mobile applications have one common thing – they fulfill the customers' goals. And, a mobile app's UX impacts its recognition. The UX is the ultimate decision maker. It decides if a user will come back to your app, delete it, or will rate it as poor. A useful application completes the requirements which are not available in the market. So, UX should include competitive analysis, feasible products development, and market validity test.
Recognize Customer Base
Platforms vary drastically. That too, region wise. Therefore, the most crucial part is to pay attention to geographical criteria. Consider performing a deep research, recognize and create your user base. It will help you define your target audience. For instance, if your focus audience is US, Australia, or Japan, consider hiring iOS developer. While with Asian and African countries; Android is leading the game. Thus, the situation may differ country wise. For Asian and African customer base you can hire Android developer for further assistance.
Consider Browsing-to-Buy Conversion Rates
Browsing-to-Buy conversion rates help you to decide which platform is most likely to give you more purchases. While choosing between mobile app development platforms, "Browsing-to-Buy" rate plays a vital role. For instance, of iPhone users purchases more from their smartphones. And, Android users are less likely to do this. Thus, consider checking it for each platform for an accurate decision.
Know What to Offer
Decide your requirements and features first. They are dependent on the ability and limitations of the platform. You need to finalize the features combined with its user experience. Thereafter, compare the results with a certain platform. If you want to make a custom-made Native App, iOS, Android are the best solutions. To go with the iOS, you can hire iOS developer who has the required skills to develop iOS apps. Native apps provide great user experience and usability. But if you are looking for the app which would support multiple platforms, consider cross-platform development.
Decide Support Devices
It's obviously challenging to build an app which supports multiple devices. Android supports 160 devices. And iOS 9 supports 15 devices. If we consider Windows and Blackberry, their supported devices include 100 and 10 devices accordingly. But the most popular apps do not even support Windows phone. Therefore, after analyzing the audience base, it is advisable to decide the preferred devices.
Know Development Costs
Yes, it is important to invest money to build productive apps. But when the app development starts, your investment sum might increase. With different platforms, development costs are likely to vary. For example, Apple is more expensive than Android when it comes to enterprise programs. Thus, if you are looking for affordable option, hire Android developer and start working on your app. Even if there are new requirements or change in the existing your costs might go up. Hence, prepare a rough development cost with extra development expense.
Recognize Management Challenges
Your joy seems no bounds after you have launched an app for your business. Well, that's great! But, there's bad news. It does not just end with launching an app. Several inevitable challenges might occur in the future. Let me list out some:
Update the application without any security threat
Provide multiple mobile apps with good performance
Restrict the use of applications to predefined locations and times
And as and when the time goes, your requirements are likely to increase. A good way to get through is to match the application management capabilities with platforms. In case, you stuck somewhere while developing an Android app, you can hire Android developer. They are sure to bring an end to your confusion.
Third-Party Integration Check
Third party integration is the most important facilities for Mobile application development services. Platforms should allow a confidential integration with third-party tools. For instance, with Android, you can use third-party libraries if you are dealing with image loading and highlight issues. This integration should extend the existing back-end systems and delivery systems. This way it allows developers to develop apps that support mobile application management. Same for the iOS development, there are many libraries available for integration. For further assistance on third-party integrations you can choose to hire dedicated iOS developer.
Consider the above points and they are sure to help you choose the right mobile app development platform for your next development project. Happy App Development!