# appssemble — Full Content > appssemble is a digital product studio that builds mobile apps, web platforms, and AI-powered products for startups and scale-ups. Based in Romania, fully remote, with senior engineers and AI-first workflows. ## Services ### Product Design URL: https://appssemble.com/services/product-design Research-driven product design from discovery to engineering handoff. UX strategy, visual design, interactive prototypes, and scalable design systems. We start every project with user research and competitive analysis, then move through wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, and interactive prototypes before handing off pixel-perfect specs to engineering. ### Engineering URL: https://appssemble.com/services/engineering Small, senior teams that own the entire stack. Mobile (iOS, Android, React Native, Flutter), web (React, Next.js, Vue), APIs (Node.js, Python, Go), and cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, Azure). We write production-grade code with CI/CD, automated testing, and monitoring from day one. ### AI Integration URL: https://appssemble.com/services/ai Production AI features integrated into real products. Document intelligence (OCR, extraction, classification), conversational AI (chatbots, voice assistants), workflow automation (intelligent routing, decision engines), semantic search and RAG pipelines, and content generation pipelines. We use OpenAI, Anthropic, open-source models, and custom fine-tuned models depending on the use case. ### Growth & Scale URL: https://appssemble.com/services/growth Post-launch growth from the team that built your product. Analytics setup and dashboards, app store optimization (ASO), infrastructure scaling and cost optimization, monitoring and alerting, release management, and A/B testing frameworks. ## Products ### Grovs URL: https://appssemble.com/products/grovs Open-source mobile attribution and deep linking infrastructure. EU-hosted, cookie-free, no black boxes — first-party data you actually own. Processes 10M+ events per day, 50% cheaper than legacy MMPs, 100% EU-hosted. Built with React Native, Flutter, Swift, Kotlin, Node.js, PostgreSQL, and Redis. Features smart deep links, attribution tracking, real-time analytics dashboard, and cross-platform SDKs. ### Semaphr URL: https://appssemble.com/products/semaphr Mobile app kill switch and version control SaaS. Ship a broken build? Roll it back in seconds. Block releases, push updates, and message users across iOS and Android with no app store delay. Features remote kill switch, forced update dialogs, in-app messaging, version targeting, and real-time session monitoring. SDKs for iOS (Swift) and Android (Kotlin). ### Incasez URL: https://appssemble.com/products/incasez Free invoicing for Romanian businesses with full e-Factura ANAF integration. Create, send, and report invoices with 99.8% ANAF acceptance rate. Features include React Native mobile app, exports to 5 formats (Saga DBF, WinMentor TXT, CSV, JSON, PDF), open banking payment integration, multi-company support, client portal, and multi-language interface (RO, EN, DE, HU). ### HDR Plus+ URL: https://appssemble.com/products/hdr ML-powered HDR photography for iOS. Shoots bursts of up to 8 RAW photos, aligns and merges them with on-device TensorFlow models for DSLR-quality results from a phone. Features include full manual camera controls (ISO, shutter speed, white balance, focus), DNG RAW capture, custom ML tone-mapping, real-time preview, and zero-shutter-lag capture. ### Dezigner URL: https://appssemble.com/products/dezigner AR object collection app for iOS. Snap any object, remove its background with on-device ML, collect it in your library, and place it in real spaces using ARKit. All processing runs offline — no internet needed. Features Core ML background removal, ARKit surface detection, object scaling/rotation, collection management, and share/export. ## Company ### About URL: https://appssemble.com/about Founded by Dragos Dobrean. We are a small team of senior engineers and designers who build digital products. Our principles: small senior teams over large junior ones, AI-first workflows, technology-agnostic approach, and shipping fast with quality. We are fully remote with a base in Romania. ### Process URL: https://appssemble.com/process Our delivery process: Discovery (understand the problem, user research, competitive analysis) → Design (wireframes, prototypes, user testing) → Engineering (agile sprints, CI/CD, code reviews) → Launch (deployment, monitoring, optimization) → Growth (analytics, ASO, scaling). ### Careers URL: https://appssemble.com/jobs We hire for passion and talent, not resumes. Remote-first environment. We value autonomy, craftsmanship, and shipping real products that people use. ### Contact URL: https://appssemble.com/contact Start a project with us. Process: introductory call → discovery phase → delivery. We work with startups, scale-ups, and enterprises. ## Blog ### $15,000/month on Heroku to $1,000 on bare metal: how we migrated a 15M-device platform URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/15000month-on-heroku-to-1000-on-bare-metal-how-we-migrated-a-15m-device-platform In February 2026, Heroku quietly published a blog post announcing it was moving to a "sustaining engineering model." No new features. No new enterprise contracts. Security patches and maintenance only. If you've been in tech long enough, you know what that means. It's the stage before end-of-life. The product isn't dead yet, but Salesforce has stopped investing in its future.We'd already left by then. About a year earlier, we looked at our $15,000 monthly Heroku bill, looked at what we were actually getting for it, and decided to move our entire production platform to self-hosted infrastructure on Hetzner Cloud. Two engineers, two weeks, zero downtime. Our monthly bill dropped to around $1,000 and we ended up with roughly 10x the performance.This is the full story. How we made the decision, what we built to replace Heroku, what broke along the way, and what we'd tell you if you're sitting on a growing Heroku invoice right now and wondering what your options look like.Why we leftWe run a deep-linking and attribution platform that handles about 15 million devices. The backend is Rails, PostgreSQL for the database, Redis for caching and job queues, and Sidekiq for background processing. It's a standard SaaS architecture. Nothing unusual, nothing that should cost $15,000 a month to run.But on Heroku, it did. The breakdown was roughly: performance dynos for the web layer because standard dynos couldn't keep up with our traffic. A premium managed Postgres plan because we needed more connections and wanted some level of replication. A Redis add-on because Heroku doesn't include Redis. Then logging, monitoring, and a handful of smaller add-ons on top. Each one seemed reasonable when we added it. Together, they added up to a number that stopped making sense a long time before we actually did something about it.The cost was bad, but it wasn't the breaking point. The real problem was that Heroku's managed services were actively getting in our way.We wanted to set up a delayed database replica. The idea is simple: a second copy of your database that applies changes with a time lag, say two hours. If someone ships a migration that drops the wrong table or corrupts data, the replica still has the clean version. You catch it, you recover from the replica, you go on with your day. It's a basic safety net for any production database. Heroku didn't offer it at any tier.We wanted connection pooling we could actually tune. Our Rails app opens a lot of database connections, and Heroku's managed Postgres was always tight on connection limits. We knew PgBouncer would fix this, but Heroku gave us no way to configure it properly. Their connection pooling was a black box with settings we couldn't change.We wanted control over our backup schedule and retention policy. Heroku gave us automated daily snapshots with limited retention. That's fine for a side project. For a platform handling millions of devices and processing thousands of events per second, we needed point-in-time recovery. The ability to restore the database to any specific moment, not just last night's snapshot. Heroku didn't offer that.Every time we hit one of these walls, the answer was the same: upgrade to a more expensive plan that still didn't have what we needed, or accept the limitation. At $15k a month, "accept the limitation" stopped being a real option.Why Hetzner and not AWSWhen you tell people you left Heroku, the first question is always "so you went to AWS?" We didn't. Here's why.AWS pricing is famously unpredictable. You spin up some EC2 instances, add an RDS database, put an ALB in front, enable CloudWatch logging, and suddenly you're getting invoices with line items you didn't know existed. Egress fees are the classic gotcha: every byte of data that leaves AWS costs money, and for a platform serving millions of API requests per day, that adds up fast.But the bigger issue is that AWS managed services are the same model as Heroku, just with more knobs. RDS gives you a managed Postgres database. It's more configurable than Heroku's, but you still don't have full control. You still can't SSH into the box. You still pay a premium over running Postgres yourself. ElastiCache is managed Redis with the same tradeoffs. You're paying for convenience and giving up control, which is exactly what we were trying to get away from.Hetzner is a different proposition entirely. Dedicated cloud servers at a flat monthly rate. A server with 8 vCPUs and 32 GB of RAM costs a fraction of what the equivalent EC2 instance costs. No egress fees worth thinking about. No surprise bills at the end of the month. European data centers with solid connectivity. We know exactly what we'll pay every month and it's the same number whether we push 100 GB or 10 TB of traffic.For a company that just spent a year watching an infrastructure bill climb from reasonable to absurd, the predictability alone was worth the switch.What we builtThe entire infrastructure is defined in code. Terraform provisions the servers, networks, load balancers, firewalls, and DNS records on Hetzner Cloud. Ansible handles everything on top of that: installing and configuring PostgreSQL, Redis, the application servers, monitoring, backups, cron jobs. It all lives in a single git repository. Changes go through pull requests just like application code. If we needed to rebuild the entire production environment from scratch tomorrow, we could do it in under an hour.That alone was a major upgrade from Heroku. On Heroku, our infrastructure was a collection of add-ons, config vars, and settings scattered across a web dashboard. There was no way to version it, diff it, review changes, or reproduce it reliably. If something went wrong with the configuration, figuring out what changed and when was mostly guesswork.Compute layerFour application servers sit behind a Hetzner load balancer that handles HTTPS termination and distributes traffic with round-robin routing. All four servers are on a private network. The load balancer is the only component with a public-facing IP address. The database, Redis, and everything else are only accessible from inside the private network.Adding capacity is straightforward. We have an Ansible playbook that provisions a new app node, configures it, and adds it to the load balancer. If traffic spikes and we need a fifth or sixth node, we run the playbook. It takes about ten minutes.DatabaseThis is where most of the engineering effort went, and for good reason. The database is the thing you can't afford to get wrong.We run PostgreSQL 16 on a dedicated server with 8 vCPUs and 32 GB of RAM. In front of it sits PgBouncer for connection pooling. This turned out to be more important than we expected. Rails applications can be aggressive with database connections, and on Heroku we were constantly bumping into connection limits. With PgBouncer, we control the pool size, the timeout behavior, and the queuing strategy. Connection limits stopped being a problem overnight.Behind the primary sits a streaming replica on a separate server. The replica receives every write the primary makes, but applies them with a two-hour delay. This is the single most valuable thing we built that Heroku never offered us.Here's why the delay matters. Say someone ships a database migration on a Friday afternoon. The migration has a bug. It drops a column it shouldn't have, or it updates rows with the wrong values. On Heroku, you'd notice the damage, panic, and file a support ticket to restore from last night's backup, losing up to 24 hours of data. With our setup, the replica still has the clean data for up to two hours after the bad migration ran. We catch it, we promote the replica, we're back in business with minimal data loss.If the primary server goes down entirely, whether from hardware failure or something else, we have a single Ansible playbook that promotes the replica to primary and moves the application's database connection to point at it. We've tested this in staging multiple times. The failover takes about a minute, and we have a matching failback playbook to restore the original primary once the issue is resolved.Backups and disaster recoveryBackups are handled by pgBackRest, which is the gold standard for PostgreSQL backup tooling. Our schedule: one full backup per week, incremental diffs every day, and WAL (write-ahead log) files streaming continuously to Hetzner's S3-compatible object storage.What this means in practice is that we can restore the database to any point in time. Not "some time last night" but "Tuesday at 14:37:22." If something goes wrong, we pick the exact moment before it happened and restore to that point. The backups run automatically on a timer and we have monitoring that alerts us if a backup is late. If no backup has completed in 24 hours, we get a Slack warning. If it's been 36 hours, the alert escalates.Between the delayed replica and the point-in-time backups, we have two independent ways to recover from almost any failure scenario. That's more redundancy than Heroku ever gave us, and it costs a fraction of the price.Monitoring and alertingWe use two layers of monitoring.For application-level observability, we run SigNoz. It's an open-source alternative to Datadog that handles traces, metrics, and logs in a single dashboard. It does what Datadog does, except it doesn't cost us $500 a month and we own the data. We self-host it, we control the retention, and we're not sending our production telemetry to a third-party service.On top of that, we built a set of watchdog scripts. These are straightforward shell scripts that run every five minutes on every database and Redis server via cron. They check disk usage, WAL file accumulation, replication lag, backup freshness, Redis memory usage, and Sidekiq queue depth. If something crosses a warning threshold, we get a Slack message. If something crosses a critical threshold, the watchdog takes action automatically.For example, if WAL files pile up and disk usage climbs past 80%, the watchdog runs a cleanup without waiting for anyone to respond. If disk usage hits 90%, it runs a more aggressive cleanup. We built this because we got burned once (more on that below), and we decided we never wanted to be in that position again.Every morning at 8 AM, each server sends a daily health report to Slack: uptime, disk usage, backup status, replication lag. It's not fancy. It's not a beautiful dashboard. But it means we start every day knowing whether anything needs attention.Zero-downtime updatesOn Heroku, database maintenance happens during maintenance windows that Heroku controls. You hope they don't coincide with your peak traffic. On our infrastructure, we control exactly when and how updates happen.The process: update the replica first, since it's not serving traffic and is safe to reboot. Then fail over from the primary to the replica, so the replica becomes the new primary. Update the old primary. Then fail back. At no point does the application go down. At no point does a user see an error. The entire process is scripted in Ansible playbooks. No manual SSH sessions, no ad-hoc commands, no opportunities for human error.What went wrongIt wasn't all clean sailing. A few weeks after the migration, we noticed that WAL files were accumulating on the primary database faster than pgBackRest was archiving them to S3. Disk usage was climbing steadily. If we hadn't been watching, the database would have eventually filled the disk and stopped accepting writes. That's the kind of failure that takes your entire application down.On Heroku, this would've been invisible to us. Either Heroku would have handled it silently, or it would have eventually caused an outage and we would have filed a support ticket and waited. On our own infrastructure, we could see exactly what was happening, diagnose the root cause (our WAL production rate of about 16 GB per hour was overwhelming the archiving process), fix the configuration, and test the fix.More importantly, this incident is what led us to build the watchdog system. We took a problem we discovered in production and turned it into an automated check that runs every five minutes. If WAL files start piling up again, we'll know about it in five minutes, not five hours. And if it gets critical, the system will start cleaning up on its own.We also learned the hard way that rebuilding a database replica from S3 backups is too slow for our workload. With 16 GB of WAL per hour, restoring from S3 couldn't keep up. The replica would never catch up because the primary was producing new data faster than the replica could download and apply the old data. We switched to pg_basebackup over the private network instead, which transfers data directly between the two servers. A full replica sync now takes about 20 minutes instead of hours. It's a small operational detail, but it would have been a serious problem if we'd needed to rebuild the replica during an emergency and found out then that it didn't work.These weren't catastrophic failures. They were things we discovered, fixed, and then automated against so they couldn't happen again. Each incident left the system more resilient than it was before. That's the fundamental tradeoff with self-hosting: you encounter problems that a managed platform would've hidden from you, but you also get to actually solve them permanently instead of hoping that someone else will.The resultsInvoice to invoice, the numbers are straightforward:Heroku: $15,000/month.Hetzner: ~$1,000/month.That's a 93% reduction. Same application. Same traffic. Same number of users. And for that $1,000 a month on Hetzner, we're running roughly 10x the compute and memory that Heroku gave us at $15,000. The application is faster because we have more resources and better connection pooling. Response times improved across the board without any application code changes.The migration itself took two weeks of engineering time for two people. At $14,000 in monthly savings, it paid for itself before the first new invoice showed up. Over a full year, that's $168,000 in savings. Over two years, $336,000. For two weeks of work.But the money is almost beside the point. What we gained that matters more:Our disaster recovery is real. A delayed replica that protects against bad deployments, point-in-time backup recovery to any second, automated failover that takes a minute. Heroku gave us nightly snapshots and a support form.Our monitoring catches problems before users do. Automated watchdogs, daily health reports, self-healing for critical issues. On Heroku, we waited for support to tell us what was going on with our own database.Our infrastructure is reproducible. The entire stack is in a git repo. We can rebuild it, review changes, and understand exactly what's running where. On Heroku, our infrastructure was a web dashboard and a prayer.We understand our own system. When something goes wrong at 2 AM, we don't open a support ticket and wait until business hours. We know where to look and what to do about it. That's not a small thing.Should you leave Heroku?It depends on where you are.If you're early-stage, small team, Heroku bill under $500 a month: stay. Heroku still works fine for small applications. The convenience is worth the premium when your entire focus should be on building the product and finding users. You don't need to think about servers right now.If your bill is between $500 and $2,000 a month: start paying attention. Run the numbers. Look at what equivalent servers would cost on Hetzner, or even on a simple VPS provider. You might find the gap is already large enough to justify a move, or you might find it's not worth the effort yet. Either way, you should know.If your bill is above $2,000 a month and climbing: seriously consider your options. At that level, you're almost certainly overpaying for what you're getting. The savings from self-hosting are significant and the migration is less scary than you think.And now there's a new factor to consider. Heroku has officially moved to sustaining engineering mode. No new features. No new enterprise sales. Salesforce is keeping the lights on, but they've stopped investing in the platform's future. Nobody has announced a shutdown date, and Heroku could run in this mode for years. But if you're making infrastructure decisions for the next two to five years, that uncertainty is worth factoring in. Betting your production infrastructure on a platform that has publicly stopped evolving is a risk, and it's a risk that grows with time.The migration itself is not as intimidating as it sounds. For a typical SaaS application with a web server, database, cache, and background workers, you're looking at two to four weeks of focused engineering work. That includes provisioning servers, configuring the database, building the deployment pipeline, setting up monitoring, and testing everything. After that, ongoing maintenance is a few hours a month. Most of it is reviewing alerts and doing periodic updates.If you're thinking about it and want to talk to someone who's been through it, we're happy to help. We've done this migration ourselves and we've helped other teams do it too. No pitch, just a conversation about whether it makes sense for your situation. --- ### Beyond Generic AI: The Power of Custom AI Solutions for Startups URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/beyond-generic-ai-the-power-of-custom-ai-solutions-for-startups With proprietary AI, startups can streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, and safeguard sensitive data within their own ecosystem. Just as the launch of the iPhone in 2007 transformed the tech landscape by making mobile apps a staple of everyday life, we're now witnessing a similar revolution with AI technology. Startups and established enterprises alike are eager to harness AI's power to automate tasks, enhance decision-making, and uncover new revenue opportunities. However, achieving success in this new era of AI is akin to the early days of mobile apps—while many will try, only a few will truly thrive. The key to standing out lies in building your own specialized AI solutions rather than relying on generic third-party APIs.The Smart Approach: Ownership and SpecializationAt appssemble, we champion the development of bespoke, in-house AI models tailored specifically to your company's needs. Why is this approach so effective? Let’s break it down:Tailored Performance: Imagine you're running a customer support chatbot for a highly specialized industry, like legal services. A generic AI might answer general questions but struggle with complex legal queries. By developing a custom AI model trained on your specific data, you ensure that it understands the nuances of legal jargon and provides accurate, context-aware responses. This bespoke model performs far better than a one-size-fits-all solution.Cost Efficiency: Using generic AI models often means paying for processing power that isn’t always used. For instance, if you're using a broad AI model for tasks like simple data entry, it might waste resources on complex features it doesn’t need. A specialized model focused solely on data entry tasks will be more efficient, saving on computational costs and reducing overhead.Full Ownership and Intellectual Property: When you create an AI model in-house, you retain complete control over the technology and its development. This ownership not only strengthens your IP portfolio but also makes your company more attractive to investors who value unique, proprietary technologies.Data Security: Handling sensitive data? A custom AI model ensures that your data stays within your own system, minimizing risks associated with data breaches or compliance issues. For example, if you're working with patient data in the healthcare sector, having a specialized AI that processes this information internally avoids potential privacy concerns associated with third-party services.The Current Trend: The Allure and Risks of AI APIsMany startups opt for popular AI APIs like OpenAI’s GPT or Google’s Gemini because they offer powerful capabilities right out of the box. These APIs provide a quick way to integrate AI features without needing an extensive in-house team. However, there are notable risks to this approach:Lack of Customization: Third-party APIs are designed for general purposes. If your startup needs an AI to perform a unique task, such as detecting fraudulent transactions in financial data, a generic API might not meet your specific requirements. The result? Less effective solutions that may not fully address your problem.Pricing Volatility: API costs can be unpredictable. As your user base grows, so does the cost of API usage. This can lead to escalating expenses that impact your bottom line. For example, a startup using an API for real-time language translation might face significant cost increases as their volume of translations rises.Limited IP Ownership: When building on someone else’s API, a large portion of your product's intellectual property isn’t yours. This can be a drawback when seeking investment or building a long-term strategy. Investors often prefer companies with proprietary technologies that differentiate them in the market.Data Privacy Concerns: Using third-party APIs means sending your data to external servers. In regulated industries like healthcare or finance, this can pose compliance challenges. If a third-party API handles sensitive customer data, you might face legal repercussions if there’s a data breach or non-compliance issue.Additionally, tech giants can alter or discontinue APIs without notice, potentially disrupting your business. Imagine relying on a key API for your startup’s core functionality, only to find it suddenly unavailable or changed in a way that impacts your product's performance.Why Hyper-Specialized AI Models Are the FutureBuilding a hyper-specialized AI model offers distinct advantages:Enhanced Performance: Custom models trained on your data excel at solving specific problems. For instance, if your business involves complex supply chain management, a tailored AI model can optimize routes and predict disruptions better than a generic model designed for broader applications.Operational Efficiency: Specialized models are optimized for specific tasks, requiring fewer resources and resulting in lower operational costs. This efficiency translates to more cost-effective AI solutions that align with your budget.Stronger IP Position: Developing in-house models adds to your company's IP portfolio, reinforcing your competitive edge and attractiveness to investors.Improved Data Security: With full control over your AI, you can ensure data privacy and compliance, crucial for industries dealing with sensitive information.At appssemble, we leverage small, highly-skilled teams to build these specialized AI models efficiently. Our approach ensures that every aspect of development—from design to implementation—is handled seamlessly, delivering high-quality results without unnecessary delays or handovers.In conclusion, while the allure of third-party AI APIs is strong, the future of AI development for startups lies in owning and specializing in your AI models. This approach not only enhances performance and efficiency but also strengthens your market position and safeguards your data. As we continue to innovate and refine our strategies, remember that building your own tailored AI solutions might just be the key to unlocking your startup’s full potential. --- ### Reimagining Software Development Services for SMEs: Breaking Free from Broken Models URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/reimagining-software-development-services-for-smes-breaking-free-from-broken-models Outsourcing challenges with inflated headcount costs find resolution in a software-based payment model. In today's business landscape, companies, regardless of size or industry, often turn to external assistance to develop their software products. This typically involves engaging software outsourcing companies. The motivations for seeking such help vary, ranging from a lack of in-house technical expertise to cost reduction, the need for rapid delivery, or a desire to avoid coordinating with multiple entities for different project components (design, development, testing, etc.).In a significant number of cases, these providers don't charge for the end product, instead, they bill based on headcounts or hours worked. This billing model is driven by the complexity of projects or undefined requirements.This leads to negative outcomes for the client, especially for small and medium-sized companies.Why typical software outsourcing is broken?Opposing Interests: Provider vs. ClientWhen working on a time and material basis, the interests of the provider are not in sync with the interests of the client.The client's interests are:Develop a product, that fulfills all the functional and non-functional requirements as fast as possible;Do it as cheaply as possible (without hindering the quality)Have someone being accountable for the good functioning of the developed solution;Implement the easiest, most efficient solution (cost, time, and complexity wise);Spend the minimum amount of time managing the project;While the outsourcing agency (provider) interests are:Have a long-term contract with the client, that spans many months or years;Implement complex solutions that require more staff to build and maintain;Increase the headcount as much as possible to get more revenue (and complexity);Be as less accountable as possible for the overall success of the project;Working under this model essentially means renting people for the job. The provider has little incentive to ensure the right fit for the client's needs or implement the most efficient solution. Consequently, proposed solutions are often complex, requiring more time, personnel, and maintenance. This strategy justifies increasing the headcounts and extending the deadlines.Furthermore, clients handle project management, being accountable for any shortcomings. Additionally, software agencies tend to "borrow" more expensive personnel. Coordonation and communicationIn this model, clients actively participate in daily aspects of product development, including team communication, task assignments, and progress tracking.While this hands-on approach can make clients feel more in control, it comes with a significant drawback. In software outsourcing, working in 2-week Agile sprints is the norm. In this way of working only 6 out of 10 days are dedicated to actual product development. The remaining time is eaten up by synchronization meetings and fragmented intervals. This means the client, despite being deeply involved daily, is only getting a 60% return on their investment.When considering the time needed to manage the outsourcing team, the overall results are less than optimal. Despite the apparent advantages of frequent interaction, the model's efficiency takes a hit due to the substantial time spent on constant coordination. Why is the time and materials model popular in software outsourcing?This approach and work methodology may find a fit within larger enterprises. Their projects typically involve revamping existing systems, making enhancements, or frequently maintaining running legacy products.Even in new product development scenarios, their processes and slow decision-making significantly deter delivery speed.Choosing a time and materials approach gives these enterprises a false sense of project control. This leads them to deeper involvement in day-to-day development operations.Here's the catch — software outsourcing companies often replicate this approach across the board, catering to clients of all sizes, whether big or small. By doing this, they transform from technology-focused entities to resembling human resource agencies. Their primary objective shifts from delivering outstanding software products to maximizing headcount sales.This paradigm may align with the needs of large enterprises, but it becomes counterproductive for the agility required by small and medium-sized companies and for building products in general.What is the solution?Let's step back and recognize what clients truly want: fast delivery of products meeting both functional and non-functional requirements, that avoid unnecessary complexity, and are aligned with their roadmap.Instead of compensating outsourcing companies based on headcounts and billable hours, a more effective approach is to pay for the actual software products delivered. This shift tackles many of the previous challenges.By using this strategy, the product costs are clearly stated and delivery dates are adhered to. Additionally, it motivates the software agency to deliver more efficient, and less complex solutions, quicker.Benefits of this approachThe burden of project accountability shifts from the client to the provider. Clients are tasked only with specifying requirements and validating the result. They are no longer burdened with staffing issues, day-to-day project management, or decisions regarding the team's size to meet agreed deadlines.A frequently overlooked benefit of this approach is that software agencies are motivated to deploy their most experienced personnel, usually seniors, to expedite project delivery and move on swiftly to the next challenge. This results in a better-architectured product, fewer bugs, and an overall better, more stable product.Now a sensible thing to think and to worry about, is: what if you don't have all the requirements of the product? What happens then, can this approach still be implemented?The best thing to do is start small (some part of the product -- for instance a login flow, something that's clear) and expand from there. The selected software development partner should understand the product roadmap, its goals, and key functional and non-functional requirements. This ensures the built solution is flexible and extensible to meet these needs.This approach prompts clients to consider budget allocations for specific features. This enables better decisions on how much they want to invest in a particular feature and whether it is truly necessary. Additionally, it offers a cost-effective way to evaluate a provider's working style and service quality before committing to a long-term partnership. This principle holds even, when the product is fully specified with all requirements defined. To understand how we build better software faster and with less hassle for our clients, explore more about our process and approach. --- ### All about Software As A Service Development URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/all-about-software-as-a-service-development Everything you need to know (From Planning To Design, Building, Testing, Deploying and Managing) about Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Development. What is SaaS App Development?Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is a software licensing and delivery strategy that has largely replaced the old software method of providing a software product or service just once. SaaS is a popular model since it provides ongoing revenue in the form of monthly or annual subscription payments.Major corporations are pouring money into their SaaS platform development teams in order to reap the benefits of SaaS-based platforms. Many new issues arise with SaaS development, such as a need to comprehend cloud technology and how to provide a quality service at scale to consumers without requiring significant downtime to offer fixes and upgrades.Why SaaS?Because of the numerous benefits it provides, the popularity of SaaS-based software is steadily growing. If your company is considering building software, creating a SaaS solution may be the best alternative. An established software firm may be changed to a SaaS model in some cases without disturbing your existing client base.As you may be aware, SaaS apps are hosted in the cloud and do not require installation, with the software firm handling upgrades and maintenance. The SaaS product is not offered with a perpetual license, it is rather given to consumers through a subscription approach.When comparing SaaS vs. online apps, there are sometimes miscommunications. Software as a service (SaaS) is a more precise idea and approach for software licensing and delivery. Using cloud-based technology and storage, anybody may create SaaS apps on a shoestring budget.TrendsSoftware-led growth: Product-led SaaS firms often provide a free trial, or freemium revenue model, that allows users to test their product with the goal of keeping these customers after their trial period expires. Customers will gladly upgrade to the premium version if they believe the service is valuable enough.Micro SaaS: Micro SaaS is becoming more popular. Companies find a particular problem in a specialized market and address it with little resources.Tools for low-code development: Low code platforms provide customers with a development environment in which they may create software and new components using a graphical user interface (such as drag-and-drop functionality). This is the polar opposite of the typical approach to building sophisticated code.SaaS collaboration tools: As remote work has become the norm, the usage of collaboration tools has increased dramatically. Slack, Zoom, and Confluence have become indispensable for firms that conduct their operations online. This trend is expected to continue as more businesses adopt remote employment.Advantages and Disadvantages of SaaS AppsAdvantagesCost efficiency: Because SaaS is fully cloud-based, it can give significant cost reductions. This means you simply pay for the amount of data and bandwidth consumed, and you don't have to invest in your own costly server network.Accessibility and speed: Application deployment has never been easier in terms of speed and accessibility. Cloud applications can be deployed more quickly, shortening the time to market for your product or service. And your consumers may use any internet-connected device to access your service.Flexibility: A SaaS business model allows you to create, alter, and update code with ease, whether you're adding new features or boosting security.DisadvantagesSecurity: Strong endpoint security is required for SaaS authentication. Businesses are required to secure consumer data and, as a result, they must keep their SaaS product up to date with the most recent security procedures.Competitors face a low barrier to entry: A rival may be able to mimic your SaaS service. Because most SaaS transactions are subscription-based, you must continue to give greater value than your rivals while also up-selling to the next subscription level once clients are aboard. If a client is unsatisfied with the services or support, they may simply switch on to a rival with a comparable price structure without having to make a greater upfront commitment as with other software sales. One illustration of this circumstance is the enormous number of SaaS firms that provide VPN services.Converting and retaining customers: Depending on your SaaS service offering, it might take anything from a few minutes to many months to convert a prospect into a client. Effective SaaS account management involves both minimizing the conversion process, and increasing the length of time a customer is a paying customer.SaaS Development Stages1. PlanningThe first stage of the SaaS software development life cycle is conceptualization. This is when you do your research and collect all of the project's requirements, as well as define the project's objective, result, and related goals.Controls for these operations are often built on a mix of security, confidentiality, availability, processing integrity, and privacy principles. You must determine who your service's intended audience is. What interaction will they have with your SaaS product? You must create a service that meets the specific demands of this audience.A company may simply integrate SaaS platforms, marketing solutions, eCommerce platforms, CRMs, and social apps that are vital to business operations by using connectors. Connectors adhere to all API regulations, approvals, and data processing settings, and once established, you may reap several SaaS application connection perks.Even if the technology and idea are strong, choosing the wrong SaaS operating costs might be the death of the firm. Finally, you must choose the most appropriate SaaS pricing methods for your platform.2. Design & PrototypeThis is the stage of your SaaS design. Investigate how to create the software as a service and best practices for SaaS application architecture. There, for instance, you may choose between single-tenant and multi-tenant architecture.A single instance of the program and its associated architecture is dedicated to a single client. Each customer will have their own separate database and instance of the program with the single tenancy. The term "multi-tenancy" refers to the fact that a single instance of the program and its supporting infrastructure serves numerous clients.At this time, you should consider generating a SaaS architectural diagram to assist others to comprehend your design more readily. Along with being concerned about SaaS application security, you should also be concerned about the SaaS cloud security provided by your cloud service provider. Examine their security policies carefully to determine which service is right for you.At the end of this step, you may begin assembling a tiny prototype to confirm that your connectors, database choices, and cloud provider all operate as expected and result in a viable prototype SaaS implementation. This is how a SaaS application is designed.3. Building & DevelopmentNow it's time to build your service and write some SaaS code!Before you start writing code, make sure you have the essential components in place:You should be familiar with the SaaS database architecture that you want to use.You should identify which SaaS cloud providers you'll be using and how much they'll bill you for your anticipated consumption.You should have a software team set up, ideally one that specializes in SaaS development.And lastly, at this point in the SaaS development life cycle you should have a prototype in place.With everything organised, your team can produce the product or service to your precise specifications and requirements. Use your preferred project management software to guarantee that the project stays on schedule and that developers follow SaaS best practices.Creating SaaS apps may take a long time and is an ongoing effort. The time necessary to accomplish this stage is heavily dependent on the experience of your developers and whether they have a prior understanding of how to create SaaS apps.4. TestingMany of the key ideas of software testing apply to SaaS application testing as well. SaaS testing is a software testing procedure that involves evaluating a software application designed in a Software-as-a-Service paradigm for both functional and non-functional criteria.SaaS testing ensures the quality of the SaaS-based application by assessing data security, integrity, performance, interoperability, and scalability. This includes testing your cloud-based architecture and ensuring you have a framework for measuring SaaS performance metrics.The goal of cloud study is to check software for both functional and non-functional criteria utilizing cloud computing, which offers quicker accessibility as well as scalability and flexibility to save time and money on software testing.5. DeployingYou have created and fully tested your solution at this point in the SaaS product development lifecycle. It is ready to go!Major cloud service providers such Microsoft Azure, AWS, Alibaba Cloud, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud, and Oracle have SaaS solutions. You may easily join up for your favourite provider if you have a hot new infrastructure and system.When it comes to developing a SaaS platform, one of the most difficult challenges is migrating current IT/application infrastructure from on-premise to cloud, or cloud to cloud. You will need to move to these cloud services, and there are several sorts of migrations to be aware of because any of them might apply to your existing situation:Physical-to-virtual (P2V): This means disconnecting and transferring a physical server's operating system, programs, and data to a virtual server guest hosted on a virtualized platform.Physical-to-cloud (P2C): This refers to the process of migrating tools and data from traditional infrastructure or on-premises data centres to the cloud.Virtual-to-virtual (V2V): This migration involves copying a current virtual machine operating on a virtualization platform to another virtual machine running on another virtualization platform.Virtual-to-cloud (V2C): This is the point at which you transition from a virtual machine to a club-based solution.6. MaintainingDuring the maintenance phase, developers look for flaws or problems in the program. If they discover one, they file a bug report. It is critical to explore opportunities for when the development cycle begins again.When developers can swiftly discover and handle problems, it indicates that this phase is going well. Your attention should also be drawn to gathering customer input and developing ways to improve your present service. This is a must for SaaS since competitors can imitate your product and take market share.Optimize your SaaS application development platform gradually to minimize time to ship and improve release flow. You must always seek to improve your offering.7. OptimizingThis is the final step of the SaaS development process, and it entails upgrading and optimizing your service and SaaS application design to maintain a competitive advantage. Evaluate your present procedures and compare them to best practices for SaaS development.You will discover that optimization may occur at several levels, including code, technology, SaaS architecture, people, knowledge, and so on. These factors may be optimized to improve the outcomes of your SaaS-based application development process and, eventually, your business.To preserve a competitive advantage, you must continue to innovate in your own sector or business.SaaS Development TeamAfter you’ve decided to build a SaaS app and your SaaS app development framework is already in order, you might find yourself in a place of uncertainty and ask yourself, “Who exactly do I need to build this app with?”. We are here to explain what talents your team needs and at what stage you should consider hiring them:Project ManagerWhen it comes to day-to-day management of the project, you need a competent Project Manager. He should be quick to handle all aspects of the plan, from the schedule, finance, risk, quality, to resources.They need to be one of the first hires and be informed of the detail on the background, context and scope of your project. appssemble supports your journey from the Consulting stage to Design and Engineering.Business AnalystThrough data analysis, business analysts assist firms in enhancing processes, goods, services, and software. Business analysts work as a bridge to the gap between IT and the business in order to enhance productivity.Business analysts may assist in the initial planning stage of SaaS applications by generating requirements. They can also be highly beneficial throughout the optimization process. They should be proficient at turning user feedback into improvements.UI/UX DesignerUX (User Experience) and UI (User Interface) design are distinct components of a single user experience. A UX designer ensures that a product makes sense to the user by developing a route that flows logically from one step to another. A UI designer ensures that each page graphically conveys that path.UI/UX designers are often hired at the design phase of the software development life cycle (SDLC). So listen to your users to uncover opportunities and turn your target market into customers and customers into fans by hiring the ones that are good for your project.Backend DeveloperThe term "backend development" relates to server-side development. Databases, scripting, website architecture, and then ideally, all SaaS-based application architecture are covered. It describes the processes that take place behind the scenes when a user performs an activity on a website. It may be logging into an account or making a purchase from an online business.Backend engineers provide code that allows browsers to interface with your data warehouse and cloud provider. Backend developers should be employed early on in the design process since they will need to be advised on the design of your backend.Frontend DeveloperA frontend developer connects the worlds of design and technology, packaging up the usefulness of the backend in an appealing way for people to engage with, web or mobile (Android and iOS).QA EngineerA quality assurance engineer is responsible for enhancing software development processes and preventing production faults. They develop test strategies, track defects, and find opportunities for improvement in your program.During the SDLC testing step, you should recruit a QA engineer. Even if you are developing SaaS quickly, you should budget time and money to engage with a skilled QA engineer to identify the most susceptible sections of your service.Apart from these, make sure you go through our advice guidebook for all startupsbefore you start your own journey, and build something that you’re sure will be successful.In-House, Outsourcing or Remote Development?In-HouseWithin your own workplace, state, or nation, you may hire or assemble a team of developers (either as full-time employees or as contractors). Due to the time-consuming nature of interviews, onboarding processes, and coaching, having an in-house development team may necessitate extra time and money. However, it has certain distinct advantages over outsourcing and remote choices.OutsourcingOutsourcing is another option for developing a SaaS application. This is the stage at which you employ an outsourcing business to manage the full SaaS delivery process, from idea to development to maintenance. But how do you make sure to avoid bad mobile development agencies for your app? See here.Remote DevelopersYou may hire and manage a remote team of app developers (full-time or part-time) to construct your SaaS application.With certain firms committed to assisting you in building a team of remote developers, finding remote developers has never been easier. Let's go over the benefits and drawbacks of utilizing remote developers to construct SaaS services.Do you have a project for us?We assist startups all over the world in fulfilling their mobile app ambitions. With strong, agile teams in Startup Consulting, User-Centric Design, Experienced Engineering and focused QA Procedures, we deliver consistent, high-quality and cost-effective products. Our professional staff can assist you with accurately identifying your requirements, selecting the technology and framework required to construct your app, customizing the app to meet your needs, updating and maintaining it regularly.We're here to help if you're not sure where to begin your startup or your mobile app, therefore make sure to contact appssemble www.appssemble.com. Let’s build your desired app. Get in touch to share your idea or to request a free consultation. --- ### How to come up with good startup ideas URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/how-to-come-up-with-good-startup-ideas Generating a startup idea is difficult, and it requires many standards. Here’s how to find the right idea or measure it. This is tricky since startup ideas are subtle and nobody knows which will be successful. Certain types of ideas are far more likely to succeed than others. As a result, this article's purpose is to steer you in the right direction.This is how it will go. First, we'll show the most common mistakes founders make when coming up with startup ideas. Then, we're going to talk about how to check startup ideas. Then we're going to discuss some recipes for generating startup ideas. And finally, we're going to talk about the 6 principles of creating new things.The most common mistakes founders make when coming up with startup ideas.1. The first and most typical mistake is assuming that you must have a brilliant concept to get started. A lot of people feel that the secret to launching a successful startup is to begin with a fantastic idea. So they're waiting for a breakthrough idea before getting started.2. The second mistake is plunging into the first idea that comes to mind without stopping to think if it's a good idea. And, it's incredible how frequently this happens. Here's the deal. If your business succeeds, you will devote years of your life to it. If so, wouldn't it make sense to spend at least a couple of weeks determining what to focus on first? Consider your first concept a solid starting point. Startup concepts evolve, take, for example, Airbnb. It began as a website for renting air beds in other people's homes. Over time, it evolved into all holiday rentals.So the first thing you should do is choose a decent beginning place. If you do, even if your original concept isn't outstanding, it only has to be improved to become amazing. If you choose a horrible beginning point, there may be no way to evolve into a good one. You'll have to start from scratch.3. The third mistake is, to begin with, a solution rather than a problem. For example, let's say you come up with the business concept "WhatsApp for teachers". It's an app, you press a button, and WhatsApp opens for teachers. This is a workable solution. What problem is this supposed to solve? I'm not sure. The point is that if you come up with a concept like this, you've already started with a solution. It's referred to as a "Solution In Search of a Problem" or SISP. And these are typically bad since you never locate the problem. It's far better to start with a problem and then search for answers.4. The last mistake is assuming that startup ideas are difficult to come by. They're simple to locate, since the planet still has a lot of serious issues to be solved. Remember to find the problem first, not the solution. If you're having difficulty discovering the ideas, it's because you haven't yet learned how to do so. You'll notice fantastic startup ideas all over the place once you understand how to spot them.Evaluating startup ideas1. The first measure is the size of the concept. Looking for current big firms that do something similar is the best approach to test this. You may be working in a market that's tiny now but has the potential to be large in the future. That's a good sign that your concept may perform well here.2. The second measure is how certain are you that you are solving a major problem. You might need to have firsthand knowledge of the issue. Then you should have any fresh, significant insights about this concept.3. To be an excellent one, you need to create something you'd want to have. For the third measure, you start with yourself as the first user. Then, when you're designing for yourself, you can trust your instincts about what to build. In the end, you have to estimate what other people want when you're developing for them.4. The fourth measure is that the idea was recently made workable by another company. If some new technology or a new product in the world has turned towards that subject, it is a good opportunity.5. Our final measures for evaluating company ideas are "filters". These filters are almost universal. One important thing you should do to develop startup ideas is to understand them and how to turn them off.The most dangerous aspect of them is that they might force you to reject your finest ideas. Even before they ever reach your conscious mind. Here are the most common filters:Reject ideas that seem hard to get started. If the idea is in a dull or too competitive space.If the idea seems too ambitious.Founders instinctively shy away from spaces where there are existing competitors. You should consider the side of doing things with existing competitors. When founders go into spaces with no existing competitors, they soon find out the reason. Because there are no competitors and nobody wants the product. The ideal situation is a market where there are existing competitors. But your advantage is that you noticed something that they all seem to have missed.The 6 tips for generating startup ideas.It is possible to sit down and think about startups. It's, unfortunately, not the ideal technique to develop business ideas.The best way to do so is to watch them develop spontaneously. There are wonderful business ideas all around you, and if you have an open mind, you will notice them. The problem is that when people sit down to brainstorm company ideas, they usually come up with bad ones. So, startup ideas that come to you easily have a higher chance of becoming good.First, let's discuss how to generate business ideas organically. Learn how to spot good startup ideas and then let them come to you. To generate them, you must first understand what a good startup idea looks like. This way you can recognize them when you come across them. Then you should keep an eye out for elements that appear to be missing in the world, and continue from there.If you want to create a business in the future, being an expert on anything useful is beneficial. The best way to do so is to get a job at the vanguard of some industry or try a workshop for startups. If you work at the cutting edge of any subject, you will notice strong business ideas before others.Okay, let's go over the actual 6 tips for coming up with startup ideas. The first is one of the best since it’s most likely to result in solid ideas. You begin with what your team excels at. Consider ideas that you have an unfair advantage in executing. Then, you're essentially coming up with all the ideas that have a solid founder/market fit.For the second piece of advice, consider what you would like someone else to build for you.The third one is, what would you be enthusiastic to work on for the next ten years, even if it failed? What are you truly enthusiastic about?Number four, seek recent changes in the world and consider ideas that now have potential.Number five, seek firms that have been successful lately. You can think of fresh interpretations of them.Sixth, talk to individuals you know and ask them what problems they want to solve. The disadvantage of this formula is that most of them are not good at recognising business ideas.Startup conceptsWanting to develop a business that expands very quick is normal. You're building a small startup, and there's nothing wrong with that.The startup idea is made out of three concepts. The first is the problem, as it is the initial condition. You must describe what the territory is like for this firm that allows it to develop. The solution is the second. What are you performing inside those parameters that allow it to expand so quickly? And the third is, what is your argument? What is your justification for why the product you're about to launch, will be successful?1. The problemHere's a suggestion for discussing and determining whether your problem & conditions are correct. Know that the right problems are in demand and affect numerous people. You want to avoid the ones that a few individuals have.You should like problems that are growing. You should like situations that are urgent and must be addressed as soon as possible. You should like challenges that are difficult to solve because if you can sort them, you can make a lot of money. Then you should like common problems. The ones that individuals will experience again and again, and often in a short period. You must have a lot of motivation, capability, and trigger because they must all emerge at the same moment.2. The solutionThe only advice we have for the solution is the best advice you can ever receive from anyone. And that is, as we've said before, do not start with the solution. Don't begin with a solution before you have an actual problem. When you want to create something new, you might search for some new technology. After that, you can stop and ask yourself, "What problem can I fit into this solution?". Otherwise, you'll realize you went the wrong way and your product is not working or selling.That ends up being a far more challenging approach to expanding the firm. While businesses can develop in this manner, it is inefficient. It's far better to say, "Let me see what difficulties people have, and then I'll take whatever I need to remedy them." As a result, you are much more likely to expand.Look at what you're building right now or look at the reason why you're trying to do this startup. Do you only care about the technology and building something, or have you started with a problem? You need to do whatever it takes to solve users' real issues, not hypothetical ones.3. What’s your insight?You need one, it can't be like, "I have a problem I'm solving" and then have no explanation why. What is the reason why your solution will work and how exactly will you make it work? Here is where a lot of businesses are tricked. Because it's always about how you profit from your company's advantage, right?Why are you going to triumph over everyone else? Why are you going to be the first to expand? Because that insight is what the investor needs to pick you over everyone else. And it must be tied to growth, you must have an unfair advantage that explains why you will develop fast.Principles of creating new thingsTry to find simple solutions, to overlooked problems that need to be solved. Deliver them as informally as possible, and start with a very rudimentary version. Then iterate them rapidly.Some people can’t recognize new ideas in the beginning. Others who follow this method will almost always do things that appear to be wrong to others. And that is the point. And why is this strategy successful in the long run? Because it gives you all the benefits that other individuals hold back. They do this so they appear legitimate, and they end up losing.There is less competition while working on solving overlooked problems. You are also more likely to discover new things.When you deliver solutions informally, you:Save all of the work that would have been required to make them appear spectacular.Drop the risk of deceiving yourself and your audience.This technique's use extends beyond companies, computer languages, and essays. It will apply to any type of creative effort.New ideas are constantly beneath your nose. So search for basic things that others have overlooked. Things that people will later claim as "obvious". Don't be fooled by norms and the need to be remarkable. Determine the root cause of the problem and work your way up to resolve it. Don't worry, the product will prevail in the end if you follow all the advice. And start as soon as possible so you have time to learn from people what you should improve.Do you need to build a mobile startup and don’t know where to start?Talk with our experts and develop a solution that will provide your company with a competitive advantage. Until the next one, do your research, be confident, consistent, and don’t give up. --- ### What types of authentication to use in your mobile app? URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/what-types-of-authentication-to-use-in-your-mobile-app Your users expect to access your mobile app securely and easy, here are the types of authentication you can use The need for various forms of user authentication systems is increasing. Organizations must recognize that passwords are not the exclusive means of authenticating users. There are several authentication technologies and even more activities that need authentication mechanisms.What Is Authentication?Authentication refers to an electronic technique that allows a person to be identified. It may be used to certify the origin and integrity of data in electronic forms. One example could be the issue of a digital certificate to verify the legitimacy of a website. The general goal of authentication is to decrease the possibility of fraud, particularly when someone misrepresents their identity or uses another person's credentials without authorization.Mobile login flows typesWeb-based or native login processes can be used in mobile apps. It is vital to distinguish between the two:Users submit their credentials into the app when using the native login flow.Users are sent to a web login screen. That's where they submit their credentials when using the web-based login flow.For a better user experience, we suggest adopting the native login flow.Authentication factorsWhen authenticating an internet user, three types of factors may be employed. The reason is to ensure that the user is who they claim to be. These are the factor categories:Knowledge factors include a user's password, passcode, and personal identification number (pin). Here, the user must answer a pre-selected security question.Ownership factors are items in the user's possession. They could be a bank card, a hardware or software one-time password (OTP) token, or a mobile phone.Inherence factors. They are factors that relate to what a user is or does, and they include biometric identifiers. It can be the face, fingerprint, or retinal pattern recognition. Other personal attribute identifiers can be used as well.Types of AuthenticationThe following classification contains the most common kinds of online user authentication. The increasing level of security organizes them:Email & password combinationPasswords were used as a simple means to safeguard information for a long time, almost 50 years. We've been using them to access computers, IT systems, gadgets, and internet services. Passwords were unsafe from the start, and that hasn't changed. We are told to use stronger passwords, to make them unique, to not reuse them, and to change them regularly.Nowadays, most passwords are easy and general. They are based on information that is easily obtained through social engineering. This is why many service providers are abandoning passwords. Many firms expect that they will soon be password-less.SMS two-factor authenticationSMS-based two-factor authentication is old authentication technology. It's not secure enough for storing sensitive information. For a long time, it was thought to be an increased security mechanism, but, that is no longer the case.SMS authentication however can be a viable alternative for startups that don't require a lot of protection on their services, as a rule of thumb, if your app doesn't require storing sensitive data -- such as cards, addresses, etc. SMS authentication is good to go.Third-party authentication appsAnother alternative is to use third-party authentication software. And there are many of them. Some applications provide enough security as long as the user has control of the device. They are pretty horrible from an user experience point of view. Users must switch applications to get the code. Then they return to input it, thus most will avoid doing so and instead opt for lesser security settings.Biometric AuthenticationBiometric authentication is the technique of verifying an individual's identification. It uses a unique bodily trait. For each authentication, the user delivers biometric data. Then the biometric data is compared to the input. This approach was designed to be safe, and it continues to be, as long as it functions well.Although the user experience is positive, biometrics fall short in terms of privacy. Not everyone is ready to use their bodily traits for verification, even if the biometric data does not leave their device.So, what to choose?As a general answer, it depends, sometimes SMS or user/password authentication is enough, and sometimes an extra layer of security needs to be added. Depending on the app, the data is manipulated and stored, and different authentication methods are required.If you're not sure what should you pick for your mobile app, get in touch and our team of experts will offer you the best alternatives for your use case. --- ### Why startups fail: 10 of the most common reasons URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/why-startups-fail-10-of-the-most-common-reasons Here are 10 common reasons why startups fail and how to avoid getting there as a startup founder. We keep on saying that starting a business is a lot harder than most people think. A business is rarely so in tune with its niche that it can fly along with little effort. According to Harvard Business Review, “More than two-thirds of startups never deliver a positive return to investors”. But why do so many startups fail? There are many reasons for this, so here is what you should know before starting your own business. If you ask former business owners, you will get a wide variety of reasons on why their businesses failed. Here are the 5 most common ones:1. Founders didn’t make something people wantNothing is as important as making something that people want. You may be the best at advocating, fundraising, or the best programmer the world has seen. If you don’t come up with a product that people need, you will fail.We have an ongoing piece of advice for those searching for inspiration or startup ideas. (link to ‘Startup ideas’ article). Try and fix an issue that they already have. This way, you can be sure that you're building something that other people need as well. How do you know this will work? Because you are already a part of the targeted market and you will have lots of insights on that subject.Next, if you want to understand what others want, you need to understand your users first. Do they like what you’ve created this far? Why? Or why not? You should spend a lot of time talking to your users. Watch them, observe them, and learn what kind of products they want you to build.As a startup founder, you’re a doctor and the users are your patients. You should always go and talk to your patients. Listen to what they say their symptoms are and what they’re complaining about. So make sure you talk to your users and build things that people want. This way, you’ll avoid the most common way that other startups fail.Not to forget, be willing to change your mind if it’s the right thing to do. Most good ideas change over time. You can even figure more out while having a one-day workshop for startups. But your users are your guiding point and the best way to stay on track. So again, the best way to succeed in the early stages of a startup is to build things and talk to users.2. Founders can’t stay focusedWe follow the first reason with another one about focusing on the product and users. Might sound redundant and self-evident, right? But founders should focus on their product and users to the point of being fanatics. The best entrepreneurs don’t have time to get caught up in other distracting things.Here are a few things that distract founders by thinking they are big priorities:“Grabbing coffee” with investorsChatting with potential acquirersNetworkingRecruiting boards of advisorsDoing a partnership thinking it will generate more usersSpending time on PR before creating a product desired by usersArguing on social media 3. Founders don’t measure their worthIf you build something people want and then stay focused, growth is a natural result. This means you can use growth as a measure to check if your startup is going in the right direction. If your growth rate is at least 10% per month, you’re on the right track. If you’re not, you’re probably missing one of the first 2 elements mentioned before. You’re either building the wrong thing or you’re not focused enough.The guys at Y Combinator taught us a good lesson: “You make what you measure”. Pick a goal number and focus on that. One good metric for measuring your growth is good old revenue. We don’t think there’s another better test to check if you’re making it in or not.Do you know the saying “ignorance is bliss”? Well, it should only apply to your fashion choices. You should not be in denial when it comes to your business, because it might kill your startup fast. Focusing on growth prevents you from living in the denial. A lot of problems you face in your startup might provoke this. Yes, founders tend to make mistakes and then live in denial about it. Founders may waste a lot of valuable time doing inessential stuff and be in denial about it, too. Denial is the silent killer of startups. That’s why you should have growth targets, to get yourself out of this denial. The numbers stare you right in your face this way. You can’t pretend you didn’t know about the difficulties you were having. Look at it this way, numbers may be also good in the end. What other motivation hits better than this?We understand that some issues are hard, and you may be tired. Sometimes you feel like you’ve had enough, or you consider that focusing on growth is not a priority right now. This is the moment that denial sets in. This is also the perfect moment to not let your guard down. Set the goals, stay focused on them, and measure your growth constantly. If you feel like crawling down to cry, then do so for 2 and a half minutes and then get back to work. In the long run, you don’t want this minor setback to be the reason your startup failed.4. Startups ran out of moneyThis is another major reason startups fail. Why does it happen, tho, why do startups run out of money? Simple, because they spend more than they earn. But how can a startup spend so much to run out of funds? Well, a big expense in any business is salaries. So, spending too much money = having too many employees.Making a product nobody wants is the biggest mistake in the early phase of a startup. Overhiring is the second-biggest mistake but in the next phase of a startup. It gives you less margin for error. The amount of time you have to generate a profit decreases when you use up your cash reserves more. Yet, startups are the kind of thing that takes longer to get right than you expect. This is because they are (generally) managed by inexperienced founders. They are also building something novel and that's a lethal mix. If you start to run low on cash at this point, you will need extra funds while in the "ugly duckling" stage. You don't look good right now, even if you are on the right track. Investors generally dislike those kinds of businesses.So, be very conservative with your money expenses. Be somehow pessimistic and assume it will take longer than you think to get things moving. It’s better to be prepared for unforeseen problems than take unnecessary risks. You don't want to gamble on your startup’s future.Now that we saw how fast you can lose money, let’s see how hard it is to gain money.5. Fundraising gets harderHope you didn't think the drama ends when you hit the “ugly duckling” phase. Startups get slammed when they have to raise money from this phase. All because the following rounds of fund raising get so much harder. This is where founders usually try to raise a series A.Series A funding is the first round after the seed funding stage. In this round, it’s important to have a plan that will generate long-term profit. Seed investors are mostly looking for a promise of success. Series A investors on the other hand are looking for performance. They will only invest in you know if they can assess that you’re clear on the path to being a big winner. They are willing to invest a lot if they think so. But will this “ugly duckling” phase make them think you are a big winner? Probably not, so they won’t invest at all. If they don’t see progress, they don’t waste their money.These were 5 major reasons why startups fail. Now let’s see 5 secondary reasons that you should keep an eye on at all times.6. Being in the wrong marketToo many people try to start a business targeting everyone as their demographic. This doesn’t work out well. Next, they try to target everyone in their town. Again, too broad. The more defined your niche is, the easier it will be to market to the right audience.7. A bad co-founder or the lack of oneThis is indeed an issue. It might be a bit too hard for one person to tackle all the challenges alone. Even investors might treat you differently if you’re all alone in this process. But the solution is very simple, get a co-founder. Having a partner is necessary when starting a business. You each have particular knowledge in different fields, with one of you being an expert in each. If your ideas for the business collide, and if there is no clear solution, inner conflict develops. The majority of disagreements can be avoided before they even start. How to do so? Create a detailed company strategy that outlines each partner's responsibilities.8. Bad marketingMarketing and bookkeeping are also two essential components of any startup. What you are offering or selling won't matter if you are not excellent at both. The sad reality is that most business owners are only good at their job, at that's it. If you have the funds for another salary, hire an expert. If you don’t, read more and learn about how to promote your product.9. Not being aware of the competitorsAltough competition is bad for your startup, once an idea gets hot or market validation, others may try to capitalize on the opportunity. And while obsessing over the competition is not healthy, ignoring it is also a recipe for failure.10. Ignoring the “burnout”Startup founders rarely experience work-life balance. Thus, there is a higher chance of burnout and 5% of the time, failure was attributed to burnout. To succeed and avoid burnout, it is necessary to have a strong, varied, and driven team. Founders also need to redirect their focus when discovering a dead-end.Are you ready to become a founder? We can help you succeed!When it comes to managing a startup, we have plenty of experience at this point. That's why we conduct one-day workshops to help founders validate their idea, pick the right feature set, and define the user flows based on timelines, budgets, and goals.The suitable choice of what you require will aid in the efficient use of resources, time, and effort. In turn, appssemble is prepared to maintain and upgrade your app in addition to building it. It’s simple, contact us for further information on how to fine-tune your application with no worries. Tell us what are your ideas, and let’s see how we can help you! --- ### Content creator economy in mobile apps URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/content-creator-economy-in-mobile-apps Learn what the content creator economy in mobile apps is all about. The power dynamics of the creative economy are quickly shifting. Creators are now in the driver's seat, with greater independence than ever before. Examples of content creators are YouTubers and TikTokers. They produce material for their audiences constantly. Today, creator platforms take too many profits away from the creator. They don't allow artists to be discovered through their algorithms.Also, few provide direct ownership where all stakeholders have a financial advantage. All depending on their contributions. Creators are not only the product; they are the new economy.What is the creator economy?Long ago, there was a small number of people who created material and a larger group that 'consumed' it. As new platforms and technology evolved, content took on a variety of shapes and forms.The creative economy is rather vast. It's composed of side hustles, independent companies, social media influencers, bloggers, and videographers. Over 50 million people globally consider themselves independent producers, according to Signalfire.The creative economy also includes a diverse range of businesses providing creators services. Such as content development, online analytics systems, and website hosting.The creator economy refers to the 50 million+ independent content creators and community builders. They create free or paid material, then distribute it to their followers via apps. A combination of factors has resulted in a shift in the ecosystem. Resulting in what is now known as the creator economy.Common app channels for the creator economy include:Twitch for live video streamingYouTube for on-demand video contentInstagram for images and short videosTikTok for short videosFacebook for multi-media contentHow does the creator economy work?The creator economy fosters a network of creators, consumers, advertisers, and other stakeholders. This ecosystem has far-reaching ramifications. From the creation, distribution, consumption, and monetization of material.There are majorly five stakeholders:CreatorsConsumersPlatformBusinessesToolsCreatorsCreators are infopreneurs who generate content that their audiences consume. The material might be educational, entertaining, or motivating. These content makers use their knowledge to generate content. To also grow audiences, and monetize their work.There are four kinds of creatorsBloggers/Vloggers who give guidance or advice on issues for which they are well-known. Fashion bloggers, for example, on what's new in the fashion world.Entertainers who generate content through writing, music, or any other type of art. As an example, consider an artist who shares songs on Soundcloud.Experts and guides who offer their expertise on products, services, and other issues.Existing celebrities use their fame to generate content.ConsumersConsumers are those who consume content. They are the creators' intended audience. Consumers interact with expert-created material. They financially support them or follow their opinion leaders for knowledge and enjoyment.PlatformsPlatforms are third-party services. They assist in the development, distribution, consumption, and monetization of content. Platforms are utilized by both stakeholders to communicate with one another.Platforms deliver value-added services. They generate money through adverts or membership fees. Some well-known examples are YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms.BusinessesBusinesses are organizations that want to promote their products and services. This happens through the use of content creators. They target the creators' audience by collaborating with influencers. This generates content around their offering, then delivered it through the influencer's networks.Influencers and corporations work together to create effective brand awareness campaigns. This new business model benefits both stakeholders. Influencers can monetize their influence by charging a premium. And then companies that can effectively market their brand.What’s the state of the creator economy?There is now a huge shift in the way material is consumed and created. Many internet businesses are building sustainable plans to monetize their platform. Thus the creator economy is growing in strength.YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok are deciding how content is made nowadays. They also decide how the content is delivered, consumed, and monetized.What are the creator economy business plans?How do users make money out of these apps? The creator economy has brought creative business models. These are transforming into long-term jobs by allowing them to focus on what they love most. Creating, interacting with followers, and monetizing their influence. Here are some examples of business models:Platform revenue sharing planAffiliate marketing planProduct placement planBrand sponsorship planSubscription-based planSelf-brandingDonationsPlatform revenue sharing planThis is the most common plan with the lowest barrier to entry. It's for creators that use platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and others. Creators may monetize their work by receiving a part of the ad income. Ad income that is earned by their channel and posts.Affiliate marketing planAffiliate marketing is a commission-based strategy. Influencers are compensated for each consumer referred to a partner brand. Creators not only monetize their impact but also assist companies in creating leads. Through their content, they can position themselves as industry authorities.Product placement planProducers are compensated for using or featuring brands in their material. Advertisers or corporations pay influencers in exchange for product/service mentions.Brand sponsorship planA business or advertiser pays an influencer to promote their brand. They do this by promoting it in their content. This strategy requires artists to sign a contract. This states the exclusivity of specific products and services but it's more expensive.Subscription-based planVarious sites offer subscription-based content, such as OnlyFans, Instagram, Patreon, and Twitch. Here viewers may subscribe to a creator's channel for a charge of their choice. Fans may then view unique content. Live broadcasts, and videos that are not available anywhere else on these channels.Self-brandingSeveral creators even develop their products and services. It could be clothing lines, accessories, and so on. They make more cash and position themselves as a figure with authority in their field. This concept is better suited to artists who want to build a long-term business.DonationsDonations are another common type of monetization in the creative economy. This model has existed for more than a decade, yet, it is less common nowadays. You can't rely on contributions because people will either forget or won't be able to pay them. This is why most influencers choose subscriptions, brand sponsorship, and affiliate marketing.The common content creator economy types in mobile appsText This might contain everything from short articles to long-form content and newsletters. The simple premise of Substack, is to be "the home for exceptional writing". While most of its newsletters are free, Substack has over 500,000 paid members. According to The Guardian, “Substack takes 10% of subscription earnings, and payment company Stripe takes a further 3% with writers taking the rest. Writers charge around $5 a month (£3.66) or $50 a year for access to their newsletters, although the platform’s many free newsletters also have a big following.” Another fun fact is that the top ten Substack publishers make a combined $7 million each year.Video content Short-form videos appeal to smartphone users looking for casual entertainment. Following TikTok's breakthrough, other clones appeared in various countries. Many people find it simple to create videos thanks to Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. The main advantage of such apps is that they do need expensive shooting equipment. Only a competent smartphone, and an app.Audio content Podcasts had a large fan base even before the COVID-19 epidemic. The extended stay-at-home period increased the use of audio and video streaming content. Content providers had it well during that period. Not to mention Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other regional platforms. Content makers could record and share their material across major platforms using tools. What tools you might ask? Anchor, Podbean, and others.Apps that help the creator content processCanva This is a free graphic design tool for those of you who are unfamiliar with design. Many creators need one, yet they are not always affordable. For example, Canva can help you create lots of graphics. Graphics for social media, blog posts, YouTube thumbnails, and much more.Even the free version of Canva provides plenty of tools. Including free pictures, and components to help you design your designs. As a result, this app might be a viable answer.Trello is a free project management application that lets you build many boards. here, you can keep track of everything you generate for your content. In a nutshell, it's a significant productivity increase.Trello is especially useful if you're not a big lover of excel sheets. Especially if you want to keep track of different materials or projects. For example, you might make one board for each channel you own. Such as an Instagram board, a YouTube board, a blogging board, and so on.Grammarly Bloggers and freelance writers will appreciate this tool! Grammarly is a free browser plugin that you may install. It will highlight any errors or misspellings in your content. It will identify problems in your blog posts, emails, or drafts once you download it.You may use it to verify if your blog entries are grammatically proper. So, before pressing "publish," always use the greatest wording you can think of.Pexels is a great resource for finding interesting royalty-free photos and videos. Artists and makers from all around the world may contribute their work.The nicest thing about Pexels is that you don't have to pay for a license to use the stock photographs. Nor do you need a subscription to access the website and download the images and videos.Hootsuite is a social media management and scheduling application. It allows you to connect many accounts, schedule and prepare posts in advance. You may book up to 30 posts in a single session, and you can arrange material for the following ten days. We feel that this is rather decent for a beginning.Tailwind: Planner & Schedule This is an excellent tool for all Pinterest designers. Tailwind is a Pinterest scheduling service. What does it do? It allows you to plan your pins to various groups, boards, and profiles in advance. This means you don't have to log into your Pinterest account every day to generate and submit new pins.It's a great solution for content creators that create a lot of material and want to manage it all in one spot.What other apps are popular nowadays? Probably the ones that Millenials love and are determined to not let go of just yet.Why is the creator economy a big deal?The creator economy exploded during the pandemic for obvious reasons. There are no signs of slowing down in the present either. This industry might reach $100 billion+ this year. And it makes sense. With more and more people engaging in online life, many of them create full-time jobs out of it. And of course, even more following the content.Marketing is being focused on social media platforms nowadays. So what will businesses do? It's only natural to seek out social media influencers to promote their brands.For example, when famous rapper Snoop Dogg paired with Corona in August of 2020, they played "go big or go home". So, Snoop Dogg did go big with this endorsement. He earned a neat $10 million for the deal. Not too shabby for one commercial. Snoop Dogg absolutely made even more of a name for both himself and Corona with this one.Do you need a content creator economy mobile app?As usual, if you have a strategy in mind or are seeking new ideas, it is worthwhile talking with our experts. Let's develop a solution that will provide your company with a competitive advantage. --- ### Why use Ruby on Rails as a backend technology for your mobile app? URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/why-use-ruby-on-rails-as-a-backend-technology-for-your-mobile-app You may be wondering why use Ruby on Rails. Truth be told, RoR is a better fit for many use cases than any other tool. Read why. Every year, we see publications announcing the death of this framework gem. And, despite being nearly 15 years old, Ruby on Rails (RoR) is far from extinct in the programming industry.You may be wondering why Ruby on Rails is used since RoR is a better fit for many use cases than any other tool.What is Ruby on Rails?Ruby on Rails (or "Rails") is a free and open-source development framework written in Ruby. Ruby is an object-oriented program (OOP). Modern online apps may be pretty complicated, with several levels. Rails simplify web development by providing a pre-built development structure. It also adds everything you need to create a web project.There is one big distinction between Ruby on Rails and other development frameworks. Its speed and simplicity. Changes to applications are being implemented immediately. So it avoids the time-consuming procedures of the mobile development cycle.Rails is being built up of various components, including:Active record, an object-relational mapping layerAction pack, a manager of controller and view functionsAction mailer, a handler of emailAction web servicesPrototype, an implementer of drag and drop and Ajax functionalityHere is a list of Ruby on Rails empowered websites that stands as an inspiration in many ways:GitHub – A platform that brings together the developers' community to discover, share and develop better softwareAirbnb - Online marketplace and accommodation sharing siteBasecamp – Company that hosts project management and team communication softwareCafePress – Online gift shop specialized in user-customized, on-demand productsCrunchbase – A leading destination for finding business details about public and private companies.What is Ruby on Rails used for?How to understand what Ruby may be used for? Keep in mind that it is a dynamic and general-purpose programming language. It is also adaptable and mature.The list of products you can develop with Ruby is rather long. All because of the vast (and still growing) number of gems and libraries. They serve as building blocks for various sorts of apps.The following are the most popular sorts of Ruby applications:MVPs Ruby is frequently selected for the low-cost and quick creation of MVPs. Before developing completely working apps, this language is used for prototyping. It also offers updates and testing for many versions of products.Apps for Social Networking Ruby's ability to sustain traffic-heavy apps makes it ideal for social networking sites. One example could be Twitter.Apps for Apartment Sharing and Booking It's also utilized for apartment sharing and booking apps like Airbnb and Couchsurfing. All because it can handle a large volume of daily transactions and property bookings.Platforms for e-commerce Ruby is a popular programming language for eCommerce platforms like Spree and Shopify. The speed of development, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness make it ideal for the job. That's because it allows the managing of many transactions at onceComplex database support platforms Two excellent examples of such systems are GitHub and Bloomberg. GitHub is the largest Git repository hosting platform for developers. While Bloomberg is a multi-platform financial news and analytics center. Because of its speed, efficiency, and flexibility, Ruby is also used for:automation, backupDevOps toolsAPI Clientsreport generatorsserversstatic website generatorscommand-line media players.The framework is still used by over a million developers worldwide. This includes many prominent companies like Dribbble and Hulu.Ruby on Rails’ recent updatesAlongside PHP and Python, Ruby makes the list of the 20 most used programming languages in 2022.There is considerable growth in the number of Ruby on Rails apps created in the "API only" manner. As a result, it is possible to create an API as an MVP, while still developing the application's frontend in any JS framework.Back to roots - Hotwire in 2022In 2022, we can also see Hotwire returning to its roots in the Ruby on Rails world. All these in a very short period, and with no development expertise. The strange thing is that we've used comparable tactics before. But never in such an orderly, unified manner.Strada is the finishing touch to this entire technical stack. Rails will go to the top as a Web application solution. And that's because of the capabilities for constructing mobile hybrid apps.Performance boost!Ruby on Rails has had performance concerns for years but with genuine progress. We see a major focus on addressing this issue and fixing the framework and language itself.Ruby 3.0 proved three times quicker than Ruby 2.0. Now, version 3.1 takes another step toward better performance. One of the phases was to construct the so-called "Fiber Scheduler". This enables asynchronous Ruby operations with no side effects or tiresome developer effort.Ruby examines well-known issues and alters the framework's behavior, pushing it toward asynchrony. As a matter of fact, a new version of the PG gem got published in early 2022. This allows asynchronous database requests and it demonstrates the Ruby community's development direction.Encrypt everything with RailsWe now see one fantastic feature in Rails 7 that has been long expected. By default, our databases were never encrypted. In general, this does not imply that it is compromised. But if we can, we should encrypt even simple data in the database.Parallel Execution in RubyNot all updates in Ruby on Rails are planned ahead of time. Some of them remind us of an experiment. An experiment that demonstrates RoR's willingness to explore new ideas. Ractor, a Ruby Actor Model is one of these features.It functions similarly to JavaScript service workers. It is allowing the establishment of correct threading between processes. It's also improving safety through fewer deadlocks and livelocks. Their communication is based on message passing, which differs significantly from conceptual threads.Why do people think Ruby on Rails is dead?The idea of RoR's collapse has almost become an urban legend by now. That is the result of many misconceptions formed around the framework. Now it's time to dissect them:1. Slow performanceRails has slower runtime times than Node.js or Golang. This becomes obvious for great products with high traffic. If this isn't a large project with a lot of users and requests, Rails is not to blame for the poor speeds. The server design or databases are at fault.Rails apps could be faster with a well-thought-out design and infrastructure. (a must in any large-scale projects, regardless of programming language). Basecamp, Airbnb, and GitHub are examples of large-scale RoR software. So where does all that lousy rep come from?Rails offer so much for the developer. Novice developers make foolish choices while writing code. Performance suffers significantly when faulty code is used. The underlying performance concerns of Ruby and RoR are being worked on. See examples:In 2018, Ruby 2.6.1 was released, which brought speed enhancements and new features. The creators of Ruby 3 wanted to speed up the language three times faster than Ruby 2.Rails 6.0, released in 2019, has solutions that make creating Web apps easier. Rails began demanding Ruby 2.5+ from then on, bringing the most up-to-date Ruby features aboard.Rails 7.0, which was published in 2021, contained jsbundling-rails integration. It also has asynchronous query encrypted attributes to Active Record and other features.2. Scalability issuesLet’s see why it's incorrect to blame the framework for difficulties and limitations. To serve requests rapidly, you need to take care of the following. Each component of the server system architecture must be set accurately and performant. When Twitter switched from Rails to Scala, Ruby was criticized for being unscalable. The change is most likely what ignited the debate over RoR's scalability difficulties.Available scaling options with Rails:code optimizationservice-oriented architecturehorizontal scalability3. It’s mature, hence boringWhenever a new framework arises, it quickly becomes popular. Especially the ones that ass something novel to the table. Hundreds of users and contributors appear all over the world. Then, after a few years, the buzz fades. What was once cutting-edge becomes far less thrilling, engaging, and demanding.It's growing, yet, maturity does not have to be dull. Maturity implies reliable, improved code. Following technological trends is not always a wise idea. Switching to something more popular might have the opposite effect and raise expenses. But, digital transformation is always a good idea.Why Ruby?Ruby is popular among developers because of its concise, clean syntax. It doesn't need a lot of unnecessary punctuation. It’s an object-oriented language. It's a clean language, flexible and predictable, that is simple to understand and write. It also uses less code to generate fundamental structures.Why Rails?Rails is popular because its conventions are both universal and intelligent. Rails is a repository of pre-written code. It implements the framework and many common tasks of a database-driven site. Thus avoiding wasteful labor in the early stages of the project.So, why should you choose Ruby on Rails as a backend technology for your mobile app development?Because it is a mature technology that has been around for a decade nowBecause it is all about writing less code that does moreBecause it allows easy modification of existing codeBecause it follows Agile development principlesBecause it has a super-active, collaborative & vibrant communityBecause it has plenty of free plugins called ‘gems’Because it’s free to useAnd last but not least because it allows you to build a prototype in a rather short timeBuilding apps in RoR is quick and straightforward. All thanks to coding by convention—an ideal solution if you're on a small budget and have a tight deadline.Finding competent RoR developers should not be difficult due to the large skill pool. Rails will never be a good solution for advanced and complicated projects. Especially in the hands of novice developers. It can cause future problems with maintenance, performance, security, and stability. All of them mean major expenditures that could be avoided.Ruby on Rails provides mobile solutions for Android and iOS a competitive advantage. Therefore, Rails is popular because its conventions are both universal and intelligent.Do you need a brilliant Ruby on Rails developer for your mobile app?If you need a great developer for your mobile app, let our talented team create something unique and limitless for you and your startup. Until the next one, stay awesome! --- ### A definite guide on Seed fundraising for startups URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/a-definite-guide-on-seed-fundraising-for-startups Unless you’re lucky and don’t need capital to grow, then you need to go through this article, learn what seed fundraising is and successfully get outside finance. The most difficult element in managing a business is creating something that people want, that’s why most businesses fail because they do not achieve this. However, the second most difficult aspect of launching a business is raising funds. This is a hard process.What is Seed Funding?Here's a quick explanation: Seed funding is a type of early-stage investment that startups get from investors in exchange for a stake in the firm. Following pre-seed financing, the first official funding round is seed funding. The fundamental objective and purpose of seed investment are to get the business up and going. It must encompass the early stages of product development, significant market research, and other early-stage operations.In other words, seed capital is a component of the first investment in new businesses. The monies are then utilized to fuel the company's expansion. There must be some form of return value to the investors as part of the seed funding for the startup process.What is Bootstrapping?Bootstrapping = a situation in which an entrepreneur starts a company with little capital, relying on money other than outside investments. An individual is said to be bootstrapping when they attempt to found and build a company from personal finances or the operating revenues of the new company.Bootstrapping seems fantastic in theory, but few firms make it out alive from this seemingly lush land. The fact that bootstrapped firms are well-known for this should raise red flags. It would be the norm if it worked so well.Bootstrapping may become easier if the cost of launching a business decreases. But I doubt we'll ever get to the stage where most businesses can survive without outside capital. Technology is becoming increasingly affordable, but living expenditures are not.Why raise funds?Startup businesses must buy equipment, rent offices, and hire employees. More significantly, they must develop. To execute these tasks, they will almost always need outside cash. Some would-be founders may be wondering why they should interact with investors at all. Why bother soliciting funds if it's so difficult?One simple reason is that you need money to survive. In theory, funding your firm with its earnings is a good concept, but you can't manufacture immediate consumers. To break even, you must sell a particular amount of your product. It will take time to increase your sales to that level, and it is difficult to anticipate how long it will take unless you attempt.The great majority of businesses will fail if they do not receive startup capital. The amount of money required to get a business to profitability is frequently well above the founders' and their friends and family's abilities to fund. A startup is a firm that is designed to expand quickly 12. To continue their expansion, high-growth enterprises nearly always need to burn cash before reaching profitability. A few startups successfully bootstrap (finance themselves), but they are the exception. Of course, many excellent businesses are not startups. Managing capital requirements for such businesses is not discussed in this document.A war chest not only helps companies to survive and develop, but it is nearly always a competitive edge in all areas that matter: employing key personnel, public relations, marketing, and sales. As a result, most businesses will almost likely wish to raise capital. The good news is that many investors are looking to invest in the right business. The bad news is that "fundraising is cruel." 1. The process of raising such money is frequently long, laborious, complex, and deflating to one's ego. Nonetheless, it is a route that practically all businesses and entrepreneurs must take, but when is the ideal moment to seek capital?When to raise funds?Investors send cheques when they are convinced that the concept is attractive, that the founders' team can accomplish their vision, and that the potential outlined is genuine and significant enough. When the founders are ready to tell their tale, they will be able to gather funds. And, in most cases, you should raise funds.For some entrepreneurs, having a narrative and a reputation is sufficient. However, for most, it will take a concept, a product, and some level of client acceptance, often known as traction. Fortunately, today's software development environment allows a complex online or mobile application to be produced and deployed in a surprisingly short amount of time and at a very cheap cost.However, investors must be persuaded as well. A product that people can see, use, or touch is usually insufficient. They will want to know if there is a product-market fit and that the product is growing.As a result, entrepreneurs should solicit funds only after they have determined the market opportunity and who the client is, and after they have developed a product that meets their demands and is being adopted at an unusually quick rate. How fast is it interesting? This varies, but a weekly rate of 10% for several weeks is outstanding. And to obtain funds, entrepreneurs must wow. Congratulations to founders who can persuade investors without these items. For everyone else, focus on your product and communicate with your customers.How much to raiseIdeally, you should raise as much money as is required to attain profitability, so that you never need to solicit funds again. If you succeed, you will not only find it simpler to raise funds in the future, but you will also be able to survive without fresh financing if the funding situation becomes tight. Their objective should be to generate enough money to reach their next "fundable" milestone, which is normally 12 to 18 months later.When deciding how much to raise, you must weigh numerous factors, including how much advancement that amount of money will buy, credibility with investors, and dilution. If you can give up as little as 10% of your firm in your seed round, that is fantastic; but, most rounds will need up to 20% dilution, and you should attempt to avoid more than 25%. In any case, the amount you are requesting must be linked to a credible strategy. That strategy will provide you with the credibility you need to persuade investors that their money will have a chance to grow.You need to bear in mind numerous factors, such as: How far can you take the business with the money raised?How much of your company are you willing to share at this stage (you should avoid giving up more than a quarter of your shares)?How keen investors are on your pitch?It is always a good idea to construct various plans based on different amounts raised and to thoroughly communicate your opinion that the firm will be successful whether you raise the whole amount or anything less. The difference is how quickly you can grow.Consider how many months of operation you intend to support when determining the appropriate amount to raise in your first round.Financing options1. Convertible DebtWhat is convertible debt? Convertible debt is also referred to as convertible loans or convertible notes. Convertible debt occurs when a corporation borrows money from an investor or group of investors to convert the debt to equity at a later point. Typically, the method for converting debt to equity is established at the time the loan is made. Sometimes compensation is provided in the form of a discount or a warrant. Sometimes there is, and sometimes there isn't. Sometimes the valuation at which the debt will convert is limited. Sometimes there is, and sometimes there isn't.There are several reasons why investors and/or the firm may want to issue debt rather than stock and convert the debt to equity later. The reasons are evident for the corporation. If the corporation feels its equity will be worth more in the future, it will dilute less by borrowing debt and eventually converting it. It is also true that the transaction expenses, mostly legal fees, are typically lower when issuing debt rather than stock.For investors, the choice between debt and equity is less straightforward. Sometimes investors are so anxious to participate in a firm that they will put their money into a convertible debt and allow the next round of investors to choose the price. Finally, debt is senior to equity in liquidation, so holding a debt position in a corporation rather than an equity position provides some additional security. However, this is not very useful for early-stage firms. When a startup fails, it frequently has little or no liquidation value.How does convertible debt work?Convertible debt is frequently used for friend and family rounds. It stands to reason that friends and relatives would prefer not to engage in a hardball bargain with a founder, preferring to wait until professional investors join the picture.Warrants or Discounts are common kinds of remuneration for making a convertible debt.The Warrant in a normal convertible note will be an option for whatever security is sold in the future round. The Warrant is commonly represented as a "warrant coverage percentage."A Discount is easier to understand but frequently more difficult to implement. A discount will be presented as a percentage as well. The most commonly used discounts are 20% and 25%. The discount is the amount of money that convertible loan holders will save if they convert in the following cycle.Why use a convertible debt?Typically, startups consider obtaining financing through convertible debt early in their life cycle. They want to move quickly, keep transaction costs low, and a convertible note makes it easier to close the investment. While these are all valid reasons to contemplate convertible debt, we are not fans of it at this stage in the life of a firm. I feel it is best practice to establish the equity value early on and begin the process of growing it round after round after round. On the other hand, convertible debt can make a lot of sense later in a company's existence.2. SAFEWhat is this?A simple agreement for future equity (SAFE) is a fundraising mechanism developed in 2013 by the well-known Silicon Valley startup accelerator, Y Combinator. Originally designed to assist entrepreneurs in raising seed finance, SAFEs have subsequently evolved into a common pre-seed and seed-stage alternative to the convertible note.How does a SAFE work?A SAFE, unlike a convertible note, is not a debt instrument. A SAFE is a convertible equity instrument that gives investors the ability to acquire stock at a later period and under certain conditions. They are often substantially shorter in length than convertible notes.Why use a SAFE?SAFEs have several important benefits over debt-based alternatives. Because it is not a loan, the startup does not incur debt as a result of the investment. This feature assists in preventing a startup from going bankrupt if it is unable to develop momentum, shift to a different business plan, or accrue interest over time.Another significant advantage of SAFEs is their simplicity. SAFEs were intended to be basic so that entrepreneurs could save legal expenses and reuse them. Only the value capital will need to be discussed for a conventional SAFE (if at all). Because the agreement is not a debt, there is no need for startups and investors to negotiate maturity dates, extensions, or interest rates. They also do not have to haggle with other investors.However, the concept of SAFEs is not universally welcomed. One particular source of concern is that a business may fail before investors can execute their stock options. In that circumstance, the investors have few options because the firm owes them nothing.3. EquityWhat is this?Setting a valuation for your company (generally, the cap on the safes or notes is considered as a company's notional valuation, though notes and safes can also be uncapped) and thus a per-share price, followed by issuing and selling new shares of the company to investors, is what an equity round entails. This is usually more difficult, costly, and time-consuming than a safe or convertible debt, which explains their appeal inHow does equity work?When your firm conducts a pricing round, you must be aware of numerous critical components of an equity round, such as equity incentive schemes (option pools), liquidation advantages, anti-dilution rights, protective covenants, and more. These elements are all negotiable, but if you have agreed on a valuation with your investors, then you are typically not too far off, and there is a deal to be done. I won't go into detail on equity rounds because they are so infrequent for seed rounds.Friendly advice1. Have low expectationsRaising capital damages the morale of many businesses not because it is difficult, but because it is far more difficult than they anticipated. Disappointment is what kills you. And the smaller your expectations are, the more difficult it is to be let down.2. Keep working on your startupIt may appear clear that you should continue to work on your company while soliciting funds. This is a difficult task, and most startups fail to do so. Raising funds has an uncanny ability to absorb all of your focus, even if you just have one meeting with investors each day, that one meeting will consume your whole day.3. Be conservativeAs the situation worsens, the best strategy becomes more conservative. When things are going well, you can take risks; when things are going poorly, you want to play it safe. I recommend treating fundraising as though everything was always going wrong. What we advise most to the firms, is that if a trustworthy source gives you financing on acceptable terms, you should take it.4. Be flexibleYou should avoid answering the following two questions: "Who else are you talking to?" and "How much money are you attempting to raise?" While they don't anticipate you answering the first question, and ask it just in case, they appear to be expecting an answer to the second one. We advise entrepreneurs to inform investors that based on the amount raised, they have many options. A year's worth of food and housing for the founders might be paid for with as little as $50,000.5. Be independentA startup can have expenditures so low that they might be profitable on as little as $2000 per month. When you just make enough to cover your living bills, everything changes. You may still require investment to make it large, but not this month. Investors like it when you are self-sufficient. It demonstrates that you've considered producing money rather than merely working on technical challenges; it demonstrates that you have the discipline to keep your costs minimal and most importantly, it demonstrates that you don't need them.6. Don’t take rejection personallyWhen you are rejected by investors, you may begin to doubt yourself. They are after all more experienced than you. Aren't they probably correct if they believe your startup is lame? Perhaps, perhaps not. If the design is the problem, here’s the solution. Precision is required when dealing with rejection. You should not just disregard rejection. It might imply something. But you should also avoid being demoralized.7. Being able to downshift into consultingConsulting is a risky approach to funding a firm. Not the best long-term answer, but it can rescue you from an urgent hazard. Some startups benefit more from this than others. As long as you don't get drawn into consulting full-time, this may even be beneficial. If you are using the program for them, you would have a good understanding of their needs.8. Avoid inexperienced investorsThough beginner investors appear unthreatening, they might be the most hazardous type because of their nervousness, especially in relation to the amount invested. Their attorneys are also unskilled. Of course, someone needs to make money from new investors; otherwise, there would be no experienced ones. However, if you do, either lead the process yourself, including providing the paperwork or utilize them just to supplement a larger round conducted by someone else.9. Know where you standThe most harmful aspect of investors is their indecision. The lengthy no or the rejection that arrives after months of meetings are the worst-case scenarios. Investor rejections are similar to design flaws: they are unavoidable, but considerably less costly if discovered early.So, while you speak with investors, keep an eye out for clues as to where you stand. How probable is it that they will offer you a term sheet? What do they need to be persuaded of first? Collect information about them, but be disciplined, otherwise, their desire to lead you on will mix with your want to be led on, resulting in utterly false perceptions. Here is some extra advice for mobile startup founders.Even in a conservative business like venture capital, opportunities like this don’t sit around for long. As a result, either existing investors will start making decisions faster, or new investors will arise who do.In the meantime, creators must view fundraising as a risky endeavor. The greatest risk is being caught off guard. It's that startups will underestimate the difficulties of getting money, that they'll breeze through all of the first processes, but when it comes to raising money, they'll find it extremely tough, demoralize themselves, and quit. So we warn you ahead of time: obtaining funds is difficult.Before meeting with any investor, make sure you know what drives them. Every investor is unique, and as we've seen, angel investors are motivated differently than VCs and corporate seed funders. Do your research.Your personality is equally as crucial as your stats. Investors will want to know that you are capable of succeeding and making them money. They are not just investing in your goods, but also in you as a person. Keep it in mind, and simply be yourself.appssemble helps companies implement digital transformations through knowledge and experienceAs usual, if you have a strategy in mind or are seeking new ideas, it is worthwhile talking with our experts and developing a solution that will provide your company with a competitive advantage. Until the next one, do your research, be confident, consistent, and don’t give up after one rejection. --- ### How to design your startup (mobile applications) URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/how-to-design-your-startup-mobile-applications Learn more about product design and how to make this an advantage as you’re building something people want in your startup. Designing may be extremely intricate and time-consuming. Still, we hope that we will be able to put everything that we thought founders would get wrong or run into issues within this post. These are general and essential principles that you should be aware of.Why are you starting a startup?Since everything around you that you currently experience was made up by people no smarter than you, and you have the power to alter it, you can have an impact on it as well, and you can create something that others can use. So, once you discover it, you will never be the same.What about design?Design is about developing and building things that other people can utilize, and removing one word from that phrase, causes it to fail. So, in this article, we're going to look at what design is. What difference does it make? We will go deeply into the ideas of product design, interface design, and visual design. We'll also look at how to do it strategically, even if you have no design expertise and don’t know the design trends, it only takes to be a human being, smart, and put yourself in the shoes of others, in fact, as founder, you definitely need to.What goes into a great product?Great product managementGreat designGreat engineeringGreat customer supportWhat is design and why does it matter?In a nutshell, it is just these two very simple things, creating things for users that work well and delight them. Those are two, sometimes disparate things as we'll see. There will be times in your startup like perhaps now, perhaps tomorrow that you'll want to start applying these things, well Google's, your friend. Everything in the world that you need to know, it's out there and so the computer is truly just a bicycle for the mind to train and learn.The other thing that I want to underscore is that we talk about design as the singular thing on its own, but it truly is deeply integrated with this broader picture of how to create great products. It's not just designed on its own, it's how the design interfaces with all the other pieces of the pie. So it takes great product management, in addition to that great design, then engineering, and customer support.It's all of these things and especially at your stage, don't box yourself in. You have to know that you are the shepherd of your product, and you're going to have to do every single one of these things. The first common misconception is that design is how it looks. It truly is not only about how it looks, but also how it works.The key thing here is how to create things that are not burdened with non-essentials. It really is about purity, about simplicity, this is a guiding force and everything that we see in the marketplace today. History doesn't repeat, it rhymes, and there's very little ‘totally new’ under the sun. In fact, as designers, you probably shouldn't be spending too much time trying to be extremely novel, because novelty is the opposite of functionality.So what do I mean by that? Earlier, we talked about form versus function. These were the two Yin and Yang, the opposing forces when you're trying to put together a design. We always want something to be beautiful, to make you feel good, and make the user feel good too, but at the same time, delight is also a part of the novelty. It's that "Hey this is new. I've never seen this before, this is interesting. I want to see more of this. Let me turn the page, let me click next."At the same time, the function is the thing that’s the stake. If delight is the sizzle and works well as a steak, that's why we're here. We're trying to get something done. Let’s call out Apple for its iPhone notch, that is the definition of form over function, and certainly, it's incredibly novel.Certainly, it serves the purpose of a marketer to be able to have this very novel, unalike thing and differentiate it from all of these other smartphones out there. In terms of function when I'm watching a video, this is categorically worse.So if you take a moment and try to think through, why is it that we see form over function so much in the things we use, the products we use around in our daily lives. Why does this happen? Clearly, this should not happen and so that form should follow function. Then you should emphasize the sympathy directed to your users. Ask yourself, what are your users thinking? What are they feeling? Why are they here? How do they perceive this UI for the first time? You must become genuinely interested in other people, you have to see their point of view. You want to be able to be sympathetic, and understand what their ideas are, what they understand, and what they want.One of the things that are interesting about building highly technological products is that we often think about them as incredibly complicated machinery. The most useful mental model for us is actually to not think of it as building a car, or even building a website, or writing software, or anything like that. It's somehow like throwing the best possible party you can. That politeness, that inviting welcome nature, that thoughtfulness, that's something that you have to keep in mind as you do your work as not just a designer, but as a founder. The key piece here is knowing what problem you're solving. Here is some extra advice for mobile app startup founders.This is the main belief of design thinking as well. So apart from not knowing your problem, is also the lack of empathy, and going back to form over function is that, if you don't know who the users are, what their problems are, then you are in danger of creating something faulty.Product designI know this isn't formally a part of the design, I just don't know how you could do design without doing this part too. Every single one of these things has fairly specific deliverables. One is a product requirement document (PRD) where you start with a problem statement, and once you have it then you can think about who are these very specific people that have this problem.Let’s walk through user personas. So personas are just a tool for designers to figure out who are these very specific people. You name these personas and think of them as specific human beings with, sometimes, a backstory. So that will help you a lot when you're making decisions about, well what are you trying to do, and about the features that matter.Being able to write down specific personas, means figuring out the type of users we want to deliver our product to and being as crisp as possible around what their needs are. We call that user research and it happens before you even start thinking about what problems to solve at some level. So when you see that term out there, if you end up trying to hire people for that role, this is where it fits. Once you know what these requirements are, the next step is prioritization.So prioritizing and being able to be very firm about these requirements are two of the most fundamental ways that you can make sure you release a product successfully, and you know that the product's going in the right direction. That's product management 101 but if you do this, you will be far ahead of your peers. A lot of people don't even do this very basic step of writing down what these features are, who they are for, what are the problems they're trying to solve, and then what are their respective priorities.Next are scope, quality, and time. So how much you do, that's part of the prioritization. Quality, its reality is not encompassed by your PRD, it's just purely in how people use your products, in how many bugs there are, in the things that don't work, and these are always an issue. Finally, time. You can always do all the features you want with the highest possible quality, but you might have to slip your date by two or three weeks if not longer. If you don't cut scope likewise, well you might be able to hit your time but users are going to run into 1,000 bugs and you're not going to like that. So if we work backward from that, then this is precisely the process you use to fight that.Interaction designAll of these things are incredibly important for this very first part, which is just pure product design. Interaction design is here so you know who the user is, what the problem is, and how to translate that into something that you can start working on. The questions you ask are, how will they do it, what are their goals, and how do they achieve them? At the end of the day, what you're trying to get is either a prototype or a wireframe.There are quite a few prototyping wireframing tools that are out there, and what you want to do is figure out the text, the call to action, and the screen-to-screen flow. You don't want to care about color, how it looks or what font you use. You don't even really have to worry about layout too much either, you should rather start thinking about the layout as a part of this process.Interaction design is about commands and about telling people what to do because people are incredibly suggestible. An interaction designer is not only the person who figures out where the buttons go, what the layout might be, or what the flow is. They're also the writers, they are trying to influence people directly by using direct command language. Don’t use passive voice, you're not showing, you're telling, you're just describing something about what you're doing in this third-party disembodied voice.A big company might get away with it because of its immense salesforce, but you as a startup cannot afford that. So everything that you write needs to be direct, and also a direct personal voice. You need the ‘call to action’ to be incredibly obvious, use command language. When they go to that mobile app they should know what they need to do.The other important part of interaction design is trying to figure out how to get people to do things. We generally think about this in two ways. One is how do you implement actions, for example, you shouldn’t optimize the product for a strange case that doesn’t often happen, like asking users to confirm their password by inserting it twice. The login should be done easily by email and if they forget it, allow them to use “forgot password” instead of typing the password twice.These are a couple of patterns that you can use. Another big misconception that beginning designers run into all the time is that they're always trying to do something incredibly novel at the interaction design stage. We recommend that you just steal what works, and so don't try to reinvent the wheel. For instance, the motion of ‘pull to refresh’ is something that works incredibly well, also the ‘swiping from left to right’, so try to work with these instead of searching for new ones. A lot of apps do it, but it's become a convention these days because they are easy and natural to use.That's actually what is desirable for most of your designs. You don't want to be novel, you want to be something that gets people to the right place as quickly as possible.One other interesting thing I want to call out and it's the danger zone of using design patterns. Some of the most common ones we’ve seen are using the wrong kind of pagination. We’ve seen people design for the web and they use these little dots to represent where you are and also the swiping navigation but sometimes that makes no sense at all. So you have to be incredibly careful with mixing modalities, and even with these design patterns, as you implement them you should think like the user, why am I here? What is the user trying to do? Does this make sense for my modality?Visual designVisual design is about blending these things. It's the interaction design and visual design super linked. It is how you tell the user what is important at the visual level. What emotions do you want to evoke, and how do you want them to feel?Another major misconception that people start to have around visual design is about not expressing themselves. The secret thing is to express what you are trying to and what information you are trying to get across. One of the principles you can apply is to look at any design that you're doing, and just try to figure out if it can be removed without taking away any meaning. That includes texts, lines, borders, and anything else.We found three very simple principles that you can use in visual design. The first and most important is contrast, for example, the most basic type of contrast that you can give is bold versus not bold, more important, less important, or incredibly simple. Bold is not the only way you can denote what is important versus not. You can use color, and that's an incredibly valuable tool. You can also use size where you can immediately see as a visual designer, just pay attention to when, what is more, and less important.When users come to your app/site, they try to figure out why they are there, what they are trying to do, and if your app experience is what they want. They will immediately be drawn to the highest contrast things. Then if they care about any of the page’s or app’s parts, they will immediately dive deeper into exactly that part that they enjoy.So visual hierarchy is your best tool for giving your users the guideposts, this is the way to go. After you’re done with the visual hierarchy, you start learning how to use colors and do your layout. Figure out what you need to put on the page, and then first try to use padding and margin to the extent that you can use a grid, you can put related things close to each other.So 90% of the time you can probably get away with just using a proper grid with enough spacing, putting related things together with good headings, and using the contrast. Then, using a box is a very important thing. It draws a lot of attention, so that's why you'll see it so commonly on websites around a ‘call to action’ button.It really is a high contrast thing, but be very careful when you use it so you avoid ending up with this blend of boxes where the user has no idea what's important and what they should be doing. Whereas if you use the grid and that visual hierarchy, it is very straightforward.Another aspect that's rather important is you don't have to fill every single design, margin to margin. A white space can be incredibly useful, sometimes even helping direct the end-user, helping them understand what's going on. Having a space on the side just gives you a place to put relevant things or to just allow users to be more focused.All of these bits of advice are incredibly simple things, the use of contrast, a grid, lines, boxes, and the use of color can do a lot for your page or app. In the end, it’s not that complicated, just remember to have empathy, think like a user, what do they look for in your page, and how do your layout, motions, and the rest of the design, impact their experience to make the dive more into that specific thing they’re looking for in your app or site. So there you have it, the most important tips and tricks on how to design the right way your startup, now you don’t have a reason to make the same mistakes.We understand what a challenge it is to be a first-time tech founder. It’s pretty difficult to pitch, design, develop and market your idea. Not to mention how hard it is to prove you’ll succeed in a very competitive industry.appssemble is here to be your bold digital product development partner! This service is the cheapest way to start your startup. What will we do? We'll help you define your product, understand its technical feasibility and costs, then validate it. You’ll receive all the tools and information you need to pitch to investors or develop your next products. Come up with the idea and we’ll help you with the rest! --- ### The future of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and mobile apps URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/the-future-of-non-fungible-tokens-nfts-and-mobile-apps A quick catch up into what NFTs are, what’s the difference between them and cryptocurrencies, how to create, buy & sell them, and whether or not you should invest in them through the following apps. Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) appear to be all the latest craze. From art and music to tacos and toilet paper, digital assets are selling like 17th-century exotic Dutch tulips, fetching millions of dollars in certain cases.However, are NFTs worth the money—or the hype? Some analysts believe they are a bubble that will burst. Others feel that NFTs are here to stay and will permanently revolutionize investment.What exactly is an NFT?According to Forbes advisor, an NFT is a digital asset that symbolizes physical objects such as art, music, in-game goods, and films. They are purchased and traded online, usually using cryptocurrency, and are typically encoded with the same underlying software as many cryptos.Even though they have been present since 2014, NFTs are gaining popularity as a popular means to buy and sell digital artwork, and maybe they’ll become the new app on the block that millennials love. The market for NFTs alone was approximately $41 billion in 2021, which is approaching the whole value of the worldwide fine art industry.Individual images—or perhaps the full collage of images—can be seen online for free by anybody. So why are individuals prepared to pay millions of dollars on something that they can easily capture or download?Because an NFT permits the buyer to retain ownership of the original item. Furthermore, it includes built-in authentication, which acts as evidence of ownership. Collectors appreciate "digital bragging rights" nearly as much as the thing itself.What is the difference between an NFT and Cryptocurrency?NFTs reside on a blockchain, which is a distributed public ledger that keeps track of transactions. You've definitely heard of blockchain as the fundamental technology that allows cryptocurrencies to exist.NFTs are commonly kept on the Ethereum blockchain however they can also be held on other blockchains.An NFT is formed, or "minted," using digital objects representing both tangible and intangible elements, such as:Graphic artGIFsVideos and sports highlightsCollectiblesVirtual avatars and video game skinsDesigner sneakersMusicNFTs are essentially digital collector's items, similar to actual collector's items. Instead of receiving a physical oil painting to put on the wall, the customer receives a digital file.What is the purpose of NFTs?Blockchain technology and NFTs provide artists and content providers with a one-of-a-kind possibility to monetize their work. Artists, for example, no longer have to rely on galleries or auction houses to sell their work. Instead, the artist may sell it straight to the buyer as an NFT, allowing them to keep a larger portion of the revenues.Furthermore, artists may automate royalties so that they get a percentage of revenues anytime their artwork is sold to a new owner. This is an appealing feature because most artists do not earn future revenue after their work is sold.How to buy NFTs?If you want to build your NFT collection, you'll need the following items:To begin, you must obtain a digital wallet that allows you to store NFTs and cryptocurrencies. Depending on the currencies accepted by your NFT provider, you may need to acquire some cryptocurrency, such as Ether.You may now buy cryptocurrency with a credit card on platforms such as Coinbase, Kraken, eToro, and even PayPal and Robinhood. You'll then be able to transfer it from the exchange to your preferred wallet.As you study your alternatives, keep costs in mind. When you acquire cryptocurrency, most exchanges charge at least a portion of your transaction.Should you buy NFTs?Does the fact that you may purchase NFTs imply that you should? Investing in NFTs is mostly a personal choice. If you have some extra cash, it's worth thinking about, especially if the artwork has sentimental value to you.However, keep in mind that the value of an NFT is entirely determined by what someone else is prepared to pay for it. As a result, demand will drive the price rather than fundamental, technical, or economic factors, which often impact stock prices and, at the very least, serve as the basis for investor demand.All of this means that an NFT may be resold for less than what you paid for it. If no one wants it, you might not be able to resell it at all. It’s risky because the future is uncertain and there isn’t a lot of their performance so you can never be too sure.The use cases of NFTs1. NFT gaming will add valueLet's start with the most important. In gaming, NFTs may unlock and add value to previously experienced gameplay. As Chris Clarke of KokoSwap explains: “In the gaming industry, it's something where if the gamer is putting their value into the game, it just makes complete sense they can take this value out of the game.”This is Ubisoft's point of view, as evidenced by the deployment of its platform, Quartz, and its in-game NFT, Digits. Quartz was launched by the publisher at the end of 2021, and it has remained on course. This is critical because NFTs can effectively establish a second-hand market for digital games and things.2. Play-to-earn games will be hugeA healthy internal market and economy might be beneficial. The emergence of Play-to-Earn games like Axie Infinity is signaling the way forward. Some gamers may even make a living off of these games. Play-to-Earn games like Axie Infinity, which have 3 million daily active users, aren't going away.While many Play-to-Earn games resemble non-NFT titles such as Pokémon and Stardew Valley, there are claims that some are simply backdoor blockchains, with the gameplay coming second to buying and trading cryptocurrency disguised as collectible items. Aleksander Leonard Larsen, the co-founder of Axie Infinity, stated that 50% of its users had never utilized bitcoin before playing the game during a panel discussion on the metaverse at Token2049. This demonstrates how NFT games may aid in the development of UX design and the accessibility of blockchains.Even successful Play-to-Earn games, such as Axie Infinity, maybe a challenge to negotiate crypto wallets, buy-in fees, hidden expenses, and more before you can begin earning a prized Axie. There is an opportunity for improvement, maybe by combining the greatest concepts and UX designs from Play-to-Earn and Free-to-Play.However, the concept of Play-to-Earn games is comparable to Free-to-Play games, so the roots are still there for gamers to connect with, as long as 'Play' is always prioritized above 'Earn' and they aren't money-grab trade applications disguised as cuddly animals.3. One-of-a-kind in-game inventory itemsThough many mainstream games create one-of-a-kind items with various rolls, one-of-a-kind items for usage within a gaming world have not been viable since skilled players can nearly always exploit a local or even server-based database to either edit, duplicate, or remove these items.A blockchain-based inventory system might keep track of each instance of a certain item, ensuring that there is only a limited amount in circulation throughout a game's ecosystem.As seen above, NFTs are employed by the game Gods Unchained, which was created by a former director of Magic: The Gathering. True scarcity generates value in the real world based on elements such as the item's in-game utility and, of course, the popularity of the game.It's similar to collecting rare, tangible Magic: The Gathering cards, or any collector's item. This implies that NFTs will bring a whole new level of realism to trade when rare items are unique and limited throughout the whole gaming ecosystem.Mobile apps to create, buy & sell NFTsSome of the greatest NFT applications for iPhone allow you to create, mint, and trade artwork. The process of minting — registering an NFT on a blockchain – is becoming more straightforward. More applications and platforms are now providing user-friendly UX design for those new to the world of cryptocurrency. Other applications just allow you to search for and collect your favorite NFTs.1. SketcharSketchar is an NFT app for those who believe NFT art to be overly simplistic. It will teach you how to draw and will allow you to create your own art, mint it as an NFT, and then sell it on the app’s marketplace. AR training is used in the app, you just need to hold your phone over a piece of paper and look at the screen to see the line art that needs to be followed.Platforms: iOS, Android Reasons to buy:Learn to draw using ARCreate NFT art in-appHas its own NFT marketplaceReasons to avoid:Doesn’t link to other marketplaces2. PixlPixl’s concept is that you can mint NFTs inside the app by using photographs from your own photo album or images from Instagram, this also being the reason why this app stands out. Pixl has features for creating a profile and joining the NFT communities, which, along with the Instagram connectivity, makes the app a social NFT app worth trying out. If you want to learn more about NFTs but despise the language, this is the app for you.Platforms: iOS Reasons to buy:Create NFTs in-appSell NFTs on multiple marketplaces, including OpenSeaIntegrated with InstagramReasons to avoid:Has limited NFT creation uses3. NFT GoWhile some of the applications on this list allow you to produce art, mint NFTs, and access markets, NFT Go only allows you to perform two of the three. This program allows you to mint pre-made art as NFTs and then publish it to different NFT markets, as well as explore marketplaces and make, buy, and sell NFTs all within the app. However, while the UI is sleek and straightforward, making things appear simple, the program might be sluggish and have hidden fees.Platforms: iOS Reasons to buy:Share NFTs to multiple marketplacesCan be expensive to useReasons to avoid:Can be confusingHidden costs4. OpenSea: NFT MarketplaceAs the largest and oldest NFT marketplace, OpenSea provides every type of art and NFT you could want — art, games, music, and more. The software serves as a portal to OpenSea's market, allowing you to explore and tag art to purchase later from your PC. It's a convenient method to keep track of NFT dips and pricing while you're out and about. Aside from the lack of a wallet connection, the OpenSea app includes a variety of functions to get you started with NFTs. You may search by collections, save things for later, link to blog articles, and connect your OpenSea profile to the app to see whether someone has bid on your collection while you're on the road.Platforms: iOS, Android Reasons to buy:Browse the world's largest NFT marketplace on your iPhoneReasons to avoid:You can't send NFTs to OpenSeaAlthough mobile applications aren't the most popular means at the moment to purchase and sell digital assets, NFT trading apps are expected to enter the app ecosystem in the same manner that cryptocurrencies did.In the end, treat NFTs in the same way you would any other investment: complete your research, recognize the dangers, including the possibility of losing all of your investment money, and continue with care if you decide to take the leap.If you’re looking for more information and directions for your NFT mobile app idea or looking to hire the best iOS or Android app development team, then you should meet our professionals and give them an insight into your project’s idea. Appssemble always keeps up with clients’ requirements and builds something professionally unique by understanding the culture of their business. Until the next article, do your research before investing, and after that, do it with faith and reliability. --- ### Mobile infotainment applications for smart cars URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/mobile-infotainment-applications-for-smart-cars The days of collecting maps, memory sticks, and music gadgets are gone. As long as you have a rather new car with a dashboard capable of connecting to an Android or iOS smartphone, apps come to save the day. How many cars are there in the world?Short answer? Many. Way too many.There are so many that if they were all parked nose-to-tail, the line would extend from Sydney to London, back to Sydney, back to London, and back to Sydney. At least, that's what our basic calculations tell us.So, yeah, there are plenty. You were hoping for a bit more information, weren't you? So, continue reading.So how many are there really?The particular figures are a bit difficult to find, but Hedges Company says “There are 1.446 billion cars in the world in 2022. Most are in Asia, followed by Europe and North America. 19% of all vehicles are in the United States”, so we have to believe them.Do people use mobile apps on cars’ dashboards?When it comes to automobiles, phone applications appear to be a point of conflict for nearly everyone. According to a J.D.Power survey, drivers are still dissatisfied with the performance of their smartphone apps.The annoyance with phone apps comes from the fact that software has become an essential aspect of the new automobile experience. In 2020, 45% of consumers did not utilize the app that came with their automobile. By 2021, that proportion would have decreased to only 25%. People prefer a mobile app connected to a car rather than an already installed one because they lack the functionality owners want.What are apps for cars?Cars are becoming more intelligent and businesses have a strong need for mobile apps. The classic radio in most automobiles has evolved into an interactive dashboard, and data in your vehicle is now more accessible than it has ever been. But the use of mobile apps is winning grounds in cars’ dashboards. If you thought creating mobile applications for Android, iOS, and others was difficult, prepare for the next major platform: developing apps for use in automobiles. Four businesses are driving the effort to create a smart car using their OS:GoogleAppleBlackBerryFordGoogle created the Android Auto auto operating system, whereas Apple has CarPlay. They'll function similarly, you connect your Android or iOS device to your car's USB port, and the device will power the screen.Car operating systems are not perfect clones of iOS and Android since they must account for the particular environment and hardware of an automobile, including keeping distractions to a minimum, but it’s a perfect niche to invest in the future years because the market is growing and the demand for car interfaced apps are increasing too.One day in the coming future, all mobile developers will be required to design or alter their apps for automobiles. However, developing a mobile app for automobiles entails much more than simply coding it for the operating system used by the vehicle. Apps for automobiles have certain restrictions, notably in terms of safety and distraction, and you can check the guidelines for iOS hereand for Android here.However, here are 6 general guidelines of the department regarding distractions:Reduce the device's complexity and task length;Limit gadget usage to one hand (the other hand should stay on the steering wheel (to operate the car);Individual off-road glances necessary for device functioning should not last longer than two seconds.Limit the duration of each off-road look necessary for gadget functioning to no more than two seconds.Reduce the amount of visual information in the driver's field of vision that is unneeded.Reduce the number of manual inputs needed for gadget functioning.What do they do?Smartphones aren't the only devices on which apps will reign supreme. Apps will certainly become a larger part of our driving experience as our cars get smarter. We will be able to track charge levels and operate various car features using smartphone apps connected to automobiles.In terms of the in-car experience, thanks to built-in software and applications, our vehicles will be able to successfully interface with our mobile devices.What most people don't realize is that many developers working in a mobile app development firm have also built mobile applications that improve the driving experience, giving your smartphone strength, and turning it into a tool that fights distracted driving rather than causes it. Distracted driving apps encourage safe driving or even prohibit you from using your phone while driving to keep your focus off your phone and on the road.Even while distracted driving is not a new problem, it is real and growing by the day. People are injured, and some are killed, as a result of traffic accidents caused by distracted driving. It is no secret that our cell phones contribute significantly to the rise in distracted driving accidents. So, follow the guidelines and create the best app to support the driver's experience.There’s an app for every driving experienceCar apps were made to ease people’s lives, I’m sure of it. We went crazy with creating mobile apps for our mobile devices like food delivery apps , social networking apps, or even car selling apps, and now it’s time to let the car app grow and shine. As we’ve said before, a car is no longer a privilege, but an important part of our lives and comfort. The world moves at a quicker pace, the destinations are moving further and further away, so we do need a vehicle to move around these days.Once you own a car, you check that box and start having other needs from it, needs that are usually satisfied by consulting an app. Now let’s take the next step and upgrade to the next logical thing, and start using the apps on the car’s dashboard, it’s easier, more convenient, and gets the job done just as well.With that in mind, we’ve pulled 20+ app categories, covering a wide category that any mobile app startup can embrace in their business, to suit the user’s needs. Here they are:1. GPS appsToday's market is seeing an increase in the number of location-based apps that make users' daily life more pleasurable and easy. Because of their particular usage, such mobile apps have a prominent role in the mobile app business. Position monitoring, GPS data, and map integration are important elements of such an app.2. Gas & fuel appsGas & fuel apps are relying on crowdsourced data and they are designed to help the user find the gas stations and the places with the cheapest gas near them. Users can participate in reporting the price and easily access the data when they’re on the road. That sounds like a good app idea for a car app, right?3. Parking appsIt is a unique mobile app idea for startups as the number of vehicle owners increases day by day and finding a parking place for your vehicle becomes difficult whether you reside in a large location or visit large cities, malls, shopping centers, theme parks, or other regions. Parking place finder apps are nowhere to assist you in finding a free parking space. They employ cameras, GPS, parking information, and real-time location to provide the customer with open space whenever he needs it.4. Music streaming appsToday, there are several Online Music Streaming Apps on the market that have received a large number of downloads. Users may now listen to any song online without having to download it using such apps. Furthermore, the user may construct playlists of his favorite music based on his mood. It is the ideal app concept for attracting music fans.5. Video streaming appsUsers of video streaming applications may download any video material while watching it. It saves time on buffering and allows users to watch information online rapidly without storing it on another device. Some apps also allow users to watch videos while they are not connected to the internet.6. Bus booking appsWhat if you’ll need to travel by bus once or twice, or the path to work or school requires a bus driver? Well, there are options of bus booking apps ideas to solve quickly in the car before departing. A bus booking app, which is an online bus ticketing platform, provides its customers with a ticket booking service. Gone are the days when we used to book tickets from the ticket window. A bus booking mobile app is automated and controls the conventional database, bus ticket booking, and bus tracking.7. Car maintenance & service appsCar servicing applications are now in great demand in the industry. We generally utilize offline vehicle services, which are extremely inconvenient for us because we have to pick up and drop off our car at the service facility. This procedure takes a long time. However, with a car service app, we no longer need to worry since the car service companies listed on the car service mobile app will even pick up your vehicle.8. Dashboard cam appsYou may never need a dashcam. You'll be glad you spent the money if the scenario arises. Believe it or not, dash cameras are more helpful than you think! While the initial cost may appear to be high, dash cameras have been shown to assist drivers to save money in the long term by keeping them out of hit-and-runs, car accidents, and other mishaps. The peace of mind that comes from knowing your car is being secured by your silent witness is priceless.9. Hotel & restaurant booking appsWe don't enjoy having to wait for a long period in a restaurant or hotel these days. We just want rapid hotel and table reservations with excellent service. As a result, a Hotel & Restaurant booking app might be a practical solution for providing such a service. This type of app benefits both hotel and restaurant owners and customers. It allows customers to choose their favorite hotel and restaurant using AI and then provides them a wonderful online discount in exchange for their trust and loyalty.10. Rental & booking appsPeople nowadays go on lengthy vacations when they need to find a place to stay. As a result, the rental booking software makes it easier for them to discover a rental house. The app contains a list of all available properties, whether they are for rent or sale. The user may choose any home based on their geographical preferences and budget.11. Price comparison appsWe tend to compare the pricing of the same thing everywhere we can, whether we are shopping online or in person. This practice allows you to save a lot of money. So, why select a time-consuming method when you may compare rates most simply and conveniently? It may be a stressful chore at times. As a result of technological improvement, several Price Comparison Apps on the market will provide you with the same service.12. Packers & Movers appsPackers & Movers App is a user-friendly platform that allows users to book any packing and moving firm featured on the app based on their location and price choices. In addition, the chosen organization is responsible for the following tasks. As a result, the on-demand packers and movers app provides a simple and hassle-free service.13. Taxi booking appsYou may quickly order a cab using your cell phone from anywhere at any time, why not be able to do it from your car’s dashboard? A cab booking smartphone app has different features that allow you to book a cab based on your needs, such as how many seats you want, any color choice, any kind, or you can pool if you're riding with other people, and much more.14. Cleaning Services appsUsing such applications, the user may explore and search for cleaning services by filtering them based on their budget, reviews, and other factors. They may book the cleaning service for their automobile at a time that is convenient for them. Customers may also track the whereabouts of the service provider using the app's real-time location function. Finally, after using the cleaning services, the consumer should be able to pay securely using the app's numerous payment choices.15. News appsYeah, you have the radio for this one, but how do you filter between all the music and ads? Easier to use an app on the topic, category, and filter exactly what you want to listen to. Mobile applications for News are developing in the market to help with this. First, they provide their users with the news and information they desire to read. Then, they provide the facts in an easily accessible way that effectively guides consumers to the items of their choosing.16. Healthcare appsSuch smartphone apps aid in linking people with healthcare professionals to address health-related topics such as choosing the doctor from the list according to the available budget, scheduling an appointment, sharing reports and other medical details, and paying for the treatment, prescription, and other invoices.17. Mental Health appsUnfortunately, mental health is not taken as seriously as it needs to be, but here is why any startup could develop these ideas to help anybody in need. Such smartphone apps provide users with the professional abilities required to assist someone in need from anywhere on the planet. Furthermore, many applications include questions concerning suicide and self-harm. Following that, the app determines the safety issue based on the responses it gets.18. Weather appsWhy not learn the weather before it starts raining? It might make a difference between the two. An app of this type should have features such as local weather, a weather map, and weather widgets. For example, it should inform the user of the current weather conditions in their area. Furthermore, such applications must include information on air pressure, visibility distance, meteorological conditions, relative humidity, dew point, and other factors.19. To-do list appsWe all have lists of things we need to do or buy or so. I think it comes with age when you start forgetting things, but I like to say that it’s an effective method of systematization. To-do list applications allow you to arrange your chores and meet your deadlines. Furthermore, such applications may be used to manage everything from grocery lists to work-related activities and much more. As a result, this is the ideal strategy to make your life easy when it comes to getting things done.20. Auto call answer appsSuch apps enable users to answer an incoming call without even touching the smartphone's screen. This software is designed for self-use and works well without the need for a Bluetooth headset. It instantly switches the user to speakerphone so that he can hear the caller. The user can toggle it on and off as needed.21. Real-time voice to text messaging appsThis app is designed to convert audio to text in real-time for taking notes. These are useful for professionals who are often on the go and driving. If you think faster than you write, such applications will help you enhance productivity while also safely storing your sound and recordings in the cloud. Furthermore, these apps should have shortcuts, accuracy, and language support.22. Email appsEmail applications have been a popular online communication tool for both personal and professional uses in recent years. These applications allow users to easily read, send, and receive emails on their devices. These tools save you time while also keeping your emails secure. Push notifications can even provide you with information about your emails without you having to open them.23. Blockchain appsBlockchain mobile apps have the potential to improve all major sectors. That is why Bitcoin is ideal for mobile app concepts. A blockchain tax and invoicing tool, for example, would be ideal for determining the amount of tax that users must pay depending on their income. Now move everything on the car’s dashboard for people on the go.24. eCommerce appsIt’s the best, easy, and most convenient way to shop without actually going shopping. The user can search for any product, of any range, of any type, etc. The eCommerce app list varies from products of wide ranges. The payment method is also easy; the user can pay online or choose cash on delivery option.appssemble helps companies implement digital transformations through knowledge and experienceIf you have a trendy app concept, you should contact appssemble, an experienced and professional app development firm. We will assist you with obtaining finance for your app, determining the best strategies to make your app a success, and many other important parts of beginning your company adventure. These app ideas for beginners might help individuals earn money while also solving issues. --- ### What are great car sell-buy apps made of? URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/what-are-great-car-sell-buy-apps-made-of There are so many options when it comes to choosing a car sell-buy app, here’s what to keep in mind in order to make yours different, if not the best on the market. We are back with another article of the series What are great apps made of, where we talk about various types of apps, how their business work, who’s their target, and what it takes to build a great app in that field. Today we chose the car-selling/buying apps. You know, those spots that everybody visited at least once, to see if they could find the car they wish they have or to just browse for new cars on the market.Whether it's a first-time purchaser searching for their first secondhand car or a classic car collector hunting for that beautiful vintage model, used car sites simplify the buying experience with thorough searchable listings, automobile reviews, buyers' recommendations, and more. However, used vehicle websites are more than just a resource for purchasers; they are also a wonderful resource for sellers to locate a buyer (sometimes many purchasers) for their used automobile.ProblemDriving a new car is thrilling, but performing the research that goes before buying a new car might be intimidating if you have to visit car parks. Buying cars online offers several advantages over in-person dealerships. You have to travel to different locations where the vehicles you're interested in are, analyze them on the spot in a short span of time, with possibly little-to-no knowledge because, let’s be honest, not everyone knows what to look for when buying a car, its perks and flaw, and you can't always drag an engineer or auto service employee with you to check it, therefore leaving you with limited expertise on what you're buying. Not to mention that before you can take your new automobile home, you must negotiate a fair price.So it can be a complex process that requires a lot of energy, time and knowledge. I ask you know, why should you do all of that anxious and pressing process when you can simply just lay relaxed on the couch and scroll through the app’s posts where you have at reach all the information about the car you're interested in, you can even send a simple link or a screenshot of the product description to a specialized friend wherever he is on this big beautiful planet, and ask if you're investing in something qualitative and if it's worth it, and once you’ve decided and chosen the perfect one, you can simply just go see it and check if you feel comfortable in the driver's seat.SolutionIt used to be difficult to sell your car in the past, you needed to take it to a dealer or to a car park. The dealers would give as low a price as possible to secure a high profit, or if you’d have sold it yourself, you probably would have ended up being one of those who sat in a car park on a Saturday and Sunday morning and presented the vehicle to interested buyers and then allow them to drive it around for a bit so they can check it. Time-consuming and tragic, I know.Fortunately, the internet has altered all of that. Today there are plenty of options to sell your automobile online, all of which promote it to a far broader audience than the conventional techniques ever could because you were quite limited back then.You may also be as active in the transaction as you like thanks to the different internet choices. If you're up for the task, you can interact with customers directly and handle everything yourself, or if you have other things to do with your time, you may now spend a few minutes inputting your car's data on the app’s page, then accept money from a specialized auto buying business and have them pick up the car from your home. Some sort of dealership but you can control the process tidier.There are applications for the die-hard car aficionado hunting for that obscure contemporary classic. There are also applications available for those seeking a simple means of transportation to get from point A to point B. There are several applications available that alleviate the stress of acquiring a vehicle. These are our top picks: AutoScout24, Autovit & AutoTrader.DemographicsAccording to Google’s statistics, 95% of vehicles buyers use digital as a source of information. Twice as many chose online research instead of a dealership.V12 says that “52% of car shoppers feel anxious or uncomfortable at dealerships. Millennials lead the pack in their dislike, with 56% saying they’d rather clean their homes than negotiate with a car dealer”, and I find that beautiful, cuz I’m one of those anxious Millennials who prefer mobile apps versus face-to-face negotiations.Business ModelThe success of an on-demand online buy and sell used automobile mobile app is partly dependent on the sort of business strategy you adopt for your firm. So, before you begin the process of hiring a mobile app developer, it is always a good idea to understand your company's needs, who you want to target, what sort of services you want to offer, and compare rivals, and understand the workflow.Dedicated Car Buying and Selling AppThis is a business strategy that is typically explored by organizations with many operational offices in various places. A specialized automobile sale and buy app business model will give a specific platform to company owners and automate their sell and purchase procedure. Additionally, business owners can promote available autos for sale, and consumers can submit a direct enquiry and proceed with the transaction. Furthermore, the app's owner has complete control over updating, deleting, and removing the listed automobiles from the app.Model for an Aggregator Car Sell and Buy AppThis is a sort of app concept that serves as a platform for buyers and sellers to sell and purchase vehicles. The app owner's primary purpose is to provide a platform for sellers and dealers to publish adverts, display automobiles of various models, and allow buyers to seek better options that meet their demands. As an app owner, you may profit from every transaction done using this app model.RevenuesCustomers' buying habits and requirements have shifted as a result of technological advancements. The growing use of mobile applications has altered the way consumers shop for little and large purchases. And purchasing or selling an automobile is no exception.Classified firms provide consumers with the ease of checking the availability of used automobiles on the platform, their specs, the number of years it has been used, and the price by releasing an app. Furthermore, before making a final decision to purchase an automobile, customers may look at other parameters such as a model, average mileage, speed, and more.While the world is rapidly moving toward digital solutions, businesses are rapidly shifting from conventional to digital platforms.However, vehicle investors are in a quandary regarding how to produce prospective money from the business investment in establishing a buy and sell car mobile app. If you're in the same boat, we've compiled a list of the finest revenue-generating policies for your on-demand online vehicle purchase and sell mobile app.commission fees on purchase - This form of monetization scheme is ideal for vehicle investors since it allows them to charge sellers a commission fee on each transaction done on the app. You may either specify a fixed sum for the purchase or a percentage based on multiple amount scales.listing fees - If you are establishing an aggregator model and offering a platform for your user base, it will be a perfect chance for you to charge sellers a listing fee. You may establish a preset amount for the number of listings so that your app generates more cash.in-app ads - It will be a wonderful choice to provide third-party vehicle firms advertising space in your app in exchange for a price to run an advertisement on your app. When selecting this form of income source, be sure you include relevant adverts to promote client engagement.MarketingThe following are some important strategies and key factors to consider while advertising your auto and vehicle apps. These suggestions will boost the exposure and rating of your auto and vehicles app.Don't dismiss the power of social mediaSuch options include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Quora, Reddit, and many more. You may use these channels to spread the news about your mobile app and assist users in achieving their objectives. This strategy works even if your mobile app was designed just to assist consumers when they are on the go.EventsTalking about your app with others or spreading the word about it at an event may be incredibly beneficial. It is excellent for you to interact with people in your vocation whether you are attending an event, delivering a presentation about your app, or simply visiting to observe the new applications or technologies offered in the event.InnovationThe Internet provides several advantages to app creators and owners who understand how to exploit this new technology. We recognize that developing this sort of software is not easy, but the benefits it provides urge developers to continue along this path and help drivers who wish to enhance their driving abilities or car performance.Local MarketsIf you invest in a plan to acquire new customers only to have them delete your mobile app, you've squandered your money. There, you will understand the significance of having a focused audience. It would be beneficial if you targeted customers who are interested in your mobile app and have a high value.Enhance your Google SERPsDo you know that the majority of people use Google to find a new car? According to a recent Kenshoo poll, over 70% of consumers utilize Google or other search engines when looking for new automobiles. Visitors and clicks are always concentrated in the first few or top rankings. That is why it is crucial to keep your app in the top place since it is critical to the success of your automobile marketing strategy.Competitor keyword biddingWhile we're discussing how to advertise your auto and vehicle applications through search engine marketing, it's critical that you don't only bid on obvious keywords. Instead, you must budget for your competitors' keywords before you can launch an effective automobile marketing campaign. Remember that car marketing or promotion is very competitive, therefore you are constantly at odds with your opponent. A great ad copy, which is your key to success, is another item that requires your undivided attention.Deal with one user at a timeThis is especially critical in the early stages. Your major focus should be user retention rather than user acquisition at first. By delivering the greatest services, you may try to turn them into devoted clients. Ask them questions regularly, listen to and comprehend their criticisms, give your assistance, and make every effort to keep them pleased. There is no greater marketing approach than word-of-mouth promotion.Offer a helping handNot all of your gestures and activities result in the appearance of an app download button. Find users who are having issues, and if you can help them, give answers, and the app downloads will come later as a result!Build a community This is true for all mobile apps and enterprises. Building a community is crucial nowadays, and social media platforms are an excellent location to do so. Finally, surround yourself with people who share your goals and care about the same things you do.ProductWhen you are unsure of what to put in your app and what features and capabilities you want to offer, developing an on-demand automobile selling and purchasing an app is a difficult task. Before you begin, you should have an idea of the functionality you will require in your app. However, in order to assist you in developing a successful mobile app, we have prioritized the following features and functionaBuyer’s profile panel: Signup screen: Like all other applications, this one asked consumers to fill up basic information such as their name, contact information, email address, and so on. With social network integration, users can sign up for an account with a single click, and all of their information is instantly updated in the app's backend.Search box: Allow consumers to filter automobile alternatives using numerous criteria such as car model, price range, color, brand, and more using this functionality. Allow purchasers to use different filters to narrow down the best-suited features. Search options may improve the user experience.Compare cars: Since the main reason for using this app is to find cars at the most competitive rates in the user car market, this function in your app will not only allow users to compare the costs of the cars accessible on the app, but also identify variances in mileage, characteristics, and more.Vehicle exchange: Include an automobile swap function to help consumers understand how much value they would receive if they exchange their cars. All they need to do is provide information on the automobiles, such as specs, models, and so on.Contact dealers: It is critical to integrate this functionality in the aggregator business model and allow buyers to directly contact dealers for final negotiations.Message request: Allow buyers to send direct messages to dealers for any reason, such as pricing quotations, automobile specs, and so on.Schedule an appointment: Using this in-app tool, buyers may schedule an appointment and meet the sellers at a public location for a final discussion. They may also organize a test drive at the meeting to ensure that the automobile is in good working order before finalizing a purchase.Loyalty programs: To enhance customer loyalty and extend the client base, it is worthwhile to provide customer loyalty points on every transaction that can be redeemed against the real bill amount.Multi-payment option: in this day and age, individuals employ a variety of payment ways. implement this functionality and allow buyers to pay using a variety of payment options such as credit cards, debit cards, PayPal, and others.In-app chat and call: it is recommended to have an in-app call and chat option to discuss any type of inquiry such as vehicle models, discounts, negotiations, and more to ensure seamless communication between clients and dealers.Seller’s profile panel:Signup screen: Just like the buyer's panel, provide a signup method for the sellers' profile. Allow the seller to sign up for an account using an email address, contact information, or credentials permitted by the administrator.Car Listing: Allow vendors to display different car models under different categories so that customers may simply sift the possibilities based on their needs.Specifications: Allow vendors to provide all automobile model characteristics, such as price, mileage, average speed, and more, to improve the customer experience.Messages and Inquiries: Add a function to the seller's panel that allows them to read messages and enquiries sent by users, as well as respond to all of them.Multi-payment: This is one of your app's most significant features. You can make it function flawlessly by hiring an app developer and implementing a multi-payment interface that allows retailers to move money via numerous payment channels.Offers & Discounts: All sellers should publish discount offers, discounts, or promo codes on various automobile models in order to attract more clients to this platform.Service Center Specifications: Handle any buyer inquiries about secondhand automobiles and roadside assistance services.FeaturesIt is crucial to acknowledge that a mobile app should not be confined to a simple catalog. To be competitive in the automobile business, the application must be as beneficial as feasible.Must-have FeaturesBeing able to create a user profileA uniform customer baseViewing locationGeoforcingAdvanced searchCar pagePush notificationsBookingChatAuto serviceCommentsContactNice-to-have FeaturesThe ability to sell parts onlineSettlement of accounts with suppliers and car ownersAutomation of all computer processesIntegration of the dealer's mobile application with their website and emailPrinting the necessary documents from templatesReports on managers, sales, cars and other parametersImplementation of newsletters via SMS and emailStatic advertisingAuto inventory servicesCollection of information on consumer preferencesTo conclude this article, it is correct to state that creating an online used vehicle sell and purchase software is a difficult undertaking. While it is interesting, dependable, user-friendly, and informative, you must keep certain factors in mind to ensure that your app works on the same pitch. If you intend to create a mobile app similar to AutoScout24, Autovit, or AutoTrade, it is worthwhile to hire a mobile app development company that can provide better leads to sellers from the comfort of their own homes.If you have a strategy in mind or are seeking new ideas, it is worthwhile to talk with our professionals to develop a solution that will provide your company with a competitive advantage. appssemble’s specialists will incorporate the latest technologies and methods in app development to ensure that your app works properly, resulting in an unrivaled quality solution. We’ll be waiting for the next best car buy/sell app idea from you. Until the next article, purchase carefully. --- ### Short guide to developing apps for Android Auto URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/short-guide-to-developing-apps-for-android-auto Apps for Android Auto, focus on actions tailored for in-car use, such as navigating and listening to media or messages. Learn how to create apps for Android Auto in various ways, depending on the app type. As we’ve previously stated in the Short Guide to developing iOS apps for CarPlay, smartphones, the apps and the need for all of them are quite obvious, just imagine how much they ease your life. The growth of systems such as Android Auto, Android Automotive OS and CarPlay is now on the rise, and it's easy to see why when you look at their features and how they function.Android Auto and CarPlay rely on phones to power the entire car-optimized experience and considering that everyone has a smartphone in their pocket, it's easy to see why so many people find it quite handy to reflect the interface on the larger screen in the cabin. While Android Auto appears to be a success, Google has been investing in a far more complex automobile experience driven by Android Automotive.What exactly is Android Auto?The Android Auto system works by connecting a phone to a compatible car and allowing drivers to interact with their phone's apps through the car screen and voice commands. It makes it simple to explore, listen to media and communications, and do other things.Android Auto offers a driver-optimized app experience to consumers who have an Android phone and the Android Auto app but do not own a car that runs the Android Automotive OS. If a user's automobile sound system supports Android Auto, they may connect their phone and utilize your app directly on their car's display.You, as a developer can create services that Android Auto can use to display to the driver. These services are reused for your Android Automotive OS software, but consumers do not install your phone app on their automobiles.How does Android Auto work?1. On the phone's screenIf your car does not have a suitable HU, you may use the solo Android Auto App on your smartphone or tablet. Following app startup, a car-friendly UI appears and is ready for usage. The app is easy to browse owing to somewhat bigger UI components that reduce the number of misclicks.On the main screen, you'll see the currently playing music or podcast, recommended driving destinations, and alerts as they arrive. There is also a button for configuring Android Auto settings, such as Google Assistant, so that you may perform voice commands.2. On car displayYou may also utilize an Android Auto compatible automobile entertainment system (currently over 500 models are supported and even more should come soon). It is simple to run Android Auto on a vehicle display; simply connect your smartphone via USB connection (some phones also enable wireless connectivity) and your applications will mirror on it.What type of apps can be developed for Android Auto?1. Messaging appsVoice-based messaging allows drivers to communicate while keeping their eyes on the road. The messaging app template in Android Auto has a common navigation mechanism for all messaging applications. Apps that use this template only receive and reply to text-based messages, converting text such as SMS and email to audio.2. Media appsThe media template is intended for apps that need little input and provide a constant stream of audio information. The media template in Android Auto has a common navigation paradigm for all audio apps. Users traverse browsing views in this paradigm to discover and pick playable content.3. Navigation, Parking & Charging appsThe Android for Cars App Library includes vehicle-optimized templates for app developers to use when creating three types of Android Auto apps: navigation, parking, and charging apps. App developers may alter both the templates and the order in which they appear to construct user flows inside their apps. Android Auto adjusts the UI to all supported vehicles automatically.4. Custom appsAndroid Auto is presently developing custom applications in collaboration with a number of partners. Android Auto apps should have a clean, flat structure so that drivers do not have to remember where they are in the app. Designing a flat hierarchy entails displaying the core app features on the primary app screen and navigating to supplemental information via the drawer.General design guidanceThe central aspect of Android for Cars is "design for driving." The driver's primary job is to drive safely, so this priority must be reflected in every design by automakers and app developers.The app's information and interactions should complement the driving experience while reducing driver distraction. To keep the driver's eyes on the road and hands on the wheel, the user interface must be concise. Here is what you need to learn about designing interfaces for cars:1. Interaction principles2. Visual principles3. Style foundations4. System UI1. Interaction principlesInteractions between a driver and a screen must be straightforward, non-distracting, and readily interrupted in order for the driver's focus to return to the road.2. Visual principlesContent created for a vehicle screen must be clear and glanceable, with a consistent user interface and big touch targets that drivers can distinguish in all lighting circumstances.3. Style foundationsThe Android Auto style is based on the same interaction design and visual design principles. However, due to the unique context, the style and layout details for these systems differ in some ways.4. System UIThe Android Auto UI comprises a navbar that allows you to access important functions, a primary app content area, and a status bar that shows system information. The status bar provides information about the time, weather, and system status. The app content section below it displays either the app launcher or content from the main app presently in use.The navigation bar gives you access to the following:The application launcherA widget that contains controls for a second, running appThe Notification CenterThe Assistant, for voice-based interactionsAndroid Auto design systemThe UI for Android Auto, covers colour, typography and visual elements that are built strategically to improve the visual clarity on car screens. Therefore, Google Developers offers quite visual examples for their guidelines.There you have it, a short guide to developing apps for Android Auto, apps that focus on in-car functions such as navigation and listening to media or messaging. If you're planning to create an app compatible with Android Auto from start or modify an existing app, you must consider all of the requirements and restrictions imposed by Google on such apps. Depending on the app type, you as a developer may create apps for Android Auto in a variety of methods. See Android Developer for more information.As we’ve said before, building an Android app is quite accessible and easy for an experienced Android developer, and even if you’re a beginner, give it a try and test your boundaries. And if you ever feel overwhelmed, then we are here to take this issue out of your hand. Contact us and let our professionals build the project you desire. Until the next one, keep your hands on the wheel and drive safe! --- ### Short guide to developing iOS apps for CarPlay URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/short-guide-to-developing-ios-apps-for-carplay CarPlay is a more intelligent and secure way to use your iPhone in the car. Learn how CarPlay works and how to configure your car's infotainment system to function in tandem with your iPhone. I’m pretty sure not everybody will approve, but nowadays, a smartphone and a car are pretty indispensable. Just stop for a few seconds and imagine what would you do if you would have to “survive” for a week without a smartphone or even without a car. Now, I’m not saying it would be impossible, but you’ll have to agree, it would be a pain in the back having to figure out pretty much everything without a search, calling/texting a friend, or an app telling you the answer.We build our routine based on electronic devices and we need comfortable transportation to commute to our jobs or go shopping for a full list of groceries or even travel. Now more than ever, since the pandemic made us go remote and rely on technology and individual transportation, we made use of inclusive platforms and systems that serve multiple purposes, like CarPlay, to ease our life and make everything more accessible and easy to use.What exactly is CarPlay?Apple introduced around 2014, “The ultimate copilot” - CarPlay. Now, what exactly is this and what does it do? CarPlay is an extension of iOS that enables a car’s infotainment system (aka the built-in entertainment and information system) to display and control a range of apps. Streaming music, dialing into a meeting, finding a car park, and ordering food, are just some of the apps you might consider enhancing to take advantage of the maturing CarPlay platform.CarPlay allows any iPhone (from iPhone 5, all the way to iPhone 13 Pro Max) to interface with the car’s infotainment system (mainly with the built-in dashboard screen that controls the radio, making calls and navigation).Once more, convenience prevails and this time, the distraction of a phone is replaced with the infotainment display that contains users' commonly used apps that are necessary and useful while driving. By doing so, CarPlay minimizes the need to handle your iPhone while driving. You can dive into more details on Alexi Schreier’s article A Developer’s Intro to CarPlay.What are CarPlay apps?Fortunately, Apple allows app developers many possibilities to build something that might be perfect for CarPlay, but before you jump to conclusions, you must also know that Apple restricts quite a lot of apps that CarPlay can enable, so the type of apps that you can develop are:Audio apps (Music, Podcasts, News)Communication apps (Messages, Calls)Navigation appsEV charging appsParking appsFood ordering appsCarPlay allows developers to make their products for safer use in cars so that there will be fewer accidents caused by distracted drivers using their mobile phones. As good as that sounds, there’s still a shortage of information on how to develop an actual CarPlay enabled app.What niches should you pay attention to when developing?Traffic safetySafety and liability insuranceFuel-saving applicationsHealth and ergonomicsCan I integrate CarPlay into my existing app?You could do so, but it is recommended to create a new one that complies with all CarPlay legal criteria. CarPlay apps are meant to appear and feel similar to your iPhone app, but with UI features comparable to built-in CarPlay apps. It must be in accordance with certain dimensions.If the application's purpose is to send and receive messages, you must utilize SiriKit's Messaging, especially for speech interactions. The user flows must be acceptable for use while driving and must be feasible without the use of an iPhone.At appssemble we’ve learned the process of developing iOS CarPlay apps and what it takes to shift a music player app or a phone call into a CarPlay experience.How to develop a CarPlay app?1. CarPlay app entitlementA CarPlay app entitlement is required for all CarPlay apps. Go to the Apple's site and put information regarding your app, along with the CarPlay app category. In addition, you must agree to the CarPlay Entitlement Addendum. Apple will look into your request. If your app passes the CarPlay app eligibility criteria, Apple will generate a CarPlay app entitlement and inform you.2. Assess your entitlementAfter receiving a CarPlay app entitlement, log in to your Apple Developer account and create a new Provisioning Profile that contains the entitlement. Once that is done, import it to Xcode. E.g. app Entitlement key: com.apple.developer.carplay-navigation (depending on the type of app you’re requesting an entitlement for)3. Add the new key to Entitlements.plist file4. Add the below key in info.plistThe example given contains an app that declares 2 scenes - for iPhone screen and one for CarPlay screen. The name of the class that serves as the scene delegate is defined in the manifest by UISceneDelegateClassName. Your delegate must conform to CPTemplateApplicationSceneDelegate.Once your app is launched, you’ll be notified with a CPInterfaceController that manages all the templates on the CarPlay screen. Hold onto the controller since you’ll need it to manage templates, such as showing a now playing screen or an alert. On launch, you must also specify a root template.6. Write the codeSince CarPlay apps are made using templates, here are the types of templates which can be used in the CarPlay app:Action Sheet templateAlert templateContact templateGrid templateInformation templateList templateMap templateNow Playing templatePoint of Interest templateSearch templateTab bar templateVoice Control template7. Test it on SimulatorThe Simulator may be used to test CarPlay applications, but while Simulator is useful during development, many CarPlay features are not available in it, and you should not rely on it as your main means of app development. To start, select I/O, External Displays, and CarPlay to bring up the CarPlay screen.It is strongly advised to create and test CarPlay apps on a vehicle or aftermarket system that supports wireless CarPlay. This allows you to use CarPlay wirelessly when your iPhone is connected to Xcode on your Mac via a Lightning to USB cord.How much UI does CarPlay accept?Well...not much to be honest.For example, music player or podcasts apps are pretty restricted by Apple, and the UI displayed in the car’s dashboard screen is very strict and allows no customization of the provided template. Looking at the bright side, it all means less development work and easier to implement.On the other side, to the navigation apps, CarPlay gives more freedom of expression, to customize the UI and how the details are structured and displayed to the user. It’s good on one side and a little bad on the other because this whole thing means that it requires more development work compared to the music player app.The biggest policy is given to the car producers, who are free to customize the CarPlay UI as they please.In the table below, you can view each of the different CarPlay UI templates as well as the app categories that are accepted by each:As we’ve said before, building a CarPlay enabled app is quite accessible and easy for an experienced iOS developer, but even if you’re a beginner, you should give it a try, test your boundaries. And if you ever feel overwhelmed, then we are here to take this issue out of your hand. Contact us and let our professionals build the project you desire. Until the next one, keep your hands on the wheel and drive safe! --- ### How to choose the right mobile app development team structure URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/how-to-choose-the-right-mobile-app-development-team-structure A good grasp of the mobile app development team structure can assist you in selecting the best partner and effectively building your project. Why is it important to have the right development team structure?People are the key to your product's success. Even though the absence of some professionals appears to be normal during the development process, it may have an impact at the end of the day.A good grasp of the mobile app development team structure can assist you in effectively building your project and finding market success. This is true regardless of whether you are outsourcing or developing your app in-house.Modern app development is far more complicated than the old "man in a garage" style of the past. Depending on the size of the app, dozens of people may be required to make it a reality and a success.For instance, if you recruit a high-end designer but your team lacks UX experience, you'll wind up with a fantastic app with amazing visual effects but no one will be able to grasp it, because they will be puzzled or disoriented within it. Without such professionals on the team, you will have finely developed apps with second-to-none capabilities of fulfilling the demands of consumers.What type works at appssemble?Each workgroup is a complex and dynamic microorganism with its own set of employees and regulations.appssemble’s company goal for mobile app development team members is to have diverse team members who fully reflect our expertise. We have both universal troops and profound specialists on staff that are dedicated and thorough while also being adaptable. We've managed to establish quick and clear communication inside the organization over time, and we're happy to collaborate on any project, no matter how big or small.Key roles in the mobile app development team structureAs I previously stated, a mobile app development team is a living creature that works on numerous tasks through collaborative efforts. What counts most are the talents and abilities of each member of your project's crew. It is now critical that you understand the duties and responsibilities of each member of your application development team. The traditional plan is as follows:Project manager / Product managerUI/UX designersiOS/Android developersBackend developersQA engineersProject manager / Product managerWhen you bring your app concept to a mobile app development business, you'll be assigned a project manager who will act as your assistant and link with developers. A project manager is in charge of a project from inception to end, according to the agreed-upon budget, timeline, and quality. A project manager is primarily concerned with the performance of the app development process, deadline adherence, and quality standards based on the product manager's visionA product manager is frequently used interchangeably with the project manager. However, while each of these professionals are managers, they do separate duties and have different obligations. The distinction is in what they are managing - a project versus a product. A project is defined by a precise plan of activities and start and finish dates. A product must provide continual value to users and has no temporal constraints.Project manager’s responsibilities:Assigning tasks to the development team, establishing sprint periods, and prioritizing tasks;Calculating your project's cost and remaining inside your budget;Increasing communication between you, the client, and the developers;Making modifications to the app development strategy;Managing issues and risks;Maintaining quality, meeting deadlines, and keeping expenses under control.Product manager’s responsibilities:Analyzes the market, specify the advantages, values, and essential features of your app, and investigate your target audience;Identify consumers' critical issues and provide best answers;Create an app development business strategy;Prioritizes useful app features;Extracts a distinct value proposition and assists you in developing a strong call to action.UI/UX designersBefore anything else, you should be aware that User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) are distinct yet related concepts. To clarify, UX refers to how a user interacts with a product, whereas UI refers to the aesthetic aspect of the product. The primary responsibility of the UI/UX designer is to provide a satisfactory user experience by designing an app that is simple, intuitive, intriguing, and engaging.Designer’s responsibilities:Make a user personas;Consider the user flow and create app wireframes;Make app prototypes;Create a user-friendly app UI;Changes should be made in response to user input and testing data;Working knowledge of UI/UX design tools such as Figma, InVision, and Sketch;Knowledge of UX research, wireframing, UI prototyping, UX authoring, and interaction design is required;Coding knowledge can be required in order to communicate effectively with programmers;iOS/Android developersThe iOS and Android operating systems have different development languages and requirements. That is why each platform requires its own set of developers. Your intended audience and budget will determine whether you should design your app for one or both platforms. Android and iOS developers, in general, are in charge of the technical aspects of mobile app development.Developers' responsibilities:Creating high-quality code from drawings, mockups, and wireframes;Developing and sustaining reusable, dependable, and high-performance code;Providing the highest quality, performance, and responsiveness in mobile apps;Addressing app flaws and resolving issues.Required skills for iOS developers:Mastery of Objective-C and Swift for the creation of native apps;Understanding of the Xcode IDE – the primary development environment for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS apps — is required;Understanding of how to create apps for the most recent iterations of iOS.Required skills for Android developers:Knowledge of the Kotlin and Java programming languages is required;Proven expertise with Android Studio, the Android app development environment;Capability to create an app that works with a wide range of Android versions, devices, and screen sizes;Backend developersWhen the backend developer comes into action with its advanced logic and algorithms, all the magic happens beneath one roof. The backend developer is in charge of keeping a server up and running, as well as cloud storage and operational logic.Backend developers’ responsibilities:Data storage, security, and presentation to the appropriate user;Managing payment systems that can access and securely store data in order for users to make payments in-app;Application programming interfaces (APIs) are used to communicate between the server and devices;Creating device-specific operating logic;Framework development and app architecture;Using databases, integrated development environments (IDEs), and collaborative tools;They should have hands-on expertise with a programming language such as Java,.Net, Python, PHP, or Ruby is required;QA engineersA quality assurance (QA) engineer's major responsibility is to monitor every stage of mobile app development to ensure that the design and software satisfy all requirements, uncover app faults and bugs on time, and assist you to reach project release dates and stay under budget.QA responsibilities:Conduct both automated and manual testing;Maintain a record of test progress and test cases;Throughout testing, keep track of bugs;Identify probable issues that users may encounter;Create stringent testing guidelines to determine app quality and release readiness;Strong knowledge of QA testing technologies such as TestComplete, Robotium, and Selenium;Understanding of feature and bug tracking systems such as Jira, Trello, etc..Stages of a mobile app development teamThe app development process involves more than just coding and designing. Turning an app concept into a real app involves a lot of expertise, effort, and money obviously, as well as tech support throughout the app's existence.To make it easier to identify the software development team members who participate in each step, we've separated the app development process into five major stages.DiscoveryAt this stage, you must describe the app's goals, values, and features, assess competitors, determine the target audience, and create mockups to envision your app. You must produce a low-fidelity app prototype at the conclusion of the discovery cycle to ensure that you and your development team are on the same page.You should include a project manager as the essential person in controlling the whole app development process throughout the discovery stage. You may also enlist the assistance of a product manager to delve further into your target consumers' ideas, requirements, expectations, and motivations for using your app and making in-app purchases. You should also include a UI/UX designer in the brainstorming phase, create a business idea, and turn the outcomes of the discovery stage into visual mockups of the initial app prototype.Idea validationAt this point, you should concentrate on establishing your active and paying customers as well as validating the relevancy of your app by inviting a group of individuals to test your app prototype. Based on beta tester comments, you may begin to create a medium-fidelity app prototype that depicts your app's UX design and flow.When you begin to validate the app idea, you will need to pitch in all of the team members, including a project manager, a product manager, and a UI/UX designer, as well as a QA engineer for testing, an iOS developer, an Android developer, and a backend developer to create a medium-fidelity app prototype.UI/UX strategyThis is the stage at which you begin to develop a user interface in depth. You should design a high-fidelity app prototype that is interactive so that your testers can test the app's navigation and provide input on its usability.When it comes to validating the app idea, you'll need to bring in all of the team members, including a project manager, a product manager, and a UI/UX designer, as well as a QA engineer for testing, an iOS developer, an Android developer, and a backend developer to create a medium-fidelity app prototype.Design and developmentAt this point, your app development team begins coding and developing a minimal viable product (MVP), which is a feature-oriented product with an appealing design and a user-friendly interface but is not yet a fully-fledged mobile app.The UI/UX designer, iOS and Android developers along with backend developers bear the majority of the load during the design and development stage. They report to the project manager and interact with the product manager on a regular basis.Testing and improvingThis step presumes to examine the user experience in order to resolve any crashes or issues and make any changes necessary to make your software the best it can be. You may add new app features on a regular basis and assess their usefulness. This will result in the creation of a fully working and successful app.If your objective is to get your app to market as soon as possible and you have a large enough budget, you may engage more IT expertise to help you construct your app faster. If you're starting on a tight budget, you may minimize your app's features, begin implementing your app on a single platform or engage only a few professionals.If you are having trouble evaluating your app development expenses and determining the ideal development team size, you can contact us for a free consultation.Types of a mobile app development teamNow that you understand the mobile development team structure, the distribution of app development team duties and responsibilities, and the right app development team size for your project, it's time to work out the best strategy to acquire mobile application development expertise for your project. We've identified five approaches for hiring experts to create your app:1. In-house developersThey are professionals that work solely on your project and are based in your workplace. You may handle the app development process and hire team members on your own if you have an in-house development team.2. FreelancersThey are beneficial when you need to engage specialized individuals with a high degree of competence to complete one-time jobs. You may contact freelancers directly, and they would most likely assist you in cutting costs. You may find freelancers by looking through their portfolios on freelance platforms.3. A dedicated teamThey are a group of remote IT professionals that you may employ from a third-party service provider. This team will include designers, developers, and QA engineers who will report to a project manager. While retaining employees of the third-party service provider, they will work on your project and interact with your in-house developers.4. OutstaffingThis means that a third-party development business will give you one or more professionals to supplement your team and provide vital skills in order to construct an app. Outstaffing specialists are third-party personnel that work as part of your development team and do tasks that you give to them.5. OutsourcingThis is ideal for delegating your whole project implementation from start to finish. Outsourcing is totally entrusting your app's execution to a third-party development business and abdicating responsibility for the end outcome.There you have it, the most important tips on how to create a successful mobile app development team. By now you should have a clear vision of each development team’s role and responsibilities. Employing a firm that already has a team of developers in place is typically the most efficient technique of an app development company.If you’re looking for more information, directions for your development team structure or looking to hire the best iOS or Android app development team, then you should meet our professionals and give them an insight into your project’s idea. Appssemble always keeps up with clients’ requirements and builds something professionally unique by understanding the culture of their business. --- ### Mobile startup trends on environmental awareness apps URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/mobile-startup-trends-on-environmental-awareness-apps Whether it's an app for measuring air quality, pollution, or water use, smartphone technology enables everyone to contribute to the planet's survival As the planet continues to warm, entrepreneurs start being more and more interested in startup concepts that address global warming. Startups may not be the answer to all of our problems, but with the right funding, support, and education, some raw ideas may blossom into world-changing businesses.For mankind to limit global warming, drastic and unprecedented adjustments are necessary. Global politics are important in achieving the goal, but private firms also play an important role. Many businesses work hard to decrease their carbon footprint, but few are willing to pivot and shift their attention to slowing global warming. Fortunately, an increasing number of companies are responding to the challenge and developing new, inventive solutions for a more sustainable future.Millennials are more concerned than previous generations with the social and environmental consequences of their purchasing and investing decisions. It's only logical that the number of sustainability-focused companies is growing as they become older and enter the workforce.Ecological innovationEcological innovation is an unavoidable trend for organizations seeking to increase their competitiveness and function responsibly in the framework of the green economy. Ecological innovation and green technology are quickly evolving throughout Europe. As the scope of the eco-industry grows, the output of the eco-industry is approaching EUR 2 trillion, which encourages economic growth and job creation in the European Union.This year has seen a greater emphasis on the environmental, social, and governance implications of enterprises. It implies that firms will have to place a greater emphasis on climate sustainability, raw material sourcing, production, and the global effect of their activities.Entrepreneurs throughout the world are addressing climate change issues front on by pioneering goods, services, and climate action tools through eco-friendly enterprises ranging from algae micro-farms to solar panelling design software (see source).Being environmentally conscious entails more than just taking care of the environment. It is a matter of taking the required actions as well as making a conscious effort to adjust your lifestyle to preserve resources. From using recycled or renewable materials to lowering energy usage and trash, it appears that organizations and startups are making a concerted effort to safeguard our planet and live a sustainable lifestyle.Why are environmental mobile apps important?Raising awareness may be accomplished through a variety of strategies and media. With the rapid advancement of technology, mobile applications may be the ideal tool for the job. Before we get into the apps that might assist raise environmental consciousness among the general public, it's crucial to understand why such apps are necessary. Many people dismiss these applications as unimportant, yet their importance is more than they realize. So, why are they important?Fast and easy reachWhen it comes to important concerns like the environment, issues need to be addressed as soon as possible and among a larger community. This may be accomplished through the use of media that practically everyone has access to. What greater tool is there than a mobile phone?In this digital age, most, if not all, of us carry a cell phone with us everywhere we go. As a result, a mobile phone application is bound to reach a larger audience than a TV commercial or a newspaper advertisement, both of which are frequently disregarded.Easy access for those on the goEnvironmental awareness may also be fostered via various blogs and webpages on the internet and yet have a large reach. That is an excellent strategy, but it is not as practical for individuals who are not in the comfort of their own homes.Mobile phone applications may be quite useful for folks who want to help save the environment but are always on the go. These applications are extremely beneficial since they offer users the information they want when they require it, without requiring them to conduct extensive research.ConvenienceMany of us want comfort and ease in all we do. And if we don't receive that, we're not going to do it. Increasing one's consciousness is no different. When it comes to individuals having the convenience of a mobile phone application at the tip of their fingers and being available anytime they want it, the odds of them learning from these applications simply increase. As a result, these mobile applications can be more effective than any other source in raising environmental consciousness, making them a significant development in the modern-day.Types of mobile app feature to help with environmental and climate changeCarbon dioxide levels are at their highest in 650,000 years, according to NASA, reaching a number of almost 8.000.000.000 tons of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere. The recycling rate dropped from 34.7% in 2015 to 32.1% in 2022, not to mention the 10 billion tons of freshwater waste worldwide daily. Our planet is covered 75% with water, but 97.5% of that water is saltwater, with only 2.5% fresh water to drink. Check this cool live-count of water usability by The World Counts.These figures are frightening, especially since climate change increases year after year. Fortunately, smartphone applications can aid in environmental awareness and the battle against global warming if you follow the guidelines. Smartphone technology, whether it's an app for measuring air quality, pollution, or water use, enables everyone to play a role in helping to save the world.Tell us your environmental awareness app idea, and let’s build one that includes features such as promoting greener lives, recommendations for reducing CO2 emissions, and other actions to help people be more eco-friendly.Monitoring carbon footprintsIncorporating carbon footprint calculators to discover how daily acts affect climate change.Giving people the option to track the development of their carbon impact.Questionnaires to calculate a user's personal and unique carbon score to assess how much CO2 they emit. Users may then adjust their lifestyle accordingly, such as reducing their power use or increasing their use of public transportation.An environmental awareness app can give users individualized suggestions on how to reduce their environmental effects and use resources more efficiently.Localized content can assist people in discovering sustainable projects near them.Users can compete in competitions to discover who can be the most environmentally friendly and sustainable.Yayzy is one app that helps anyone measure and reduce our impact on the planet. It fights climate change and can be used as our personal carbon footprint calculator.How Yayzy worksTrack your footprint on the go - From your online orders to your Uber trips, your itemised spending highlights the CO2 emitted from each activityUnderstand your carbon footprint - Uncover important insights in-app to help you monitor how your expenditure is impacting the planet.Embrace your growth - Keep an eye on your Yayzy tracker daily to reveal patterns, set goals & monitor monthly progress.Waste and recyclingA search engine that provides information on how to categorize various objects, such as plastics, glass, and cardboard;Providing timetables for trash and recycling pickup;Providing information about nearby depots where individuals may securely dispose of hazardous garbage;Providing a map of places and donation centers where individuals may donate goods such as clothing or furniture;It helps people live in harmony with the planet;It helps build a world that generates next to zero waste.ReCollect is a technology company that combines deep expertise in solid waste and recycling with technology that works for government and business organizations. Their team is composed of leaders in public policy, recycling and solid waste communications, behaviour change and technologyTheir mobile app, helps humans live in harmony with our planet, their vision is a world that generates zero waste and the mission is to arm organizations with recycling tools necessary to make a measurable impact on our planet.How ReCollect worksIt helps people stay connected - since people are digitally connected nowadays, their custom made mobile app allows anyone to receive information that they need, at the right time. There are notifications about updates to collection schedules, revealing places where to properly dispose of or recycle any material collections. It lets people access the app in real-time - if you have changes you need to communicate right away, the app allows you to stay connected to people in real-time. Whether anyone needs to make changes to proper recycling or disposal instructions, or update delays in the collection schedule due to weather, the changes are communicated quickly.It helps people self-serve - if people are being provided with reliable and accessible ways to self-serve, they take care of themselves and the world around them. The call volumes and customer support costs are reduced if the engagement between people is increased. Tracking water usageTracking and regulating personal water use.Alerts for leaks to help you reduce waste and expensive water costs.The ability to compare use to that of other neighbors.The ability to define and achieve water objectives, as well as track progress.Dropcountr connects people and their water utilities on the mobile devices they use every day.How Dropcountr worksYou can use it to understand and manage your personal water useYou can compare usage to similar neighborsYou can set and reach water use goalsYou can access valuable rebates and utility announcementsCommunity awarenessWe sometimes feel as if we have no control over the environment or how to make our earth a better, safer, and healthier place. But the fact is that any change begins with an individual, and you must begin with yourself. It's never been easier to live a greener lifestyle and make little adjustments to benefit the environment. There are eco-friendly applications available that can help you achieve tiny successes every day.OneSave/Day is an app built around environmental awareness by appssemble. Their mission is to become a crucial part of the overall climate change solution by turning millions of lifestyles into more sustainable ones.The Daily Saves facilitate the adoption of a responsible lifestyle and make it accessible to everyone through features that allow you to monitor your water usage carefully or warn you about leaving the lights on in the house, and so on. As a non-profit organization, they are fully committed to their values and act for the common good, so by using an app like theirs, you’ll be a part of a huge environmentalist family and learn about the best ways to cooperate to solve the climate crisis and save the Earth.Top fundings in environmental awareness appsCurrently, according to the hub, there are over 700 startups on Energy & Greentech in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweeden alone. European Commission started “Boosting Europe's green transition: Commission invests €1.5 billion in innovative cleantech projects” through Innovation Funds, one of the world's largest programmes for the demonstration of innovative low-carbon technologies, financed by the EU's Emissions Trading System. Throughout Europe, Village Capital and Visa Foundation are two other big investors that financed Startups with the Greentech Europe 2022 initiative.In Asia, four research projects led by scholars at the City University of Hong Kong receive grants worth HK$20.26 million, offered by the Green Tech Fund under the Environmental Protection Department of the Hong Kong SAR Government, to build startups that can help save the planet.In Jan 2022, CNBC published an article stating that “Bill Gates climate fund plans to mobilize $15 billion into cleantech” across the U.S., the U.K. and European Union, with a private-public fund named Breakthrough Energy Catalyst. Jonah Goldman, Breakthrough Energy managing director describes BEC as a “program to demonstrate how we can finance, produce and buy the new solutions that will underpin a low carbon economy”. BEC will initially focus on direct air capture, green hydrogen, long-duration energy storage, and then sustainable aviation fuel.Is using an app enough?While these mobile apps can be quite helpful in raising environmental awareness, the question remains: are they sufficient? Is utilizing these apps all we need to do to stop the detrimental changes in the environment and save our planet's quickly deteriorating state?No, it does not. But it is unquestionably a start. When it comes to fighting for a cause, we all need a place to start, and these types of apps, like Monitoring Carbon Footprints, Managing Waste and Recycling and Tracking Water Usage, may provide that beginning point. Sharing the lessons we learnt, if not the application itself, with people around us would be a terrific way to go ahead.For a long time, we've been on a countdown to rescuing the earth. According to scientists, we have only seven years to heal the Earth before it is irrevocably harmed by the effects of human pollution or seventeen years until we run out of freshwater. Because this is our only home, we must put greater effort into caring for it.You can be the change that the world needs. We are your support.This environment we live in is the only one known to sustain living forms at the moment. The repeated harm we inflict on it is causing it to decay at a quicker rate than we realize. We must keep in mind that if it fails to the point that it can no longer support life, we would have nowhere to go, which is why we should not simply ponder about boosting environmental awareness, and take a step today, even if it starts through a smartphone app. Therefore if you have an environmental awareness mobile app idea in mind, get in touch with us, tell us your plan, and let us build a project that might change current things, peoples’ perspectives or the environment. Until the next article, stay safe and be responsible for the environment. --- ### Top 10 mobile applications that Millennials love URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/top-10-mobile-applications-that-millennials-love Here is a list of the top 10 apps that all Millennials use, whether you want to admit it or not. Take a look to check if we are right. If you're embarking on an app development project, you're probably curious about 'what applications do Millennials use?' Maintaining interest and involvement from the Millennials is going to be vital to the long success of your app. While earlier generations such as the Baby Boomers and Generation X, as well as the young Gen Z populations, are still significant forces to be dealt with, Millennials are now the largest working-age generation.Who are Millennials exactly?You may have preconceived ideas about who Millennials are and what their way of life comprises, but let’s define Millennials for a bit, so there’s no confusion between all these comprehensive labels like Baby Boomers, Generation X or Gen Z. Wikipediasays that “Millennials, also known as Generation Y or Gen Y, are the demographiccohort following Generation X and preceding Generation Z. Researchers and popular media use the early 1980s as starting birth years and the mid-1990s to early 2000s as ending birth years, with the generation typically being defined as people born from 1981 to 1996. Most Millennials are the children of baby boomers and early Gen Xers; Millennials are often the parents of Generation Alpha".To break down Wikipedia’s definition into a more contemporary manner, Millennials are those born between 1981 and 1996, making them between 26-41 by now. You probably didn't expect a Millennial to be nearly 40 years old!So you're not pitching to teens as much as you are doing it to the vastest majority of working individuals out there, which means they are most likely the ones to have the capacity to buy, generate downloads, and create revenue, but also to college-graduated young people.Millennials are still the most engaging social-media generation on the planet since it is the first generation to use social media. They are the generation that grew up during a period of fast technological progress, particularly in the areas of the Internet and phones.It's easy to get swept up by social applications and try to separate tastes between services like Snapchat, Reddit, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. However, in order to properly comprehend what Millennials value, it is necessary to examine their total app usage patterns. For that reason, we'll look at the top applications that Millennials use the most.What has the biggest influence on Millennial app decisions?Nearly half of Millennials said that a unique feature set and functionality is the key factor that propels them to download an app. The second most influential factor is a recommendation from a friend.What type of apps do Millenials use the most?Apps are used by everyone, however, diverse age groups have varied interests. So, which applications are popular among Millennials? The apps vary from cashless payment alternatives to gaming to dating apps, as expected. There are even some with a high proportion of Millennials.Millennials' favourite general appsAirbnbThis mobile app started off as a website. It began as a home-sharing alternative for those travelling in areas with limited traditional accommodations or those that are too expensive. The site emerged in 2008, making it ideal for the Millennial age, therefore Airbnb has its majority of users - 63% as Millennials. Earlier generations, such as boomers, may be less inclined to choose house-sharing versus a private hotel room. And, due to a lack of autonomous earnings and age limitations for rentals, Gen Z was and remains too young to effectively utilize the site's services.Because it delivers a helpful service, this app is popular among Millennials. Airbnb allows Millennials to have more authentic travel experiences by staying in local areas and communities rather than hotels. Millennials seek one-of-a-kind, local experiences. Airbnb has discovered a method to leverage this need. They created an easy-to-use smartphone app that lets tourists locate lodging in practically any city around the world by sleeping in people's extra bedrooms or houses.VenmoVenmo first appeared on the market in 2009 as a money transfer software, and it soon became the favoured payment mechanism among Millennials. Whereas before individuals had to divide a bill four ways in a restaurant, much to the disgust of the waiter, or one person would have to pay with the intention of getting reimbursed later which might never happen, yeah we all know the feeling, so now with the help of this app, they are able to partake in a range of paid activities with ease.Mobile online activity has exceeded desktop online activity, and smartphones quickly become consumers' favorite portals to the internet. Consumers are spending 70% of their media consumption and screen time on mobile devices, with the majority of that time spent in mobile applications.This payment software has swiftly gained popularity among Millennials as a convenient method to repay pals for a night out or to pay for products and services. Millennials account for more than 50% of Venmo users since they are the early adopters of the app. Venmo has become so popular that the brand name is now used as a verb, "Just Venmo me".Venmo combines the convenience of online payments with a social element that allows people to share their recent transactions with peers. Venmo would not be the first mobile payment software, but it has grown in popularity because of its easy User Interface, a fascinating social component that Millennials enjoy using, and the fact that it provides a crucial function in a climate where financial transactions are becoming obsolete.TinderTinder is a dating app founded by Match Group that launched in 2012. According to a report, Millennials are the most frequent Tinder users, accounting for over 55% of the app's users from 25-44 years old. Tinder is not the first or last online dating service, but its clean and user-friendly layout has maintained it at them ahead of the rankings. Swiping is associated with the app, as is the simple and inclusive filtering for factors such as location, sexual orientation, and age.As the Millennial demographic becomes the dominant working generation and continues to relocate into hectic urban regions, they are increasingly depending on apps like Tinder to help them create connections while maintaining their fast-paced lifestyles.Millennials' favourite Social Media appsFacebookMillennials witnessed Facebook develop with them. The initial site was launched in 2004, and it immediately grew in popularity. By 2007, the Facebook mobile app had been created, and it, like the website, has swiftly expanded and improved for its user base.According to Harvard - Institute of Politics, Facebook, remains the most used platform among Millennials. Facebook is used by over 80% of Millennials at least once a week. This figure is far greater than that of previous generations, for example, only roughly 36% of Gen Z use Facebook once a week. So, when it comes to the Millennial demographic, Facebook remains the social media leader. Its key strength is its diverse material, which can span from text-based to graphic and everything in between.YouTubeMillennials witnessed Facebook develop with them. The initial site was launched in 2004, and it immediately grew in popularity. By 2007, the Facebook mobile app had been created, and it, like the website, has swiftly expanded and improved for its user base.According to Hootsuite, YouTube is the world's second most popular social media site after Facebook. In the United States, Millennials account for over 70% of YouTube users. Because it is totally video-based, YouTube is a notable social networking app.Many Millennials no longer contribute to a printed newspaper, but with YouTube, they can stay fully up to date on what's happening in the world or watch whatever content they want via longer or shorter videos that they can view from the comfort of their own homes. In an age when few people are watching broadcast tv anymore, YouTube is an important method for Millennials to learn about anything good that they may want to try, learn or improve.InstagramWhile Facebook has a firm hold on Millennials, social media stats reveal that Instagram is another one of the most popular platforms among Millennials, who now account for almost 50% of Instagram users.Instagram's close relationship to Facebook makes sense given that Facebook currently controls the platform and can therefore upgrade Instagram in ways that suit Facebook's lengthy base. Instagram also has its own distinct features that make it an enticing social tool to use, like stories, reels, fun filters, and the ubiquitous usage and impact of hashtags are just a few examples. Many Millennials use Instagram to remain in touch with friends in the same manner that people use Facebook to stay in touch with relatives.Pinterest and Twitter80% of Twitter users are affluent Millennials, and over 40% of Pinterest users are also Millennials.People enjoy these applications for the same reason they enjoy Instagram: all of the aesthetics with none of the 'boring' material. It's also rather short-lived, appealing to their desire for rapid fulfilment. Every day, two Million people pin things on Pinterest. Twitter is excellent for disseminating your company's message throughout the world.TikTokTikTok is no longer the new kid on the block. Even the most reticent Millennial has now installed the app on their phone. At one point not long ago, TikTok was the most downloaded app in the United States and the fastest growing social media application of all time.In fact, in less than four years, TikTok gathered over 3 billion downloads and reached one-third of all social media users in the world of which 39% are Millennials.Millennials’ favourite Fitness appsNike Run ClubThere are other popular fitness applications, but Nike Run Club has captured the attention of Millennials. Nike, the prominent athletic company, produced the app, which discovered a unique approach to integrate training and social engagement. Runners may use Nike Run Club to create objectives, participate in guided runs, and track run metrics including distance, duration, elevation, and speed.In addition, the app encourages runners to participate in group competitions to assist them to accomplish their goals. The competitions have specified lengths to run within a month, such as 30, 60, or 90 miles, and users of the app can be asked to join a group challenge by its host. This app taps into Millennials' feeling of solidarity as well as their unexpected level of brand loyalty.MyFitnessPalThis app has been there while Millennials were still using messaging applications on their iPod touches, but it's still trendy. It has over 1.3 Million downloads on the App Store and is still growing. Users may use the app to measure calories and macronutrients, register exercise, and establish goals. Users may assess their progress on a frequent basis and adapt accordingly with continuous tracking. Recipes and meal plans are also accessible for viewing and usage. A community feature displays success stories from various users in order to motivate others. When it comes to health and wealth, the app is all-encompassing, Millennials can store all they need on the matter of their general health at their fingertips in one spot.These are just the top 10 of the apps Millennials love, but there are plenty of others that we didn’t mention. If you have the possibility to create something unique, do it! And if you struggle with the process, contact us and we can help you. --- ### What are mobile applications analytics and why do you need them? URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/what-are-mobile-applications-analytics-and-why-do-you-need-them Get an insight look on what Analytics in Mobile Apps is, why is it important and how to use it to improve your business One part of designing your product is determining how you will provide value to your users. Yet, as wonderful as that purpose may seem, it is of no benefit to you as the product owner in and of itself. You’ll need to figure out a strategy to ensure that you’re doing what you set out to do at the beginning of your product journey. This is where the complicated realm of product analytics enters the picture.Even though there are many features in your product, this is how you’ll know how to measure them: track all your events and engagements by putting them in a system that will allow you to make sense of things. This is because not all user activities have the same impact, not even for the user, and not for the company you manage.A developer's best pal is mobile app analytics. They assist you in gaining an insight into how your users' actions and app may be improved in order to achieve your objectives. Without mobile app analytics, you would be experimenting recklessly with no data to support your discoveries. That is why it is critical for developers to learn their mobile app analytics in order to monitor their performance while working towards their goals.Why choose Mobile App Analytics?For a number of reasons, mobile app analytics are critical to your development process. They provide information on how users engage with your app, the sections of the app they engage with, and what activities they do inside the app. You may then use these observations to develop an action plan to further enhance your product, such as introducing new features that users appear to require, upgrading current ones in a way that makes users' lives simpler, or deleting features that users appear to ignore.You'll additionally obtain insights into your mobile app's objectives, income, exposure, or if other KPIs are being met, and then use the data to change your approach and improve your app to meet those goals even more effectively.What are the objectives of my Mobile App Analytics?To understand how to leverage your mobile app analytics to achieve your objective, you must first understand what your objective is. There is no universal solution because each app has its own set of aims and objectives.Mobile games, for instance, generally focus on increasing income, so their goal would be to build their user base while also pushing for in-app purchases. Similarly, retail apps may seek to enhance shop traffic and improve brand recognition, and other apps such as video and music streaming apps may seek to get people to subscribe to monthly or yearly packages. So it all relies on what you really want to achieve with your mobile app and also why you designed it in the first place.How do you monitor Mobile App Analytics?There are several choices available to monitor your mobile app statistics, including:iOS App AnalyticsFlurry AnalyticsApp AnnieLocalyticsMixpanelFirebaseHow to use Mobile App AnalyticsThe features and functions of mobile analytics applications differ greatly. Some free apps have technological constraints and have difficulty monitoring consumers when they switch between mobile websites and apps. A top-tier mobile analytics platform should be able to do the following:Integrate easily: With a codeless mobile feature for instanceOffer a unified view of the customer: Track data across operating systems, devices, and platformsMeasure user engagement: For both standard and custom-defined eventsSegment users: Create cohorts based on location, device, demographics, behaviours, and moreOffer dashboards: View data and surface insights with customizable reportingA/B test: Test features and messaging for performanceSend notifications: Alert administrators and engage users with behaviour-based messaging such as push notifications and in-app messagesOut-of-the-box metrics: Insights with minimal client-side codingReal-time analytics: Proactively identify user issuesReliable infrastructure: Guaranteed uptime for consistent access to the platformThe installation of mobile analytics entails installing SDKs to the mobile applications that need to be tracked. Most mobile analytics tools will be configured to track website visitors automatically. Platforms with codeless mobile features will be able to track certain fundamental app aspects such as errors, failures, and clicks instantly, but you'll want to augment that by manually labeling new activities for tracking. With mobile analytics, you'll have better insights about your mobile site and app users, which you can utilize to develop competitive, world-class goods and experiences.Why is Mobile App Analytics important?Mobile online activity has exceeded desktop online activity, and smartphones quickly become consumers' favorite portals to the internet. Consumers are spending 70% of their media consumption and screen time on mobile devices, with the majority of that time spent in mobile applications.This is a great chance for businesses to engage with their customers, but it is also a very competitive industry. There are over 6.5 million applications by now in major mobile app stores, millions of online apps, and over a billion websites. Companies employ mobile analytics tools to gain a competitive advantage in creating unique mobile experiences.Mobile analytics tools can provide companies with a much-needed competitive advantage in marketing. Mobile advertising accounted for about 70% of all digital marketing ($135 billion) and in 2019, imagine how it’s expanding in 2022. As more businesses compete for customers on mobile, teams must have a thorough understanding of how their advertising functions and if app users who engage with ads end up buying.How does Mobile App Analytics work?Mobile analytics tracks individual users in order to capture demographics and habits. Tracking technology differs between platforms that employ JavaScript or cookies and applications that need a software development kit (SDK). When a visitor makes an action, the application sends data to the mobile analytics platform. Typically, mobile analytics track:PageviewsVisitsVisitorsSource dataStrings of actionsLocationDevice informationLogin / logoutCustom event dataCompanies use this data to determine what their users want so they can provide a more enjoyable user experience. They can, for example, see:What allures users to the mobile app?How long do most users stay?What sections do users interact with and where they run into issues?What factors are associated with results such as purchases?What elements contribute to increased consumption and long-term retention?Product and marketing teams may develop positive feedback loops with mobile metrics. They may A/B test the effects of changes on their users as they refresh their app, launch promotions, and introduce new features. Teams may implement more changes based on how consumers respond, generating even more statistics and leading to more trials. This results in a continuous loop that polishes the product.How various teams use Mobile App AnalyticsCompanies use this data to determine what their users want so they can provide a more enjoyable user experience. They can, for example, see:Marketing: Tracks campaign ROI, segments users, automate marketingUX/UI: Tracks behaviours, tests features, measures user experienceProduct: Tracks usage, A/B test features, debug, sets alertsTechnical teams: Track performance metrics such as app crashesHow can I monitor Mobile App usage?Teams who use a mobile analytics platform may log into the interface to examine mobile app use, however, utilization implies various things to different businesses. Usage for a gaming app might be the amount of time people spend using it. Usage for an investment app might be the number of trades. Once teams specify the use, they may construct reports to track it.1. FiltersThe first step is to group the information based on what you want to see, most mobile app analytics platforms also allow you to download a CSV version of your sorted information:Platform: he version of your iOS or Android app.Date: Displaying data from today, yesterday, this week, the previous 7 days, the last 30 days, or even specifying a customized timeframe.Demographic Name: Identified consumers with comparable characteristics. (For example, new users, purchases, and so on.)User Property: Sorting consumers based on age, app version, device type, gender, ad frequency, and so on.2. Active UsersView daily, weekly, and monthly active users mapped through time, along with real-time statistics on the number of users who've been active in the previous 30 minutes, as well as the top conversion activities throughout that time, such as a user launching the app for the first time, finishing a lesson, and so on.3. ConversionsConversions are your most critical activities. Data on your top conversion occurrences may be examined over time.4. EngagementDaily user engagement displays the average daily interaction including a chart indicating trends over the given time period.5. RevenueDisplays the total revenue, which is the sum of all sources of revenue. It also displays the income sources, and also the average revenue per user (ARPU) and average revenue per paid user (ARPPU) for every time frame you want.6. Adoption and AcquisitionYou can see your app version acceptance charts, which indicate the proportion of active users for every app version, as well as your top acquisition methods, the number of times the app was launched for the very first time from every channel, and the lifetime value (LTV) of the people who launched it.7. Retention and AudienceRetention streaks are a group of users who began utilizing your app at the very same time (such as on the same day or during the same week). You may also look for more data about your target audience, which will give you a good understanding of your consumers' traits in terms of:Location: The proportion of encounters that originate in each of your top countries.Devices: The proportion of users who own each of the top device models, as well as the percentage of users who own each of the OS versions.Demographics: Genders user percentages by age range.Tools stack for Mobile App AnalyticsMobile app analytics tools provide a ton of data on your app and its usage. Here's a brief rundown of several characteristics that are shared by the majority of them.CRM or sales platformData management platform (DMP)Customer support platformContent management system (CMS)Marketing automation platformAdvertising platformsProduct or appTesting toolPayment systemWe’re here to support you at every step of the way!At appssemble, we understand how to develop ideas and make them durable via research, planning, and continuous improvement. Since we have plenty of experience building mobile apps, we can assist brands in developing applications and businesses in connecting with their users in order to build amazing digital environments. As always, get in touch if you want to learn more or talk to one of us about your mobile startup. --- ### 2022 - Design trends for mobile applications URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/2022-design-trends-for-mobile-applications Discover in only one article, what are the top 13 detailed graphic design trends of 2022 Mobile UI design trends change all the time, and as we stated before, this is why it's critical to stay on top of the latest app design trends. The world is changing, new technologies are emerging, and new design approaches are emerging, therefore keeping up with design trends is not an option for a firm looking to expand.Read our previous overview of 2021 mobile trends, and check what were the design trends of 2021 so you can easily compare how the design industry is developing from year to year since following the new design trends is essential for firms that wish to stay relevant.In this article, we've compiled a list of mobile UI trends 2022 to keep you up to date. Each of the businesses and niches has certain unique characteristics that impose some constraints on the design trends that may be used. Nonetheless, with a variety of tactics to choose from, you may find ones that are ideal for your application and perhaps even help us understand your perspective when it comes to your future project.Motion and animation designIf utilized sparingly, motion in UX may be beneficial and communicative. Motion is most typically used to provide subtle feedback for micro-interactions, rather than to please or entertain consumers.The main advantage of UI motion is that it draws the attention of the user. Motion detection is the responsibility of our human peripheral vision. The ability to detect movement outside the centre of our range of vision is, of course, advantageous in evolutionary terms: we can identify danger and protect ourselves.However, this implies that we are sensitive and easily distracted by any form of motion. That is why motion in user interfaces may quickly become irritating: it is difficult to ignore, and if unnecessary to the work at hand, it can significantly harm the user experience. Here are some of Motion Design applications:Transition Patterns: Users begin to lose concentration if the transition between displays takes too long. Motion design is used to assist users in understanding how the software flows between displays, making navigating easier and more appealing.Another occasion when motion design might be used in transitions is during loading periods. Why not use an intriguing animation to cut down on the waiting time? Animations keep consumers' attention while the gadget downloads the essential data.Transitions based on a containerTransitions with no containerFlawless transitionsMicro-interactions: Micro-interactions are occurrences that are employed to create a memorable experience for the user. These micro-interactions may be found across applications and websites. The majority of the time, the animation begins with a trigger (user action) that creates a reaction, informing the user of what's going on and making navigating inside an app or a website easier. These micro-interactions might occur without the use of animation, but motion design is used to make this interaction more fascinating and engaging.Graphic Cues: Motion design directs the user of an application by utilizing animations to signal where to concentrate, what to do next, or what seems essential on a screen. Consider employing motion to recognize user input and assist users in navigating content without getting lost. Navigation interactions appear more organic and less artificial when they are in motion. Motion breathes new vitality into the UI while preserving context.Responsive, Fluid Motion: Users expect and have come to expect fluid and responsive UI. When people are unsure about the functionality of something, they tend to linger over it. A smart UI rewards this behaviour by offering quick feedback—perhaps in the form of animation. To ensure that consumers enjoy a continuous browsing experience, respond to any queries they may have right away. User-interface designs come up on touch-enabled devices by permitting users to build strong connections in engaging ways.Playful branding and eliciting emotions: We may use animation to define the tone of a brand's identity, whether it's entertaining, playful, professional, or something else. The function of animation is to improve one's individuality.Designers can elicit emotions through animation. When we think of someone, we instinctively link them with the way they talk, walk, laugh, and so on. The personality of a person is what makes him or her unforgettable. Brands follow the same principle.Using motion design to show the personality of a user interface gets a stronger emotional reaction from users than static images. Motion design emphasizes the personality of the user interface rather than its visual identity, and so has a tremendous effect on the actions and feelings of users. In the same way that people's body language and movement reflect their personalities, so does motion in a user interface. Motion ensures that digital interactions and your brand are memorable to customers, and also make sure to also check how digital transformation can improve your product.Just-for-fun animations: Animations can, of course, be just ornamental - as long as they do not negatively impact user experience. Decorative animations aren't necessary, but they improve the overall appearance.Try adding a colourful animation to the basic 404 page the next time you want to play with motion design. Why not make it less unpleasant to look at as it isn't the most pleasant page to look at? We may generate a good experience for the user on a website that is intrinsically negative by employing a hilarious animation or minor interactions.Informing consumers about a change of state: Motion can be used to signify that the interface has changed state, such as a mode shift. Modes might be difficult to express to users, but animation can help in two ways:by making the mode shift visible;by giving a conceptual metaphor for the mode transition. For example, morphing a pencil icon into a disk after it has been clicked on marks the move from Edit to Save mode rather than simply changing one icon out for the other.Motion for spatial metaphors and navigation: It is sometimes difficult to describe the structure of a complex information space to consumers without exhausting their cognitive resources or taking up too much screen space. Scanning through navigation menus, tree diagrams, or even breadcrumbs to determine one's position in the information hierarchy is a difficult sort of cognitive effort.Zooming out reveals less detail but more items, implying that the user is moving up the hierarchy, whereas zooming in shows more information but fewer things, implying that the user is moving down the hierarchy.Grabbing and hijacking attention: Because the human visual system is extremely sensitive to motion, it may be exploited to capture users' attention, for good or bad. On the one hand, it might highlight a subtle marker, while on the other hand, unnecessary motion animations distract and frustrate the user. At this point, you could also consider all the possibilities in the realm of AI/ML on mobile applications from a design point of view, and if you feel overwhelmed then you should not miss this chance and just outsource.Furthermore, employing motion to divert users' attention or instil fear of loss is a dark behaviour: an unethical use of user-experience concepts and cognitive psychology to persuade users to do something they would not normally do.The best motion design tools:PrincipleLottieSQUID UI Flow Template for SketchThe IconicAfter EffectsFlat designFlat design is a type of user interface design that employs minimal, two-dimensional objects and bright colours. It is sometimes contrasted with the skeuomorphic approach, which creates the appearance of three-dimensionality by mimicking real-life features.Flat design was created for responsive design, in which the content of a website adapts fluidly based on the device's screen size. Flat design guarantees that responsive designs operate effectively and load quickly by using simple forms and minimal materials.The flat design delivers a simplified and more optimum user experience by minimizing visual noise (in the form of textures and shadows).Flat Designs’ Typography and Logos:Simple shapes, with no shadows, textures, or gradients.The colours are flat, that is to say, they are solid and consistent. They stand out from the rest of the app by employing colour palettes to separate the elements and guide the use, making it easier for the brain to find its way around.The readability of fonts is taken into consideration.Flat Design Colour Rules:Colours: may be used freely in flat design, but they must be chosen in a consistent palette. To guarantee that you choose the best colour palette for your company, avoid combining bright and pastel hues. Furthermore, the latter colours are frequently favoured in flat design. Colours should enliven the navigation while avoiding visual saturation.Illustrations & images: If you choose a website with a flat design, the image placement should be carefully considered so that it does not overburden the overall design of the interface. You may also experiment with other geometric forms such as circles, squares, triangles, and so on.Icons: A flat design website would be incomplete without them. We advise you to avoid using forms in favour of "flat" icons. Many icon kits, such as Designmodo and Thenounproject, may be used to satisfy most demands. Some are made in Syg format, and the colours and forms may be changed in Illustrator.Typography: The typeface should aid in the structure and organization of the material. Fonts are simplified and legible in flat design.Inclusive & accessible designUser experience designers are in charge of assuring the usability and accessibility of a product. Unfortunately, accessibility is frequently ignored. Content and features should be accessible, simple to comprehend, and efficient to use for a wide variety of abilities. Everyone benefits from accessible designs. Accessibility is frequently promoted as being helpful for the 15% of the world's population who have permanent impairments. People without chronic impairments benefit from accessibility in several scenarios.As we age, our abilities in vision, hearing, movement, and cognition tend to deteriorate. Misplaced glasses, musculoskeletal problems, bad illumination while reading a screen, and noisy settings while attempting to hear audio are all instances of temporary or situational limitations, therefore here are several inclusive and accessible designs to help all of us:Low vision: Low vision refers to visual problems other than total blindness, such as those caused by age, diabetes, contrast sensitivity, and colour blindness. We can improve low vision experiences by designing with the figure-ground concept in mind.Principle of Figure-Ground: One of Gestalt's Principles is that when we observe anything visually, our minds strive to separate the foreground from the background. It creates visual tension when neither the foreground nor the backdrop shines out significantly. When someone has impaired eyesight, this might be considerably more difficult.Von Restorff Effect: When numerous comparable things are given, the one that differs from the others in size, colour, form, or other features is more likely to be recalled. It is critical to use this idea correctly to improve the experiences of persons with visual impairments.Physical Disabilities: Physical impairments include reduced mobility, involuntary movements, and painful movements caused by conditions such as arthritis, amputations, repetitive stress injuries, tremors, and physical traumas. We can enhance experiences for people with physical limitations by designing with Fitt's law in mind.Fitt’s Law: The time it takes to reach a target is determined by its size and distance. As a result, when buttons and links are smaller in size or farther away from the starting point, it takes longer to reach them. When someone has a physical limitation, this might be more difficult and time-consuming.Cognitive Disabilities: Neurodiversity, intellectual impairments, autism, Alzheimer's disease, and ADHD are all examples of cognitive and learning disorders (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). We can enhance experiences for people with cognitive disorders by designing with Miller's and Fitt's laws in mind.Miller’s Law (Magic Number 7+/- 2): Our short-term memory has a capacity of 7 sticks of information, plus or minus 2. This is why phone numbers and credit card numbers aren't just one long string of digits, but rather "chunked" for easier recall. Here's an example of a number that has been broken into pieces rather than gathered together.Hick’s Law: People will take longer to decide if they have more options. This also applies to the amount of information that humans must digest to discover information and execute activities. Hick's law and Miller's law may appear to be similar, however, Miller's rule is about "chunking" material for short-term memory, whereas Hick's law is about limiting possibilities for faster decision making and shorter job completion times.Brutalist designAnother trend that is on the rise is brutalist design. Brutalism appears to be a counter-trend to all of the designs that are filled with gradients, shadows, and happy 3D figures.Flat style, powerful edges, contrasting colours, unbothered, raw, ugly, reactionary, bold, uncomfortable are some of the words one can use to describe a brutalist design. However, one of Brutalism's key distinguishing features is missing in this new form. It now employs all of the aforementioned characteristics, but adheres to a more traditional arrangement, as seen in other design styles.This app design style is called from the architectural style that translates as “raw concrete”. These designs may elicit many of the same sentiments as a brutalist structure might. Similarly to how brutalist buildings stand out from the rest of the buildings in major cities, brutalist applications stand out from the rest of the modern ones.If you're wondering what characteristics constitute a brutalist app design and how to recognize one in the wild, Matt Stewart of Creative Momentum has compiled a detailed list of characteristics which I'm going to borrow:Black or white backgroundsNo gradients or shadowsOverlapping elementsLack of symmetryCrowded designNo distinct hierarchyMonospaced typographyOne font used throughoutContrasting colour paletteLack of animationSparse imagerySimple or non-existent navigationSingle-page website designTypes of brutalist design:Purists: If you're familiar with brutalist design, this one should come as no surprise. The purist brutalist design emphasizes employing as few components as possible, similar to how concrete and steel are utilized as major construction materials in brutalist structures.UX minimalist: The colour palette remains relatively simple, consisting largely of black and white, and the links aren't blue, a departure from the pure design. The rationale for these variations is that the goal of this style is to focus on efficiency rather than strictly adhering to the core HTML components.‘Anti-ists’ or Artists: a flawless marriage of brutalist minimalism and artistic self-expression In terms of programming, the artistic design differs from purist design in that it does not want to keep to fundamental HTML components. It frequently includes experimental JavaScript that is used to create a specific vibe or emotion. When designing insane epilepsy-inducing designs, it is critical to understand who your audience is.Unique illustrationsAn illustration is more than just an ornament: it is a medium of communication, compensation, a method of giving or improving knowledge, a means of strengthening connections, and a means of guiding people through circumstances. An illustration is more than just an aesthetic feature; it may take several forms and function as a visual aid to the user interface.Illustrations have an important part when it comes to expressing ideas, whether in a presentation, interface, video, or simply illustrating a text. When utilized correctly, they can alleviate cognitive load, inform, and link ideas and feelings. Furthermore, graphics have a tremendous impact on the emotional appeal of the interface. They are also memorable and catchy, which helps to increase brand recognition, storytelling, and brand recognition.Why use unique illustrations?It boosts brand identityIt’s a universal method of communication It’s a valuable tool in your toolboxIt promotes clarity and understandingIt helps people feel goodLimitless imageryApp imagery, such as product shots, is intended to be viewed in a small size. Apps allow users to interact with graphics in a variety of ways to fit smaller screens on smartphones and tablets, including animations, panning and zooming. Products in eCommerce and retail applications no longer have to be contained within a square or rectangle. Instead, they look limitless and meld with the backdrop, as if they're floating amid the app's other design components. This provides the user with a much more unified app experience and unifies the app design.This type of artwork is frequently exhibited in parts or cropped to reveal greater detail. If you want to take it a step further, you could pair this look with varying levels of interaction. For example, you might employ augmented reality in an eCommerce app selling furniture or houseware to allow consumers to visualize how the goods would appear in their homes.Menus and galleries that are asymmetricAsymmetry in design and layout draws attention to specific aspects inside an app. People's eyes often go in a specific direction while processing visual input, therefore developing an asymmetrical design can run with the audience's visual motion. Designers are flexing their innovative powers in 2022 to escape the polished feel of symmetrical applications, particularly for apps with multiproduct galleries, such as eCommerce apps.The asymmetrical design may assist to establish your brand's distinctive character while also bringing a fresh and interesting perspective to your menu or gallery. It catches your audience's attention by disrupting patterns and offering something distinctive in design from the ordinary.Spherical patterns that are abstractCircular and spherical designs are widespread. These forms may be found in both organic and manufactured things, Circular shapes are appealing because of their fluidity, and when employed in digital design, they are recognized to provide a welcoming, soothing experience.App designs in 2022 will take this tendency for rounder curves a step further. Many people are using circles in their graphics and backdrops. By combining circles with zigzags and bright hues, they lean towards the abstract, whimsical, and nostalgic motifs of the 1980s style.Play with abstract circular patterns to give depth to backdrops and brand individuality to your app. Another alternative is to animate your circular designs to represent state changes in the customer journey or advancement throughout a task flow.Unconventional text alignmentAnother app design concept that will be thriving in 2022 is experimenting with copy layout. Designers are producing unconventional designs with vertically and diagonally positioned text for those targeting left-to-right readers.Creators are employing copy to mix into other aspects of the app, challenging how consumers usually view text in-app designs. Experimentation with space, case, and font is common when dealing with atypical text alignment.Borders define characteristicsBorders aid in the management of data in app design. Borders work as dividers to construct a hierarchy to direct the viewer by placing a simple stroke around each piece. They leave enough room for each headline, graphic, or button to breathe.Borders is also a bit out of date. Earlier GUIs in technology, employed borders to visually separate items such as scroll arrows, icons, and windows. Many applications connect with consumers through nostalgic overtones by quietly evoking this time of early digital design.Multi-directional navigationIn terms of usability, the top applications and websites make using them feel natural. The use of multi-directional navigation is an easy technique to simplify complicated flows and interactions.Instead of merely scrolling up and down among functions, these designs urge users to interact with the app more deliberately. Incorporating horizontal sliders alongside vertical scrolling displays results in a more fascinating and memorable user journey.It's a particularly common tendency for apps that have many goods or profiles. Those who include podcasts, music, or social networking should leverage this as a jumping-off point to expand content and allow users to completely immerse themselves in designs.Layered sheer screensThe use of drop shadows or blur effects on buttons and text boxes partially obscure the backdrop picture when stacking sheer screens over other design components. This method establishes page structure while creating a pleasant, warm vibe.Using a glow or drop shadow to distinguish an element from the backdrop helps to direct the user's attention. The Fabulous, as shown in the image below left, is a health and wellness software that makes extensive use of overlays. To prevent the superimposed text boxes from merging into the backdrop picture, each has a drop shadow.This technique is also utilized in other contexts, such as subtitling. Subtitles for films, tv series, and videos frequently utilize strokes, overlays, and blurring effects to make the text easier to understand. The layered sheer trend is not only attractive but also improves reading and utility.Super appsSuper Apps are mobile apps that combine many services into a single app. These applications are immensely popular in Asia and are rapidly spreading in Africa. Super applications will become more prevalent around the world by 2022.Designers are tackling this all-in-one app experience with a slew of bright hues and charming, detailed iconography. These app designs, which immerse users in gaming, retail, social networking, and banking, must show how much they can give. A clear framework, frequently in the form of a simple grid, with multi-directional navigation, is essential for managing multi-product galleries of this size, without being overwhelming which is hard for a startup, that is why you should definitely outsource for cost and time effectiveness, assistance and professionalism.Does your mobile app need a brilliant design? When you add them all up, the design trends of 2022 are a ragtag bunch. Motion and flat, brutalist and unique, asymmetric and abstract. It's difficult to picture any of these diverse characters meeting at a party, yet that's exactly what will happen this year. And it's precisely on these unexpected mashups that you won't want to miss out on this year, so create your amazing design, if it’s a bit too much for you then outsource it, and after it’s ready to share, here is a detailed guide on where to announce your work to the world.If you need a great graphic design for your mobile app, let our talented team create something unique and limitless. Until the next one, stay awesome! --- ### An Overview of 2021 from a Mobile perspective URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/an-overview-of-2021-from-a-mobile-perspective We have prepared for you an extensive guide about this year’s hottest trends when it comes to mobile app designs, new technologies, business models, and Apple App Store vs. Google Play Store end-of-the-year analysis of apps, games and revenues. With the Earth's orbit around the sun complete, and a vaccine authorized by the FDA, it's past time to forget about what occurred in 2021 and focus on what went well in the mobile technology industry. The uncertainty of 2020 drove people to stay indoors for most of the year, resulting in widespread adoption of some technologies, particularly mobile technology, and that continues to grow in 2021 as well when restrictions started to ease.You must always maintain your finger on the pulse to be successful in any industry. In addition to researching your competition, keep up with industry advancements. It's no secret that our world is becoming increasingly mobile. As a result, every company regardless of industry must keep up with emerging mobile trends. This is especially true for businesses that have a mobile presence, such as a smartphone app or a mobile website.This year, we've used mobile applications more than ever before. Our mobile devices become our digital clinics, pharmacies, restaurants, grocery stores, preferred shopping centers, and more, from grocery shopping to clothing shopping, from ordering medicine or video-conferencing with the doctor to ordering meals. Mobile technology will continue to infiltrate even the most little areas of our lives.It's critical to stay educated in the mobile environment, whether you're a mobile app developer or a small pizza business owner. This statement also applies to those of you who do not have access to a mobile app. That's because, if you haven't already, you should be considering mobile application development. However, with so many sources of information available, it may be difficult to tell which trends are real and which are merely fad or fake news. As a result, we have prepared for you a guide with all the important trends that happened in 2021 when it comes to mobile technology.App Store vs. Google PlayThrough iOS and Android, Apple and Google control more than 95% of the app store market share. Both mobile OSes launched with a few pre-installed apps at first, but third-party developers rapidly added more to improve the experience.Within a year of the platforms' introduction, tens of thousands of developers had created apps and games for them. Both Apple and Google had over one million applications and games accessible in less than five years, generating millions of in-app revenue for both businesses.These two platforms, which have enlarged their services to include apps for consumers and businesses of all sizes, are at the heart of the app economy. According to App Annie, its value is projected to surpass $6.3 trillion.For the past three years, both Apple and Google have increased the restrictions on entry for developers. They've also removed millions of applications from their separate stores to enhance the ecosystem's overall quality.Fun factsThere are 2.39 million applications and 442,000 games in Google Play's App Store.Games account for 15.6% of the Google Play Store.Education and business applications are the second and third most popular categories in the Google Play Store.Free apps account for 96.2% of the total.Number of apps on Apple App Store vs. Google Play StoreThe number of mobile apps has been increasing steadily year after year, while in 2011 there were 0.28 million apps in the App Store, in 2021 it grew up to 3.6 million, with a growth rate of 5.8% from year to year, and on Google Play it started from 0.06 million and grew up to 2.3. Its highest peak was in 2018 with 2.6 million apps and continued varying every year, with a growth rate of -8% from 2020 to 2021.Number of games in Apple App Store vs. Google Play StoreThe number of games on both the App Store and Google Play is lower than the number of apps, as expected. On App Store, it started from a number of 89.000 games in 2011 that grew up to 984.000 in 2021 with 5.4%, and on Google Play it grew from 53.000 games in 2011 to 442.000 in 2021 with 21%.Most popular categories in Apple App Store vs. Google Play StoreThe most popular apps on App Store and Google Play varies significantly from one store to the other. The number 1 most popular category remains the Games section in both stores while the following categories are mostly different from one another. The second most popular category on App Store is Business, and for Google Play is Education, while the third is exactly the opposite.Paid vs. Free apps on Apple App Store vs. Google Play StoreFree apps have a broad appeal and attract hundreds upon thousands of users, whom corporations can then efficiently monetize through in-app adverts or transactions. That’s the reason why there’s such a huge difference between paid and free apps. While the paid ones are in a percentage of 6.31 on App Store and 3.72 on Google, the number of free apps is considerably higher, with 93.69% on App Store and 96.28% on Google Play.Most popular app on App Store vs. Google PlayThe most popular apps on App Store seems to not change at all year after year, with the same well-known apps like TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook, while on Google Play there are other popular apps this year, such as Crypto.com, Cash App and Google Pay.Most popular games on App Store vs. Google PlayWhile the most popular games on App Store are the well known Among Us!, Roblox, Call of Duty, Subway Surfers and others, on Google Play the popular ones are Survival 456, Bowmaster, Merge Animals, Text or Die and othersRevenueGross app sales in the Google Play store reached USD 12.1 billion in the third quarter of 2021, up 17.4% from the same period the previous year. In the most recent quarter, the Apple App Store produced 21.5 billion dollars in customer spending on in-app purchases, subscriptions, and premium apps.DesignIn terms of hardware, the smartphone market evolves every 2 to 3 years, because trends change regularly. If your app doesn't appear modern, then it probably isn't modern. That's why it's critical to stay on top of the latest app design trends.However, the finest solutions remain: the trends can and will be utilised in the future with a few tweaks. The most effective solutions are those that benefit both your company and your users. All of 2021 was particularly effective in eliminating unpopular and deficient ideas. So here are a few trends that were popular in 2021:1. Clarity and minimalismGiven the limited size of mobile devices, clear, clean, and simply accessible designs are constantly important. Users have increasingly shown a preference for clean, minimalist designs in recent years. A clean design makes it easier to understand the content and helps the app perform better:Neumorphism (lush dimensional makeover for flat icons and buttons)Neutral interfaces and content-focused experiencesDynamic Visual ExperienceRounded, organic shapesTransparent elementsFuturistic colourSerif fonts2. Dark contrasting designOne of the best UI techniques has proven to be dark mode. There are a large number of people that like it, and they aren't going anywhere. Eye strain is reduced by the use of a dark contrasting pattern. Highlights stand out against a dark backdrop, allowing every detail to be seen. The dark contrasting pattern is attractive and tasteful. It's established itself as a timeless masterpiece.3. Functional 3D graphicsThe popularity of 3D graphics continues to grow, especially in e-commerce. However, 3D is evolving. The wow element is decreasing in importance. Today's solutions, on the other hand, are progressively emphasizing 3D interactivity. It's no longer just about displaying a product from every angle, it's also about assisting the user in customizing the settings for interacting with a 3D picture. There appears to be no question that 3D graphics will continue to improve in utility.4. CustomizationThe user will feel as though the material was developed specifically for them thanks to the customized design. With design becoming ever more person-centred, this tendency will only get stronger. If you’re interested in building user personas for mobile apps, here you have the perfect article.5. Data visualizationIt's still relevant to turn boring statistics and information into easily understandable graphs and diagrams. This tendency applies to all types of organizations and is likely to continue.6. Unique illustrationsThere are an infinite amount of designs available now. It's nearly hard to produce something that hasn't been done before. You must, however, stand out from the crowd and introduce some novel design concepts. You may do this with the aid of an extravagant digital illustration. 2021 wasn’t afraid to play around with the photographs and you should do too, if you don't like the results, you can always go back to the prior forms.7. Maximum interactionOne of the best UI techniques has proven to be dark mode. There are a large number of people that like it, and they aren't going anywhere. Eye strain is reduced by the use of a dark contrasting pattern. Highlights stand out against a dark backdrop, allowing every detail to be seen. The dark contrasting pattern is attractive and tasteful. It's established itself as a timeless masterpiece.Modern user interfaces are nearly always designed to create a personal, almost intimate relationship with the user. As a result, the existing tendencies will only get more advanced:Interactive videos -- Videos have grown popular and valuable in a variety of fields, and their use will only grow. It's a reasonable assumption that most applications will use interactive movies in the not-too-distant future.Emotional ​design -- Emotional design has always been in demand and will continue to be so. It personalizes any app, increases user engagement, captures users' emotions, and prevents them from leaving the app.Animation and gamification -- The combination of animation and gamification improves user engagement by making it simpler to interact with the app. It's no wonder that they're getting better and more frequentStorytelling -- Visual storytelling has emerged as the most effective approach to engage consumers and communicate information in recent years. This is a trend that we think will last.Emoji -- Emojis offer a splash of colour to the user experience. They have become essential to our communication, which is why they will continue to be vital as technology advances.UX copywriting -- The latest copywriting trends all lead to making the user interface interactions easier. Simple, short forms supported by visual clues are increasingly replacing walls of text and complicated words.In-app gestures -- We all utilize gestures when using an app. We put our fingers on the screen, swipe, tap, and rotate it. The motions are diverse, but we always anticipate it to take little time to locate the perfect one. We've gotten into the habit of double-tapping each Instagram post we 'like,' and it's become one of our go-to motions. We don't even notice some of the movements and perform them instinctively.8. Chatbots and conversational designThis is unquestionably one of the mobile UI trends for 2021, and it isn't going away anytime soon. Chatbots aid in the optimization of business processes involving customer interaction. They're also beneficial when it comes to handling several requests at once and dealing with typical problems.9. Voice interactionsThe visuals in mobile UX trends 2021 aren't the only thing to consider. They now support voice interactions as well, similar to Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa. However, with VUIs, it's critical to stay to the concept and message of not overloading people with data.10. Liquid swipe and buttonless designOne other trend that developed rather well this year is the liquid swipe and buttonless design. Users don't need to see a visible button to figure out where they need to click or swipe to achieve their goal. So, what's the point of keeping these graphics in the UI?11. Advanced AnimationAdvanced animation was one of the most important mobile UI design trends to incorporate into your projects. Simple gestures that no longer entice your audience. I think you saw a change if you added new, more intricate transitions. Looking for some proof? Check these 10 innovative apps of 2021 for examples in design, compare them and let us know what you think about the trends of this year.New technologiesMobile app development in 2021 was an area of lightning-fast developments, technological advances, and new emerging trends that helped firms acquire clients. Although the COVID-19 outbreak has been a nightmare for many firms, the mobile development industry continues to grow. Here are 15 technologies that were successful in 2021:1. 5GModern app development can make use of 5G technology, which is the newest generation of telecommunication networks that has already demonstrated incredible connection speeds. During experiments, Opensignal claims that 5G download speeds were between 1.6 and 15.7 times quicker than 4G. Support for this new networking standard has become one of the essential 2021-2022 mobile app trends, thanks to the better security and greater number of possible connections per square kilometre that 5G provides. 5G also allows for the development of more advanced and realistic AR/VR apps, the streaming of high-definition 4K-8K and 360-degree media, and the introduction of more networked IoT devices to the market.2. Voice technologyIn the not-too-distant past, speech technology was just portrayed as a fun gimmick to attract clients; currently, it has risen to become one of the most popular app development trends for mobile and IoT platforms.Here are some cases of speech technology and why people like it:Many consumers who possess a smart speaker system prefer to use voice search. Voice search, in contrast to typing, delivers a rapid and hands-free experience that makes surfing more enjoyable for consumers while also improving shop marketing.A voice user interface, or VUI, is a novel technique to create the user interface. It combines speech recognition and predictive machine learning to allow users to communicate with the app using only their voices. It adds a new degree of personalisation to the game, which is critical for client conversion and retention.Voice shopping consultants do exactly what they say: they guide consumers around online marketplaces, suggesting things, answering inquiries, and informing them of current discounts and specials.One good example of a voice-enabled app is voicecal - calories counter. You can easily track your daily nutrient intake and adjust your diet by using only your voice, and it’s usable in 63 different languages. All you have to do is tell the app what you ate and voicecal will take care of the rest.Different forms of push notifications are used by current mobile advertisers to encourage consumers and promote engagement:To boost sales, eCommerce stores deploy tailored push notifications.To keep users up to date, social networking apps offer real-time information.Content is sent by media businesses to deliver time-sensitive information.3. App clips & instant appsWhen it comes to mobile apps, high conversion rates are critical and difficult to achieve. You just have seconds to attract a user's attention and persuade them to install your app and even less time to persuade them to remain. Instant applications (App Clips for iOS devices) are useful in this situation.Instant applications were a crucial element of the 2021 mobile app trends, allowing users to test out an app without having to download it. They just retain a little amount of data locally and do not require users to install anything to utilize them. The app may be opened by simply clicking on the link that the developer provides on their social network or website.4. Foldable devicesFoldable devices might be the future of mobile app development, as consumer demand grows despite higher-than-average pricing. The fundamental feature of folding screens is their capacity to transform: they may be used as a phone and then unfolded to become a medium-size tablet when needed.Some types may be folded in rather than out, making them more compact. Samsung, Huawei, Motorola, and LGglobal are among the companies that provide foldable displays, with their Galaxy Z Fold model.The trend offers app developers a creative and technological challenge in addition to an opportunity for smartphone makers. Developers should pay attention to this trend as the price tags for foldable devices become more affordable for the majority of customers and adjust their apps to accommodate various types of screens, including folding displays.5. Beacon technologyAnother booming hit in mobile development is beacon technology, which allows consumers to merge their online and offline experiences. Beacons, in their most basic form, are miniature transmitters that communicate with cellphones through Bluetooth.They are suitable for use in retail malls, airports, hospitals, and almost any other location. Beacons transmit signals to the company's app on a customer's phone when they enter such an area. The user may get real-time in-store navigation, customised promotions, discount notifications, and other information this way.Beacons are already available at Apple and Macy's shops, and the relevant functionality is included in the companies' apps. Beacon technology is also used by Aruba Networks and Google for indoor navigation and enhanced data collecting. As more areas become linked, mobile app developers should consider beacon technology while creating appropriate and useful apps.6. Mobile-first leisureLast years people used to spend about three hours every day on their phones. This amount has already surpassed 4 hours 6 minutes in 2021 devoted to mobile applications rather than web usage. Due to COVID-19 constraints, leisure was the first industry to go digital, and users aren't ready to give it up anytime soon. In essence, the most simple of the new app development trends are mobile-first leisure, because customers prefer mobile platforms, your company should make use of them.7. On-demand appsOn-demand apps have risen to the top of the list of contemporary top trends in mobile app development, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. In essence, unlike games or planners, these applications remain inactive in users' phones until they need to access a certain function. In 2021, according to Eastern Peak the most popular and extensively used on-demand applications were:UberGrubhubRinseHandyInstacartSootheDoorDashWag8. Mobile walletsMobile payments are another app trend to keep an eye on in 2021. The fintech business is growing at a pace of 23.58%, and utilizing digital wallets has already become second nature to customers, especially in an era where online purchasing and little personal interaction are common.Fintech companies can provide mobile wallets with contactless payment capabilities and in-app purchases of tickets, loyalty cards, coupons, and other items. Market experts project that by 2025, each user of proximity payment technology would spend an average of $4064 via mobile contactless payments.While PayPal, Venmo, Google Wallet, and Cash App are the most well-known applications and services in this industry, there are other emerging businesses on the market that provide extra capabilities.Want to develop an app? Contact us right now if you're thinking about developing an Uber competitor or adopting an on-demand business model into your industry.9. M-commerceSince the start of the COVID-19 epidemic, mobile app development has shifted its attention to various new industries, with m-commerce leading the way with a 25.5% CAGR (compound annual growth rate). Online buying isn't a new concept.However, the virus's omnipresence and long-term lockdowns have driven people to try shopping online for the first time, and many of them will continue to use m-commerce applications to shop even after the pandemic has passed.Mobile commerce is one of the most stable and promising app trends, as seen by the enormous success of Shopify, Instacart, and countless more applications for anything from grocery delivery to all types of retail.10. WearablesThe market for wearable devices continued to increase, which implies that the demand for mobile apps that work with these devices will rise as well. Wearable technology has a lot of potentials, particularly in the sports and healthcare areas. People are drawn to smart wearable gadgets such as watches, bracelets, and even jewellery because they can measure and analyze vital signals in real-time.Machine Learning will play a role here as well, from generating predictions and suggestions based on health indicators to even identifying diseases in their early stages.11. Virtual events streamingTaking an online Zumba class was a novelty before the epidemic, but now that live streaming is at the forefront of the current developments in mobile app development, it's a new type of normality.Platforms like ConnexMe, Hopin, Glisser, Eventee, vFairs, SpotMe, and others have seen significant growth in the recent year. Zoom and Jitsi, for example, have grown in popularity, and this trend is expected to continue into 2022. Check out How to build a Live Streaming app - Product, Monetization, Tech, Features & Costs.12. Internet of things (IoT)Although mobile applications are only one component of any IoT infrastructure, they are critical in linking people to their smart gadgets, automobiles, and complete homes.The Internet of Things is essentially a network of items that can communicate with one another and with the Internet. Smartwatches, self-driving Tesla, and Control4smart home systems are among them.IoT is a disruptive path in terms of app trends, and it has already begun to dictate new norms for developers. Since more people are becoming aware of the benefits of IoT, mobile developers must create applications that work well on a variety of devices.Furthermore, IoT allows developers to construct entirely new types of apps, allowing them to be more creative and experimental.13. AI & Machine LearningMachine learning allows for autonomous and deep analysis, which has a huge range of applications in the mobile app development sector. Here is a list of popular use cases for machine learning in mobile platforms, which is not exhaustive:Personalization -- Gain a deeper understanding of your consumers so you can provide better services, more relevant recommendations, and improved experiences, resulting in more retention and sales.Analytics -- Apply machine learning to gain a more complete understanding of your business processes, allowing you to make better judgments, projections, and optimization efforts.Security -- Use machine learning as one of the top mobile trends in data security to protect your consumers' sensitive data.Convenience and competitive advantage -- AI enables biometric verification and provides several solutions, including picture recognition, voice help, smart maps with route planning, and others, all of which can play a role in user retention.What is possible in the realm of AI/ML on mobile applications?14. AR & VRSince the release of Civilisations AR, the use of virtual and augmented reality features in mobile software has increased dramatically. Civilisations AR is an augmented reality production from the BBC that serves an educational function in a genuinely amazing way. It lets users interact with ancient artefacts by rotating, moving, and scaling them.AR and VR are already being used for a variety of applications other than game production, thanks to recent developments in smartphone apps. Virtual reality in education delivers effective hands-on training experiences while being safe and relatively inexpensive, which is especially beneficial to the healthcare, aerospace, military, and industrial areas.When utilized for online purchasing (enabling users to "try on" an item using their phone), marketing, and home and property tours, augmented and virtual reality can entice clients. Learn more from our article Augmented & Virtual Reality (AR/VR) in mobile apps.15. Enterprise mobile appsEnterprise mobile applications are one of the hottest business trends since they allow you to interact remotely with coworkers, employees, or customers via mobile devices. Enterprise apps are excellent tools for controlling and improving corporate operations. The fact that these applications may be used on mobile devices adds to their popularity.We saw a growth in the number of medium and small firms interested in adopting enterprise mobility into their daily operations to boost productivity, profitability, and stay competitive.Business modelIn 2021, the development of mobile apps was the top priority for organizations and corporations. Are you prepared to plan your needs and create a reliable company mobile app? Here are the details you had to plan in 2021, details that would probably remain factual in 2022 as well.1. Proposition of valueCustomers will not use or purchase an app that does not address their issue. A proposition of value is a list of benefits your product provides to users and why they should pay for it. Let's look at a few mobile app value proposition business model examples:Novelty is defined as meeting needs that have never been met before or that have yet to be met.Productivity is defined as the efficiency with which a client's business or personal demands are met.Price is defined by providing a solution that is less expensive than the current one while maintaining or improving efficiency.2. AlliesWithout forming alliances with other individuals and groups, no firm can exist. As a result, a description of your important partners and cooperation should be included in your business model canvas. This year you had to consider the following forms of partnerships for a mobile startup:Co-founders -- Let's pretend that the individual who came up with the concept was a brilliant businessperson or salesperson but lacked a good technical background. They needed the help of a technologist, who served as the CTO and oversaw the technical aspects of the project.Contractors -- As you work on the mobile app, you need to sign contracts with organizations that will help you with different areas of the project, such as a software development firm, a marketing agency, a law and accounting firm, and so on.Suppliers -- If your digital business was going to be strongly integrated with selling, buying, or making real goods, you needed to form a connection with local suppliers.Be sure to involve all of the necessary parties to launch a successful business in the future.3. ResourcesTo form a mobile app business, you need a specific motor and cognitive property, as well as people and financial resources to build the app. This attribute was referred to as your essential resources in your business model canvas. Consider the following examples:Physical things such as equipment, buildings, and transportation are examples of material resources.Intellectual property, patents, trademarks, patterns, and databases, are examples of intellectual resources.Human resources are the individuals who will help you build your concept. This is especially true for undertakings involving science or creativity.Money assets, credits, and cash will be employed to finance the development process.4. CustomersThis is when you had to describe your platform's target audience. You should have assessed your potential clients from the standpoint of demographics, interests, and wants when working on this area. The following questions will be of use to you:Who are the people who could be interested in your product?What are their ages?What city do they call home?What are their passions?What are their necessities?What are they afraid of?What factors influence their purchase decisions?Why should people download your app?A buyer persona - a thorough description of your ideal customer - should emerge from this investigation. Knowing who your customer is and what his preferences are can help you create a product that is more tailored to his requirements.5. Relationship with customersYou have to decide how you engage and assist your consumers here. Let's have a look at how this was done.Personal assistance involves direct contact between a consumer and a corporate representative.Self-service - the corporation does not engage directly with clients but instead provides them with all of the tools they need to do all of their tasks on their own.Automated service is a more developed kind of self-service that combines automated technologies such as chatbots with self-service.Establishing communities where users may share their expertise is what community is all about. This form also aids the organization in better understanding its clients' wants.A buyer persona - a thorough description of your ideal customer - should emerge from this investigation. Knowing who your customer is and what his preferences are can help you create a product that is more tailored to his requirements.6. ActivitiesHow will you reach out to your consumers and provide them with your value proposition? This question may be answered using the key activities section of your business model canvas.If your organization is all digital, the majority of your efforts was focused on internet marketing strategies (email newsletters, social networks, online advertising, etc). Tangible applications also needed to focus on building physical infrastructures, such as warehouses, distribution centres, and shipping terminals.7. Sales channelsWhat strategy did you use to sell your value proposition? The major possibilities for mobile app business models are Android and iOS applications. You might also sell your goods using a website, email marketing, social media, and other methods.8. CostsThe more budget things you manage, the fewer obstacles you have while constructing your software. Let's go over the costs that undoubtedly occurred:Organizational charges –- legal and accounting services to create your firm as a legal organization.Required -- everything you need to get your business up and going, including an office and required equipment.Hardware - the labour of your software development team, and the upkeep of the web platform are all part of the development costs.Employee pay is a part of human resources.Advertising and marketing.We also advise that you to set aside some money for unplanned costs. It's always a good idea to be cautious.9. RevenueWhat were your plans for monetizing your app? Let's have a look at some of the possibilities:Selling the value proposition generates revenue (selling the physical goods, commission, subscriptions. etc).Advertisement (you could have used your platform to post ads).Use of a brand (when your app became a recognizable brand with a registered trademark, you were able to charge for use of the brand).After you’ve finished making a business plan, you can start thinking about developing your Android or iOS mobile app, so make sure to prepare yourself for this as well with the help of our articles.Staying on top of the mobile industry's challengesConsider a few things before getting started, like planning your mobile app and choosing the right developer. You must strategize before building your app, you must define characteristics such as objectives, budget, specs and scope, and before delivering your app to a mobile app developer, create a clear image of it so that you may be priced properly, sensibly, and realistically.We may come out as a bit biased here, however, it must be emphasized that we assist companies all over the world in fulfilling their ambitions for their mobile apps. With strong, agile teams and focused QA procedures, we deliver consistent, high-quality, and cost-effective products. Our professional staff can assist you with accurately identifying your requirements, selecting the technology and framework required to construct your app, customizing the app to meet your needs, updating and maintaining it regularly.We're here to help if you're not sure where to begin with your corporate or your own mobile app, therefore make sure to contact appssemble’s team, because we can assure you we are all professional, hardworking and of course, an excellent company. --- ### All about Push Notifications and how they can help you URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/all-about-push-notifications-and-how-they-can-help-you We have prepared a detailed article to help you understand what push notifications are or how to use them. Every day, we are exposed to upwards of 10,000 advertisements. While this may come as a shock to some, it simply goes to show how tough it is to capture a user's attention. An ever-increasing level of competition doesn't help matters, driving businesses to come up with innovative ways to communicate with customers. If you have a mobile app, you must understand what push notifications are and while some of you may be aware of what a push notification is and how it works, the question remains, are you taking advantage of it?Push notifications are an excellent marketing tool for anyone who has a mobile app since they allow you to communicate with your consumers. Just be cautious when employing this method. If you use this strategy too frequently, people may choose to ignore your push alerts. This is clearly something you should avoid.I'm here to help those of you who don't understand what push notifications are or how to use them. That is why I wrote this manual. That way, you'll be able to figure out how to apply them to your current mobile app. Let's get started.What are Push Notifications?A push notification is a brief message that prompts the user to take action. Push Notifications, first offered by Apple in 2009, have evolved into a significant user interaction strategy in past years. In today's busy, distracted world of short attention spans, Push Notifications aid to capture a user's attention. Users receive them when an update is available, when something is due, or when they need to resume to an app.Push notifications can be sent by websites, web apps, smartphone apps, and even wearable apps. With consumers spending approximately 5 to 6 hours each day on their phones, mobile app notifications are a great way for developers, marketers, and app publishers to encourage users to take action.Different forms of push notifications are used by current mobile advertisers to encourage consumers and promote engagement:To boost sales, eCommerce stores deploy tailored push notifications.To keep users up to date, social networking apps offer real-time information.Content is sent by media businesses to deliver time-sensitive information.Types of Push NotificationsLocation-based notifications: When users visit a specific location, they receive location-based notifications. Consider Google Maps recommending nearby areas of interest according to your recent travels, or a dating app telling you to find your match in a new location.Transactional push notifications: Transactional push notifications inform users about recent acquisitions, membership renewals, order tracking, and other relevant information. Transactional notifications are used by banking apps, financial platforms, and eCommerce apps.Customized notifications: Notifications that are customized are used to provide relevant information to mobile devices. For instance, a customised special offer to persuade a user to make a purchase.Insightful push notifications: These messages provide real-time information and updates. Consider news applications that bring you real-time information on global events or a weather app that keeps you up to speed on the weather.Promotional push notifications: Apps use push notifications to distribute promotional and marketing offers to segmented user lists. Promotional notifications can boost website traffic and conversion rates while also being a more cost-effective marketing tool than PPC, social media, and other channels.Abandoned carts push notifications: These push messages prompt clients to finish their transactions. These are also used by eCommerce platforms to inform purchasers that a bargain is only available for a short time.Rich push notifications: use video, GIFs, emojis, or graphics to attract attention and increase interaction. For example, food photos linked to restaurant menus are used by online food delivery companies to make customers order directlyTriggered push notifications: These push notifications have been triggered as a result of the user's actions. One example could be receiving a daily mobile reminder about an exercise after signing up for a health or fitness program.Time-sensitive push notifications: Users will feel a strong call to action when they get time-sensitive notifications. In the eCommerce industry, this is ideal for limited-time offers or promoting discounts.Reminders: Reminders assist users to remember crucial things like meeting somebody, finishing a daily chore, and so on. How can push notifications help you?Push notifications provide a fantastic chance for mobile entrepreneurs to communicate directly with their customers.If used effectively, Push Notifications can be a great tool for connecting and gratifying people. Some of the advantages of using them for mobile apps are as follows:Users can choose whether or not to receive Push Notifications. This provides the user power over them, making them less likely to uninstall your mobile app just because they dislike or find Push Notificationss bothering. This alternative is a win-win situation because only those who are eager for your Push Notificationss will receive them.Push Notifications can be sent based on the user's location, giving them a lot of flexibility. As a result, you'll be able to tailor your marketing plan to each market or location, improving your likelihood of succeeding.Push notifications are little more than a marketing tool because they can assist you to improve the user experience. Even though the two are strongly interrelated, there is a distinction to be made between delivering a message that simply promotes a new feature and one that provides value to the user. Things are all about how you say it at the end of the day.Push notifications improve user retention and engagement. As previously said, these notifications are a call-to-action and, just as they can aid in conversions, they can also be used to increase user engagement. A significant part of this is not going overboard, because users who receive too many Push Notifications are more likely to unsubscribe or abandon your app completely.What characteristics make a Push Notification great?It's not enough to understand the significance of push notifications. You must devote time to your marketing plan and understand what makes them succeed. They might implode if they don't.You need to know who your intended audience is , just as you do when designing a mobile app, so you can figure out what sort of message to deliver and when. This will assist you in crafting the most effective message for that audience and ensuring that it is received well.Make your messages distinctive. Personalized material has a higher chance of making an impression than generic stuff. Make use of whatever data you have about your consumers to create a push notification that is tailored to their preferences. This also applies to user segmentation; there are a variety of methods to divide consumers (by region, demographics, or device kind), all of which may help you design a more tailored strategy. A tailored message is more likely to be opened by the recipient, resulting in higher retention and engagement.Keep in mind the various gadgets. Knowing a user's mobile device is important for a variety of reasons. It's crucial to note in this example that while an Android user is more likely to click on a push notification than an iOS user, iOS users open the messages seven times quicker. It's also crucial to comprehend how this influences your plan.Use analytics to your advantage. Any marketing plan should be based on data analytics. You should explore the effects of your push notifications on your most important metrics and make necessary adjustments. When you miss the target, analytics will assist you to improve your plan. You may experiment with different sorts of messages and sending times until you find what works best.Find a perfect equilibrium. As previously said, one of the most important aspects of good push notifications is not going overboard. You should strike the correct balance between delivering too many or too few alerts and distracting or discouraging your users.Push Notifications Do’s and Don’tsHow do Push Notifications appear to users?Users typically receive notifications in the form of a banner or pop-up alert while using their phones. This message appears regardless of what the user is doing. Push notifications are usually displayed in a single window on most operating systems. iOS has the Notification Center where users access it by swiping down from the top of the screen, and it is sorted in chronological order. Unread messages are displayed on the lock screen of Android devices. Users can configure push alerts for particular apps. Users can turn on or off notifications, as well as select the alert style used by iOS and Android. Users can also change the red label on an app's homescreen icon that displays the number of unread notifications.20 Push Notification statistics for 2021In recent years, push notifications have become an important element of a marketer's toolkit. Here are 21 intriguing statistics and facts about push notifications that you should be aware of:Based on the device and sector, push notification subscription rates to range from 0.5 % to 15%. Currently, the financial sector has the greatest rate of opt-in.While you may execute push campaigns on both mobile and desktop platforms, the former gets a larger rate of subscribers 60% than the latter 30%. The remaining 10% are tablet users.Push notifications can enhance app retention by 3 to 10 times.In terms of click rate and subscription rate for mobile push notifications, Android smartphones exceed iOS devices, 91.1% for Android vs. 43.9% for iOS.A single push notice sent to new customers within the first week after installing the app may increase retention by 71% over the course of two months.The average click rate for web push notifications is 12%, but with push notification management, this may be increased to 15%. This percentage rises to 18% when push alerts include rich media.When you run highly focused push notification campaigns, you may receive a 30% click rate.Push notifications for cart abandonment have a click rate of 16%, while push notifications for re-engagement mobile marketing techniques have a CTR of 13%. Campaigns that have been recently viewed have a CTR of 13%.The largest click rate is found between 3 and 6 p.m. The best days to increase opening ratios are Wednesdays and weekends.The largest subscription rates of the year occur in July and December.Depending on the sector, the best day and hour to deliver push alerts differ. eCommerce often receives the best answers between 3 and 4 p.m. on Wednesdays, media and marketing between 9 and 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, BFSI between 3 and 5 p.m. on Tuesdays, and digital marketing firms between 2 and 7 p.m. on Tuesdays.Including actionable CTAs in push notification campaigns can increase their success rate by 40% or more.Among all businesses, the eCommerce industry sends the most push alerts, 22.03%. Media, blog articles, and publications all pay attention to it. Media, blog entries, and publications are all carefully following it, with 18.79%.Push notifications have a 3500% return on investment!.Users who had been active in the previous 24 hours had the greatest push notification delivery rate, which was above 80%.Email marketing appears to be losing ground to push notifications in terms of results. When comparing open rates, click rates, and retention rates, push notification campaigns saw a 50% boost in opening rates, a 7-fold rise in click rates, and a 93% increase in retention rates.Push notifications are incredibly beneficial to 70% of app users, and as a result, 53% of these users are prepared to give personal information like their location.The most popular push notification content is promotions 34%, followed by fresh developments 26% and geo-localized material 26%.App users that opt in to get push alerts to see their retention rates double, with an app engagement rate of 88%.Emojis 20%, industry-specific send timings 40%, rich formats 25%, personalisation 4x, and advanced targeting may all help increase push notification open rates 3x.For a better engagement, use Push Notifications smartlyIs using push notifications a requirement? No. But is this something you should be doing? Absolutely. You can see how push notifications can benefit your app and your business based on everything we've discussed. When communicating with consumers, push notifications are far superior to SMS. Just ensure you don't deliver them too frequently, or users will stop getting them. To improve the user's experience and provide value, send them based on their location. Push Notifications with customised content, for example, can help you boost interaction, loyalty, and recruitment. When sending them out, remember to keep the user's device in mind.Look no further, we’re here to support you at every step of the way!As always, get in touch if you’d like to discuss more. Until the next article, use them push notifications wisely, folks! --- ### An easy guide on where to announce your startup to the world URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/an-easy-guide-on-where-to-announce-your-startup-to-the-world Check out this detailed guidebook on where can you publish for free your mobile app startup. Do you think your hard work is done once you’ve developed your mobile app? Not really. If you want your app to perform well, you will need to actively promote it because success does not happen by itself. Promoting/marketing applications is difficult, and if you don’t have hundreds of followers on social media, it may seem impossible. However, there are certain things you may do to spread the word on your own.People that enjoy your products are, of course, your primary advertising avenue. Their sharing efforts are the most effective kind of advertising. As a result, the fundamental concept is to develop a product that is helpful, usable, and appealing to end consumers. Then and only then does it make sense to share the word about the things you’ve done.To give you more information on publishing your mobile app, here are 8 categories from where you can promote your new startup plus another:Publishing NewsMaking an app release is probably the simplest method to introduce yourself and your company to the public. There are thousands of new enterprises popping up all over the place. So, publish your news on pages which you wish to be included. Reddit is perhaps one of the most interesting social networks. It can be very odd at times and users can be ruthless, but its 51 million unique users can nevertheless offer you a good community to promote your mobile app. After you draft an intriguing app release describing your startup's goals, you can share it either on Reddit or 13 other platforms, so download the handbook and check out the other sites as well.Creating a Product PageOne of the most essential pages on your website is the product page. So it's obvious that you'd want to make a good one. Product pages that are well-designed can help convert browsers into customers. They also assist in providing your consumers with the knowledge they require to make an informed purchase. ProductHunt is a great place where you can submit carefree your app. There’s a ranking system that can be a bit intimidating but you can still get some good SEO boost there. Other than that, we have prepared for you 4 other sources to help you create your product page. Take a look.Posting an ArticleYou have many choices now when it comes to posting articles about your startup. The internet is a beautiful and large place where you can even be a little pretentious when it comes to choosing where to post articles. One platform that’s growing is LinkedIn, and there you can promote your business just great since the audience is already there and LinkedIn might even promote your content, therefore you’ll get great reader engagement. We also have other 25 well-selected sites where you can publish great information about your startup for a massive community, so don’t miss them.Sharing to the News BlogsTNW said that when they couldn’t find a technology event where to promote their startup, so they decided to host their own. Check out their page and post news about your mobile startup. Consider what your target audience would find useful and entertaining, and keep a list of your preferred sites so you can quickly and easily discover links while doing status updates. Post interesting content regularly to establish your page as a reliable source of important information. You might leave a brief remark explaining why you believe it is essential to share. Try doing this on any of the 11 sites we have prepared for you.Q&AsNot all information can be written down, and much of what it can still isn't. It's still in people's brains or is only available if you know the proper individuals. Bringing together individuals with diverse viewpoints so they may better understand each other, and empowering everyone to share their knowledge for the benefit of the rest of the world, is one method to link the people who have information to the people who need it. Quora is one of the 2 social networks we establish the right usage of social media platforms. You can update your product’s new features and options and gather customers' attention with the Q&A method. Check the other platform where you can gather around a question and provide insights about your mobile app and startup.Posting on ForumsPosting on a forum is a fantastic approach to receiving answers from the forum's community. A forum-related topic will encourage others to respond to your post. Once you've created an account in the forum where you want to post, you may start creating new topics. HackingWithSwift is a popular website among the iOS developer's community, and they have an App Announcement section where your can post your new mobile app and further announce your app updates or deals, and people or why not, possible customers can follow and appreciate you. We also recommend you 2 others, so feel free to check them out as wellUploading a VideoBecause YouTube is one of the most famous websites in the world, with a massive global audience, a solid YouTube social media plan may do wonders for your online success. And, while YouTube marketing may have appeared out of reach for small businesses and start-ups a few years ago, it is now easier than ever, so give it a try!The suitable choice of what you require will aid in the efficient use of resources, time, and effort. In turn, appssemble is prepared to maintain and upgrade your app in addition to building it. It’s simple, contact us for further information on how to fine-tune your application with no worries. --- ### Why you should update your mobile app frequently URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/why-you-should-update-your-mobile-app-frequently You should aim to be up-to-date and relevant with everything, so here is why an old mobile app might be bad for your business. Once you’ve finished developing your Android or iOS mobile app, you launch it and then people start downloading it. After the initial wave of app download has passed, things may slow down, and if you don't update your app, it may become lost in the sea of many others. When you invest in a business, you anticipate a profit, just like any other company owner. The correct parameters were initially set to give the ceratin outcomes. Your application is a ship, and the updates it receives are a breeze, ensuring that users receive continuous value.It is no longer enough to give a high-quality digital platform in today's infinite application environment. The world of technology is rapidly evolving. Your application really shouldn't stop in order to exist and compete with other apps. Regular software feature upgrades will keep it from rusting, and consumers will be given new chances rather than abandoning it.Building a mobile app for your business is a significant undertaking, therefore you must comprehend the significance of having a mobile app for business and the benefits of updating it periodically. This article will explain why your company needs to update the app it manages, what are the downsides of not updating it, and how often you should do it.Issues with apps that are not updatedThe world is going mobile and your app is competing with millions of others. But with great power comes great responsibility. Believing that once your app is released, the work is over, couldn't be further from the truth. It's important to understand the significance of mobile app updates. Updating mobile apps is essential to keep your users and maintain a sense that your business still exists and is doing well.1. The user experience is damagedApps that appear hastily constructed or as if creators aren't striving to address particular problems within the software, have a hard time holding their users. Most of the time, they are soon forgotten.By upgrading your app on a regular basis, you not only keep it current and up to date, but you also demonstrate to consumers that you actually care about their experience and want to enhance it.In the battle for the greatest app, consistently upgrading yours with meaningful new features demonstrates to customers that you are truly concerned about their requirements.2. Going incognito is a brand killerUsers can see the last time you updated an app, whether it's on Google's Play Store or Apple's App Store.If the user perceives the design to be outdated and notices that it hasn't been changed in a long time, it appears that your organization is stagnant. Users are left to wonder if the firm is still in operation and if they are committed to maintaining their own app. These are the kinds of doubts that no company wants to be linked with.This is particularly necessary as mobile app expectations continue to evolve. When a new feature is introduced to the world of applications and becomes popular, it is no longer considered an additional value, but rather the standard by which other apps must be judged.This type of function is changing the landscape of every app style, and upgrades may help you keep on top of current trends.3. You don't care about brand loyaltyYou should constantly seek user feedback as a developer. While programs are thoroughly tested before being released, certain bugs and mistakes are unavoidable.Even a minor problem might result in a remark being displayed on app reviews. By addressing concerns as soon as they are raised, you will gain the trust of your user base.So, examine app store customer reviews, ask users to rank your app internally, or encourage answers via email. Whatever you decide, keep an eye on reviews and resolve issues as soon as you can.4. You’ve got nothing to tellDevelopers should be searching for new and enhanced features to optimize the end-user experience from the minute an app is launched.It is critical to notify users when you hit particular benchmarks. Not just for the purpose of openness, but these improvements may also revitalize users and increase engagement.It is common for people to install the app and afterwards fail to engage it. When you plan a new update around a milestone, you remind users why the app exists in the first place while also welcoming them back with better features that encourage interaction.5. Out of sight, out of mindAs Homer said in The Odyssey, Out of Sight, Out of Mind represents exactly what you think it does, once something is gone for a period of time, it is no longer thought about.When you update your app, you provide consumers with another opportunity to interact with it. You're putting your brand back to the forefront of their minds the instant you invite them to see what fresh things you've done.When you update your mobile app, you have the option of sending out a relevant push notification informing users of new changes. You may inform your users about all of these new features and how your app's functionality has improved.6. Making users vulnerable to hackersThe major reason anyone creates updates is to protect oneself from vulnerabilities. Older software will continue to include the same bugs and weaknesses in the code that hackers and cybercriminals may exploit.This is amplified by the fact that all of these vulnerable entry points are often made public whenever hackers discover them.Unfortunately, just as engineers rapidly find ways to close vulnerable gaps in their software, hackers find new ones too.App MaintenanceWhy is it important to update your app?People enjoy novelty, so do something new and follow the trends.Get rid of everything that is no longer relevant and make room for renovation.Mobile status, because you need to maintain a good reputation.Amend your mobile strategy.Optimization of user experiences like outdated design, interface, rebranding, and OS.Keeping everyone safe.How often should you update your app?What do you say? Every week, a month, a year? Customers, as well as Apple App Store and Google Play Store, prefer applications that are regularly updated. In theory, there are a few straightforward options:Consistent updating -- It implies that there is a method and a schedule for updating mobile apps.As a result of necessity -- bug fixes, new feature releases, and so on.At the moment -- you update your app whenever you want, without any schedule.According to Instabug data, the top 100 revenue apps are published every 14 days. Appbot discovered that the top 200 free apps are updated every 18 days.The frequency with which you should update your app is determined by your business goals and functionality. In the context of a free app, we recommend that updates be released more often, every 20–25 days. This is due to the fact that you must monetize it by offering advertisements, paid premium services, and in-app purchases. You should continuously expand and improve the application's capabilities. In the event of a paid app, updates should be made every 50 to 55 days. To summarize, the ideal choice is to deliver updates every 20 to 40 days.How does Google rank your app update?Retention of an appNumber of downloadsDownload growthNumber of user ratings and reviewsRegular app updatesPage rankSocial media "Rep"The keyword rate factorVideo demonstrationHow does Apple rank your app update?Length of use, duration, retention app stay time, uninstallNumber of app searchesNumber of app downloadsNumber of user ratings and reviewsApp Update Frequency Statistics 2021The rate at which mobile app developers update their apps on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store provides a different perspective on the Android and iOS marketplace. While apps update provides a general view of the worldwide app industry, it may also be used to investigate the engagement, and thus market vitality, of each genre, subgenre, location, or country.Updated vs. not-so-updatedHere is a quick comparison between apps that update more frequent, keeping themselves over the top, addressing issues and improving their app constantly and the ones who don’t:Health & Fitness: MyFitnessPal vs. ErgomoWhile MyFitnessPal updates its app 2,3 or 4 times a month, with a sum of 9 updates in the last 3 months only, Ergomo did its last update 11 months ago. Okay, sure, it’s not fair to compare one big and popular app with any other, but if you want to grow your business, and make your app a success like the other one, you need to update and be up-to-date. As a result, MyFitnessPal has 1.3 million ratings, and Ergomo has non yet.Entertainment: Crunchyroll vs. Stremio OrganizerYep, as you guessed by now, Crunchyroll is updating its app often, once a month specifically. Therefore it has many users, hence the 377.9K ratings. On the other hand, we present you Stremio Organizer which unfortunately did its last update 1 year ago and with a habit of updating once a year, therefore no reviews or ratings are available yet.Podcasts: The Podcast App vs. RadioPublic - The Podcast AppAnd lastly, here are two Podcast Apps. Both of them should be popular right now since almost everybody listens to podcasts lately, right? Wrong. While The Podcast App has a tendency to update 2,3 or 4 times a month, keeping the app fresh, safe and bug-free, justifying its 209K ratings, RadioPublic made its last update 2 years ago and people don’t really like that, therefore they don’t download, rate or review the app.Consequently, the fact is that apps must be updated on a frequent basis in order to remain relevant and functional. Just like you wouldn't launch an app with a confirmed flaw, updates keep your program safe and allow you to fix any issues that arise. Acknowledge that upgrading your app isn't a suggestion, but rather a need if you want to stay relevant. Taking advantage of possibilities to improve your app is a continual process that evolves in tandem with market changes and improvements.The suitable choice of what you require will aid in the efficient use of resources, time, and effort. In turn, appssemble is prepared to maintain and upgrade your app in addition to building it. It’s simple, contact us for further information on how to fine-tune your application with no worries. --- ### Essential advice for mobile startup founders URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/essential-advice-for-mobile-startup-founders A thorough list of the most essential and transformational startup tips. A lot of the advice provided to startups is tactical and it’s supposed to be useful on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis. Some though is more fundamental. Here is our list of the most essential and transformational startup tips. The advice provided here will assist most entrepreneurs in finding their way to success.Begin immediatelyThe first word of advice we usually provide to entrepreneurs is to launch their product as soon as possible. This is the only way to understand consumers’ problems and whether the solution fits their demands. Delivering a poor product as quickly as possible followed by user feedback and iteration is far superior to waiting to develop the “ideal” product. This is true as long as the product has a “quantum of usefulness” for buyers whose worth outweighs any flaws.Once a company is up and running, we advise entrepreneurs to avoid doing things that don’t scale. Many startup advisers encourage businesses to expand up far too soon. This will cause the development of technology and procedures to enable scalability, which, if undertaken prematurely, will be a waste of time and effort. This technique fails and even the demise of a business. Rather, we tell companies to obtain their first client by whatever means required, even physical labor that could not be managed for more than ten consumers, much alone 100 or 1000.Create something that others wantAt this point, entrepreneurs are still determining what needs to be created, and the best way to do it is to speak straight to the customer. For example, the Airbnb founders first offered to “professionally” photograph its earliest customers’ houses and flats to make their listings more appealing to renters. Then they went and took their photos. Their site’s listings improved, conversions increased, and they had fantastic discussions with their consumers. This was completely unadaptable, but it was critical in learning how to establish a lively marketplace.Determine the 90/10 solutionTalking to users results in a large, difficult list of features to create. In this scenario, one piece of advice that we often provide is to seek the “90/10 answer.” That is, search for a technique to accomplish 90% of what you want with 10% of the work/effort/time. There is always a 90/10 answer accessible if you look hard enough. A 90% solution to a genuine customer problem that is immediately available is far superior to a 100% one that takes decades to create.Write code & interact with clientsAs a company grows, there is a multitude of possible distractions. Conferences, meetings with venture investors or corporate development executives from major corporations, pursuing press coverage, and so forth. We often tell entrepreneurs that the most crucial responsibilities for an early-stage firm are to write code and communicate to customers.This means that to create something people desire, any firm, software, or otherwise, must first launch something, then talk to your users to determine whether it meets their requirements, and then take their input and improve. These duties should take up all your time and attention. This cycle never stops for excellent firms. As your company grows, entrepreneurs will be forced to pick between numerous routes for their firm. It is almost always better to pursue the more ambitious option; it is remarkable how often entrepreneurs manage to avoid dealing with these types of challenges and instead focus on other things.Identify 10–100 consumers that admire your serviceWhenever it comes to customers, most entrepreneurs don’t know that they get to pick theirs, as much as their customers do. We remark that a small number of customers who appreciate you is preferable to a huge number who only tolerate you. In other words, acquiring 10 consumers who have a pressing issue is far superior to recruiting 1000 customers who have a little issue. Because it is simple to make mistakes when selecting consumers, companies must dismiss their customers. Some clients might cost far more in terms of income or learning than they offer.Development is the outcome of a good product, not the cause of itProgression is always a priority for startups because a startup that does not expand is typically a failure. Yet, when and how to grow are frequently misinterpreted. We urge firms to communicate to their consumers, develop what they want, and iterate rapidly, so growth is a natural byproduct of properly completing these three tasks.However, expansion is not always the best option. It makes little sense to expand if you have not yet created something that your consumers desire — in other words if you have not established a product-market fit.Don’t expand your game until you’ve created something that people desirePoor retention is almost usually the end consequence. Furthermore, if you have an unproductive product, expansion drains cash from the firm. It makes no sense to charge a consumer 80 cents and then give them $1 back. It should come as no surprise that unit economics are important, yet far too many companies appear to overlook this fundamental truth.Avoid lengthy transactions with large clients whenever possibleThe instinct of startup founders will always be to do more, but the ideal approach is always to do less, but well. For example, founders are typically attracted to pursue significant agreements with large corporations that symbolize great, company-validating partnerships. Deals between huge corporations and small startups, on the other hand, rarely end favorably for the startup. They take too long, are too expensive, and fail altogether. One of the most difficult aspects of starting a business is deciding what to do because there is an unlimited number of things that might be done.This means that to create something people desire, any firm, software, or otherwise, must first launch something, then talk to your users to determine whether it meets their requirements, and then take their input and improve. These duties should take up all your time and attention. This cycle never stops for excellent firms. As your company grows, entrepreneurs will be forced to pick between numerous routes for their firm. It is almost always better to pursue the more ambitious option; it is remarkable how often entrepreneurs manage to avoid dealing with these types of challenges and instead focus on other things.Know that at some time, every startup backfiresVery early a startup must choose the one or two key metrics it will use to measure success, and then founders should choose what to do based exclusively on how the task will impact those metrics. When your early-stage product isn’t working it’s often tempting to immediately build new features to solve every problem the customer seems to have instead of talking to the customer and focusing only on the most acute problem they have.Value does not necessarily imply successFounders are frequently surprised to discover that they need not be concerned if their firm appears to be damaged. It turns out that almost every startup, even ones with billion-dollar valuations, has profound, basic problems. Success is decided not by whether you are broken from the start, but rather by how the founders deal with the inevitable issues. As a founder, your work will frequently appear to be constantly correcting a damaged thing, therefore it’s quite normal.As a fresh startup entrepreneur, it is impossible not to worry about competition, both present and hypothetical. Spending any amount of time thinking about your competition is almost always a terrible decision. We like to argue that startup firms are always killed by suicide rather than murder. There will come a moment when competitiveness will be crucial to your business’s success, but this is extremely unlikely to be the case in the first year or two.The funds you raise are not your ownThe first item of fundraising advice is to gather funds as fast as possible and then return to work. When a firm is fundraising, it is generally easy to tell by looking at their growth curve, and then when it flattens down, they are soliciting funds. It is also critical to recognize that value is not the same as success or even the possibility of success. It is necessary to keep in mind that the funds you raise are not your own. You have a legal and ethical obligation to spend the money exclusively to improve your company’s chances.Maintain your sanity and your startup out of chaosIt is also critical to maintaining your sanity throughout the unavoidable chaos of startup life. So we constantly advise entrepreneurs to take pauses, spend time with friends and family, get proper sleep, and exercise in between periods of hard, concentrated work. Finally, a word on failure. It turns out that most businesses fail quickly due to founder dissatisfaction. Relationships with co-founders are more important than you realize and open, honest communication between founders reduces the likelihood of future blunders. It turns out that being kind is one of the finest things you can do to make your business successful, and indeed, to be successful in life.We understand what a challenge it is to be a first-time tech founder. It’s pretty difficult to pitch, design, develop and market your idea. Not to mention how hard it is to prove you’ll succeed in a very competitive industry.appssemble is here to be your bold digital product development partner! This service is the cheapest way to start your startup. What will we do? We'll help you define your product, understand its technical feasibility and costs, then validate it. You’ll receive all the tools and information you need to pitch to investors or develop your next products. Come up with the idea and we’ll help you with the rest! --- ### COVID-19 impact on tech startups in 2021 URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/covid-19-impact-on-tech-startups-in-2021 Check out the effects COVID-19 had on tech startups, and what’s the future for them. Unlike most other industries, the tech business has passed relatively well throughout the COVID-19 storm. Whereas stay-at-home restrictions and company closures have wreaked havoc on industries that depend on physical services and in-person consumers (such as hospitality, arts, and tourism), tech companies appear to be surviving this crisis relatively unharmed.Nevertheless, with the coronavirus boosting our daily screen time by a third and accelerating the adoption of digital technology by several years, the incidents of the pandemic have caused several aspects of the software industry to function better than they did before. Now is a good moment to reflect on how these past years' exceptional circumstances have contributed to the recent spike in software development. Now is a good time for tech startups to begin their journey.In the following article, we will be covering several subjects like digitalization during COVID-19, how startups around the globe are dealing with the ambiguity of the new normal, and a little about the future of the tech industry.Digitalization and COVID-19The epidemic made it simpler for startups who had been contemplating whether or not to embrace digital transformation. Nobody expected COVID-19, and no one predicted the changes it would bring to corporations in all industries, therefore the ones that can survive without much struggle are the ones that can apply the digital transformation.The term digital transformation refers to the integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, which alters the way organizations function and provide utility to their consumers. Technology, data, process, and organizational change are the four key domains of digital transformation, with each domain dependent on the others so that firms can establish themselves in the digital economy.How are startups dealing with the new normal across the globe?As previously said, the impacts of COVID-19 may be felt all over the world and have a substantial impact on startups in the technology industry. From raw material supply shortages to disruptions in the electronics value chain. Positively, the disruption has encouraged remote working and a quick focus on assessing and de-risking the end-to-end value chain.On the other hand, now is the time for Tech Startups Industries, since there are 5 branches that are growing during COVID-19: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Healthtech/biotech, Space tech, Edtech, Fintech. Their potential long-term effect on technology sub-sectors such as software development reached these 5 stages:On the other hand, now is the time for Tech Startups Industries, since there are 5 branches that are growing during COVID-19: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Healthtech/biotech, Space tech, Edtech, Fintech. Their potential long-term effect on technology sub-sectors such as software development reached these 5 stages:1. Increased productivity as a result of remote workingWhile the transition to working from home disrupted communication and limited collaborative work for many organizations, it did appear to have a silver lining — it improved productivity. Many people believe that the COVID-19 standards shifted their attention to software development and IT operations. Others will claim that it has accelerated their cloud migration activities.Why is this likely to have occurred in the IT and software industries? Because software development is generally a solitary activity, remote working appears to function well by preventing coders from wasting too much time in group meetings. When it comes to staying in touch with the team, the variety of video conferences and social platforms such as Slack, Skype, and Telegram, makes it possible. Furthermore, because of the flexible structure of remote work, software engineers may adapt their schedule to their preferences, allowing them to produce more output in an eight-hour day than they could in a lengthier in-house office stay.Even so, the information on higher efficiency during COVID-19 seems to come with certain cautions. While larger trends indicate that productivity was increasing, others suggest that certain employees struggled to avoid distractions and that their performance dropped as a result of the lockout. As a result, with remote working clearly not benefiting all software workers, a hybrid working style may give diversity and additional support to IT workers as we enter a “new normal”.2. Increased request for servicesDespite the decrease in requirements for most key service providers through 2020, demand for data and software development positions has increased. Data and software development positions grew by 1% and 8%, respectively, during the first few months of the crisis, with data engineering positions increasing by 6% once lockdown limits were announced. The biggest noteworthy spike, however, happened before the coronavirus was widely known, with demand for IT positions increasing by 93% in January 2020 when compared to December of the previous year.Aside from the increased need for software services, low-code development methods are also getting more popular. While there is concern that new user-friendly software platforms would reduce demand for software engineers, it is feasible that these technologies could increase the value of conventional developers’ labor. Whether it’s reading and publishing data, organizing data storage, or dealing with hosting or logins, low-code systems can handle the basics while developers focus on their more specialized tasks. So, with increased demand for low-code tools and conventional software developers as a result of the pandemic, this can only be positive for the software business in the future.3. Increased digital expenditures70% of startups decided to increase or maintain expenditures in digital technology, while just 19% intended to decrease tech budgets. The increase in expenditure appears to be accompanied by concerns about economic circumstances affecting business, with 52% of firms admitting to boosting digital spending as a result of the macroeconomic disturbance created by COVID-19. Given how disruptive the epidemic is proving to be for businesses and startups, it’s no wonder that firms are leveraging digital technology to allow employees to work from home, automate processes, and remotely help customers.Investing in digital transformation initiatives often brings benefits. Many people claimed that previous digital transformation programs were effective based on a variety of different assessment parameters. Fintech initiatives received 19.9% of funding, distribution and services received 18.6%, and digital infrastructure received 14.8%. Although software spending was somewhat lower, 40% of firms expected to increase their software budget.4. Increasing customer preferencesIt’s no wonder that COVID-19 shook up customer behavior. From purchasing groceries online to depending on eCommerce sites and click-and-collect services, the days of leisurely in-person browsing are pretty much gone for many individuals. Startups are now expected to create attractive websites or apps that market their products and allow for remote buying.5. Advancing tech-led healthcare solutionsAnother unanticipated result of the COVID-19 pandemic was a greater role for digital technology in healthcare. From hospitals using software to give patients with contact-free healthcare services to private firms developing AI apps to alleviate some of the healthcare responsibilities, digital solutions have aided the healthcare system in quantifiable ways.What’s the future for Tech Startups?The number of businesses that have worked on new development products in fintech and finance has increased significantly. Startups, with a little creativity and money, can identify trends and leverage long-term technologies. What are the main industries to monitor, and can an industry like fintech continue to stimulate the economy and offer the tools we need to recover from the pandemic’s impact?Building a significant social impact will be critical.Customer service will be a big issue for the majority of startups.AI will be used more prominently by tech startups.Working from home or remotely will become more common.New innovative and creative approaches to improving employee well-being will be implemented.Resilience will become an important factor in tech startup success.If there is turbulence in a firm, that can result from disrupted structures, routines, and capabilities. Unfortunately, planning is needed for effective crisis management, and few companies could’ve been prepared for a crisis of the size of the COVID-19 epidemic. In general, the qualities of creative startups should make them more suited to deal with the COVID-19 problem than other types of businesses. Being creative is a prerequisite for being resilient, as innovative firms continually anticipate and react to a wide range of problems. Businesses, on the other hand, may not always understand the true threat that a possible crisis event carries, and the vast majority of startups will not have been prepared for the occurrences.The concept of a turning point for technology adoption or digital disruption is not new, but the statistics show that the COVID-19 problem is a historic turning point and that further adjustments will be necessary as the economic and human situation unfolds. It also demonstrates that important lessons may be gained from the efforts that companies have already made. One is the significance of learning, both tactically and organizationally, in the process of making particular changes to organizations. Both forms of learning will be essential in the future, as the rate of change is unlikely to diminish.ReferencesCovid-19 and the technology industry (PWC)COVID-19 Pandemic: Shifting Digital Transformation to a High-Speed Gear (Pedro-Soto Acosta)How COVID-19 has pushed companies over the technology tipping point—and transformed business forever (McKinsey)Startups in times of crisis – A rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic (Journal of Business Venturing Insights)Maximizing the impact of technology investments in the new normal (Deloitte)5 ways COVID-19 has accelerated software development (Market Finance)We hope this information helped you get more informed on what happened to startups during COVID-19 and what is still to happen. Whenever you feel overwhelmed, or you might need help with your project, we are here to assist you in creating your best startup and reaching success, so get in touch and let’s discuss more. --- ### Why competition is bad for your mobile startup URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/why-competition-is-bad-for-your-mobile-startup Find out what competition does to your startup business while aiming for the monopoly. IntroductionPeter Thiel said an interesting fact in an article in The Wall Street Journal “What valuable company is nobody currently building? This question is harder than it looks because your company could create a lot of value without becoming very valuable itself. Creating value isn't enough—you also need to capture some of the value you create.”In “Competition is for Losers”, he talks about business strategy, competition, and the monopoly theory. The main idea that Peter uses as a rule in his business and investments is that, if you're starting a company or if you're the founder entrepreneur starting a company, you always want to aim for monopoly and you should always avoid competition because competition is for losers.Peter, the founder of PayPal and Palantir, and investor in world-changers like Airbnb, SpaceX, and most of the tech companies in Silicon Valley, outlines 6 directions that you should understand as a startup founder, directions that we will present in this article, which are Capturing Value, The Lies People Tell, How to Build a Monopoly, The Last Mover Advantage, The History of Innovation and The Psychology of Competition.Capturing valueHow do you go about creating value? What makes a business valuable? We'd like to start with this first direction by saying something about the idea of embarking on a startup. There's a very simple formula, that if you have a valuable company two things are true:Number one, that it creates "X" dollars of value for the world.Number two is that you capture the "Y" percent of "X." And the crucial thing that people always miss in this sort of study is that "X" and "Y" are completely independent variables, and so "X" can be very big and "Y" can be very small. "X" can be an intermediate size and if "Y" is big, you can still have a very big business.For example, even large corporations may be bad businesses. United States airlines serve millions of passengers and generate hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue each year. Yet, in 2012, when the average trip price was $178, airlines earned 37 cents for each passenger journey.In comparison, Google generates less value but takes more. Google made $50 billion in sales in 2012 (compared to $160 billion for airlines), but it kept 21% of that income as profit - more than 100 times the airline industry's profit margin that year. Google earns so much money that it is currently worth three times as much as all the United States' airlines combined. Airlines fight against one another, while Google remains alone. Economists illustrate the distinction using two simplistic models: perfect competition and monopoly.In Economics 101, perfect competition is both the ideal and the default condition. When producer supply meets consumer demand, a market is to be completely competitive. In a competitive market, every business is similar and sells the same items.Because no business has a monopoly on the market, they must all sell at whatever price the market sets. If there is money to earn, more businesses will enter the market, increasing supply, driving prices down, and so eliminating the profits that drew them in. If too many businesses enter the market, they will lose money, some will collapse, and prices will return to sustainable levels. Under perfect competition, no corporation generates an economic profit in the long term."The opposite of perfect competition is a monopoly. Whereas a competitive firm must sell at the market price, a monopoly owns its market, so it can set its own prices. Since it has no competition, it produces at the quantity and price combination that maximizes its profits. -- Peter Thiel"To an economist, every monopoly appears the same, whether it eliminates rivals, obtains a governmental license, or innovates its way to the top. We shouldn't have an interest in unlawful bullies or government favorites. If a corporation is so good at what it does, no other company can offer a near alternative. Google is an excellent example of a firm that progressed from 0 to 1. It hasn't competed in search since the early 2000s when it separated itself from Microsoft and Yahoo.The lies people tellSo let us talk a little bit about the lies people tell. Imagine that there were companies that went from perfect competition to monopoly. And people who have monopolies pretend not to. So anyone who has a monopoly will pretend that they are in incredible competition.Now imagine if you are competitive, and if you're in some sort of business where you'll hardly make any money, it will be tempting to tell a lie that goes in the other direction. And you will promise to do something unique that is somehow less competitive because you want it to be different.Thus if the monopolists pretend not to have monopolies and the non-monopolies pretend to have monopolies, the plain difference is very small and the real difference is quite big. So there's this business deformity that happens because of the lies people tell about their businesses, lies that are sort of the opposite.How to build a monopolyLet's move on to the third direction. One of some very counterintuitive ideas that come out of this monopoly thread is that you want to go after small markets. If you're a startup, you want to get a monopoly. You're starting a new company, you want to get to monopoly.Monopolies have a large share of the market, how do you get to a large share of the market? You start with a small market and you take over the whole market and then over time you find ways to expand that market in concentric circles. The first mistake is going after a giant market on day 1. That's evidence that you somehow haven't defined your categories, which means there is going to be too much competition in one way or another."You want to be a one-of-a-kind company. You want to be the only player in a small ecosystem. You don't want to be the fourth online pet food company. You don't want to be the tenth solar panel company. You don't want to be the hundredth restaurant in your zone." -- Peter ThielThe first very unreasonable idea is to go after small markets, markets that are so small that people often don't even think that they make sense. That's where you get a foothold and then if those markets can expand, you can scale into a big monopoly business. There are always very unique businesses that are doing something that has not been done before and ends up having the potential to be a monopoly.The last mover advantageOne way to think of Peter’s fourth direction is through the idea that most of the value in these companies exists far in the future. If you do a discounted cash flow analysis of the business, you'll need to consider the following. Look at all the profit streams, have a growth rate, the growth rate to be higher than the discount rate so most of the value survives far in the future.Growth is something you can measure in the here and now, you can always track that. The question of whether a company will or will not be around a decade from now, is actually what dominates the value equation and that's a qualitative thing.And so if we go back to the idea about characteristics of monopoly, the proprietary technology, network effects, economies of scale, you can think of these characteristics as ones that exist at a moment in time where you capture a market as it is and take it over but you also want to think if these things are going to last over time.So there's a time dimension to all these characteristics. Network effects get more robust, and so if you have a network business it's often one that can become a bigger and stronger monopoly over time.History of innovationThere are some very interesting perspectives on the whole history of innovation in technology and science. We've lived through 300 years of incredible technological progress in many different domains. Steam engines to railways, the telephone, refrigeration, household appliances, the computer revolution, aviation, all different areas of technological innovation. Then there's sort of a comparable thing to say about science where we've lived through centuries of enormous amounts of innovation in science as well.To build the future we need to challenge the dogmas that shape our view of the past. That doesn’t mean the opposite of what is believed is necessarily true, it means that you need to rethink what is and is not true and determine how that shapes how we see the world today. As Peter Thiel says, “The most contrarian thing of all is not to oppose the crowd but to think for yourself“. -- Process Expert TipBecause "X" and "Y" are independent variables, some of these things can be valuable innovations, but the people who invent them and come up with them, do not get rewarded for this. You need to create X dollars in value and you capture Y percent of X. We live in a culture where it's very hard to get people to buy anything that's super complicated and takes very long to build. We shouldn't rationalize that way. It's worth understanding this better.Psychology of competitionThe idea of Peter’s last direction is that the psychology of competition is for losers. It’s always a provocative way to title something because it's in our nature to think losers are the ones who are not good at competing. It's not the case that we don't understand this monopoly-competition dichotomy. It's because people lie about it, it's distorted, the history of innovation deliberates it in all these very strange ways.“Competition is for losers. Winners too, but statistically speaking, it’s mostly losers” - @perlhackIt's an intellectual blind spot, where we find ourselves very attracted to competition, and in one form or another, we find it reassuring if other people do these things. There is always this question about competition as a form of validation, where we go for things that lots of other people are going for. It's not that there is the wisdom of crowds, it's not that lots of people are trying to do something, but because that is the best proof of being valuable.Therefore, so much of people's identities get wrapped up in winning these competitions that they somehow lose sight of what is important and what is valuable. Competition doesn't make you better at whatever it is that you're competing at because when you do it, you're comparing yourself with the people around you. But this way, you're figuring out how to beat the people next to you, how to do better than whatever it is they're doing, so you will get better at that. Don't always go through the tiny little door that everyone's trying to rush through, go around the corner and go through the vast gate that nobody is taking.Starting a business is difficult, and building a successful firm necessitates several sacrifices. If you're looking for a team of mobile experts that would help you take your idea and transform it into a user-validated mobile app, get in touch, we would love to help! --- ### A conclusive guide for making your Android Google Play submission successful URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/a-conclusive-guide-for-making-your-android-google-play-submission-successful A step-by-step guide and materials needed for making a successful Google Play submission. The number of available apps in the Google Play Store is placed at more than 3.4 million apps. Google Play is certainly one of the largest platforms for distributing, promoting, and selling Android applications.Publishing your Android app on Google Play is not only exciting but also a crucial element of your application development process that influences its final success. Will your app be submitted, will it be popular, and will people download and install it? All this and more depends on how fruitful your release will be.Why is it important to have a good Product Page?In the Android ecosystem, the Google Play product page is almost the only way to get potential users to install a mobile app or game. In other words, almost all potential users for an app are exposed to the product page, making it one of the most important elements in a mobile growth strategy. The Google Play product page should convey to potential users the most impactful messages around why they should install the app, the unique selling point of the app, and the benefits of using it.The Google Play Store is a marketplace and in this economy, potential users consider multiple apps and games when they face a certain problem or are looking for their next piece of entertainment. App developers who best understand their users will be able to craft the most effective creatives enjoy higher conversion rates and even lower user acquisition costs. All things equal, the developer with the most understanding of their users will be able to command higher growth rates.NameThe name of an app in the Google Play Store is an important ASO (App Store Optimization) on-metadata factor to keep in mind. It affects, above all, the search results, but as well the conversion rate to install.Google allows developers to include 50 characters in the app Title, so use them wisely. Keep your brand name short, easy to spell, and easy to memorize for your users. Include your most relevant keyword(s) alongside your brand name. This can significantly improve your app keywords rankings!Remember that you can add one title in each language to localize your app. Don’t ignore localizing your app title — the mobile world is global, and the demand for your app can arise from the countries that you have never expected.Short descriptionYou must provide a short description to publish your store listing. Your short description is a quick synopsis meant to spark user interest by outlining your app or game’s key value. Your short description is the first text users see when looking at your app’s detail page on the Play Store app and can be expanded by users to view your app’s full description. The description can appear in locations beyond your store listing, so any user should be able to use it to quickly understand the core purpose of your app or game.In Google Play Store, the short description of an app has a strong effect on the ASO in keywords rankings and conversion rate. Google allows developers to include up to 80 characters for the short description, and if the users are interested to know more, they can expand the short description to view the full description of your mobile app or game.Highly recommendedSummarize the core function or purpose of your app or game in simple and concise language, highlighting any aspects that make it unique.Reflect on the latest state of your app or game.Avoid time-sensitive copy that can become outdated quickly to reduce the need to update.Call-to-actions, for example, “download now,” “install now,” “play now,” or “try now.”Localize your description as appropriate for different markets and languages.Avoid slang or jargon, unless it is a language that would come naturally to your target users. Ensure your short description is correctly formatted: Do not include special characters, line breaks, emojis, emoticons, repeated punctuation. Only capitalize your app name if your Google Play listing app name is also capitalized.ScreenshotsUse screenshots to convey capabilities, the look and feel, and the experience of your app to potential users for better app discovery and decision making. You can add up to 8 screenshots for each supported device type: Phone, Tablet (7-inch and 10-inch), Android TV, and Wear OS by Google.Screenshots may be displayed throughout Google Play, for instance in search or on the homepage, in addition to your store listing on Google Play. When Google Play displays both your preview video and screenshots together, for example on your store listing page, and if your preview video is available then your screenshots will be shown after the preview video, followed left-to-right by the screenshots best suited for the device the user is browsing on.Requirements To publish your store listing, you must provide a minimum of two screenshots across form factors that meet the following requirements:JPEG or 24-bit PNG (no alpha)For apps, you must provide at least four screenshots with a minimum 1080px resolution. These should be 16:9 for landscape (minimum 1920x1080px) screenshots and 9:16 for portrait screenshots (minimum 1080x1920px).For games you must provide at least three 16:9 landscape screenshots (minimum 1920x1080px) or three 9:16 portrait screenshots (minimum 1080x1920px). Make sure these screenshots depict the in-game experience so users can get a sense of what the gameplay will be like if they download and play.Screenshots must demonstrate the actual in-app or in-game experience, focusing on the core features and content so users can anticipate what the app or game experience will be like. Stylized screenshots that break UI across multiple uploaded images are allowed, but prioritize UI in the first three screenshots as much as possible; Use high-quality images with the proper aspect ratio and avoid inappropriate or repetitive image elements.If you’re also interested in iOS App Store submission, we recommend you to check out our article on this topic, “A conclusive guide for making your iOS App Store submission successful”.Feature graphicAs the name points, the feature graphic is an image used by Google Play when they recommend your app. Since the majority of apps have a preview video, the feature graphic will usually have a Play button overlaid on top of it and will allow the video to be played instantly, on click. Unlike the iOS App Store where you have to use a frame of the video as a thumbnail to be displayed before the screenshots, in Google Play you have to upload the asset separately.RequirementsJPEG or 24-bit PNG (no alpha)1024x500px dimensionsIconAn icon is the first visual impact that your app will have on the user, the essence of your application. Right after making the search request in Google Play, what the users see is a huge list of apps with different names and icons, and at this point, the users will decide which app to check out and install.You must provide an app icon to publish your store listing. The app icon does not replace your app’s launcher icon but should be a higher-fidelity, higher-resolution version that follows Google Play’s icon design specifications. Your app icon is used in various locations on Google Play, including your store listing, search results, and top charts.Once you got the requirements right, you should start prioritizing your efforts towards the features that have the most impact and influence on the overall decision of the app user. Hence, growing your app’s chance of getting downloaded.RequirementsJPEG or 24-bit PNG (no alpha)512x512px dimensions1024KB maximum file sizeMeets Google Play’s icon design specificationsPreview VideoIf an image is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a thousand images! A preview video is effective to show the capabilities, look and feel, and experience of your app to potential users for better app discovery and decision making. It is not required, but we highly recommend providing a preview video for games particularly. Your game requires a preview video to be shown in certain parts of Google Play. You can add one preview video to your store listing by entering a YouTube URL in the “preview video” field.Your preview video is displayed before your screenshots on your app’s store listing on Google Play. Users can watch the video by tapping on the play button that overlays on your feature graphic.RequirementsDisable ads for your video to be shown on Google Play. Turn off monetization in your video, or upload a different video without monetization claims and update the URL in Play Console.Set your video’s privacy setting to public or unlisted, do not set it to private, and do not use an age-restricted video.Make sure your video is embeddable on Google Play.Properly localize the video including the UI, taglines, and audio.360-degree stereoscopic imageTo publish a Daydream-enabled app, you’ll need to add a 360-degree stereoscopic image to your Store Listing page. When you’re creating a 360-degree stereoscopic image, think of it as your app’s background image within the Play Store on a Daydream device.RequirementsJPEG or 24-bit PNG (no alpha)4096x4096pxStereo 360°15MB maximum sizePricingWhen it comes to pricing, you can set your app as free or paid, update your app’s pricing universally or per country, and use pricing templates to simplify them for your apps in Play Console. After you publish an app or update, including price changes, adding SKUs, or making changes to your app’s distribution settings, it can take a few hours for your changes to be shown on Google Play.Make your app free or paidOpen Play Console and go to the App pricing page (Products > App pricing).In the “Pricing” section, next to “Your app is,” click Make your app free or Make your app paid.Changes to your app’s Free or Paid selectionYou can change your app from Paid to Free.Once your app has been offered for Free, the app can’t be changed to Paid. If you want to charge for the app, you need to create a new app with a new package name and set a price.Enter a priceWhen you offer paid apps and in-app products on Google Play, a service fee applies. If you aren’t distributing a paid app or in-app item to a country that you enter a price for, users won’t have access to it.You can use pricing templates to set up or manage the same set of prices for multiple paid apps and in-app products. If you update a pricing template, all items linked to the template will use the template’s latest prices. You can use up to 100 different pricing templates per developer account, and you can link up to 1,000 items to each pricing template.There are a few ways you can temporarily offer your apps for free or at a discounted price:Offer your paid apps at a discounted price.Give users a paid app or in-app product for free with a promo code.ReviewGoogle Play has been adjusting its app review process, requiring some apps to take more time for a thorough review before approval. This can impact the timing of an app or update going live, so developers should keep it in mind when pushing out updates for functionality or App Store Optimization.The important thing for developers to do is to plan their releases accordingly. Since it is possible that apps can take up to a week to be approved, they should plan for an appropriate time frame for the approval process. If a developer is aiming for a specific release date, they should publish to a closed testing track, then use Timed Publishing to go live at the specified time. They should still submit it at least a week or more in advance, in order to provide enough time for the Google Play review process or in case the app gets rejected and requires fixing.How to prepare your app for review by providing app informationAdd a Privacy policy -- Adding a privacy policy to your app’s store listing helps provide transparency about how you treat sensitive user and device data. The privacy policy must, together with any in-app disclosures, comprehensively disclose how your app collects, uses, and shares user data, including the types of parties with whom it’s shared. You should consult your legal representative to advise you of what is required.Ads -- You must declare whether or not your app contains ads. This includes ads delivered through third-party ad SDKs, display ads, native ads, and/or banner ads). Apps that contain ads will have a “Contains ads” label shown on their store listing. This label will be visible to all Play Store users.App Access -- If your entire app or parts of your app are restricted based on login credentials, memberships, location, or other forms of authentication, you must provide access details.Target audience and content -- You must declare your app’s target age group. Any apps that include children in their target audience must comply with Google Play’s Families policy requirements. It’s important to provide accurate information about your app. Depending on the target audience selections that you make, your app may be subject to additional Google Play policies.Permissions declaration form -- You can communicate familiar and locally relevant content ratings to your users and help improve app engagement by targeting the right audience for your content. To prevent your apps from being listed as “Unrated,” sign in to Play Console and fill out the questionnaire for each of your apps as soon as possible. “Unrated” apps may be removed from Google Play.ReleaseWhether you’re publishing an app for the first time or making an update, your app’s publishing status helps you understand its availability on Google Play. You can see your latest publishing status under the title and package name when you select the app in Play Console. For certain developer accounts, Google will take more time to thoroughly review their app to help better protect users. This may result in review times of up to seven days or longer in exceptional cases. You’ll receive a notification on your app’s Dashboard about how long this should take.There are three types of publishing status:App status -- Helps you understand your app’s availability on Google Play and who it’s available to (such as testers, all Google Play users, etc.).Update status -- Helps you understand the availability of your latest update. An update is a set of one or more changes that you’ve made to your app.Item Status -- Helps you understand the availability of a specific part of an update, such as a particular release, a content rating, or a store listing experiment.Publish a draft appWhen you’re ready to publish a draft app, you’ll need to roll out a release. At the end of the process, clicking Release will also publish your app. If you see the heading “Errors summary” at the top of your app release’s review summary page, click Show more to view the details. When available, you can also view the recommended or required resolution. You can’t publish your app until errors have been resolved. If you only have warnings, minor issues, or a combination of the two, then you can still publish your app, but we recommend addressing them before doing so.Publish an app updateStandard publishing -- Updates to existing apps are processed and published as soon as possible. By default, your app will use standard publishing. Certain apps may be subject to extended reviews, which may result in review times of up to seven days or longer in exceptional cases. Go to Update or unpublish your app for more information.Managed publishing -- Updates to existing apps are processed as usual. After they’ve been approved, you control exactly when the changes are published. Go to Control when app changes are published with managed publishing to learn more.Once you’re done with submitting your app and finished publishing it, you want to start promoting it since user download action isn’t enough for you to grow, therefore we recommend you to read our article on “How to promote your mobile app for free”.We hope these instructions will help you get through the submitting process easier, and that soon, the Google Play Store users can download your very special app. But remember, the journey does not stop at publishing. Running a mobile application requires continuous efforts to get it trending, otherwise, competition will overshadow the app, but if this is your first product and you feel overwhelmed, contact us at appssemble, and our experts will help you make it a success for sure! --- ### Ten innovative applications that you should check in 2021 URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/ten-innovative-applications-that-you-should-check-in-2021 Check out some of the apps we find intriguing and see what makes them special Coming up with million-dollar app ideas is not easy. The concept of the app is the foremost important part of creating a successful app, just after finding the mobile app development company with the best developers to hire on the team. App developers are improving and enhancing our smartphone and tablet experiences daily. In fact, so many Android and iOS apps come out every day that it’s difficult to keep track of them all. It’s difficult to usurp the best of the best but if you’re getting bored with what you’ve got and you can’t think of novel ideas for your app, here are some original app ideas for 2021 that you can steal:Eyeware BeamEyeware Beam is an app that shows a lot of potentials. They have a demo app on the app store to showcase their implementation of an eye tracker using just an iPhone or iPad that has a TrueDepth camera. If you are a streamer the best use case would be to show a circle where you are watching the screen, as you have probably already seen on other streamers, but without buying a dedicated piece of equipment for this, as it’s not cheap. Maybe you just want to see how your audience will take it.Another use case would be to rotate the camera around you while driving in a game in first-person mode. I’m talking about the simulators/driving games that support this function, like Euro Truck Simulator 2. I can see it being really useful, especially if you already have a wheel and pedals.If you are a streamer or you play games that could benefit from it you should try it out, as for now, it’s free. The app gives you an installer on a windows machine and needs to be in the same network for it to work. The whole connecting process could be improved and I think it will as the app matures.Wheels — Ride SafeWheels — Ride Safe is an app that allows you to enjoy a ride with a Wheels vehicle, a hybrid between a bicycle and a scooter. The Wheels vehicle in itself it’s very innovative, but the app doesn’t fall much behind. The cool thing about it is that the Wheels vehicle seems to have a built-in speaker that offers hands-free navigation or music with the help of the app and also an easy way to unlock the helmet from the holding enclosure on the vehicle. They also claim it’s one of the safest vehicles around, and at a first glance it does look safer than an average scooter, so if you ever have the opportunity, you should try it out and let us know if it raises the expectations. Just from the app alone, it seems to offer more than the competition so it would be nice to see them grow and be available everywhere because let’s face it, green cities are the right way if not the only way.The app has a 4.5 out of 5 and over 60.000 ratings. Its Age Rating specifies 4+ so it’s for everyone. Also available in many languages like English, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese. It collects information like Financial Location, Contact, Identity, Usage, and Diagnostics. It’s available both for Android 8.0 and up, or for iOS 11.0 or later, and it’s free of charge.Verishop — Social ShoppingEveryone knows shopping is more fun when you are doing it with someone else and this app makes that a lot easier. So, Verishop — Social Shopping, combines shopping and social media in a single app. Users can upload and share their ideas, follow other brands and people just like you would on a normal social media app. Furthermore, they have a shopping party where users can join their friends in a live shopping session, or just live stream their shopping experience.You can discover unique brands and new trends; watch Livestream Shopping for styling tips and beauty demos, and chat with streamers in real-time; hang out and video shop with friends; share your styles with the community — all with the convenience of Free Shipping, Free Returns, and 24/7 Customer Care.The app has over 500 ratings already and a 4.7 out of 5 stars, so the numbers don’t lie, people like it. Even the reviews are generally great, customers are pleased to use it since they think it’s fast, easy to use, and shop, it has great products and filters and the design is amazing as well; The app is designed just for iOS and it requires compatibility for iOS 11.0 or later, it’s for people over 17 and it’s free of charge. So here are just a few reasons why Verishop is a great app, beautifully build and pleasantly presented for the user.BearBear is an app where you can write in portable Markdown notes, encrypt your notes, sync notes, organize notes with nested tags, add sketches, pick a beautiful theme, export to a variety of formats. Bear is a focused, flexible notes app used by writers, lawyers, chefs, teachers, engineers, students, parents, and more! Bear has quick organization, editing tools, and export options to help you write quickly and share anywhere and preserve your privacy with encryption. The app has so many features, but here are some of them easily synthesized:Write our way with flexible yet simple toolsOrganize quickly with tasks and hashtagsShare anywhereSearch all the thingsUse it everywhere with sync in Bear ProPrivacy for your notesThe app has a rating of 4.7 out of 5 and over 5k reviews, it’s free of charge but has in-app purchases like a monthly Pro subscription of $1.49 or a yearly Pro subscription of $14.99. It’s available in many languages like English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, and Traditional Chinese. It requires an iOS system and an iOS 11.0 or later. Supports Family Sharing and Siri, so it’s very accessible for everyone.Gawq — Local & World NewsGawq is a news app with no biased algorithms. Local, national, & world news from over 850 top media sources. They believe that you should have easy access to news from all sides, and without being manipulated by a click-hungry algorithm. It filters the noise and stays informed with 360-degree coverage on breaking stories happening near you and around the world. They also have as a source some of the most well-known media stations like Fox News, CNN, NBC, CBS, BBC, NYT, NY Post, The Guardian, ESPN, NBA, NFL, MMA, US Weekly, Vanity Fair, TMZ, Billboard, Rolling Stone, Wired, TechCrunch, NASA, National Geographic, and many others. The app offers you the following features and assets:850+ top sourcesNo biased algorithmsNo in-stream adsFilter opinions, celebrity, politics, or non-newsLocal news & weatherFollow your favorite topics & keep up with the latestBe the first to know with major news alertsMute topics or sources that clutter your feedReview media coverage to help build a better news platform for allCompare the latest fact checks across the webThe app has a rating of 4.6 out of 5. As a privacy policy, they use your Location, Identifiers, Contact info, Usage data, and Diagnostics. It’s free of charge, with an age rating of 17+, and available for iOS 11.0 or later, and for Android 5.0 or later.Warby ParkerThe app Warby Parker says is the easiest way to shop for Warby Parker eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contacts. With the app, you can:Shop frames starting at $95, including prescription lenses.For iPhone X and above you can virtually try on frames with life-like accuracy, and you can also measure your pupillary distance (PD) in no time — no card or ruler necessary.Try out shop Scout, their very own brand of daily contact lensesShop daily, bi-weekly, and monthly contacts with no hidden feesStrengthen your sunglasses game by an exponential factorHandle all of your eyewear prescriptions with easeWarby Parker has your eyes covered. Whether you’re looking for designer eyewear at a revolutionary price or your next supply of contacts, you can handle it all in one place. With free shipping and returns, it’s easy to shop with no risk. Plus, apps are fun. The also has a policy that for every pair purchased, a pair of glasses is distributed to someone in need.People seem to really enjoy this app since it has a rating of 4.9/5 and over 200k reviews, most of them being positive. As for privacy policy, it uses data such as Health & Fitness info, Contact info, User Data, Purchases, Identifiers, and Search History. It’s available both for iOS 13.0 or up, as for Android 2.1 or up. It’s totally free o charge and accessible for everyone.Vera: Plant Care Made SimpleThe app Vera: Plant Care Made Simple s a plant care management app that helps you and your plants thrive! There are a few simple parts when it comes to using the app, and those are:Create a Schedule: Never leave your plant hanging again! Easily set up watering reminders and fertilizing follow-ups for every plant. Track your plants’ progress as you go and become the best plant parent.Track Your Plants: View your plant collection in one place, and create profiles for each leafy friend, with their name, adoption date, and photos you take. Log your plant care activities over time and watch your jungle thrive.Document your journey: Journal away when you’re excited for a new sprouting leaf, worried about unwanted pesty guests, or mesmerized by the way the morning light hits your Fiddle Leaf Fig just right.Learn New Skills: Curious about how to report your Monstera? Need to know how to trim your Money Tree? They’ve got you covered. The Library has all the plant care tips and tricks you’ll ever need. Plant Mom approved, of course!The app has a very pleasant design and a 4.3 out of 5. People seem to enjoy it, and when they feel like there’s room for improvement, they wrote feedbacks, which the developers seems to always take into consideration and improve their app. It’s available for Android, 6.0 or up, and iOS 12.0 or later. It’s for everyone who is into learning how to take care of their plants, and it’s free of charge.Vestiaire CollectiveThe app Vestiaire Collective is an app where you can buy and sell pre-owned designer items. You can join their global fashion activist community and discover thousands of carefully curated new bags, shoes, watches, and more. Every week, they add designer items from brands like Louis Vuitton, Celine, Gucci, Hermès, Rolex, and Cartier.The Vestiaire Collective app gives you:Access to thousands of unique second-hand items.Quality-checked designer pieces.Search tools for the brand, category, new arrivals, size, price, and more.Personalized notifications for items you’re looking for.A convenient way to sell designer items you no longer wear.An easy payment process, with the option of interest-free installments.With the Vestiaire Collective app, you can:Keep in touch with the Vestiaire Collective fashion community.Make offers to sellers and negotiate the price of an item.Add items to your wishlist and share the products you’re currently coveting.Follow members whose products and styles you like.The app has a rating of 4.7 out of 5 and almost 13k reviews. It’s available for multiple languages like English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and it’s free of charge. Accessible for everyone, but only on iOS 12.0 or up, or Android 5.0 or up.PoparazziThe app Poparazzi is a new photo-sharing app where your social profiles are created by your friends. You are your friend’s paparazzi, and they are yours. You’ll receive a notification when a friend takes a photo of you. Don’t worry! You have complete control to remove any photo from your profile that you don’t like.Everyone can take photos of you on Poparazzi, but only users you follow can post directly to your profile. All photos posted by users you don’t follow will go through an approval process before they show up on your profile.Blocking a user will prevent them from being able to take or upload a photo of you. If you block someone on Poparazzi, they will no longer be able to communicate with you through the app. They won’t see photos you’re in and you won’t see photos they’re in.The app has a 4.6 out of 5 currently, and is available only for iOS momentarily, for versions or 13.1 or up. It collects information about contact and user and it’s free of charge.Otter: Transcribe Voice NotesThe app Otter is an app that helps you with automated meeting notes for Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and more. You can stay connected and collaborative when you work from home.Otter records and takes meeting notes for you in real-time, so you can stay focused on the conversation, and rest assured that all information (e.g. actions, highlights, photos, attendees) is captured, easily searchable, and shareable with your team. Supercharge your note-taking with AI and use Otter for all your meetings, interviews, lectures, and everyday voice conversations. Some of this app’s main features are:Take meeting notes automaticallyRecord & Transcribe LiveEnrich Notes with AIShare meeting and summary with teammates to keep everyone in syncRecord and transcribe interviews, lectures, podcasts, videos, webinars, keynotesProvide live captioning to deaf, hard-of-hearing, ESL people, and anyone with accessibility needsOrganize & ExportImport & SyncOtter has a rating of 4.8 out of 5 and over 17k reviews. It uses your Location, Contacts, Search History, Identifiers, and User Content. It’s available for everyone, free of charge but with a possibility of monthly in-app purchases of $12.99, or yearly for $99.99, for Otter Pro. It requires iOS 11.0 or later or Android 5.0 or later.These are just 10 of the innovations of 2021, but there are plenty of others that we didn’t mention. If you have the possibility to create something unique, do it! And if you struggle with the process, contact us and we can help you. --- ### A conclusive guide for making your iOS App Store submission successful URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/a-conclusive-guide-for-making-your-ios-app-store-submission-successful We walk through all the steps and materials needed for making a successful App Store submission. The App Store is a platform where you can distribute iOS apps. It was developed by Apple and it’s the second-largest app store (after Google Play) with almost 1.96 million apps available. Whereas the exact number of apps may fluctuate as Apple regularly removes low-quality content from their stores, the number of applications has been steadily increasing over the years.With a focus on bringing the best experience for the end-user, the store ensures every app has the highest standards that bring something new. It’s important to prepare an attractive and informative product page, complete with all important information. It’s a crucial part of the entire app development process.Why is it important to have a good product page?Along with the icon and the first two screenshots, the name contributes generously to the first impression as this is one of the first things your potential user learns about your app. On the product page, you provide detailed information about the app. This information will be visible to the App Store’s users. Here, you have the opportunity to encourage them to download your app by putting in well-crafted metadata.The product page contains a few tabs — iOS App, General, and In-App Purchases. So, coming up next, we’ll cover the following topics, product name & product description, assets, pricing, privacy, review, and release, which will help you better understand how to submit your iOS product in the best way by following Apple’s App Store Guidelines.NameYour discoverability chances grow once you give your app a good name. The title with the most relevant keywords included has the biggest impact on the App Store’s algorithm. According to Apple’s recommendations, the app name should:Be simple, catchy, compelling, and easy-to-understandCommunicate the key purpose of your appBe up to 30 characters longDiffer from competitors’ app namesExclude generic terms, popular app titles, special characters (e.g. #, @), prices, as well as celebrity names, trademarked terms, and other protected wordsSubtitlePlaced right below the title, a subtitle is a short phrase that brings additional information to your app. It complements the app name by communicating the purpose and value of your product in detail. To leverage your app name and subtitle, use relevant and descriptive keywords, and don’t include those already used in your title. The Apple App Store algorithm will only count them once. Here are the App Store requirements for the subtitle:It should be compelling to encourage users to explore your product page and download your appIt should be limited to 30 charactersIt shouldn’t include generic descriptions, for example, “world’s best app.”Title and subtitle together provide 60 characters for you to get through to your users. Focus on your distinctive features or typical usesSubtitles have to comply with App Store’s standard metadata rules. Avoid misleading or false product claims or inappropriate content, and never exploit competitor’s apps by any means.DescriptionThe first sentence (about 3 lines) of the description counts the most. So start with an attention-grabbing sentence that pitches users and sets out what the app is intended for, without having any references to another platform like Android, or Google, or that the product might be a beta, alpha, or test version, they should all be functional versions by then.Following should be an informative, comprehensive yet engaging summary of your app’s functionality and main features. Use the allowed space — up to 4,000 characters — to explain how your app differs from competitors and why users should download it. Take into account the following Apple’s recommendations regarding the product page description:Keep it concise, informative, and easy-to-understandStick to the tone of your brandAvoid forbiden terms (beta, Android, test app, etc.), keep it simpleAvoid keyword stuffing, otherwise, your app won’t pass the reviewDon’t mention prices: pricing is already disclosed on your product page and may also differ across the supported localizationsLet users know about your awards if any, but better do it at the end of the descriptionScreenshotsImages win the struggle with text for user attention. Screenshots are another visible product page element that contributes to your app’s impressions. App Store Connect requires uploading at least one app screenshot, while the upper limit is 10. Depending on the image orientation — portrait or landscape — the first 1–3 screenshots will be seen in search results. Therefore, Apple recommends using the first three image gallery visuals to convey the app’s purpose and value, while the rest of them may point out your distinctive features and complement the message.IconUsers see this element in App Store search results, even before they find themselves on the product page. The visibility of an icon places extra importance on how it should look like. To be eligible for the App Store, icons have to meet the following specifications:Color space: sRGB or P3 (see Color Management)Layers: flattened with no transparencyResolution: varies (see Image Size and Resolution)Shape: square with no rounded cornersPromotional textThe promotional text goes before the app description and is limited to 170 characters. A huge advantage of this product page element is that it can be changed without having to upload an updated app version. Consequently, it’s a good place to share messages that are limited in time, such as sales, announcements of new features, events or content, and more.PricingFor this part of the process, you’ll have to select your pricing and the territories it will be available, from the Pricing and Availability section. For pricing, even if your app is free, you have to input a start and end date. If you don’t plan on changing the price anytime soon, then you can select no end date. You’re also able to schedule a price change.For territories, you can select “All Territories” if you want your app to be available for download worldwide, however, some might recommend starting with a few places then expand later, so you can test how your app does on a small market, then you can expand.It might be common knowledge to developers that Apple only permits developers to sell apps at certain price points.Apple permits developers to choose from 94 price tiers, which range from US$0.99 to US$999.99. Developers pick one price tier, which applies to every country that their app is distributed in. So, before you submit your app for review, you must set a price for your app, which will be used for all App Store territories. If you don’t have a Paid Applications agreement, you can only choose a free price.What currency is used for a given App Store territory? You can refer to Exhibit C of your Paid Applications agreement to see the currency used by a specific App Store territory. You can select the territories where you want your app to be available on the App Store. By default, all countries or regions are selected, but you can deselect territories where you don’t want your app for sale. Your app will appear on the App Store in the updated or changed countries or regions within 24 hours. Now talking about Apple’s fees on your product. Apple's cut is between 15–30% (15%, for software developers with less than $1 million in annual net sales on their platform).PrivacyApples guiding principle of the App Store is very simple, they want to provide a safe experience for users to get apps and offer a great opportunity for developers to have success. They do this by offering a highly curated App Store where every app is reviewed by experts and editors to help users discover new apps daily.The App Store now helps users better understand an app’s privacy practices before they download the app on any Apple platform. On each app’s page, users can learn about some of the data types the app may collect, and whether that data is linked to them or used to track them. You need to provide information about your app’s privacy practices, including the practices of third-party partners whose code you integrate into your app, in App Store Connect.They also strongly support all points of view being represented on the App Store, as long as they respect the guidelines. Any attempt to cheat the system, for example by trying to trick the review process, steal user data, copy another developer’s work, manipulate ratings, or App Store discovery, your app will be removed from the store, and you as a developer will be expelled from the Apple Developer Program.You are responsible for making sure everything in your app complies with their guidelines, including ad networks, analytics services, and third-party SDKs. Apps should implement appropriate security measures to ensure proper handling of user information collected according to the Apple Developer Program License Agreement and their Guidelines, and prevent its unauthorized use, disclosure, or access by third parties.Apple wants their user to feel confident that the app they download is safe and will not break their phones. That is why:Users can choose whether or not to share dataEvery week, Apple's experts review around 100k appsThere were over 150k app rejections last year for violating privacy guidelines and over 1M rejections for inadequate contentEvery app has a page with detailed information, which an app owner must fill during the publishing processReviewFor your app approval to go as smoothly as possible, you should review the most common missteps listed below, missteps that can slow down the review process or trigger a rejection. So make sure that you:Test your app for crashes and bugsEnsure that all app information and metadata is complete and accurateUpdate your contact information in case App Review needs to reach youProvide an active demo account and login information, plus any other hardware or resources that might be needed to review your app (e.g. login credentials or a sample QR code)Enable backend services so that they’re live and accessible during the reviewInclude detailed explanations of non-obvious features and in-app purchases in the App Review notes, including supporting documentation where appropriateCheck whether your app follows the guidance in other documentation.After submitting, your app will be on the waiting list for Apple’s certification and review team. You’ll just have to wait now. In the past, the review process took between 1 to 2 weeks, and then a couple of years ago, they said they would be working on improving the speed, so the review process was cut down to a few days, usually between 24 – 48 hours, but certainly not weeks. The process isn’t artificial, but human. They have real persons playing with your app so they can give subjective feedback.ReleaseOnce the review process has finished successfully, you'll be able to publish the app (it takes between 24 - 48 hours to be available in the App Store). After the review process, the app can go directly to the store, or you can decide on what date you want it to be released. For existing apps that release a new update, phased releases allow you to distribute the update to the users over a period of 7 days. Phased releases don’t quite have the same flexibility as the Android staged rollouts but it is certainly much better than releases to potentially millions of users simultaneously.If you opt for phased releases, App Store Connect will gradually release your new version to users who have opted into automatic updates over the period of 7 days. All users can still bypass this and go directly to the app store to download the new version if they chose. It ramps up as follows:Day 1 - 1%Day 2 - 2%Day 3 - 5%Day 4 - 10%Day 5 - 20%Day 6 - 50%Day 7 - 100%You can pause a release at any time for a total maximum paused time of 30 days. This is a cumulative number and doesn’t reset if you unpause and pause again. You can pull the app version from sale if there’s a critical problem you can’t fix, this will remove the app from the store though so it’s a last resort. You’re free to cancel the phased release at any time and release it to all users.Even though the process may seem long and complicated at the beginning, with this article we hope we’ve shown you it’s not as hard as it seems. And if you still feel insecure about the whole process, don’t worry and contact us, because at Appssemble we’ve got it covered. We’ll ease the process because there’s already plenty of experience with apps launching in our background, so you don’t have to worry about it anymore. --- ### The ultimate guide to building user personas for mobile apps URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-building-user-personas-for-mobile-apps Check out how to create user personas for your mobile app and personalize the experience of your target audience. User personas are the foundation on top of which you build software products.Before thinking about the User Interface, technical solutions, and business model, you need to determine who your target audience is, who are you building a new mobile product for.Why do you need user personas?Having a clear picture of who your customers are, will help you create a product that better suits their needs and characteristics. User personas heavily influence the design hence the development phases as well as the business model used. For instance, colorful and playful interfaces work better on younger people, if your target audience is more mature the product you're building should also reflect that.Ideally, you should have the landing page ready a couple of months before the app is launched, this will help you gather early feedback regarding your product and can serve as a means of gathering email addresses from your tech-savvy, early adopters. Once the app is ready, you can email everyone that has expressed an interest in the app and ask them for their feedback, if done right, this should offer you a nice base of initial users. You can use free services such as mailchimp for sending out emails and measuring the engagement of the receivers. As a founder you have to walk a few miles in the shoes of your target customer, this will help you better grasp their motivations and will help build something that is custom made for the needs of your customers and the problem you're resolving. Surveys have shown that having a personalized experience for the target audience increases the revenue in 41% of the cases and improves customer retention for 51% of the users.How to create user personas for mobile applications?Before writing and creating user personas you need to conduct thorough researchfor your product. You need to have a clear vision of what problem is it solving, and what types of people would be interested in such an app.If you are not a solo founder and you already have a team, the Nielsen Norman Group has shown that projects in which the entire team is involved in the user research process are more likely to create better user personas.Firstly, you need to define where your target audience spends most of their time when online, for instance, if you have a mobile app that offers fashion advice, you might find that a lot of your potential customers spend a lot of time on Instagram. When creating a new user persona, it's best to start with a template that will give you a general structure to follow for your user research. Next, we are going to talk about every section from the template.NameWhen working on a new user persona, you firstly need to start with a name for your new persona. Usually, the name you use for the persona should reflect some of the personality traits of the user.As an example, if you're building a running tracking app, you could define a user persona for highly active runners (an example of persona name could be "Fast Jenny").Age rangeAge is one of the most important values to look at when building a product. The age of your core audience dictates the way the app should look and function. In addition to this, it also provides some insights in understanding better where is your product going to be used, what is the general emotion of your customer, and what things are important at their point in life.An app built for teenagers will look completely different from one built for 30+ years old, even if it solves the same problem -- for instance making a video call. The one built for teenagers will be more colorful and will have a lot of playful features to keep them engaged (video filters, masks, etc.) while the other one built for a more mature audience could focus more on productivity, integration with the calendar, fast inviting other peers to join a conversation and so on...LocationEven tho we live in the age of globalization, the location of your core audience impacts drastically how the product would be developed. By having a clear view of where your customers reside, the copy of your app could be more personalized. There are a lot of cultural differences and something that could work in Asia, won't necessarily apply to Africa or Europe for the same types of people.An example of this is making a payment, in a lot of African countries a different payment system (M-Pesa) is used widely, but integrating and promoting such a service in Europe or America might not be useful or suited as most of the people in those geographical areas are used to paying directly with credit cards or services such as Apple and Google Pay.GenderThe gender of the core users of your app is important as it will help you build a better solution for the problem you're trying to solve.For instance, if your app is focused on women's health, the majority of your users will be women, you might not want to use leaderboards for motivating the users to use and engage with your app. Women are usually not driven by the same goals and motivations as men and finding the right incentives for using your app could make the difference between a failed and a successful product.Income"How is my product going to make money?" is one of the first questions a founder should answer. The income of your target audience dictates how to product and the business model should be structured.For instance, if you're solving a problem for high-income earners, you could make your app paid, or having in-app purchases for some of its content. On the other side, if the wast majority of your users won't be able to pay a monthly fee for your services, in-app ads might be a better revenue source.ProfessionsThe profession of the users helps a founder make a better assumption on what are the interests of the audience.If the app is focused more on persons who work in creative professions, then the app should take advantage of this. As an example, a note-taking app for creative people will be different from a note-taking app for mathematicians. Creative types are more likely to draw and doodle, and they don't care about inputting complex mathematical formulas easily in the notes.Personality traitsThe personality traits of your target customer also affect the product. Studies have shown that personality traits have a significant impact on user adoption in the case of mobile applications.If you're building a photo library app for organized people having the ability to create albums would be one of the main flows of the app. If you're building the same app for more careless users, they will probably use more the search function, as they are interested in finding a specific photo without caring how the photos are organized.We use the following additional questions to better define the personality type of the user:Is this persona more introverted or extroverted?Are they analytical or creative?Are they more active or passive?What personal characteristics are important to be taken into account?What goals is the user trying to achieve?Another important characteristic when building a user persona is detecting what that specific user is trying to achieve. This is especially useful in situations where the app could have 2 different types of users.As an example in the case of an on-demand delivery app, the customer's goals are different from the deliverer's goals.What keeps them motivated in completing their task?By fully understanding what is the motivation of the users are, the product team could enhance those experiences by making it easier for the user to achieve them.In the case of a calorie counting app, some users will want to lose/gain weight, while others might only want to keep track of the foods they ate, based on the target audience those motivations might result in new or more customized features.EnvironmentThe context in which the user is using the app has a major factor in how it would need to be designed and developed.If a founder is building an app for measuring the performance of athletes, the user experience should also reflect that. When a top athlete is training and wants to measure his blood oxygen levels, they don't care about the typography of the app or the colors used, they need a fast and accurate method for starting/stopping the measuring.Where are they physically, what are they doing, and what is their mindset?While for some of the apps the location in which they are used is not important, for others, it's one of the most important aspects of the app. By knowing where the user is when using your app and what's their mindset, the entire experience and approach for solving a problem would be different.CityMapper is one product that nailed this. Users of the app use it while navigating the city or commuting and are usually under the stress of being in an unknown, new city or being in a hurry. One of the most common ways of traveling in big cities in the metro system. Once the users are underground, they don't have an active internet connection anymore, so the team behind the app has found ways of helping them navigate the city without using an internet connection (local push notifications, timers for the schedule of the trains, and so on).User storyThe user story is used for describing how the current user persona would use the app, it usually the main, most common flow that the user is going to make. It's a summary of everything we've collected about the user with the previous questions.An example of a user story for a booking app for speakers would be: "Dave whos an industry leader in the domain of AI, wants to share his knowledge on a new ML algorithm with the community. He makes a video (with the front camera of his device) in which explains the broad concept of the algorithm and posts it to his profile".How to make sure you're building a good user persona?All the information you write in the user persona chart should be backed by research and statistics combined with real observationsMake sure the user persona has as much detail as possibleEnsure that the created user persona reflects behaviors from the target audience, not your personal assumptionsUser personas are the foundation of every product, if this process is done right you will easily validate/invalidate the idea of your product, the feature specs and roadmap become more clear and the design and development are better in sync with your target audience. Thinking about building an app or someone to help you out scoping your idea? Get in touch, we'd love to help! --- ### How to promote your mobile app for free URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/how-to-promote-your-mobile-app-for-free How to promote your mobile app for free Founders usually overestimate what publishing an app in the AppStore or Google play would do, they expect flocks of people downloading and trying out their new mobile app, unfortunately, that's not the case. Doing marketing for a mobile product is not easy nor is cheap, but there are a couple of free-ways of attracting users to your new app.WebsiteEven before launching the mobile app, you should take care of the website/landing page for it. A website offers your app a unique place on the web, where you can engage with customers on your terms.Ideally, you should have the landing page ready a couple of months before the app is launched, this will help you gather early feedback regarding your product and can serve as a means of gathering email addresses from your tech-savvy, early adopters. Once the app is ready, you can email everyone that has expressed an interest in the app and ask them for their feedback, if done right, this should offer you a nice base of initial users. You can use free services such as mailchimp for sending out emails and measuring the engagement of the receivers.In addition to this, a website will also help new users find your app easier through search engines. By picking out a good domain name, writing content, and implementing SEO best practices, you'll rank high in searches for your desired keywords. This is a laborious task, but it pays dividends in time if you're consistent and you do it properly.The good news is that you don't have to pay a development team for implementing your website if you're not technical, there are a lot of services that you can use for a small fee or even free of charge for building your website using simple, intuitive tools. Two of the most popular such services are Wix and WordPress.Social NetworksIf you have done you're job right as a founder you should be able to pinpoint your target audience with laser precision and that will help you get new customers.Almost everyone in modern societies spends at least a few minutes a day on a social media platform, those are proving to be super effective at attracting new customers. An easy way of attracting new customers on social media is using social media ads, however, those don't come cheap and there are still a lot of things to be done without spending a penny.Firstly, you need to define where your target audience spends most of their time when online, for instance, if you have a mobile app that offers fashion advice, you might find that a lot of your potential customers spend a lot of time on Instagram.You should create social profiles for your app on all the major platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and interacting with people and communities that share interests that are associated with your app. This is again a slow process, but given enough time, you'll start building a community around your product, if you fail to do that, maybe your product hasn't yet achieved product-market fit and you need to work a bit more on its core idea.A much faster way of getting fast feedback or customers of your new app is posting it on discussion boards such as Reddit in /subreddits where your target audience spends time in. If we're thinking about the same fashion advice app, you could promote it in a couple of the many fashion subreddits such as r/malefashionadvice,r/streetwear, r/femalefashionadvice, r/sneakers, and so on. You could also validate your product idea and get some feedback on its current implementation in entrepreneurial subreddits such as r/Entrepreneur, r/startups, r/growmybusiness,r/ladybusiness.Another super effective and fast way of reaching customers and getting feedback is by posting about your app on platforms such as ProductHunt or IndieHackers. A well-made post on ProductHunt, with eye candy marketing materials and a well-delivered pitch, would ensure a few dozens if not hundreds of new customers over a short period of time (around 24 hours). In addition to this, the communities around those platforms are really helpful and they will surface many things that could be improved for your product.There are also discussion boards such as HackerNews or technology websites such as TechCrunch, but unless your app already has some traction and it does something completely revolutionary, you're going to have a hard time getting to the front page in there.If your product is helping people achieve a certain task or improves the process of doing one, for instance, an app that would help you pick the best items from your wardrobe for a specific event, you could answer questions about that specific task on sites like Quora and promote your product.The number one rule on using social media for advertising is: don't spam! Nobody wants to read or see ads, so if you're posting content you should make sure that the content alone provides valuable information and you should not try too hard to sell your app.Using social sites for getting new customers is a difficult process that takes a lot of time. There are shortcuts like making a post on ProductHunt or posting into a subreddit but those usually are short-lived and will give you a nice bump in the number of downloads for 24 hours, but they can not be used as a funnel for new customers. For the rest of the methods presented, the results don't come back as easily, however, they can represent a constant funnel of new users if done properly.Conference / MeetupsWhen you first launch a new product, the focus should be on gathering as much feedback as possible and adjusting your approach to find the product-market fit. The best way to gather feedback is by talking with the customers and seeing their reactions when they test your product.Conferences and meetups are great places for meeting tech-savvy people, early adopters, and entrepreneurs who can give you insights on how to make the product better. A good place for findings gatherings is meetup. In addition to this, you should also participate in tech conferences that have some focus on the area of your product, or even enter a startup contest and present your idea in front of large audiences. An example of such a conference is Techsylvania an event that takes place every year in our hometown Cluj - Napoca. In addition to advice and interacting with people that have similar interests the startup competition could give you international recognition and even funding if that's something you're searching for.There is no easy way of getting customers to try your product for free, at least not in the early stages, the entire process is difficult and time-consuming. However, it can be made much simpler by knowing who your target audience is and how to reach them, that why we recommend all our founders to do a Digital Product Discovery Workshop before diving into implementing and working on their idea.If you're thinking about building a digital product and you're searching for someone that could build it and guide you through the process of building a mobile startup, we'd love to help, get in touch! --- ### How much of your tech business should you outsource? URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/how-much-of-your-tech-business-should-you-outsource We dive into details and analyze what are the downsides of outsourcing software and product development. We live in an era of innovation and possibilities. When you read tech news, all the success stories about startups, inspire you to build your own. But creating your own tech business that lasts, is not easy, sometimes you get stuck, or lack the time, energy, and capabilities to develop, so it’s fairly common for your business to find itself in the need of extra help. Improving your efforts by outsourcing is often the best solution for these obstacles. If you focus on the bright side of entrepreneurship, you can learn how to prevent falling.The Digital Europe Programme (DEP) began in January 2021, intending to improve the European Union’s strategic digital capabilities and facilitate the cross-sector integration of digital technology. Cluj, a growing Eastern European innovation center, participates in this phase through its local Digital Innovation Hubs, a well established IT and software development hub, by embarking in the process of stimulating investments in Artificial Intelligence, Supercomputing, Advance Digital Skills, Cybersecurity, and supporting the necessity of digital technologies in social and economic domains. Check more on Softech’s article, Cluj: Emerging Innovation Hub For 2021–2027. Now let’s talk about outsourcing.What exactly does outsourcing mean for your tech business and how does it work?Let’s start at the beginning and define what Outsourcing — sometimes called Contracting — means. Outsourcing is a business strategy in which a firm employs a third party to conduct activities, manage processes, or deliver services on its behalf. The outside firm, known as the service manager or third-party contractor, arranges for its staff or programs to execute the activities or services either on-site at the contracting company’s premises or remote locations.So, if you want to build an app you can use an outsourced product developmentwhere you can either hire a programming agency to work on a contract, a freelancer, or another specialized person, all of them hired as a third party. Companies will also outsource a variety of duties or resources. They also outsource information technology resources such as programming, product creation, and technical assistance. They may outsource whole departments, such as their entire IT department, or just portions of a certain department.Examples of mobile app development outsourcingFor just one search on the web, you can find so many outsourced products created by multiple companies. We recommend you start with some from appssemble’s portfolio, where you can check some of the apps on Healthcare, or Fitness, Social, Education, Cryptocurrencies, Gaming, Transportation, or others. With over 10 years of experience behind us, big corporations and startups trust us for our agility, knowledge, and guidance in helping them achieve their goals and building their products, as proof of all the positive reviews on Clutch.What are the benefits of outsourcing your app developmentOutsourcing is often the best option for businesses when developing a digital product such as a mobile app for several reasons. As opposed to recruiting all of the talent involved to fully create a new product from the ground up, hiring an established, committed agency is typically often less expensive. Furthermore, businesses with many products under their belt understand that there is much more to developing a solid product than just writing code.Let’s see what are the benefits of outsourcing your app development:Cost-effectiveness — Outsourcing your mobile app development will significantly reduce your overall costs. It will not only help you save money on overhead costs, but it will also help you save them on infrastructure and services. According to stats, outsourcing mobile app development will help you save up to 75% on costs. Outsourcing is now used by 59 percent of companies for cost-cutting purposes. Seems a very good reason for me.Time-effectiveness — If an app concept has been developed and the company is preparing to launch, time is short. There is no such thing as an original idea because someone will still be there to beat a slow-moving organization to the line. Outsourcing significantly decreases the time constraint and one of the most important principles is timely delivery. The less time spent in development, the easier it is for a company to achieve long-term success. Speedy turnarounds are often advantageous to all parties involved.Enhanced performance — When looking for an outsourced team, look for a professional, who can handle all of your requirements and progress. At appssemble we have everything needed to develop and give you a smooth, high-end mobile app. We have everything we need to produce excellent quality work, from a committed team of developers to cutting-edge equipment. So be sure to hire a good one for a quality result.End-to-end assistance — Before a smartphone app can be launched onto the market, a series of measures must be performed. Some factors are addressed as the best software production firms are hired on an outsourced basis. A customer that requires assistance with conceptualization gets the needed suggestions and insights. The same is valid with clients who need assistance with back-end testing. Outsourcing also gives a company access to sales statistics that they would not have been able to find otherwise.Flexibility — A true startup is defined by its flexibility, agility, and confidence in scaling a creative business model. Being a startup means ensuring a stable workflow through difficult times — adapting the team to meet urgent market demands whilst staying focused on the key plan and core activities. This can occur before the launch of a product, when new ideas must be introduced rapidly, or when a startup is expanding its sector and improving its development. In other words, startups should accept stability to pivot as required without collapsing.Hiring top-tier experts — Professionalism is everything in the field of software production now that there is a far higher degree of competition. Outsourcing enables a customer to increase their degree of expertise without making any other unneeded compromises. It is important to enlist those with the most expertise in a specific niche. This is how some of the most obvious errors can be prevented entirely. Outsourcing firms have already gone through it all and have seen much more. These businesses also take pride in being up to date on the new trends. They would never let themselves slip off the curve. It is important to stay up with industry trends, and this is where outsourcing firms excel.If you’re captivated, you should check Forbes’ — 11 Signs A Company Should Outsource IT — article, and if that one keeps you engaged, also check Why The Pandemic Led To An Increase In IT Outsourcing. Moving along, yeah, you’re better off working with a full-service digital-product firm that will assist you with everything from optimizing brand strategies to planning and improving the product, promotion, and continuing support. And even if you did not come to us in the first place, we will always assist you in filling in the gaps where appropriate. When done right, expanding the work with outsourcing should feel natural — auxiliary agencies should be an extension of your team rather than a piece you’re trying to bring into position.So here are some ways you can use us to compliment your work:Mobile strategy — If the product is nearing completion or is already on the shelf, you can need extra testing from a concentrated, independent test team. This would allow for more candid input on the app’s architecture and service, exposing implementation strategies.UX/UI design — The design of the user interface has a significant impact on how the underlying program is coded since it defines how components behave during user interaction. Often a certain “style” does not translate well in terms of intended features. We will make things more development-friendly by assisting you in rethinking aspects of the concept, resulting in a better product.On-time consultancy — When deadlines are approaching and you already have the right team in place, you will simply need additional eyes or hands in the game. We could appoint the correct guy from our workforce to work with the current team to enhance your efforts to ensure you don’t miss your deadline.Product management — You may have all of the necessary talent and tools to complete a project but are unsure how to continue. And here is where outsourcing product managers (PMs) come in — these people are in charge of managing materials and assigning roles to members of the team and other outside parties, as well as initiating strategies and sustaining progress once a project is underway.Development & testing — In a scrum-based Agile manner, our development and quality assurance teams code and test the app according to the agreed designs. You will receive builds every two weeks for tracking the process, gathering feedback, and adjusting features.Regardless of how daunting such challenges are, startups have a strong chance of overcoming them. Outsourcing is the solution to all of a new entrepreneur’s issues. Even if this is your first project, you don’t have to make any beginner’s mistakes by yourself. But how do you stop making these mistakes in your play if you don’t have any experience? The simplest solution is to seek out a technical partner.What are the downsides of outsourcing your tech part of the startup?Problems also occur when companies do not often recognize all of the different skill sets that must be brought together to complete a project. As a consequence, we encounter cases in which an internal team or an outside firm requires extra assistance when they are missing certain puzzle pieces. Often, these departments do not need to be replaced; rather, they need to be augmented with the best talent. So, here are the disadvantages of outsourcing:You lose some control — And one would imagine, when you outsource work to a third-party company or freelancer, you lose control of how those projects are managed and accomplished. That shouldn’t be a problem as long as you know and trust the people you’ve recruited — but you must proceed cautiously.Hidden costs — While outsourcing is usually thought to be less expensive, you must still be wary of being taken advantage of. Outsourcing firms or large agencies will usually expect small business owners to sign lengthy contractual arrangements including a lot of fine print. If you do not carefully read the terms, you will be faced with unforeseen costs.Security risks — In this day and age of data security, you must use consumer data with caution. If you want to outsource processes that include personal data, you could jeopardize the privacy of others or the security of your company by disclosing that information to others.Reduced quality control — Money, rather than a job well done, can empower outsourcing companies and some freelancers. This means that whilst the job you send out may be returned easily, it will fall short of the value and quality that consumers have come to expect from the product and service they paid for.Different time zones — One significant drawback to outsourcing specific assignments is the risk that the freelancers or partner entity will be set in a different time zone than you. As a result, it can be challenging to synchronize plans to ensure that the client achieves what they are expected, in a reasonable timeline.Details lost in translation — It doesn’t matter if you’re working with foreign freelancers or a brilliant specialist right down the street. If you’re delivering remote work by email or phone, essential instructions are frequently lost in translation. That could cost you a lot of time, money, and hassle.Even though we may not have been your first pick, that doesn’t mean we can’t hop in to help your project get to the end of the race. When you start a project, there are indeed a variety of problems that may arise, and supplementing your efforts with an extra hand is the best course of action. Contact us right away and we’ll work with you to find a plan and get the project moving! --- ### How to build a mobile app on a budget URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/how-to-build-a-mobile-app-on-a-budget Find out what can you do to cut costs when building a mobile app MVP Building a mobile app is an expensive endeavor, while the overall costs are still high, there are some things you can do to lower the cost of your product. Before spending any money on developing the product, you need to plan everything thoroughly and make sure that your app idea is good, that you have a valid business plan and there is a need for the product you want to build, the best way to do that is trough a Product Discovery workshopThe first iteration of your product should be an MVP. The purpose of the MVP is to gather feedback, to test if your idea is valid, to check if there is a market for your product, to gain insights into how the people are using your product, how can be improved, and whats their general feeling about your app. To do this, you don't need to implement all the whistles and bells, you don't need a complex payment mechanism, or in-app purchases, as all of those will be in vain if no one is using your product.Single platformOur number one recommendation for someone who builds a new mobile product is to target only one platform. There are only extremely rare cases where both platforms are needed for testing the idea and building a mobile product for both platforms in the early stages is not cheap -- as you'll have to pay for 2 separate pieces of software, neither is fast as more design and development time is needed. Instagram and Foursquare were both iOS-only apps in the beginning, after they've reached product-market fit they build Android versions as well. Another successful mobile product built for only one platform is Clubhouse.FeaturesMVC is short for Minimum Viable Product, the first version of your mobile product should only contain the core feature of the idea you want to test. A good example is Shazam, when they started out the MVP only contained one feature, determining the name of a song based on a recording, later after they've validated their idea, they've built all the other social features, charts, notifications, and so on. Having a slim feature set for the MVP allows the founders to pivot their idea and implement different approaches once they get feedback from their users. A complex, feature-full product is a few orders of magnitude more expensive to build, more complex to change, and stiff to adding or modifying features.Among the features you can easily skip in the first version of your mobile product in most cases are:Push notifications & deep linking — this introduces extra complexity in the codebase and introduces new complex scenarios to handle. If you're keen on implementing push notifications, you can do it without deep linking. Push notifications will keep the users more engaged and they work great at reminding the users of your app however, before doing that you need to make sure that you have a user base to send those messages to, and in 95% of the cases push notifications are not helping you build your user base.Login with social platforms or complex authentication flows — Nowadays is much cheaper and faster to log in with your phone number or using Apple Sign In, or Google. Integrating multiple sign-in options such as Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Twitter, Apple Sign In, is not a cheap task. When building an MVP, you should not hinder the experience of the user in any way, creating an account before trying out an app something that the new users don't want to do, so if you can use a fast login mechanism such as a phone number, or no login process at all, the experience of your early adopters is better and you have lower development costs, win-win.Unit tests & automated testing — Doing unit testing and automated tests will assure that the product you're delivering does what it supposed to do, however, in the case of startups where the entire product roadmap and feature specs are more flexible and in 99% of cases changes, it's better to stick to traditional ways of testing the app -- manual testing. Unit tests and automated testing takes quite a bit of time to implement and while it's super effective for mature products, for an MVP is usually not needed.DesignThe MVP should take advantage of as many out-of-the-box design components as possible. For instance, if your app requires a date picker, use the default one, and don't spend resources on implementing a custom design on secondary components. Both Instagram and Whatsapp have a lot of UI components that are native or close to native ones, and both applications are highly popular. When developing an MVP, you should pay more attention to the user flows than to the design, offering a fast and easy way of achieving a task is more valuable to your early adopters than a fancy UI animation or illustrations.By using native components you'll save a lot of money on the design phase but also on the development phase, as native components are much easier to implement and use than implementing complex ones. For instance, if a developer needs o use a native date picker, he could implement it in the app in a couple of hours, if he needs to build it from scratch, it might take even weeks to get all the animations right.DevelopmentIf you're not a developer then you'll most probably need someone to build the app for you. You could either hire an in-house developer, contract a freelancer or work with a development agency.For most founders hiring an in-house developer is not a viable choice as they don't yet have a proven business model and they might end up in a situation where they are not able to pay the hired person or simply don't have enough work for a full-time developer.Your best options are using a freelancer or a specialized agency. Finding a developer who would deliver on time and implement so that it can support the roadmap of your product is not an easy task. Trustworthy specialized agencies have previously built mobile applications, they can offer you insights and guidance and usually have end-to-end capabilities in house, so if you need a new design, a logo change, or help with the marketing, you don't have to search for new freelancer.Even if the agencies might charge more than a freelancer, you're guaranteed that you'll get your product in time, tested, and built by someone who has done this before and fully understands the lifecycle of a mobile product. In addition to this, agencies specialized in building mobile products will offer you consultancy and guide you through the entire process of building, releasing, and marketing a mobile app.Do you have a mobile app idea? Awesome! We’re here to help with the restWe understand what a challenge it is to be a first-time tech founder. It’s pretty difficult to pitch, design, develop and market your idea. Not to mention how hard it is to prove you’ll succeed in a very competitive industry.appssemble is here to be your bold digital product development partner! This service is the cheapest way to start your startup. What will we do? We'll help you define your product, understand its technical feasibility and costs, then validate it. You’ll receive all the tools and information you need to pitch to investors or develop your next products. Come up with the idea and we’ll help you with the rest! --- ### How to avoid a bad mobile development agency for your mobile app? URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/how-to-avoid-a-bad-mobile-development-agency-for-your-mobile-app We cover all the important factors you need to consider before choosing the technological partner for your product. Are you considering building a mobile app for your startup? Then most likely you already know that it’s not an easy job and that’s why you’re here now, to learn. Picking the perfect Mobile Development partner for your journey is one of the most important decisions in your app’s life and course.appssemble, as a mobile development company itself, encountered plenty of situations and experience in this field, so we’ll enhance the next several points about how to, both beneficially assess and select exactly what’s best for your app, and be aware of the general mistakes that are usually made in the process. Let’s dig in!General advice for your StartupAccording to Forbes’s article, there Are Now 8.9 Million mobile apps on this planet. So you want yours to succeed? Well, here are several tips.Take your timeDon’t jump into a collaboration. Instead, take your time and examine any potential agency thoroughly, taking into account their experience with your app concept. Check numerous agencies, their services, and then get in touch with them and set a meeting.Be sure your app concept remains safeAs extravagant as it may sound, try not to put your idea out there without an assurance that it’ll remain confidential. Imagine planning your app idea, investing time, energy, and other resources into it, only to have someone steal it from you. Therefore suggest and then use a non-disclosure agreement with confidence.“Investigate” their portfolioLook for their previous development projects, search for client reviews, maybe even get in touch with a previous customer. The point is to look if they delivered a product of quality, if they communicated effectively with the client, if they respected the deadlines, gave the client the source code, and so on.Search for Mobile Development Agencies with a background and an approach that matches your plan and visionYes, it’s obvious that you’ll be looking for someone who offers what you're searching for, but nevertheless, it’s very easy to get lost in details and lose track, hence choosing the wrong partner to work with. So be sure to search for someone who, during those challenging creations-issues moments, will most likely know how to address and resolve them. It’ll be a spare of time and a magnification of the product’s quality. Therefore, it’s important for you to know how the development agency works and how they will collaborate with you. The process is everything, so find out if their teams’ process will make your app truly unique.General mistakes clients make when going for an outsource mobile development agencySo given our previous information, here are summarized, several errors mobile development agencies make, alongside some made by the customers. We’ll present next all the details so you can be more aware from now on and actually end up with the best results.1. Choosing Price over QualityOne of the biggest traps that people fall into sooner or later is a false notion that cheap work equals a possible quality result. Even though a low-cost company may not always be a bad one, we can assure you that most of the high-priced ones deserve their revenue based on their experience.2. Failing to check their portfolioRemember what we’ve told you a few lines above about checking their work? You should definitely do that! Don’t hire the first company that comes your way, instead, you need to do a background check, verify their experience, their knowledge of the market, look at their rate of success, all these criteria because with experience comes accountability and security. So go over their previous work to check if they are capable of successfully building your mobile app.3. Failure to communicateNeedless to say that if both you and the agency that you eventually hire, are not on the same page, the result will be faulty. Imagine asking them questions about the product and them replying with a big delay, or them contacting you and you responding very late. You can already visualize the outcome. Outsourcing mobile app development works through plenty of people, that’s why it’s extremely important to maintain clear communication between each other from the beginning.4. Failure to set deadlinesChoose a timeframe that suits both of you, that’s realistic, practical, and fair, then communicate it clearly. This act will make things run smoothly and allow everyone to work within the timeline. If you’re working with someone from abroad, you also need to take into consideration the gap in different time zones. It might not seem like an important detail at first, but imagine needing to honor a deadline that’s doomed to overpass due to the difference in time zones. So be careful!5. Failure to get the source codeThe source code is created by the mobile app development agency but you need to own it too after the whole project is done. If you fail to do so, you’ll constantly have to go back to the agency and negotiate, financially most likely, every update or edit you want to make on your app. Wouldn’t that be extremely unfair and annoying for you? Just make sure to obtain that source code!Why mobile application development project actually fails?Over 1.000 mobile apps are uploaded daily to the Apple App Store and 9 out of 10 fail. So what could make your app unsuccessful and fail? Here are several reasons:Process failures — the app doesn’t get past the design stage and it’s never coded into an actual app; the app requires a re-design after coding has started; it requires a re-coding after the app was launchedDesign and development failures — the app has poor user ratings after launching; technical difficulties make it undesirable as wellNot honoring deadlines and budgets — the app goes over the settled budget and/or deadlines.How to actually find a mobile app developer?There are several options when building an app. These are the following ones: if you’re a company, you can hire an employee on your payroll as in-house product development, or use an outsourced product development where you can either hire a programming agency to work on a contract, a freelancer, or another specialized person, the last 3 options being hired as a third-party.In-house product development vs. Outsourced product developmentIn-house refers to conducting an activity or operation within a company, instead of relying on outsourcing. A firm uses its own employees and time to keep a division or business activity, in-house.The main advantages and disadvantages when using an in-house activity are the following:The essential advantages are, complete control over product commitment and delivery since you can use your whole team to work at full power in the same direction, this leading us to another possible advantage, namely the capability to perfect yourself to differentiate from the competition.The main disadvantages are the indispensable need to possess good management and organizing skills because of the struggle to unfailingly balance an inconsistent income for your rent, for employees with different salaries, and other weekly/monthly costs, and lastly an overwhelming and time-consuming process of managing the company.If you’re here as a developer yourself, you should definitely check Forbes’ “13 Mistakes To Avoid When Developing An App”, it has some very specific and proper points for you to follow.Outsourced product development (OPD) is a practice in which an organization hires a third-party provider for the development of products and services in a variety of fields , and even idea generation. OPD success depends on finely integrated strategic planning, communication, collaboration, management, and specialized resources.Contract Developer vs. Freelance DeveloperAs I said a little bit earlier, there are 3 main roads to outsourcing your development, specifically, a contractual development agency, a freelance developer or simply hiring a specific person who possesses the skills you require for the job.Choosing an additional person with the required skillsetStarting with the last one on the list, this decision applies to the companies that lack a specific item in their project, like development, design, or management. Therefore they contractually hire someone with the required skillset for the job, to take care of that specific part of the project.Choosing a Contractual Development AgencyA development company has its own staff who will take care of everything you require and will bring you the app in its final form. Although it may be more expensive than a freelancer, the chances of your project going south are exponentially lower because they vouch with their experience, therefore their capabilities. So the whole project is actually very straightforward with them.Choosing a Freelance DeveloperChoosing a freelancer works if you are willing and able to get involved as well. You need to know exactly what kind of help you need for your project and constantly manage and direct the one you hire. Their possible lack of experience will make them turn back to you for every problem they’ll have. So, overall it will be a time-consuming procedure where you’ll have to constantly stay in touch and oversee their own development on the project. Not to mention you need to pay close attention when hiring them, on their aptitudes, their programming skills, negotiate a contract, make an offer, and a detailed plan about your app’s idea. If you don’t possess the time and capability to supervise them, the whole freelancer idea might not be very suitable for you.We build outstanding apps with professionalismYou can consider yourself informed now and capable of making the best decision for your star up, and by extension for your mobile app. Our professional, experienced and dedicated team at appssemble will help you in this journey from start to finish, to discover what you desire, develop and design your product. So get in touch with us and let us build you the app that you’ve been thinking of. --- ### The ultimate guide to developing an Android app in 2021 URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-developing-an-android-app-in-2021 Read our breakdown of the new technologies from Google and learn more about what's currently possible in an Android app. You're thinking about building an Android app but you're not technology-savvy? No problem, we'll walk you through the ins and outs of mobile Android development for startups.When deciding to build an app, the focus should be on its core functionality, not necessarily the technologies used for building it, so let's look at the things Android as a development platform excels from a feature-wise perspective.Machine learningAndroid provides all the tools you need for developing ML features in your app, from building and training your machine learning models to deployment as app features. Using ML techniques will help you automate many processes of your app or business which will drive down your recurrent costs. Some examples of ML features that Android supports and would bring great value to your startup are text recognition (OCR), face detection, barcode scanning, image labeling, object detection, and object tracking, language identification, smart replies, or translation. Although the whole machine learning framework is pretty new on Android it is robust enough to start deploying ML features in your app which will also become better and better with every framework improvement.Augmented RealityAR is still a new field and many startups ignore or are not aware of the value AR could bring them, or even when they take AR into account we get many questions about what is possible on Android when it comes to Augmented reality. The answer to this really depends on your needs and requirements because AR is highly dependent on the hardware it runs, but with the adoption of new devices, the gap closes quickly. There are two big directions an AR project can take, using Unity or ARCore, both have their advantages and disadvantages. The real power of AR is more obvious when it is combined with machine learning. Without getting into too much detail, AR + ML could help you place virtual objects into the real world, detect real-world objects like balls in sports, human body position and movement, and taking measurements of the real world. This could really take your app to the next level and make friction-free user stories for your app.Instant appsOne of the latest technologies introduced by Apple is App Clips, which offers users the possibility of interact with an app before downloading it. It's a great way for startups that operate in the physical world to interact with their customers. For instance, restaurants or mobility startups could offer functionalities such as renting a car or ordering a food dish without needing to download an app for that. App Clips are also great for ticketing or offering information at an event or conference, as the user won't have to download an app to consume or consult digital content but they will able to do it in a user-friendly manner, just like they would use a native app. Another technology provided by Google that could help you reach a wider audience is Instant Apps. Adding the Instant App feature will allow your users to try your app directly from the Google Play store without installing it. This provides a great opportunity to get some exposure to your app and convert potential users to download your app. For instance, restaurants or mobility startups could offer functionalities such as renting a car or ordering a food dish to try and if the user is pleased by your service he will become a recurrent user and download the app. Another use case could be one-time events where downloading the app for a one-time use could seem too much work. The Instant app could provide all the digital content and information needed just like a native app but without the friction that an app install brings.eSimThis technology got more and more adoption lately and became a really convenient way for users to buy better mobile plans, especially when traveling abroad directly from an app without having to switch their sim cards. The use of eSim however is not limited to just this, with the development of wearable devices eSim allows to use of the same phone number on multiple devices or have multiple phone numbers and mobile plans on the same device. Like Revolut changed the traditional way of using your card giving you more control over your finances, eSim allows you to do the same thing for mobile plans.Android TV, wearables, and smart devicesThe Android development is not limited to just smartphones nowadays, there are a lot of opportunities outside of the smartphone world. Google tries to build a whole ecosystem with Android being the infrastructure for this. Whether your startup is focused on streaming, well-being, sports, or smart devices, it will be a huge advantage to have your apps running on multiple types of devices. Because these markets are not as mature as the smartphones market the entry bar is lower and there is more place for growth as the user adoption of these new devices grows.Tech stackIf you’re reading this, then most probably you already know what you’re trying to build, however, we hope the above-mentioned technologies got you excited and made you think about how you can build an even better product. Let’s now talk a bit about what’s a mobile app made of and how is it made.At appssemble, we only do native development because it allows us to use the latest and shiniest tools from Android and gives us full control over the development of the product so we can ensure a high-quality standard for all the products that we build.What's a tech stack you ask? A tech stack is a set of tools and technologies used for building a certain kind of product. As an analogy to cooking, if an Android application would be an apple pie then the tech stack would be the ingredients that are required for cooking a pie (flour, sugar, butter, apples, etc.). Our job when developing an app is similar to what a cook does, it picks the best ingredients (tech stack) and with it does its magic to create delicious dishes (in our case, mobile apps).At the basis of every tech stack, we have the programming languages used, for developing a native Android application we can use:Kotlin — Google added support for Kotlin in Android in 2017 and it already became the standard language for developing Android native apps. It is part of the modern programming languages with a focus on more concise syntax, better error checking, security, and performance. It is fully interoperable with Java which allows to easily migrate older Java Android apps to Kotlin easily. Picking Kotlin will also reduce the development time and will make the project easier to maintain in a long time.Java — is probably the most popular programming language. It is an object-oriented programming language first released in 1995 and became used because code written in Java worked across many devices. There are a lot of libraries still built in Java for Android for new projects it is not the first choice anymore.One of the most important things about a mobile app is how does it look like. Android offers us, developers, great tools for building the user interfaces and the user interactions:Android XML — the traditional way of building user interfaces on Android is declaring UI components in XML files. This is a mature framework and comes with all the tools and support needed to build rich and complex user interfaces on Android. New user interface components were added over time which made building new UIs increasingly easier.Material design — if you are an Android user you definitely saw material design in action many times. It is a set of guidelines and resources developed by Google with the intent to standardize how the apps look on Android. While we can choose to follow or not these guides, following them would make the app seem familiar, make the user more conformable using it and visually it will feel better integrated with other apps.Jetpack compose — is a completely new, modern toolkit introduced by Google in 2019 for building user interfaces and user interactions. It is not compatible with the traditional XML way of building the UI and being new there are some limitations when using it feature-wise, but also regarding the support and tools available for it. We would not advise starting a big project with jetpack compose but for some proof of concepts, it could be a right fit.OpenGL — is the standard on Android when it comes to rendering complex 2D or 3D scenes in graphic processing or graphic-intense apps such as games or simulators. OpenGL is well established and well documented in the industry with over 28 years since it was launched.The vast majority of apps need some data for them to function, that data can be anything, from user details, friends list, to recipes or images. But where do they come from or where do they reside?APIs / Third-party services — mmost of the apps have a backend server or a service somewhere that handles the data needed for the app. They store and manipulate app-specific entities such as user details, accounts, passwords, balances, photos, etc. For an app to be able to use an external, third-party server, it needs to be connected to a network, so the app won’t function without an active internet connection.What if your app doesn’t really need a server or a backend solution to store all the data? What if your app just needs to use some existing services and store some user data? In that case, there are a number of solutions that allow storing small or large sets of data locally in a performant and secure fashion.DataStore — is part of the new Android Jetpack library and it comes as a modern way of storing on the phone small sets of data, replacing the old SharedPreferences way of doing it. The integration in both new and existing apps is easy and the syntax is simple and concise. Performance is also outstanding when storing and retrieving data from the DataStore.Room — unlike DataStore, Room is a real database. It really shines when working with large amounts of data. If your app needs to work with hundreds of thousands of data points and still feels fast and snappy Room is the right tool to use for storing the data. Room can also be used as a caching system for your app, where a synchronization mechanism will keep your local data in sync with the data on your server. An example of an app that could take advantage of Room would be a navigation app for hikers, as they could easily lose their internet connections.Now that we've talked about technologies, and how to build an app, it's important to also talk about how a mobile app can be tested.Manually — not specific to Android but still one of the most common ways of testing an app is through manual tests. When manually testing an app QA cannot only check the functionality of a feature but can also check how it integrates with other features, if the design is consistent, or if the app handles well all the corner cases — such as receiving a phone call when doing a certain task. They can also validate more accurately the performance and the user of the app on different types of devices with different screen and hardware configurations.JUnit — is the Android unit testing framework that can be used to test the logic of an app. Using JUnit you can write test cases to test both the happy flow logic but also the corner cases. Basically, every Android project comes with JUnit already integrated it is up to the developers to write test cases that test their logic. It also provides a way to integrate instrumentation in the unit tests, to be able to test the performance alongside the correctness of the code.Espresso — is the Android UI testing framework that provides all the tools to write and run UI test cases. It also provides a way to record the actual test cases such that after manually testing once the app espresso can run that test again as many times as needed. This helps identify regressed issues and also reduces the need for manual testing and human error significantly.All of the above-enunciated technologies from Android can be used for developing mobile apps through the Android Studio, the IDE (Integrated Development Environment), offered by Android freely for software development.As we’ve seen, Android is a mature environment that gives developers who want to build apps a rich ecosystem of tools and technologies for development and offers a lot of innovative technologies for the next generation of mobile apps.Are you going to build a native Android app in 2021? We are masters when it comes to Android development. Get in touch and learn more about how can we help you succeed! --- ### How much does it cost to build a mobile app in 2021? URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/how-much-does-it-cost-to-build-a-mobile-app-in-2021 We look at every cost involved in building a mobile app, product definition, development, marketing, and maintenance. When a founder thinks about building an app, his next immediate tough is how much does it cost?The harsh reality is that mobile applications are not cheap, they start from a couple thousand $ and as with almost everything, the sky is the limit. In this article, we'll walk you through the list of costs involved when building an app and help you form a rough idea of the capital you'll need for building an app.Before digging into costs, let's firstly talk a bit about why would you build a mobile app? If you're a founder then probably you want to build an app to build a business around it, or the app is a piece of the puzzle. While indeed the costs of developing an app are high, the rewards, if the app is done properly are worth the time.Since you're here, we are going to assume that you want the app to be developed by an agency and we won't talk about the cost of renting a space for your developers, utility costs, salary, etc., we are going to focus only on the app costs. Let's startProduct StrategyThe first step in building a mobile MVP is deciding what to include in the first iteration and most importantly whom you're addressing with the app. This is a crucial step and under no circumstances do you want to skip this unless you have time and money for some gambling. If you already have a validated idea, if you've talked with customers, gather feedback, and adjusted the feature set accordingly, you might skip this step. Otherwise, you're going to need between $5.000 and $10.000 for this if you're using the help of a specialized agency and the whole process will take around 1 month.Mobile App Design and User TestingThe user experience is one of the most important aspects of developing a mobile app. After all, you're building an app to solve a real problem, and nobody likes clunky solutions. The user experience is not something you get right from the first time, that's why you need to validate your design and user flows with people from your target audience, gather their feedback, and adjust properly. To get this right, you'll need 1 - 1,5 months and between $10.000 - $15.000 for an MVP.Mobile App DevelopmentMost founders want to get to the development phase as early as possible, but this is only a small part of the whole process of building a great mobile app.Abraham Lincoln said, "Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.", this is also true for mobile apps where good planning, a validated product strategy, and tested designs will get you there much faster and cheaper than developing and adjusting afterward.We usually spend between 2 to 6 months developing the vast majority of MVPs, a price range for this would be between $40.000 - $150.000.As a rule of thumb, if the whole process takes more than 6 months for getting your MVP to the market, you've probably been introduced to many features and you're taking on a higher risk.Running costsDepending on the functionality of your MVP, you'll have higher or lower running costs. For instance, an app that stores videos and photos from the user will have higher running costs than an app that only manipulates photos or videos locally, as in the first case those would have to be stored on a server somewhere.The running costs are also affected by the technologies used for building the apps, some services can be used freely until you hit several daily users. In addition to this, if the app uses third-party services such as Google Location for instance you'll also need to pay for those.The average running costs of an MVP are between $50 - $250 monthly, however, depending on the number of users and the functionality of the app, those numbers can go high up when you have more users on the platform. In short, the amount you'll pay each month will be directly proportional to the user base your app has, based on the selection of services and technologies, it might even be possible to pay nothing until you acquire a fair amount of users.MarketingYour app is out but is one of the few millions available in the app stores, so you'll need to promote it to get it in front of your audience.There are a lot of ways of promoting an app, App Store advertising, social media advertising, online ads, influencers, etc. DoorDash had around 2900 ads running at a certain point, other apps like Uber or Tinder spend hundreds of millions of dollars so the budget that can be spent here could be unlimited.With MVPs, you're trying to find the product-market fit, and for doing that, you need to gather enough users to gain insightful feedback and to adjust the product accordingly. You should plan for at least $10.000 / month for the initial marketing campaigns.MaintainanceYou've launched the app, congrats! You've marketed it well and users start to use it, but your work just begins. Once the app is out and a large audience is using it, new insightful feedback from the users and details from app analytics comes along and you might need to adjust your product to better fit the needs of the users, or you might need to implement a new feature heavily requested by the users.Fail to do that and you'll slow down the growth of your startup or you'll join the 9 startups from 10 that fail. As a founder, your job should be on learning from the users and adjusting your product until you find product-market fit and stable revenue sources.Depending on the type of assistance needed, help with the analytics, building the roadmap for the future release, or developing new features the cost of maintaining a product can vary between $2.000 to $20.000.So let's sum it up:Product strategy — $5.000 - $10.000 (1 month)Mobile app design and user testing — $10.000 - $15.000 (1 - 1.5 months)Development — $40.000 - $150.000 (2 - 6 months)Running costs — $50 - $250 (monthly)Marketing — $10.000 - $15.000 (monthly)Maintainance — $2.000 - $20.000 (monthly)So for a launched MVP, with all the costs involved for the first month of operation, you would need to pay between $62.050 - $210.250 for a single app on one platform. If a second app (for another platform iOS/Android) needs to be developed, around 75% of the costs for development involved for developing the first one is a good approximation of the costs, so for an MVP for both platforms (iOS and Android), you're looking at a price range between $92.000 - $322.000.If you're looking for a team of mobile experts that would help you take your idea and transform it into a user-validated mobile app, get in touch, we would love to help! --- ### The ultimate guide to developing an iOS app in 2021 URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-developing-an-ios-app-in-2021 We explore the new technologies from Apple and give an overview of what's possible and how can an iOS app be built. You're thinking about building an iOS app but you're not technology-savvy? No problem, we'll walk you through the ins and outs of mobile iOS development for startups.When deciding to build an app, the focus should be on its core functionality, not necessarily the technologies used for building it, so let's look at the things iOS as a development platform excels from a feature-wise perspective.Machine learningiOS is a great platform for developing apps that have ML features. The hardware in the new iPhones is capable of fastly processing large amounts of data and extracting useful information. A new platform comes to every decade and ML on mobile devices has just seen the light of day, there are a lot of unexplored territories and a lot of startups to be built. ML has many implications and has offered a ton of exciting and innovative capabilities that could be integrated into a startup, natural language processing, image recognition, and object tracking are just a few of the things possible. At appssemble, we're experts in ML and AI, and we've even written a summary of what's currently possible in the realm of ML and AI.Augmented RealityThere are no other platforms that are even close to achieving the capabilities offered by iOS to developers for building AR applications. Apple heavily invests in developments in this area and leads the way by a large margin, not only do they offer great technologies for building AR apps, but they also equip their latest models with sensors meant to aid the process of building great AR apps. LiDAR, which was included on the iPhone 12 Pro and iPads, makes the detection of real objects much more precise and blazing fast, which means there are a lot of opportunities for building AR apps. By combining AR with ML, we are technologically capable of achieving exciting things like human pose detection, speed, and trajectory of real moving objects such as golf or basketballs, virtual object placement, and manipulation or accurately measuring real objects.App ClipsOne of the latest technologies introduced by Apple is App Clips, which offers users the possibility of interact with an app before downloading it. It's a great way for startups that operate in the physical world to interact with their customers. For instance, restaurants or mobility startups could offer functionalities such as renting a car or ordering a food dish without needing to download an app for that. App Clips are also great for ticketing or offering information at an event or conference, as the user won't have to download an app to consume or consult digital content but they will able to do it in a user-friendly manner, just like they would use a native app.eSimeSims are not new, however, Apple has opened its doors to apps that could take advantage of those and allow users to lose their carrier and take advantage of new ones with better offers through mobile apps. Apple allows users to install and use eSims as they're pleased, which means is now possible to have different phone numbers every month or to have different plans, based on your needs, the country you're in and what types of services do you use. There are a lot of advances to be made in this sector and there is a huge opportunity for innovation.Cross-platform on macOSIn the latest versions of the iOS SDK, Apple made it super simple to port a mobile app to a macOS one. This means with minimal effort, your iPhone app could also run on desktops and laptops. Previously, macOS developers were pretty hard to find and expensive, as not a lot of macOS apps are being built nowadays, however by porting your iOS app to macOS, you can reach more customers. If you're thinking about building an app that could be useful in a macOS context, such as photos or video manipulation, watching content, or even e-commerce, you could reach a lot of customers. If you wish to be a top-charting app in the App Store without spending a fortune on marketing, this is possible in the macOS store.Tech stackIf you're reading this, then most probably you already know what you're trying to build, however, we hope the above-mentioned technologies got you excited and made you think about how you can build an even better product. Let's now talk a bit about what's a mobile app made of and how is it made.At appssemble, we only do native development because it allows us to use the latest and shiniest tools from Apple, but more importantly, because is the only approved way (by Apple) for building those kinds of software products. So let's look a bit at the tech stack used for building those apps.What's a tech stack you ask? A tech stack is a set of tools and technologies used for building a certain kind of product. As an analogy to cooking, if an iOS application would be an apple pie (pun intended) then the tech stack would be the ingredients that are required for cooking a pie (flour, sugar, butter, apples, etc.). Our job when developing an app is similar to what a cook does, it picks the best ingredients (tech stack) and with it does its magic to create delicious dishes (in our case, mobile apps).At the basis of every tech stack, we have the programming languages used, for developing a native iOS application we can use:Swift — a powerful and robust language developed by Apple in 2014, that was developed with the ideas of security, performance, and fewer bugs in mind. It forces the developers to write code in a way that makes it harder to introduce bugs while developing features of the apps. This is our weapon of choice as it allows us to built more sturdy apps and do it fast.Objective C — developed 30 years before Swift, ObjC is an object-oriented programming language from the days of Apple's beginnings. It offers great flexibility and is great for building apps that should interact with low-level functionalities or C/C++ libraries as it offers excellent interoperability.One of the most important things about a mobile app is how does it look like. Apple offers us, developers, great tools for building the user interfaces and the user interactions:UIKit — is the oldest UI framework in the iOS SDK all the native apps built till 2019 (that were not games) were using it. It allows developers to interact, build and handle all types of user events and to build complex interfaces. Apples have made working with UIKit fast and pleasant by offering developers tools to build UI interfaces graphically. This is by far the most used UI framework on Apple's platform and the one we recommend for the vast majority of apps.SwiftUI — is a new UI framework from Apple, introduced in 2019, its a completely new system for building user interfaces and user interactions. SwiftUI is still rather new, and there are a lot of things that are currently not possible, we would not advise exclusively using it into a new app just yet.Metal — is a framework used for graphic processing or graphic-intense apps such as FinalCut or 3D games. By using Metal, the developers gain access to tools that can interact directly with the GPU in mobile devices and tools for video and image processing.The vast majority of apps need some data for them to function, that data can be anything, from user details, friends list, to recipes or images. But where do they come from or where do they reside?APIs / Third-party services — most of the apps have a backend server or a service somewhere that handles the data needed for the app. They store and manipulate app-specific entities such as user details, accounts, passwords, balances, photos, etc.. For an app to be able to use an external, third-party server, it needs to be connected to a network, so the app won't function without an active internet connection.CoreData — what if you don't want to use a third-party service, and your app just needs data from the user? That's exactly what CoreData is for, it's a local data storage that can store your app's data (photos, videos, text, or other app-specific data). CoreData is also used occasionally as a caching mechanism for the third-part services. If an app only uses the information available on the device, it means it can run without an internet connection. An example of an app that could take advantage of CoreData would be a navigation app for hikers, as they could easily lose their internet connections.CloudKit — sometimes all your app needs is storage, if that's the case and you don't need any complex algorithms on your backend CloudKit is a great choice. It allows developers to fastly build apps in which the users could share data, without the need for a third-party service.Now that we've talked about technologies, and how to build an app, it's important to also talk about how a mobile app can be tested.Manually — not specific to iOS but still one of the most common ways of testing an app is through manual tests. When manually testing an app QA cannot only check the functionality of a feature but can also check how it integrates with other features, if the design is consistent, or if the app handles well all the corner cases -- such as receiving a phone call when doing a certain task. They can also validate more accurately the performance and the user of the app on different types of devices with different screen and hardware configurations.XCTest — is a framework from Apple that allows developers to write unit, integration, UI, and performance tests for their code. It offers a great report of the coverage of the tested code and what can be improved. In addition to other tools or other platforms, it speeds up the UI testing mechanisms by allowing developers to record (like in screen recording) flows that would be repeated and validated when the tests are run.All of the above-enunciated technologies from Apple can be used for developing mobile apps through the Xcode IDE (Integrated Development Environment), also offered by Apple.As we've seen, Apple takes good care of developers who want to build apps for its platforms by offering a rich ecosystem of tools and technologies for development and offers a lot of innovative technologies for the next generation of mobile apps.Are you going to build a native iOS app in 2021? We are masters when it comes to iOS development. Get in touch and learn more about how can we help you succeed! --- ### Why you should do native development instead of cross-platform URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/why-you-should-do-native-development-instead-of-cross-platform Find out more about the differences between cross-platform technologies (ReactNative, Flutter, and Xamarin) and native development, and why you should choose the latter. Should I build a native or a cross-platform mobile app?That's a common question among all the startup founders who want to develop a mobile app, each one of those approaches has its advantages and disadvantages, today we are going to talk about them all and make your decision easier.Cross-platformThere are a lot of cross-platform technologies available that allow building apps for multiple platforms (iOS, Android, Desktop of Web) from a single codebase. Among the most popular ones, we can enumerate React Native, Xamarin, and Flutter, we are going to talk about each one of those as they have certain particularities that we find worthy of mention.React NativeThis is one of the most popular approaches to developing cross-platform mobile apps it uses JavaScript as a programing language and was created by Facebook.React Native works as a mediator between the native iOS and Android platforms, which means that UI components from React Native will be converted to native components by the framework. In simple words, a button from React Native will be translated into a native button on Android, and a native button on iOS.AdvantagesCross-platform — you can build apps for different platforms from the same codebase.A lot of developers — JavaScript is a popular programing language, there is a large number of developers to choose from (a lot of Web developers have started building mobile apps because of this).UI components upgrades — when Apple or Google releases a new version of their mobile OS, usually there are changes to the UI elements since React Native is mapping to native components, you'll get the upgrade instantly.DisadvantagesDeprecated libraries — React Native developers use a lot of obscure libraries which could be deprecated or their maintainer does not update them periodically, which means that sometimes the developers who build the app would have to modify and maintain those libraries.Harder debugging — the way React Native is built makes debugging much harder than for native platforms. In addition to this, when receiving crash logs from the users, those won't be of great value, as they are not mapped to the React Native code from which the app was built.Different looks on iOS vs Android — while mapping React Native components to native ones has advantages, it also has disadvantages, the main one being that you won't have the same pixel-perfect UI on both platforms due to the mapping.XamarinDeveloped by Microsoft Xamarin, uses C# and the .NET framework for building cross-platform Android and iOS apps.Microsoft has its paradigm of developing mobile applications, there is an extra learning curve. For the UI part of an app, Xamarin can use either platform-specific code or Xamarin.Forms which is a cross-platform UI library.AdvantagesCross-platform — you can build apps for different platforms from the same codebase.UI consistency — if using Xamarin.Forms, the UI of the iOS and Android app will look similar, the main difference being on the way navigation from one screen to another is conducted (as there are differences between iOS and Android).DisadvantagesCosts — while Xamarin has a free version with limited features, if you want to take advantage of the full platform, there are licensing costs (around $1.000/year for small businesses at the time of writing).Debugging — Xamarin is known for its bugs as a platform, so when discovering a bug, a developer would have to investigate it on 3 platforms (iOS, Android, and Xamarin).Lack of developers — there aren't too many Xamarin developers available, you'll have a hard time finding one, this is mainly because of Microsoft's paradigm and the associated costs.FlutterOne of the youngest and most promising and popular cross-platform development technologies comes from Google and is called Flutter.Flutter uses Dart as a programing language and allows true cross-platform development (iOS, Android, Web, and Desktop). Flutter has its own engine for the user interface, it uses 2 different design widgets that imitate both iOS and Android's UI components.AdvantagesCross-platform — Flutter allows building apps from the same codebase for multiple platforms, not only mobile, it has support for iOS, Android, Desktop, and Web.Performance — among the cross-platform solution Flutter offers the best performance, as its graphics and visualization engine built into C/C++.Popularity — Flutter is the most popular cross-platform technology according to Github and Stackoverflow questions.DisadvantagesNo free UI upgrades — since Flutter does not map its UI components to native ones when the OS updates and the components are changed, an app developed with Flutter will look the same.Limited support — a lot of libraries and features have limited support, which means there are a lot of native functionalities which can not be used in a Flutter app, when the mobile OS changes, your app won't be able to use all the shiny new things until they are ported to Flutter.Native appsThe only recommended way by both Apple and Google (even that they invest in Flutter) of building mobile apps is using native technologies. On iOS apps can be build using Swift or Objective C as programming languages and while Android supports Kotlin and Java.For building an app that would run on both iOS and Android using native technologies, two codebases are needed, one for iOS and one for Android.AdvantagesPerformance — native apps have far better performance than all the cross-platform approaches as they run directly on top of the OS.Updates — when a new version of the OS is released, a native app will get automatically all the new UI elements without needing to modify the app, and also get access to the latest available APIs and new features of the SDKs (such as improved AR/VR components, access to enhanced security features, etc.).Mature platforms — finding native developers is easy, they usually focus only on mobile development so they have a lot of experience in this particular type of software. Moreover, since both iOS and Android are available for quite some time, there are a lot of open-source libraries, UI components, and tools for making the development process faster.Stability — an app built with native technologies will continue to run on the newer versions of mobile.Advanced tools - — both Apple and Google offer advanced tools for development and debugging.DisadvantagesNot cross-platform — if a company or a founder wants to offer their mobile app on both iOS and Android, it needs to have two separate codebases using different technologies, and libraries.ComparisionThe main reason someone would want to develop an app using cross-platform technologies is the cost. The idea of having a single codebase is appealing to many startup founders, however, we've discovered that going cross-platform does not necessarily mean lower costs.In addition to the already mentioned disadvantages of the cross-platform technologies, they also have some extra ones, such as an increased size of the app(which means it will occupy more space on the phone of the user), and increased complexity as the codebase grows.We've discovered that in cross-platform projects once the codebase starts to grow, and more complex features are added, we would need to write platform-specific code. In addition to this quite often we would also need to write native code, for handling specific cases and APIs. As an example, we needed to write native code for both iOS and Android when we've built a cross-platform app that had an AR/VR component in it, as React Native did not know how to handle the different frameworks used by both platforms.While costs were lower at the beginning of the project, the added complexity made developing new features extremely slow and costly.Cross-platform development is suitable for small applications in which the user interface is not that important, has a limited set of features, and there are no plans for adding more features, for instance, an access app to a conference, or a corporate app that displays company news. Or, for large enterprises which have all their web apps written in React and they can easily transition some of the features on the mobile apps as well.While cross-platform might seem like a good idea and looks good from a cost-wise perspective when starting a new project as compared to native technologies, as time passes and more features are added, new OS versions and SDK appear, cross-platform approaches become more expensive and rigid to adding new features. In addition to this, there is no guarantee that they will work on the next version of the mobile OS, and the user experience they provide is much more inferior to their native counterparts.Besides all the above-mentioned advantages of native development, it is also important to point out that native development tools surpass by far the cross-platform ones. For instance, when designing a native user interface, developers could use tools from Xcode or Android Studio for visually building the UI, which makes the development a lot faster. In addition to this, both development environments offer advanced debugging tools which make finding and fixing a bug much more easily. Furthermore, native platforms also provide out-of-the-box, easy ways of testing the flows or the user interface of the apps.At appssemble, we've decided to build all our apps using native technologies, not only because they are more stable, secure, performant, and run better, but also because it's the only safe, reliable, and approved (by Apple and Google) way of building an app.... and we are not the only ones, Facebook, the company that created React Native, has switched from React Native to native development for their messenger apps, Airbnb has done the same, Udacity as well, and the list could go on and on.We build a lot of mobile apps for startups, and for a startup, it's important to be able to take advantage of the latest SDKs, it's also super important to be able to deliver new functionalities quickly and to be able to build on top of an MVP. We also strong believers that it's important to respect each platform and adjust the user interaction to the platform's guidelines, what works for an Android user might not be that intuitive and user-friendly for an iOS one. After all, a startup needs all the competitive advantage it can get, to attract new customers and turn the existing ones into raving fans, and we believe going native is a major advantage over the cross-platform approaches, from both a user experience as well as from a performance one.As for the costs, in the long run, by doing native development, the costs will be at worst similar, but in the vast majority of cases, the native will be cheaper. A common mistake startup founders make when deciding to go with a cross-platform approach for their MVP, is that they assume that the price for it will be half the price of native apps, this is usually not true, and a more realistic cost would be 75% of the cost of both native apps (as both native apps will use the same backend solution, and most of the business logic is the same, so most of the times is just porting the solution to the other platform).If you're thinking about building an, and we've convinced you that native is the right way to go forward, or if you want to convince us that we're wrong, we would love to hear from you, get in touch and let's talk! --- ### What's the difference between a mobile app POC, Prototype, and an MVP? URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/what-s-the-difference-between-a-mobile-app-poc-prototype-and-an-mvp We go into a detailed explanation of each one of those concepts and how can they help you build your mobile startup. When building new digital products, it's important to match innovation with technical excellence and test the assumptions behind the product often and with the right tools.Proof Of Concepts (POC), Prototypes, and Minimum Viable Products (MVP) are all used to validate the idea of a digital product (mobile app, website, etc.) at different stages.Mobile Proof Of Concepts (POCs)A POC is used when testing the feasibility (technical and integration) of a feature.The purpose of a POC is not only to test the technical feasibility of a feature from a technological point of view but also to show the integration constraints, and to highlight its potential downsides.At appssemble, when we build a POC, we also create a report in which we highlight all the technical, integration, and user experience constraints that we've identified while testing the POCs idea. By doing so, a POC achieves its purpose, that of validating the feasibility of the feature, and presenting all the possible downsides of the approach.Why build a POC?Innovation — POCs are usually built when trying to prove if it's possible to achieve a certain feature using the current technology or the current tech stack. This is especially useful when trying new technologies such as AR/VRIncrease interest — POCs could also help startup founders prove the feasibility of their core feature to a board of investors, or their target customers.Example of a POCWhen building the voicecal app, we had to first test the feasibility of the idea, whether or not could we could use the voice as an input mechanism for calories counting, and if the idea would work in multiple languages. After we've proven our assumption, we've started the development of the app and use all our findings in regards to technology and user experience constraints, to give life to the first version of the app.Mobile PrototypesA POC is used when testing the feasibility (technical and integration) of a feature.A mobile app prototype is used to showcase the user interaction part of the productits purpose is to show how the product will function from a user experience point of view. There are multiple types of prototypes:Paper-based prototypes — this is the simplest form of prototypes, here the focus is on defining and identifying the flows, screens of the app, and the basic interaction between them. This kind of prototype is used in the early stages of a mobile app product, for defining the feature set and the core screens of the app.Wireframes — those types of prototypes are digital and static, they focus on the flows of the app, the types of components used in each screen, and how the flows and screens interact. This type of prototype is usually black and white, it has no colors, images, or illustrations, and it's used for validating the flow of the user in the app and for providing an overview of the functionalities of the app. Wireframes usually contain all the flows and screens of the app and handle the interaction between all flow combinations (what happens if the user has just registered, what should happen if they are trying to make a purchase but have no payment method added, etc.).Interactive / Clickable prototypes — those prototypes are digital and interactive versions of the designs and are high fidelity versions of the end product. Interactive prototypes represent the final UI of the application(images, colors, illustrations) presented interactively -- meaning that the users can interact with certain elements and navigate between the flows. These prototypes can be accessed and interacted with via the computer using a web browser or using mobile devices where prototypes could run "as apps", hence they represent a great way of getting the feel of the app and testing it from a user experience point of view, without the need to write any code.Why build a prototype?Validate and iterate — a prototype is a great way to test and validate user flows with your target audience. Based on an initial prototype, and the feedback gathered from the user, the founders can make adjustments and improve the design and user experience.Convince investors — by showcasing your idea in full, investors are more likely to understand the backbone of what you're trying to achieve and they can see your vision for the product and how it would look like, before actually building it.Optimization — after building a prototype, founders get the full picture of how the app will look and work, after collecting feedback from the users, sometimes they discover that certain features are not needed or they simply don't make sense in the general idea of the app, so they can be removed for saving costs in the development phase.An interactive prototype in Figma. Source Figma.Example of a prototypeWe've built a prototype for the fragrance shop, one of the biggest retailers of fragrances in the UK. We've started with a paper prototype for defining the core features of the product and build a fully interactive prototype of the core features of the app.Mobile Minimum Viable Products (MVPs)An MVP is the first version of the app that allows the founder to test, and validate its idea, usually, used for finding and testing the product-market fit.In other words, an MVP is a version of the app that focuses on the core feature of the product and lets the founder validate their hypothesis and measure things like adoption rate, user satisfaction, and performance.MVPs are a combination of prototypes and POCs, as they focus both on user interaction as well as solving a real problem with the aid of technology.When building an MVP it's important to have enough features so that the app becomes marketable, but should be as minimal as possible, it should solve one problem, and it should do it properly. A good example of an MVP would be the first versions of the Shazam app, it did only one thing, recognizing songs and it did it well, later iterations have added a social part, the ability to listen to the song, add it to your library, see charts, etc., but to validate the hypothesis all they needed was a stripped-down version of the current product.Why build an MVP?Hypothesis validation & feedback — only by building an MVP a founder can truly test their hypothesis and gather feedback. With an MVP, founders can test their go-to-market approach, can gather larger amounts of feedback from their real audience, and can extract metrics like engagement, time spent on the app, or test the viability of their business model.Attract investors — a POC or a prototype could help you raise money, but an MVP can prove to your potential investors that you've achieved product-market fit and that you have traction which are the core things they look at when investing in a startup.Build your audience & get customers — an MVP is a great way of attracting your first customers and testing your product in a real-world scenario. In addition to this MVPs allow founders to get to know their audience better and to build a community around their product.Example of an MVPWe've to build aical to test our idea, that by using Machine Learning techniques we could improve the process of counting calories and living a healthier life. The first iteration of aical -- the MVP contained only the core feature, snapping a photo of your food and tracking the number of calories in your snaps. Once we've got enough traction (over 5000 users) we've included new features, such a bar code scanning, and integration with Siri and graphs.TL;DRPOC - Used for validating the feasibility of a feature from a technology, integration, and user input point of view. The focus is on the technological solution and its advantages and disadvantages. (Technology)Prototype - Used for showcasing the user experience, together with the visual identity/user interface of the app. The focus is on the interface, how does the app look and feel. (User experience)MVP - A first version of the app, with minimal functionality, build around the core feature of the app. The focus here is on both the technology side as well as on the user interaction and user interface. (Technology + User experience)When building a mobile product, all of the three concepts are important, however, sometimes you can skip steps.For instance, if the product you're trying to build, does not present any technical challenges (you don't need to reinvent the wheel) then a POC might not be needed, usually, a team of mobile experts could help you decide whether or not you need a POC.A design can also be validated without necessarily having an interactive prototype. Prototypes are more expensive than static UI/UX designs so a lot of founders choose to skip those as well.As for MVPs, every successful app was at one point an MVP, so if you're going to build a mobile product, you can't skip this phase. You can, but you'll spend a lot of resources on building a fully-fledged product, and most of the times you'll learn that users won't use it the way it was designed or it simply does not get traction or it does not solve the problem in a way that it's helpful for the user.If you have any questions on how to build your mobile product, or what the roadmap for your idea should be, get in touch and we'll help you uncover all the mysteries of successfully building a mobile product. --- ### Digital transformation using mobile apps URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/digital-transformation-using-mobile-apps Learn more about digitalization and how you can transform your business using mobile apps. What's digital transformation?Digital transformation is a broad concept, it's used as an umbrella term for describing various concepts of a business that have been enhanced by technology. In simple words, every process of a business that has been enhanced by the use of software & technology can be viewed as a digital transformation.An example of digital transformation would be a banking app that allows users to perform banking operations, previously possible only by making a trip to the bank.Digital transformation is usually driven by common factors which are industry agnostic:Reducing cost — by automating the process that previously required human interactionImproving the customer experience — by using technology and automated processes more users can be reached and their requests can be solved much fasterIncreasing the security and resilience — by using more technology in the processesHow it helps businesses?Mobile applications are a great way of digitalizing businesses, nowadays, people use their most personal devices -- smartphones, for doing a large variety of operations, from e-shopping to paying bills or getting medical advice through healthcare apps.Some ways in which mobile apps can help you digital transforming your company or startup are:Increase engagement — by using mobile apps for common processes in your business (such as transferring money, purchasing a ticket, or trading stocks) you're getting new ways to reach and target your customers, in addition to this, your services will be available 24/7.More sales — if your business is selling something online, E-Commerce apps have 157% more conversions than mobile web.Better recommendations — by using AI and analyzing the behavior of the user, a business can upsell services related to the user's interests, automaticallyFast and high-quality content delivery — by using the newest high-bandwidth mediums such as 4G or 5G.Automating manual processes — for instance, automatically sending out reminders that you're insurance is about to expire, or engaging with users via custom offers in special cases (such as birthdays).One common feature of the vast majority of digital transformation is the automation of certain tasks and flow in a way that human interaction is removed partially or as a whole. The results of digital transformation are lower costs and more efficiency, hence higher profits.In what areas of a business can digital transformation help?A business has multiple layers that interact towards achieving a common goal. Digital transformation can happen at multiple of those layers.Sales & MarketingBy definition, at the core of every business, we have profit. Companies are trying to acquire more customers and drive up more sales, but to do that, they need to get in front of the customers and their services have to be found easily.A great way of reaching new customers is by targeting your audience and informing them about the company's products and services. This can be easily done by using advertising networks such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Google Ads and grabbing the attention of your potential customers. By using paid ads, companies can target a real audience and can advertise their product in the audience's news feeds of popular social apps. Potential buyers which express interest in the services provided by the company will be redirected to the company's web page or mobile app where more details and information regarding the products and services can be digested.Digital transformation in marketing is an effective tool as the average US citizen spends as much as two hours and three minutes a day on average using social media, creating a great funnel of potential new customers. This gives companies a huge opportunity to engage with new customers and encourage them to find more about the products and services they are offering, through conversion-oriented pages and flows.Another area in which digital transformation can help the sales process is by using AI and ML learning techniques for improving the customer experience. The experience can be improved by using the latest technological advancements such as AR/VRwhich could help the users see and interact with the product before actually buying it (for instance user could see how a piece of furniture would look like in their home by using AR).In addition to this, the experience of the user could also be enhanced by using intelligent recommendation systems, which use AI techniques for recommending products and services which best fit their profile (just like Netflix does when you're on the home page or after you've finished a movie).Supply chainFor businesses that rely on a supply chain for achieving their goals, digital transformation can help automate the process of ordering and handling supplies.Based on historical data, ML algorithms can be used for implementing smart systems which would handle the supply, by automatically ordering supplies when you're about to run out, making predictions regarding the number of supplies needed for the next periods, or optimizing the logistics of the supply process.An example of digital transformation on the supply chain could be a restaurant that only does food deliveries. With the help of ML, the restaurant will have future projections on how many purchases they will have based on a lot of factors like weather, holidays, size of the city they operate in, previous purchasing patterns, etc., which will result in accurate assessments of the supplies needed for the next period. A smart supply system that is integrated with vendors could automatically order ingredients, packaging items so that the restaurant never runs out and they cook only with fresh ingredients.Low-tech businessesDigital transformation could also help low-tech businesses, for instance, small grocery shops. By offering online-based ordering, through the use of mobile apps, or websites, they can reach more customers and keep their business going, especially in times like the Covid pandemic where a lot of people have relied on delivery services for a vast majority of their purchases. The businesses that offer delivery services are here to stay and they've proven to be very effective at increasing sales.By offering services online, a small business can better nurture its customers with custom offers and loyalty programs that would turn their customers into fans.Digitalization and gamification have been applying to a lot of domains, especially due to the global pandemic. Businesses like on-demand video fitness apps, or e-learning platforms have sprong and gained a lot of popularity in the past few months. Gamification (gamification serves to increase user motivation) is a great tool that can be used to drive up user motivation and engagement and can be applied to a large area of businesses.Why does the digital transformation fail?Unfortunately, there are a few cases in which digital transformation does not live to its promises. We've discovered that the main reason for a failing digital transformation is that the business failed to properly integrate technology in their day-to-day tasks.For instance, a business might start using an advanced invoice system that automatically sends invoices and follows up with the customer based on the signed contract, but they won't integrate their contracts into the platform, so the system becomes an expensive invoice generator tool.For a digitalization process to be effective, the organization that implements it needs to restructure to gain all the benefits of using technology. Companies that fail to integrate the new digital processes in their workflow and restructure the processes around them, don't rip all the benefits of using technology and might create an extra workload which results in diminished profits or more work being made.Digitalizing a business is a symbiosis between technology and implementation. Not all business types can be successfully digitalized, and even those can run into issues while implementing the digital transformation. Those issues are frequently due to the employees who are not well trained in using the technology and understanding all the benefits of how technology can make their jobs simpler.BankingRevolut is one of the most popular digital banks, a lot of customers, especially young ones are using it as it provided an easy way of managing your expenses, transferring funds, converting currency, or investing in stocks. With the rise of fintech, a lot of traditional banks had started a digital transformation process, to keep their customers and attract new ones.Such an example from the heart of Transilvania, appssemble's home, is Banca Transilvania. They are a traditional bank but they have started a digitalization process with great results, their mobile apps have become widely used by both tech-savvy and young people as well as their previous customers which were accustomed to a more traditional way of doing different banking operations.RetailOnline shopping is now more popular than ever, a lot of shops have transitioned their services online (web and mobile apps). This digitalization of such business allowed them to offer their services non-stop and nowadays a lot of stores offer online products which are not available in the physical stores.Many of the premium brands which sold their products exclusively in physical stores such as Burberry, embraced digital transformation, and offer their products online via mobile apps or websites.More than half of the mobile users are online shoppers, having a mobile app for selling your services is a great way of reaching those customers.HealthcareOne of the most active industries from a digitalization point of view is healthcare. A lot of the processes which involved a visit to a medical practice now happen online. Apps such as MDLive allow their users to connect with a doctor and get help without the need to leave the comfort of their home.For the healthcare industry, this is a big shift, as doctors don't have to be in the same geographical area as the patients anymore, technology allows them to help and treat more people.appssemble helps companies implement digital transformations through knowledge and experienceThe knowledge we acquired from working for big enterprises (Bosch, Honda, Deloitte) and startups offered us the tools needed to guide you through the digital transformation of your business. Our team of technical experts and designers builds digital products that make a long-lasting impact on the user and simplify your businesses.We are not just building digital products, we help you all the way through in digitalizing your business. Our core mission is to help customers succeed with the aid of technology, which means we use all the means necessary to ensure that your digital transformation is a success. Get in touch and learn more about how can we help you in your digital transformation journey. --- ### How much does it cost to develop a Clubhouse like MVP? URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/how-much-does-it-cost-to-develop-a-clubhouse-like-mvp There are a lot of costs involved in building a successful MVP, find out more about costs involved in building a mobile MVP like Clubhouse. If you are here you probably already know what Clubhouse is and what it does. But how much would the mobile development cost to develop a similar app? Is it worth it? And would you be able to replicate the success Clubhouse currently has?User InterfaceIf it were to describe the UI of Clubhouse in one word, it would be retro. While the retro current became more and more popular in other industries, like fashion and music, in tech it is not that popular, big tech players are still going for a clean and modern design.The app reminds me of the beginnings of Instagram and Twitter when people were still figuring out how mobile apps should look like and what should they do. Now, let’s see how a cost estimate would look like for the UI/UX design of a similar app (not a copy of the actual Clubhouse design, let’s say we build it from scratch):Logo and app icon — $500Login/Signup flow — $1.000Main screen — $3.200Explore section — $1.500Explore search — $600Clubs explore — $1.500Start a room — $1.300Room — $1.600Upcoming — $640Invites — $640Activity — $320Profile — $1.280Settings — $960Total: $15.040Several improvements could be added to this design, like prettier loading screens and error dialogs, better-looking icons, and overall a more dynamic/live feel of the app, but this is a discussion for another topic.Mobile developmentThe mobile development part might seem complicated at first but remember, we are in 2021 when there are a lot of Saas solutions that we can use so we don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time. From the development perspective, we can split the development process into 4 parts.Building the backend of the appSeveral frameworks could be used for building the backend for an app like Clubhouse, there is no constraint so it is more a matter of preference. For convenience we will assume the backend will be built with your favorite framework in the Go language.Environments setup — $640Login/Signup API — $1.000User profile API — $2.300Rooms API — $3.200Main feed API — $3.800Search API — $3.200Activity API — $1.900Following API — $2.500Upcoming API — $1.600Topics API — $1.600Invites API — $640Total: $22.380Building the UI and integrating the backend API into an iOS appNext, we want to build the iOS app and integrate the backend API. After this step, we will have a fully working app, but without the actual core functionality which is the VoIP part. A cost estimate for this implementation would look like this:Login/Signup flow — $2.240Main screen — $4.800Explore section — $5.500Explore search — $3.200Clubs explore — $3.200Start a room — $2.500Room details — $2.500Upcoming — $1.600Invites — $1.280Activity — $2.000Profile — $4.800Settings — $3.900Total: $34.320Mobile audio streaming / VoIPIn 2021 audio streaming is not a technical issue anymore. While there are still scaling challenges, for an MVP of up to 1 million users, using a ready-to-use free solution like jitsi or a WebRTC server should be enough. This would also imply that we have to support some server costs.If the MVP proves successful like Clubhouse is right now, we can start thinking about building a scalable VoIP infrastructure. For this, there are many solutions from just using more servers to choosing the right codecs, but this is a subject for another topic. Here, for convenience we will stick to a free solution and will estimate just the cost of integrating such a solution:Setting up the servers — $1.600Integrating VoIP in the app — $3.200Total: $4.800Mobile app testingTesting an app like Clubhouse is not a trivial task. Many tests should be done to assure the optimal running of the app. Given this is an MVP we recommend only doing the minimum testing that would assure a proper running of the app and avoid doing automated tests at this stage of the app development. The testing should be done in parallel with the development to fix the possible issues as early as possible.Manual testing of the app — $8.200Load testing of the backend — $2.500Load testing of VoIP servers — $4.000Total: $14.700The total estimated cost for the app development: $91.240 Monthly servers cost: 1000$-5000$ depending on the usageMobile MVP marketingFrom this point on, the focus should shift to marketing and promoting the app. Getting into details about how to do marketing for a Clubhouse-like application would make this already long article longer. We can shortly note the channels that should be used for a successful launch.Since this is an app addressed to pretty much everyone, the main goal of the marketing strategy would be to create some hype around the app and get as many people as possible to talk about it. To do this, the main marketing channel should be social media, tech reviewers, and tech news websites.The goal is to create a snowball effect that would drive enough downloads to put the app on top in the AppStore for its category. Cost for marketing could vary wildly and a better approach here is to set a budget. For an MVP like this a starting budget should look like this:Marketing — $10.000 - $15.000 / monthPartnerships — $50.000 - $100.000 / yearTotal: $170.000 - 280.000$appssemble can help you build VoIP and social MVPsWhile building a Clubhouse like MVP does not pose any technical difficulties and does not involve a cost for R&D or paying for some shiny new tech, replicating their success might be hard to do. The new social media platform came after a year where working from home was the norm and people got used more and more to video or audio conferences instead of face-to-face meetings.Social apps are popular nowadays, especially due to the times we transition. If you want to learn more about how can you build an MVP or you need a cost estimate for your idea, get in touch, we would love to help! --- ### Why should you spend time and money on a mobile MVP? URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/why-should-you-spend-time-and-money-on-a-mobile-mvp Mobile MVPs focus on the core solution that allows businesses and founders to test their hypotheses and adjust accordingly for future iterations. Should you build an MVP?A Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is the best way for a founder or a business to validate their hypothesis by getting in front of their customers through digital marketplaces and test it with a real audience.The process of developing an MVP is costly from both a time perspective as well as financially, to get good results, an MVP should focus on a bare minimum set of features that would allow testing the idea of the product.The psychologist Gerald Weinberg has shown that people are more productive and achieve better tasks when they are focusing on only one task, switching context, and doing more than one thing, heavily affects productivity and the overall performance.When doing 2 tasks, you lose 20% of your productive time when switching contexts, for 3 tasks this number goes up to 40%. This is also true for mobile products, by focusing on a limited set of features, a founder or a business that develops an MVP has a much better chance at success and achieves much better results as he focuses on solving one problem only.What to include in an MVP?Deciding on the roadmap and the feature set of an MVP is a difficult task, especially for a first-time founder, or a business that tries to solve a new problem that is different from what they are used to doing. Before going in and developing an MVP full of useless features that will not provide any usefulness for your user, it's important to plan accordingly and focus on the problem and the right audience.As its names say it, an MVP should be a MINIMUM VIABLE product, which means you'll need to cut and reduce the feature set of the product until you'll reach the core of your main idea. Besides the benefit of having the founders concentrating on solving a problem and doing it innovatively, restricting the feature set also allows faster implementation, hence a faster idea-to-market time and most importantly, lower costs.A good example of that would be Shazam, when they first launched, their app didonly one thing, recognizing the name of the song from an audio recording, and they've done it exceptionally. All the other features like tops of the most searched music, the ability to listen to the full song, or adding it to your library came much later, and only after they've achieved their product-market fit and people start using and loving the product.On the other hand, Quibi, a streaming service born in the pandemic was a mobile streaming service that allowed users to watch bite-sized content on their devices, is at the exact opposite pole. After spending over $1 billion in developing the full product, without any market validation and iterations on the idea, they had to shut it down, 6 months after the lunch as they did not get market traction.The ideal way of starting an MVP is by doing a product workshop, in which you'll work with a team of mobile product experts, designers, and developers for defining your product (tech and design), and roadmap for implementation. Based on the outcome of the product workshop, you'll be able to collect feedback from a group of users in your target audience, adjust the product, and have a clear vision of the action plan, the costs involved, and timelines.Why should you build an MVP?An MVP is the first iteration of your product, is the watered-down, slim version of your grand vision. It should provide a solution to the core problem you're trying to solve, in a manner that's good enough for the users to use and engage with for you to test the hypothesis of the product.Attract investors and stakeholders - An MVP helps you sell your idea to investors or stakeholders (if you're building an MVP for a corporation). It shows them the technical feasibility of your solution, they get a better grasp on what you're trying to achieve, by being able to play around with the app, and most importantly, based on the feedback from your early users, you can show the positive sides as well as the negative one and how that aligns with your growth and future development plans.Better understand your target audience - The feedback, reviews, and app analytics for the MVP provide insightful information on how are they using your product, what are they struggling with, and how can you adjust and modify the product to better fit their needs. Only by incorporating the users' feedback and by paying attention to their needs and how they use your MVP, you'll be able to scale it and make a successful product that users love.Test the market - There are many examples (like Quibi) that did not probably test the market before spending money on a fully-fledged product. An MVP helps alleviate this problem as it will help founders to test the demand for their solution and decide whether or not to further invest time and resources in this endeavor.Perfect your business model - An MVP we'll get you your first customers, based on their behavior, you'll be able to make more informed decisions about your business model, as you'll have a quantitative measure of how many of them become paying customers and what are your operational costs. Mobile MVP usually implements a freemium model, where they make their services free for attracting more users and getting more feedback but will also include extra purchasable content or subscriptions for the customers who want more and are willing to pay.Every successful mobile product has started as an MVP.We know that the start of a new mobile product is one of the most important steps in its lifecycle. There are a lot of resources and books that teach you how to run a successful business but there are limited sources for those who just started or want to start building a mobile product. At appssemble, we are here to help you and guide you through the whole process of building an MVP, picking out the right feature set and the right technologies so that you can get the best setup to test your assumptions and to be able to pivot on the feedback of your early users.If you want to build a mobile MVP, get in touch and learn more about our process for building successful mobile apps MVPs, and how can we help you reach your first customers. --- ### How to build a Live Streaming app - Product, Monetization, Tech, Features & Costs URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/how-to-build-a-live-streaming-app-product-monetization-tech-features-costs The live video streaming market is expected to hit $70 billion in 2021, we look at how can you build a streaming app and what technologies are involved. The live video streaming market is expected to hit $70 billion in 2021 was shown in a study from 2016. With the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, this process has accelerated drastically, and a lot of offline activities have moved online and Satya Nadella the CEO of Microsoft has stated that according to metrics from Microsoft, we had "2 years of digital transformation in 2 months".Video content is the king nowadays, with more than 80% of US users preferring to watch a video than reading a blog post or articles, in addition to this, the viewing rate of videos is 10 – 20 times higher for live content than for prerecorded, on-demand one.Live video streaming is really popular, we find it in Facebook's products, Instagram live stories, or on Twitch where a lot of gamers stream their plays. However, there is still much room for innovation as more and more of our activities are moving online, live training sessions, courses, conferences, or live assistance are just a few of the topics which started to be enhanced by live streaming solutions. In addition to this, due to privacy issues, many companies, and people are moving away from video communication tools from big companies.Smartphones are our most personal devices, and they have great hardware capabilities for creating, streaming, and watching live video content. Today we are going to talk about the technology behind live-streaming apps, what should you consider if you want to solve a problem through live streaming and what are the costs of developing such an app.How to build a live streaming app MVP?ProductNever build on assumptions is our mantra at appssemble, before building a product it's important to understand what's its purpose, and the business model around it.It's important to conduct surveys and talk to the users before building a product, that why we enourage you to conduct a free Discovery session and a Design Sprintbefore developing the product.From a business model perspective, live streaming apps implement a subscription-based model (monthly, yearly subscriptions), but there are also cases where Ads are used as a revenue source.ExperienceWhen building an MVP, the focus is on the core of the product, the main feature only, but that core needs to function remarkably well. When building a streaming app there are a couple of things that make the live streaming experience a pleasant one:The content needs to be available instantly and the streams must have an as little delay as possibleStreaming content should not consume too many network resources - the internet is not cheap in many countries, especially the one from carrier providers, when building a streaming app you should make sure you're not using more bandwidth than you're needingStreaming or watching a video should not drain the battery - unfortunately, this is the case with many apps where streaming, encoding, or decoding live video takes a big toll on the energy efficiency of the devices it runs onPrivacy - we are strong advocates of privacy, the content of the user should be his own and have full control over itLast but not least, the UX/UI represents a major part in the success of the app, the flow of the user as well as how it interacts with the content can be a deal maker or breakerTechnologyThe most popular live video streaming protocols are WebRTC and RTMP/S each with its own strong and weak points. Depending on the scope and budget custom solutions can be built that implement WebRTC and RTMP/S services, those usually cost more to develop but have lower operational costs, or third party services can be used to lower the development time but the operational cost is going to be greater.When developing an MVP what we usually recommend is going with a third-party service provider for the first iteration of MVP, to test the market, user engagement, acquisition, etc., and if the product is successful move onto a custom solution with lower operational costs.WebRTC in mobile appsThis technology allows for an extra layer of privacy as the connection (if possible) is made directly between the users involved in the communication, meaning the video goes straight from user A to user B without using an intermediate server, which results in lower latency, and lower operational costs. In cases where this approach fails, a relay server is used as a middle man for communication.The downside of using this protocol is given by its strong point, in the case of apps where more than 2 participants are live streaming, the bandwidth used for streaming increases drastically.To illustrate this example, let's imagine 3 users (A, B, C) that are engaged in a live streaming session. For this to work, each one of them has to send the stream from his camera to the other 2 users (user A streams its video stream to user B, and also streams it to user C) in addition to this, it needs to download streams from the other two users (user A downloads the video feed from user B and user C) to be able to see them.As you can see, the network usage is affected by this quite a lot, as well as battery usage. Using WebRTC works well for around a maximum of 5 users who stream at the same time, after that point the resources consumed are too heavy for devices that are not constantly plugged into an energy source or have a WiFi connection.ProsLower operational costsIncreased privacyLow latencyConsDoes not work well for more than 5 users on mobile devices - in general, it should be used for apps where communication is restricted to a low number of users, or when only a video feed is sent (the presenter sends the video to all of the participants, the participants are only watchers).RTMP / RTMPS in mobile appsThis protocol is the most used for high-definition streaming, where a delay of 10–15 seconds (from the moment when it was streamed to when the user sees it) is acceptable, this is used for instance when streaming a conference, a sporting event, or a concert in which there is no real-time interaction with the viewers (only trough messages, and other means different than video).The content from the streamer goes to a server that processes it and viewers interact with that server for viewing it, hence the delay. In terms of privacy, in this protocol, the communication always happens through a mediator (third party server).The downside of this technology is that does not allow live streaming between the participants and it's also less advanced from a privacy point of view as the video is processed before viewers can view it. In addition to this, the streamer server knows who are all the watchers of the stream and can represent a single point of failure - in the case where there aren't multiple serversProsHigh-quality videos, that can be modified (eq. applying watermarks)Supports a large number of users - it can be scaled to any number of watchersVideos can be stored and viewed on-demand after the stream has endedConsUsage of third parties for communicationA delay of 10–15 secondsDoes not support real-time communication for all the users involved in the conversationFeatures & CostsEvery MVP is different in its way, compiling a definitive set of features for a live streaming MVP is not possible, but many of the mobile apps which have streaming as their main component have some of the following featuresUser registration / loginUser profileA list of streamers/feeds and the ability to search or filter themStreaming or watching a live streamSubscription mechanismNotfificationsFrom a cost-wise perspective, an accurate estimate for such a project can not be made as it heavily depends on the features set, design, number of users, etc. A ballpark estimate for such an app, assuming no complex design interfaces, heavily relying on native components, which uses WebRTC for communication is given in the following table.The price of the project includes manual QA, development, and project management needed for one platform (iOS or Android).We have a wide experience in building streaming applications, our technologies are used by Bosch, Honda, and a lot of developers through our free SDKs.If you're looking for a partner for building a great streaming app, get in touch and let us guide you through the process. Drop us an email, and let’s discuss more! --- ### An Overview of 2020 from a Mobile perspective URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/an-overview-of-2020-from-a-mobile-perspective Did you worry you spent too much time on your phone these past months? Maybe even for the last year? Statistics say we spent 1.6 trillion hours on a mobile device in the last year. 2020 was THE year for mobile devices, meaning it was the year of the highest mobile use. Did you worry you spent too much time on your phone these past months? Maybe even for the last year? Statistics say we spent 1.6 trillion hours on a mobile device in 2020. But don’t blame yourself too much, it’s not you, it’s Corona, or at least that’s what I like to tell myself. But let’s see the bright side in these unfortunate times, some of us -anxious individuals-, get to work remotely from home, participate in online classes, shop online and avoid stress-inducing situations like not knowing if you should shake hands or give a hug when meeting with friends, or nervously say “You too” to a waiter who wishes you to enjoy your food.All jokes aside, Appssemble’s company culture embraces accountability. Keeping everyone safe is a priority for us, so our company moved remotely from home, where we continue to design and develop native mobile apps, fast & on budget.As I was saying, 2020 was THE year for mobile devices, meaning it was also the year of the highest mobile use. Kind of ironic if you think about it since we lived perhaps one of the most immobile year of our life. Now let’s talk mobile.Average Amount of Time Spent Generally on a Mobile DeviceLet’s see how much time we spent on a mobile device in general. App Annie was the one that said we spent 1.6 trillion hours in 2020 on mobile devices so far, and that’s only in the first half of the year. Impressive, indeed!According to eMarketer, adults (+18 y.o) spend an average of 3 hours, 50 minutes a day on their smartphones, generally speaking, dethroning TV use;and an average of 3:35 minutes in apps and 25 minutes in a browser.The coronavirus has advanced mobile use by 2 to 3 years — accelerating our transition to the world of mobile-first. (AppAnnie, 2020)Habits on mobile devicesSince most things moved into quarantine and remote work, we developed an obvious need of mobile use, whether it is for working, ordering food, paying utilities, education, fitness & health, entertainment or connecting with friends.Smartphones have a clear dominance in the mobile-use statistics, almost everybody owns one nowadays. In 2019, Statista said there were 4.8 Billion people using phones, in 2020 it reached 6.95 Billion and in 2021 it’s expected to get up to 7.1 Billion worldwide. Therefore, our homes will remain the epicentre of our social and working lives, with 43% ‘At-Home’ behaviours linked to mobile use.Next, let’s see both of Apple Store and Google Play’s 2020 habits in different App Categories such as Gaming, Education, Entertainment, Health & Fitness and Shopping.Is there anyone here who didn’t play anything from the Gaming category in 2020 while staying at home? I’m 99.9% sure there isn’t since it’s the most popular category by downloads. Whether it’s an adventure game, arcade, educational, sport or strategy, almost everybody relaxes their mind by engaging in some sort of online game, whether it’s on an app or in a browser. As a result, mobile playtime increased by 62% in 2020. (GameAnalytics, 2020). Top Gaming Apps Worldwide by Download are Among Us, Subway Surfers, Join Clash 3D, Garena Free Fire, Genshin Impactand others.The Educational category is thriving this year giving the fact that we live in the informational era, where everything is accessible, convenient and mobile, straight from the comfort of our home. It’s not so unnatural anymore to be studying online, whether it is for academic purposes or personal development. Top Educational Apps Worldwide by Download are Google Classroom, YouTube Kids, Duolingo-Language Lessons, Photomath, Brainly-Homework Help App and Kahoot! Play &Create Quizzes. We might even include the most popular-by-use video conference platforms: Microsoft Teams, Google Meets and Zoom Meeting.What did we do in 2020 with all this spare time that we had? After a good session of playing and/or studying, we amused ourselves with various choices from theEntertainment category of course. Top Entertainment Apps Worldwide seem to be: Netflix, YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Prime Video, Apple Music, Twitch, TED, Google Play Books and TuneIn.At the opposite side of ‘motionlessness’, we find a healthy category of apps where people liked to spend their time in 2020. The Fitness & Health category. The benefits of exercises are well known, but in order to enjoy the rewards, you need to stick to a consistent and disciplined routine. This is where technology comes into help with apps where you can find a virtual personal trainer, specific exercises or a training partner to keep you motivated to work at home. This category is also known for its versatility, for its multiple subcategories such as Running, Walking, Activity Tracking, Cardio or full-on workouts. According to Forbes, Top Health & Fitness Apps Worldwide by Download are Calm, FitBit, MyFitnessPal, Headspace, Flo, Muscle Booster Workout, Better Me, Fitness Coach, Samsung Health, Home Workout.Customers began using their mobile devices for product testing as soon as they hunkered down at home and 69% of internet users said they prefer searching for feedback on their phones rather than contacting an in-store employee. And I understand that completely! That being said because individuals like to search online, they obviously also like to shop online. Two thirds — 66% of internet users use Shopping applications on their mobile devices, 57% of them being between the ages of 25–34. Top Shopping Apps Worldwide are Wish, SHEIN, Amazon, eBay, AliExpress, Joom, Alibaba and Pinduoduo.Most Popular Apps of 20201.FacebookSince the app is number 1 in the entire world, it’s no surprise that Facebook is one of the most popular apps of 2020. It’s perhaps the most useful app to connect and stay in touch with people. The Facebook family include Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger-another favourite one in the App store.2.TikTokAs of Q3(3rd quarter) 2020, TikTok was number 2 in the non-gaming apps for user spending. TikTok has seen a sharp rise in active-users in 2020, almost three times the size since 2018. In 2021, we expect TikTok not only to get the craved-spot in the 1Billion-active-users-club/month but is also aiming to pass 1.2 Billion.3.ZoomThis app is definitely one of the most proeminent new entries in 2020, along with a few other video conferencing applications. Zoom reported more than 30 million daily attendees in April 2020, and in March 2020 there was a daily download of 2.13 million.4.What'sAppIt might not be a new app, but it definitely experienced continued downloads in 2020. As of July 2020, it has topped the most popular global mobile messaging app of the year list, with over 2 billion downloads.5.InstagramThis photo and video sharing app is one of the most popular application among Gen Z and Millennials. Instagram is particularly useful in marketing. The app provides marketers with plenty of opportunities between IGTV, Instagram Lives, Instagram Stories and Reels to engage with their audience.6. Google MeetsAs with Zoom, Google Meet has seen unforeseen download boosts. The app reached over 50 million downloads in May 2020, with users who work from home, turning to the service. During the pandemic, Google Meet became more popular because of the free use for all users.7. YouTubeMore time at home allows users to use YouTube to help consume time. With more than 29.3 million installs, YouTube was the world’s most downloaded streaming app in May 2020.RevenueConsumers Downloaded 33 Billion New Apps in Q3(3rd quarter) 2020Google Play downloads rose to 25 billion, 10% year over year, while the iOS AppStore downloads grew to nearly 9 billion year-over-year by 20%.Non-gaming applications accounted for 55% of all downloads on GooglePlay, while the figure was marginally higher at 70% on iOS.Sports, Tools and Entertainment were the highest at the category level by downloads on Google Play.Sports, Picture and Video and Entertainment remained the biggest download categories on iOS.Consumers Spent a Record $28B in Apps in Q3 2020On the iOS AppStore, spending grew by 20% year-on-year to $18 billion in Q3 2020; spending on Google Play grew by 35% year-on-year to more than $10 billion.On Android, the largest categories were games, social and entertainment by consumer spending. The three largest categories of consumer spending were on iOS, games, entertainment and photo and video.Design & Development trendsDesignIt’s important to bear in mind that the target of the designer must always be the same for these current trends that we have right now, by using new methods and innovations in order to change the user’s lives. Whenever you analyze a specific trend, consider it to make the best user experience in the light of the importance it provides to consumers. And the latest UI/UX Design Trends seem to be the following:DevelopmentWith the growth of mobile apps, it should come as no surprise that opportunities to work as a mobile developer will only increase in the coming years. Burning Glass, which compiles and analyzes millions of jobs across the world, predicts that mobile app developer jobs will rise by 30.7% over the next decade.So here we are at the end, the end of the article, the year and hopefully the end of Covid-19 pandemic and its restrictions. Let me give you a short summarization of the content: we spent 1.6 Trillion Hours on Mobiles Devices in 2020; there are 6.94 Billion people using phones; people enjoyed playing games throughout the year, therefore playtime increased by 62% in 2020; we started using more Fitness & Health apps; people readjusted eCommerce; most popular apps in 2020 are Facebook, TikTok, Zoom, WhatsApp, Instagram, Google Meets and YouTube; the mobile design trend changed; consumers downloaded 33 Billion New Apps and spent $28 Billion in Applications Store. --- ### What are great food delivery apps made of? URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/what-are-great-food-delivery-apps-made-of What makes a food delivery app great? We look at the product side, business models, client acquisition, marketing as well as the implementation side and analyze what makes a food delivery app catchy. Today we are starting a new series at appssemble where we are going to talk about various types of applications, how do their business work, who are their target customers, and last but not least, what does it take to build a great app.The first domain we’ve tackled is food delivery apps, as they are really popular especially now and every few months there seems to be a new app that tries to solve this problem.ProblemFood ordering apps solve a big problem in today’s world, it helps the users get the food they want without wasting time going out to a restaurant, cooking it themselves or leaving the comfort of their home or office. The ability to have a digital menu from various restaurants near you and be able to choose a dish from this large variety makes food ordering apps very popular, especially with the people who work office jobs.DemographicsAccording to this paper (Why do people use food delivery apps (FDA)? A uses and gratification theory perspective) published in November 2019, men tend to use those kinds of apps more often than women (63% men and 37% women), in addition to this, over 85% of the users are aged between 19–30 years old, come from Middle-class families, pursue or completed a graduated or master’s degree and use the app a few times a month (with the vast majority using the app multiple times/week).Business modelFood delivery apps make money from multiple sources, the most common ones are the following, ordered by the percentage:percentage of the order — paid by the restaurant when an order is placed from the app, the vast majority of the income comes from this revenue streamdelivery fees — some companies have their fleet of delivery or they are collaborating with some company which handles the delivery, most of the times, the users pay more than the actual delivery it would cost, so that results in another stream of revenuein-app ads — some apps display ads from the restaurants that have various promotions and want to advertise on the appselling the data regarding user behavior to other companies — knowing what type of user order more, from what restaurants, which dishes, and in what location, it valuable information for advertising companiesservice fees — a large number of apps practice a service fee that is used to make the product better (marketing, development, customer support)MarketingTo make this kind of app popular, you would either have to be in a geographical zone where there aren’t such apps, and you find an increase in the target demographics (young, educated people that come from the middle class), usual cities with big universities. Or spend a lot of money on advertising.Most of those apps spend a huge budget on advertising (millions of dollars) to acquire new users, sometimes the big companies such as DoorDash or FoodPanda also buy other small companies in the same business to take away their market share.Food delivery apps are more common on mobile than on the web, thus their marketing campaigns are specifically tailored for this kind of medium, displaying ads for their app in other popular apps, or in the searches made from those devices. Just for the sake of numbers, we have looked at how much do some of the most popular food delivery apps advertise on the Facebook network, DoorDash has around 2900 running ads, FoodPanda around 1700 while UberEats around 700 and Deliveroo 500at the time of writing.Entering this segment of apps requires as we saw a large capital spend on advertising to convince users to use your app, or to have a superior product that people love to use.ProductThe functionalities of a food delivery app are pretty straight forward, to allow the user to order their favorite food and have it delivered to them. We won’t enter the details about how to restaurants handle the orders and how the apps they use look like, we are going to focus only on the mobile apps in search of finding out, what makes a food delivery app great.Sign upLike all the apps, the ones who let you try them out before asking for your details, delivery address, etc, are more user friendly and create a better experience, among the popular ones, Deliveroo is the only one which does that. Other apps have a pretty straightforward and easy to use sign up process (Uber Eats, Grab Eats) while others seem they are purposely trying to make it harder for the user to use their app. I’m talking about DoorDash where sign-in with Apple does not work properly, and they don’t allow signing up with other phone number country codes than the 3 ones where they operate, for me, as a foreign user this is a big disappointment and I’ll choose their competitors.Main screenThe main screen of the most popular food delivery apps are composed of multiple items:search feature — allows users to search for their favorite foodsfiltering — allows filtering of the offers based on food type, price, time to deliver, or even by dietary options and restaurants hygiene ratingsfood type selector — allows filtering only the restaurants which serve a certain type of food (breakfast, Asian, America, Italian, fast-food, deserts) or various deals and offers.various type of categories — such as “popular near you”, “new on the platform”, “today’s deals”, etc.promotional offersrecommendation based on your previous orderslist of restaurantsAs we can see there is a lot of information to be fitted on a screen, and sometimes the UI of those apps seems crowded, especially when they also have ads from various restaurants in your feed (eq. FoodPanda).It’s common knowledge that more options make you sadder and makes your decision harder to take, some apps, have lists that span over the 6–7 screens only with filtering options — this results in a bad UX as it makes the whole process of ordering food more laborious and takes to much time.We believe that apps in this category should allow the user to order food as easily as possible and helping them decide on what to order based on previous experiences and what happens around you (if you travel to a new city or country for instance, or if there is a new gem in town).Because an MVP brings restrictions when it comes to releasing entire sets of functionalities, it challenges you to think of the real problem the product is solving for its customers and the core value proposition of it.All the apps allow you to enter an address either via searching, automatically inferring it from your current location, or picking a point on the map. Some apps however don’t allow you to search for locations in other countries (for instance if you are in Berlin, you can’t look at restaurants from Paris, and order there) or even worse if you try to see the offers in another country, they ask you to log out and create a new account (I’m looking at you FoodPanda).Ordering processFinding what to eat is a task handled by the main screen of the app, where you can filter and search for the right food, afterwards, you are redirected to a restaurant for configuring your product. The restaurant is responsible for showing you a picture of the product as well as some details, unfortunately, all of the analyzed apps lacked all or multiple of the following details:MVPs are renowned for helping business owners and startup founders test and validating their product idea. Bringing an ideology of only building core functionalities and being cautious with the money invested, and MVP will help founders achieve market fit while decreasing future investments in the product.pictures of the same dishnutritional valuesingredientssize of the dishallergen informationIn most of the apps after you’ve selected your favorite dish, they let you configure it according to the restaurant’s offerings and they also recommend products that go by well with the one you’re about to purchase (desserts, drinks, etc). In addition to this, they also give you a time estimate for the delivery, a breakdown of the costs, and the ability to pay with either credit cards, cash, or technologies like Apple Pay and Google Pay.OrdersAfter an order has been placed, all the apps try to inform you regarding the status of an order, however, those estimates and statuses are pretty far away from reality with most of them according to the reviews in the app. Implementing an accurate tracking system is not an easy task, especially if you combine it with a time estimate and the fact that the food might be delivered by third parties not necessarily the employees of the company which owns the app.Order status while inconvenient is not the major problem with this functionality, the most frustrating one comes from the fact that in most of the apps you can NOT cancel an order from the app, you need to call either the restaurant or the customer support from the app to do that. Not only you can not cancel your order easily, but you can’t event append to it, so if you forgot to order something, you either place a new order (new delivery and service charges) or you call the restaurant or customer support and see if they can help you.This kind of behavior seems outdated in 2020, we understand that there are some technical difficulties, but they should not be a problem for well-established companies such as FoodPanda or Deliveroo.What does it take to build a great food delivery app?TargetOur main focus should be on young persons (aged 19–30) which live in cities that either has big universities or their economy works well and have attended higher education (bachelor, masters, or Ph.D. degrees). Having a clear vision of who is using the app, can make us make better decisions while developing it.Must-have FeaturesThe app should allow at a bare minimum to order your favorite dish from a restaurant nearby and to do that in an easy, straight-forward way. Other must-have features include:easy sign-up, and it should be delayed to the moment when the app has to know all that info (name, address, payment methods, etc.)credit card / cash / Apple Pay / Google Pay paymentsthe ability to search a restaurant or a dishfiltering of restaurants (based on price, food type)option to add instructions for the restaurant stafforder status and ETA’sorder historyhave a fast, friendly, and helpful customer serviceNeedless to say that those features would need to be implemented in a way that the user will experience a consistent, lag-free, and eye-candy manner. A good example of such an app would be Takeaway.com.Should-have featuresBesides everything enumerated in the must-have category, if we want to build a good food delivery app and enhance the experience of the users, it should also include the following features:food recommendation and offersthe ability to explore restaurants in other geographic areasfiltering based on delivery time, price, offers, cuisine, and dietary optionan enhanced order status including tracking of the food and the ability to contact the courierpush notifications regarding the status of the ordersthe ability to cancel the order from within the appshow allergen and nutritional values of the dishesNice-to-have featuressplit the bill — allowing multiple users the order food in one single order delivered to one location would be something that the users would love, I know I wouldappending to an order after you placed it — obviously, you shouldn’t allow the users to modify the order after the restaurant has sent it, however allowing this to happen in a certain time frame, before the food is shipped would be a great enhancement to the status quo.dietary plan & calories calculator — entering your desired calorie intake together with a dietary plan so that the app could show you food recommendation that would help you achieve your daily goalsUnfortunately, I couldn’t find a good example of such an app, but this is also good news since it shows there is still room for improvement in this domain.We’ve seen a trend where more and more restaurants or chains of restaurants move away from food delivery apps that aggregate multiple other restaurants and they build their platforms, this is mainly because of the fees of the platform and the association of their brand with others. User’s however, like diversity and don’t want to have multiple different food apps installed, finding the right balance between diversity, costs, brand awareness, and quality is always a hard task.ConclusionsBeing in the food delivery business is just like in any other business, you would either have to be well-founded or a market that allows it to easily grow. The good news is there is still room for improvement and new ideas, for instance, Apple introduced App Clips, which are opening a new set of possibilities for those kinds of apps. --- ### The benefits of building an MVP for your startup & how to build a Minimum Viable Product. URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/the-benefits-of-building-an-mvp-for-your-startup-how-to-build-a-minimum-viable-product How do you make sure that the product you build can sustain your business while generating income? And how do you do fast, customer feedback-based releases? Technology is taking over the world. Taking a quick look around us, we see digitalisation gaining more and more traction.Even more today, in the light of the pandemic we’re experiencing, global businesses are looking to automatise their processes and replace humans with machines while offering online, technology-based services to their customers — and here’s where digital products enter the scene.But how do you make sure that the product you build can sustain your business while generating income? And how do you fast, customer feedback-based releases?At appssemble, we encourage all of our clients to first build an MVP for their product.What is an MVP?Eric Ries defined an MVP as that version of a new product which allows a team to collect the maximum amount of validated learning about customers with the least effort. This validated learning comes in the form of whether your customers will purchase your product.One of the promises that lay under this definition is that after launching a minimum viable version of your product, you get to observe your customer’s behaviour with the digital product and collect feedback from the way they interact with it.Note how less functionality does not mean poor quality. In fact, it is essential to know that in a relatively competitive digital world, to achieve customer traction, the software you build needs to be more than just a few lines of code well kept into a repository. It needs to create emotion, blend into the everyday environment, solve real-deal problems, and tell you a little story while it does all that.The benefits of building an MVPMVPs had their time of popularity in the startup world. Founders and new product builders all over the world are choosing Eric Ries's MVP to validate their ideas, accomplish the market fit, gather feedback from their customers and, why not, attract new investments. In short, an MVP is a great way to layout your business idea, and see if it works or not without investing a tone of money beforehand, which leads us to our first benefit of building a minimum viable version of your product first.1. An MVP saves you time and money.As a startup founder and new product builder, you can easily fall into the trap of adding too much functionality to your product before getting it on the market to have its first interaction with the users. This means that you can easily invest loads of money into something that hasn’t been tested, hence validated by the users.Ideally, you would want to release the core features of the product, get them out to your beta testers, and continue with the roadmap of your product based on feedback. It not only saves you money but time as well.2. An MVP will bring focus to your core value proposition.Because an MVP brings restrictions when it comes to releasing entire sets of functionalities, it challenges you to think of the real problem the product is solving for its customers and the core value proposition of it.3. An MVP helps you verify the market demand.MVPs are renowned for helping business owners and startup founders test and validating their product idea. Bringing an ideology of only building core functionalities and being cautious with the money invested, and MVP will help founders achieve market fit while decreasing future investments in the product.4. MVP’s provide an ideal framework for iterating the UI and UX of your product.User Experience is crucial for the success of your product. Once you release an MVP on the market, you have the necessary amount of feedback to know what works and what doesn’t about the UX of your product.How to build an MVPBuilding an MVP started with a digital product idea that solves a real problem for its potential users. Once you have identified that you can start thinking of the functionalities of the web or mobile application you want to build.At appssemble, we created a software development process that guides us when building new products and provides a tried and tested framework for building mobile apps in an agile manner and lean-approach.1. Product StrategyProduct Strategy refers to the initial step of building any digital product. It is the right time to think of the problem your mobile or web app is solving for your customers, pitch your idea to friend and family and start collecting feedback, think of a monetisation plan, sketch your user persona and research your market. It’s important to make sure that the product you build not only collects data and delivers functionality but can also be used in your business’s economic advantage.2. Create user stories and flows of your mobile applicationOnce you have identified the problem you are solving for your users, and have a clear idea of your potential users, move on to creating the user stories and flows of your mobile application. A user story should define the action of a user together with the purpose of it, and most of the time it has a structure that is similar to this one:“As a [persona], I [want to], [so that].”Breaking this down:“As a [persona]”: Who are we building this for? We’re not just after a job title; we’re after the persona of the person. Max. Your team should have a common understanding of who Tom is. Make sure you understand how your personal works, how they think and what they feel. Have empathy for Tom.“Wants to”: Here you want to describe Tom’s intent — not the features they use. What is it that Tom is actually trying to achieve? This statement should be implementation free — if you’re describing any part of the UI and not what the user goal is you’re missing the point.“So that”: how does Tom’s immediate desire to do something this fit into his bigger picture? What’s the overall benefit he is trying to achieve? What is the big problem that needs solving?You can find out more about how to create user stories, here.3. Mobile App Wireframing & UX DesignHaving stated the user stories of your (mobile) application should give you enough information and structure to create a mindmap of the entire application flow.Start by sketching the screens of your application, translating user stories into features and screens. Most of the initial wireframing that is done at appssemble looks like this:After sketching the screens of your mobile application, we recommend having a UX designer help you translate everything into a digital format and give you input on your user flows.Once the UX phase is done, and you have your digital high fidelity wireframes in place, create a functional prototype to get an even better idea of the application flow. At appssemble, we use InVision a digital product design platform that helps with new digital product design.Remember that the UX phase is the best moment to iterate on the core functionalities and try out possible new ideas and concepts.4. UI DesignOnce you have agreed on the core functionalities of your app and have an agreed UX flow, you can move on to adding the brand to the User Experience.5. MVP Development (Coding Time)Exitiiiiing! It’s time to give life to your designs. Make sure you find a team of agile software developers that understand your business and know how to make technology work into your advantage while keeping the feasibility and scalability of your mobile application in mind.6. Launch!It’s time to get your product out in the world. Pay attention to the feedback your early users provide, as this will be the cornerstone for further development.Don’t forget to build, measure & learn.While building an MVP, one of the most essential principles you need to follow is the build measure and learn loop. After you launched your product on the market, keep an eye on how users interact with it and collect all the feedback needed to iterate and enhance your product.Curious to see some of the projects that we built and started out as MVPs? Go ahead and check out the appssemble mobile applications portfolio on our website.Struggling to keep yourself motivated during this time? Don't forget that despite everything happening, some of today's greatest startups have been founded during the 2008–2009 recession: Airbnb, Pinterest, Slack, Square, Uber + WhatsApp Inc. All it takes to create a digital product that gets to the heart of the customers is a little bit of attention to your market's current needs and struggles. Spot them and bring on the solution! --- ### What is possible in the realm of AI/ML on mobile applications? URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/what-is-possible-in-the-realm-of-ai-ml-on-mobile-applications Everything is possible, but if you’re just starting in this world, and you don’t have a large team of scientists and developers your options might be a little bit more limited. Luckily, there are a ton of resources and tools available that can be easily used in MVPs or already existing apps. You’re probably thinking of building an app that has an AI/ML component, or you might want to add an intelligent component in your already existing one, but what exactly is possible and how can you do it?IntroductionArtificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are popular terms nowadays which are spread all over the IT scene and there is a trend in trying to apply the concepts of those domains to everything related to IT (building apps, recommending movies, showing ads, finding the best time to travel from one place to another, etc.).Mobile phones are the devices that use AI and ML the most and I’m not talking about a single scope approach where AI techniques are used for solving a certain problem, in a mobile phone AI is used from the hardware (the custom AI chips) to software (Siri, picture taking, recommendations, natural language processing and many more).Now, what’s the difference between AI and ML?AI is the science and all the practices involved in making a computer behave in ways that we previously thought were only accomplishable by humans (such as playing Chess, driving cars, writing poems, etc.). ML on the other hand is a subset of practices in the AI domain that allow computer algorithms to improve through experience (for instance, categorizing music, recommending movies, giving diagnostics, and so on).In the realm of mobile applications, ML is one of the most common braches of AI in use, that is mainly because of hardware considerations (the computational power, energy efficiency, and storage) but not only, mobile phones are devices which are usually used by a single user for day to day tasks and they are meant to solve a multitude of problems not a single one. In addition to ML, there are a lot of other AI techniques used in mobile products such as Computer Vision, Computer Audio, Deep Networks, and so on, however, those are not that widespread.So what is currently possible from an ML perspective in the realm of mobile applications?Well, everything is possible, but if you’re just starting in this world, and you don’t have a large team of scientists and developers your options might be a little bit more limited. Luckily, there are a ton of resources and tools available that can be easily used in MVPs or already existing apps, I’m going to talk about a few of those today.IntegrationFirstly we need to talk about how those tools can be accessed, mainly there are two ways in which the tools can be used and accessedAPI based — those are usually external services that take some data as input and give you back a response based, all the processing happens on a server somewhere, and there is a need for an Internet connection to access those — so they don’t work for offline apps.Device-based — the algorithms and the AI models live on the device, those can be accessed and used usually offline but some of them require an Internet connection as well.There is a third model, which is a hybrid of the two enunciated above in which a model is downloaded periodically from a server, however, those cases are rare and are not that commonly used as the other two.Machine LearningML techniques are heavily used for image processing but not only, but they also apply to other domains (medicine, predictions, etc). The product of every ML algorithm is an ML model that can be used for solving a certain problem. One can think of an ML model as a blueprint for solving a certain problem, once we know how to do multiplication, we can apply the same operation to an infinite number of options.Training a modelBased on the user behavior, for instance, an app could learn from the user’s behavior which action he is most likely to do, an example would be a food ordering application that would make suggestions based on previous behavior (for instance recommend vegetarian dishes and restaurants if it’s lunch to users who eat vegetarian food for launch multiple times). The model and the algorithm is updated every time the user makes a choice, thus resulting in completely different app experiences for different users.The example above recommending the food based on previous orders can take into consideration multiple other parameters such as the period of the year, time of the day, the location of the user, what other users on the platform are trying out, and so on. A model is more than just doing some simple decisions, it can take into consideration a lot more parameters than the human brain and it can take really good decisions regarding what to recommend if it’s configured and build correctly, with high-quality data.For this sort of intelligent algorithm to work well, it needs the right data and it needs some time to learn until accurate predictions can be made. In addition to this, doing this on the user’s device can raise some privacy issues if the model or the data used to compute it leaves the device, so think about it carefully before deciding that you want to use it.Another approach is to distribute the same model for all the users of the app, a model trained to solve a certain, well-defined problem, for instance, identifying the season from the photos taken by the user. This can be achieved by training the model with either your data (if you have enough of it) or by using one of the data sets available on the web. You can find datasets in many domains, mainly used for academic purposes but not only, some examples of the sets available are:Food types setsDiagnostic for certain diseases setsLanguage setsVoices setsUsing a pre-trained modelKnowledge is power, most commonly nowadays data is power because no matter how good coders are your team, won’t be able to implement great ML algorithms without a large set of data that covers as many as the possible causes of the problem you want to solve. Unfortunately finding the right data to train your model can be hard, not only that you need correct data, correctly labeled and written in a consistent format, you also need a ton of it to make your algorithm performant.Luckily there is some good news as well, on the web you will find a lot of pre-trained models that you can use in your app, or even API’s that expose some trained models for solving certain issues as:Recognizing the main object from an imageRecognizing the people, faces, and body parts and body poses from an imageRecognizing brands, names, texts, or food (including the type) from an imageFinding the answer to a question in a textAnother class of intelligent algorithms is the Natural Language Processing which handles text and audio (containing someone speaking) to extract certain content from the analyzed phrases or sentences. This is a central piece in software such as Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant.The good news is that a lot of tools are available that can process natural language data and extract with high accuracy different information such as:The language of the data (English, Deutch, French, etc.)Identifying parts of speech (noun, verbs, adjectives, numbers, pronouns, and many others)Identifying punctuationIdentifying businesses or organization namesFinding similar words or sentencesTraining models for identifying custom items such as names of products, sports rules (ex. offside, goal, handball, etc)Analysing the sentiments of a text (positive, negative, etc.)As you can see, with the aid of those tools we can easily build more complex and intelligent systems, for instance, an app that could take voice commands for completing certain actions, or modifying the score table while watching a football game in the app by only analyzing the sound of the commentators.Please note that we haven’t talked about AR/VR techniques and tools even though they heavily use AI and ML techniques, they will make the subject of a future article. --- ### Augmented & Virtual Reality (AR/VR) in mobile apps URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/augmented-virtual-reality-ar-vr-in-mobile-apps A new platform comes every decade, the smartphone simple client golden era has passed and now makes way for other mediums where the user can be more engaged and the experiences more immersive. A new platform comes every decade, the smartphone simple client golden era has passed and now makes way for other mediums where the user can be more engaged and the experiences more immersive. I’m talking of Augmented and Virtual Reality technologies, of course, as all the big technology companies (Apple, Google, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft) have made serious commitments to developing new technologies in this domain.Mobile applications are still our most personal and most used device, today we have over 2 billion mobile devices that support AR experiences and the number is increasing, as every new smartphone has AR/VR capabilities. The hardware is advancing constantly (eq. Apple’s new LiDAR sensor) as well as the software (new development kits), making it easier to integrate AR experiences in the apps.AR is being used in a lot of domains already, for instance in the E-Commerce sector where shoppers are more inclined to purchase a product after they’ve inspected it with AR technologies or social apps where besides filters, the users can also add AR objects in their streams. Another domain in which AR is popular is the indoor or outdoor navigation solutions where directions are easier to be followed if they are placed in a real-world environment.Big corporations also use AR/VR either for education or to showcase different tech features of their product, for instance displaying different motor parts or how a certain hardware component works. AR is also used in medicine, for instance, the patients who need to do recovery exercises can speed out their recovery time by also practicing at home with the aid of an app.Due to the current state of the world, the education system is changed, new technologies are used for conveying knowledge and AR does a really good job in this domain as well, as it creates more engaging experiences without necessarily being in a classroom.The big technology companies are all working on smart glasses to augment our real experiences but in the meantime, our way to the future is still through the smartphone.So what is the current status quo in terms of what’s possible from an AR/VR point of view on mobile devices?AI is the science and all the practices involved in making a computer behave in ways that we previously thought were only accomplishable by humans (such as playing Chess, driving cars, writing poems, etc.). ML on the other hand is a subset of practices in the AI domain that allow computer algorithms to improve through experience (for instance, categorizing music, recommending movies, giving diagnostics, and so on).In the realm of mobile applications, ML is one of the most common braches of AI in use, that is mainly because of hardware considerations (the computational power, energy efficiency, and storage) but not only, mobile phones are devices which are usually used by a single user for day to day tasks and they are meant to solve a multitude of problems not a single one. In addition to ML, there are a lot of other AI techniques used in mobile products such as Computer Vision, Computer Audio, Deep Networks, and so on, however, those are not that widespread.So what is currently possible from an ML perspective in the realm of mobile applications?Virtual RealityIn terms of virtual reality, there are a lot of developments from both Google and Facebook where they created special goggles or devices to be attached to mobile phones for experiencing virtual worlds. Complex scenarios still require a lot of processing power, and they are usually used in games and those devices are most popular with kids.In VR worlds, the users usually have additional devices (joysticks, etc.) for interacting with virtual objects. Since we are talking about mobile applications, VR is not that popular and used due to the nature of the device (doesn’t have a lot of power, and additional controllers).Augmented RealityHere, things are a little more evolved, and while companies are interested in VR technologies, a lot more budget and development go into mobile AR at the moment.In essence, augmented reality is adding digital content to real-world anchors and being able to analyze the environment of the user.From an AR perspective, we currently have the capabilities to do the following:placing a virtual object in the real world (it will remain at the same location)scaling, rotating, moving, and animating virtual objectsinteracting with virtual objectsmeasuring real objects through virtual anchorssound effects based on the proximity of the sourceAR is closely related to AI, it’s used a lot in combination with AI techniques to modify the user’s environment and interact with him. An example would be the recovery app I’ve mentioned before where AI would be used to detect the human body pose and AR would enhance the experience by showing different metrics or what needs to be improved to correctly do the exercise. To learn more about AI/ML, read our previous article.From an AR perspective, we also have new sensors (most specifically the LiDAR), which can scan the environment with a higher accuracy making the object placing faster, easier, and more accurate.Smartphones open the doors and the path to a new platform that is yet to emerge and are here to stay. There are a lot of possibilities in this domain and technological advances constantly open new possibilities. Just like in the years that followed the release of iPhone the market of mobile apps has exploded, this is what will happen with the AR and VR apps as well.Do you have a mobile project which could benefit from AR or VR, or have general questions regarding those technologies on mobile devices? Drop us an email, and let’s discuss more! --- ### How going MVP-first can save your startup a lot of money. Market validation for startups. URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/how-going-mvp-first-can-save-your-startup-a-lot-of-money-market-validation-for-startups What makes the differences between unicorns and startups that end up failing, and why do some of the startups fail? We are taking you through some of our best practices when it comes to building and launching mobile startups. In our work of building digital products for startups around the world, we get to see how a lot of them thrive, while others fail. But what makes all the differences between unicorns and startups that end up failing, and why do some of the startups fail? In this series of articles, we are taking you through some of our best practices when it comes to building and launching mobile startups.42% of startups fail because there is no market need, 29% because they run out of cash, and 19 % of startups fail because they can’t build the right digital product team. There are many other reasons to add to this thread, but for now, let’s keep our focus on the first one — 42% of startups fail because there is no market validationWhat is market validation?Market validation is a process that helps you determine whether your product is of interest for your market. It starts with writing down your app concept, conducting a series of interviews with potential users, and lastly, testing the market with aMinimum Viable Product.At appssemble, we created a digital product development process that covers the entire flow of building and shipping digital products, from product strategy and business analyses to launch and maintenance, while offering businesses a trusted way of validating their new product idea. Having a process in place is a great way to make sure there’s a tried way of building startups, but since there’s no universal success recipe, we often have to put our process aside, adapting to specific product needs and scenarios.The solution.The business analyses phase of building a digital product should start with writing down the product concept. Find a pen and a piece of paper, and start writing down your answers to these questions:Who is my customer? — We hope your answer won’t be everyone because if it is, we are in big trouble. When it comes to gathering data about your potential customers, there is no such thing as getting too specific. Just make sure you are collecting all relevant information about your prospective users in one place.At appssemble, we like to have what we call a creative mind-melting session with our clients. We sit, talk and document all details about their users in complex user persona profiles. We pay extra attention to address their pain points and how the digital product we build can solve their problems.There are several tools you can use to start creating your user persona profiles right now. Make my persona from HubSpot is one of the tools we recommend the most.What problem am I solving for my customers? - In our jobs, we often see entrepreneurs fret about the features they are launching and taking the decision with a product-first mindset, then spending time thinking why their product is not getting any traction. You now know who your customer is, so our advice is to think of the problem you are solving for your customer first. If you can’t put your finger on your customer’s problem, you won’t succeed in solving it. Look at it from a user standpoint and make sure your customer sees value in having this problem solved.How does my product solve the problem? Only after defining the problem you are addressing, you can move on to discussing the product. You want to translate the solution you provide to your users into functionalities that will be integrated into your app — which brings us to another important thing.Choosing to build an MVP.A minimum viable product is the first version of your digital product, containing a minimum amount of features to delight users and collect valuable feedback from the market. At appssemble, we like to call it Minimum Lovable Product because besides validating a need and helping you get valuable feedback from the market, an MVP should also get to the hearts of your users.In our effort to reach market validation with the digital products we build, we often advise stakeholders that work with us to go MVP-first. This means that when we sit and look at the product they want to develop, we prioritise on the features that are the core of the app, cutting down on all those bits and pieces that don’t necessarily influence the market-fit aspect.We like to think of the MVP as a great way to test all the assumptions you made about your clients while in the strategy phase, and to evaluate the value customers assign to your product. If you are keen on following a build-measure-learn loop and resist the urge of adding new features to your product before even testing what you first put on the market, you’ll soon find our how going MVP first can save you a lot of money.Take a quick look at some of the mobile apps built by appssemble that started out as minimum viable products.Product development does not end after launch.An important phase in your process of reaching market validation is getting the app you build into the hands of the users, as soon as possible. Once the product is out there, you are standing face to face the with the opportunity to improve your product.Pay attention to their reactions and pain points, make sure that the entire user experience makes sense for them, and be fast when it comes to improving the app. --- ### A step-by-step guide into how we built a $ 1M calorie counting & diet mobile app in less than four weeks. URL: https://appssemble.com/blog/a-step-by-step-guide-into-how-we-built-a-1m-calorie-counting-diet-mobile-app-in-less-than-four-weeks We present a walk throughout the process of building a counting calories app that received funding offers in the first month after its release. We tackle every step of the process from idea to design and implementation. Aical helps users keep track of their daily nutrients intake and adjust their diet. With aical, you don’t have to fill unfriendly forms and search for your food to monitor your nutrients intake. The artificial intelligence algorithms within the calorie counting app, estimate your intake of calories, fat, carbs, proteins, and fibre from just seeing a photograph of your meal. All you have to do is snap a picture of your food, scan a barcode from a product you are consuming, or tell Siri what you ate. Simple as that.We started building aical with the aim of creating a calorie counting & diet application algorithm that would deliver nutrition reports, better and faster. We went MVP-first, with the goal to develop a mobile application that would provide the best experience for the users while collecting the user feedback from the market to validate our idea. We invested over $50K in building the first version of the mobile app. Within three weeks, we had already had buying offers ranging $230K. Here’s a look into how we did it:Help people create a healthy lifestyle while keeping track of their diet.The challenge.Aical was envisioned as simple to use, and human-centric mobile application that keeps track of your calories throughout the day. Since we were building a subscription-based business model, we knew we had to make it as simple as possible to use, so as to perfectly blend into the lives of our users. Hence, we took a daily activity like taking pictures and snapshots with your mobile phone and taught of making it the core of the application. As a user, you could take a picture of your meal and the algorithm would interpret the portion size, ingredients and nutrients for you. Easy, huh? Yes, but then we took pictured out our soups and realised how much of a challenge it is to be able to extract exact information on the ingredients in a soup bowl. Another problem we identified was that besides the main meals, users frequently enjoy a small snack during their day.The solution.At this point, we knew we had to come with a few other solutions for logging food into the calorie counting mobile app. Thinking of the many life scenarios users could be in while enjoying their meal, we came up with more ways of keeping track of calories and nutrients: scanning the bar code on a product, manually logging your food, and telling Siri what you ate.Building aical, the AI-powered calorie counting & nutrition iOS app.Mobile App Business and Product Strategy. We started with the business-critical side of the calorie counting & diet mobile application. Although the problem we aimed to solve was pretty clear from the very beginning, we wanted to be sure that before getting into building the app, we have a clear vision of the buyer personas, as well as real-life scenarios of users interacting with the mobile app.Moving on to the functionality side of the application, we went through a feature prioritisation phase, in which we created a roadmap of all the features the minimum viable version of the digital product would contain.We brought the platform we were going to make the first release on into discussion and looking at a few stats, numbers and the users we are going to target, we decided to go iOS first.UX Design & Mobile Prototyping. Having the users personas of the mobile applications defined, provided a robust framework for creating the user flows and engineer pathways for users to interact with the application. We started with paper and pen, sketching all the app scenarios we could think of, on paper.UI Design. Following the same principle of simplicity, we aimed to offer aical a clean look. We used white and black, with pink as an accent colour.Mobile App Development & Testing. The development of the aical mobile app lasted for about one month. Following an Agile approach and building in a Lean manner, development was done in one-week sprints. The architecture of the mobile app paid a great deal at this stage. We had a cross-functional team of designers, developers and testers continuously collaborate and iterate on the app functionalities.Launching aical. Before getting the mobile into the App Store, we made sure to have the right analytics tools in place, craft an eye-catching description and make sure we have a bug-free mobile application, ready to interact with the users. We launched a few advertisement campaigns, and the first month of having aical on the App Store brought us, 9000 users, out of which 150 were premium subscribers.Takeaways.Taking a quick look at a few numbers, you see that 40% of new startups and digital product fail within their first month of activity. The same numbers tell use that few startups reach market validation in their first days of activity. Building aical showed us how if you are looking to reach a high ROI with your app, going MVP first and testing the idea with the core functionalities of a mobile application can save you loads of money. It gave us a better understanding of how to get the most out of the data your app collects and to make sure that the money we invest in building aical is solving real deal problems for our users.Looking to build your next mobile app? We hope that this story of how we build a $ 1m calories counting mobile application inspires you to bring your idea to life and launch a new product on the market.