The 3 Major Trends in Mobile App Developments In 2015!

As the mobile app scene hot topic in 2015, we need to ask the question, what are the trends that are driving mobile app development today? Are they here to stay? And how is it going to span out in the coming years? These are some of the questions we hope to answer in this article.

Use APIs Innovatively

Mobile app development demands that you develop an app across a variety of devices and channels. Now what do you do to achieve that? This is where you need an API-first approach. When your development is focussed on APIs you ensure flexibility and agility.

Among the biggest obstacles to seamless implementation of mobile apps is data storage. This problem is solved to a great extent when you use a catalogue of mobile REST APIs where you can access systems of records in an easier manner. This way you can implement all your security policies under one umbrella.

Leverage the Cloud

Now, the development process is agile, which means business and infrastructure development take place in parallel. While the business department works at its own pace, the other teams ask for tools to speed up their integration and development. It is here that the Cloud plays a very important role. Streamlining back-end integration, user security and management becomes extremely easy with Cloud.

Convenience is King

However high your app might score on functionality, in the end it needs to guarantee a sumptuous experience for the user. Though a million apps populate the Appstore, hardly a fifth of them are used. If your mobile app developers can’t synchronise functionality with user experience, then it is not going to find traction among users.


What we’ve mentioned in this article are just 3 of the important trends that are sweeping the mobile app industry today. For more, watch our next article in the series!

What You Need to do if you’ve lost Your Phone?

Losing a phone is not uncommon. We often hear about it but are we clear about what to do in such a situation? This is what we look at in this article.

Google Tracking

If you’ve connected your device to a Google account and the device in turn, is connected to the internet, only then will this mode of tracking work. You can locate your device with the Android device manager. This is a freely downloadable tool that helps to track your device but with two caveats: that it should be connected to the internet and that it be attached to a Google account.

You can not only locate your device but also ring your phone and erase data if you think it is under threat. Now if more than one device is connected to your Google account, then you need to ensure that you select the correct device.

Android User

If you are an Android user, then you can track your phone by using Android Lost, an app that helps you locate lost mobile phones. Now how do you use this app when you have lost your phone? Android has a solution. It lets you send an SMS via a remote device and log in to your Google account. Through that you can access your SMS, your phone data and your phone’s location.

But again, this will only work if your lost mobile phone is connected to your Google account and the internet. So what if your phone isn’t connected to your Google account?

What ForgotMyPhone App Gives You?

This is where the ForgotMyPhone app helps you. You need to download this app on a secondary phone and a single push notification from your secondary phone directs the web server to ping the primary device. The primary device (your misplaced/lost mobile) promptly responds with its location which the web server messages you.


Remarkably simple as it is, it also allows you to lock your phone to protect it from unauthorised access. If that were not enough, you can also delete data on your mobile via a push notification. Apart from this, you can also receive calls of your primary mobile on your secondary device. You can enable the call forwarding functionality with the help of codes provided by network operators like Verizon, Sprint, and T-mobile.

10 Steps to Build a Mobile App That Sells

To know what goes behind the making of a successful app, you should know what mobile app requirements are in the first place. More often than not, developers do not spend enough time on working out the modalities of what the app should deliver and how it needs to be designed. The fault lines of every app that has failed originate here. In this article we take a look at the 10 check boxes that need to be ticked if your app is to be a success.

1. Who Are You Building The App For?

You need to be clear about why you’re building the app in the first place and who you’re building it for. What will be your app’s standout features and functionality? Who are your target users? Analyse the market you want to release your app viz. their preferences of your users and align your app with it.

2. Decide Your Revenue Model

Your app competes with a million others on the Appstore. Have you got the right model to generate revenue for your app? You need an analytics/pricing expert to decide your app’s pricing and ad rates. If you are choosing a pay per download model, your app needs to have features that justify it.


3. Choose Between Native, Web and Hybrid

Which category does your app belong to? Native, web or hybrid? This decides on how much you plan to invest in your app, how many platforms you want to target, what kind of app suits your app’s desired user experience and so on.

4. Get the Design Right

The design of your app must reflect your business in a way that is enriching and engaging. Since your app’s design is the first thing that strikes the customer, it needs to greater attention. Make sure that your design is responsive, touch-friendly and simple.

5. Create a Message Flow for Your App

Your app needs to respond to various situations and get the customer back to engaging with it. Create a message flow to respond to customers in various situations while being focused on the functionality.

6. Ensure Security and Scalability

Is your app secure and scalable? These two qualities are important if you are to attract customers. Get your app certified for both these. Ensure proper maintenance too from time to time to get this right.

7. Focus on UX

There is no point in creating content for your app if the content is not focused on the intended user experience that your app is supposed to give. Remember that if your app ultimately sells, it sells for its user experience and not anything else.

8. Make Your App Well-Integrated

If you’re designing an ecommerce app, make sure you integrate it with a secure payments module. If it is a travel app, you need to integrate it with business listing and classifieds sites apart from social media.

9. Monitor App Metrics with an Analytics Tool

Make sure your app has an appropriate analytics tool to get a clear picture of how many users visit your website, how long they stay, what percentage of users abandon and why, impact of social media on user traffic and so on. Google Analytics is the default choice now.

10. Test Thoroughly and Act On User Feedback


Do a case by case user acceptability test for your app. Once your app goes live, look keenly at user feedback for any actionable suggestions that can enhance the usability of your app and implement them. 

7 Steps to the Right App Promotion Strategy!

The only way to get an increased audience to know your brand or to buy your products is to get a mobile app that bears your name or a part of it. And let us assume you have done the difficult part: building a responsive and well-designed mobile app replete with all the necessary integration's with a user experience to top it all. But how do you get your target audience to use your app? That is what this article wishes to throw further light on.

1. Understand Your User Base

-> This might sound cliched, but is totally meaningful. You need to have a clear understanding of your target audience. For this, you first of all need to analyse how other successful apps in your genre have reached there.

-> What is the strategy that they’ve adopted and study how they approach their customers? Remember, all of your marketing and SEO efforts work only if have an app that’s real quality.

2. Get the Right Optics

-> Many apps get the functionality right, but fare low on optics. Make sure your app doesn't suffer from the same illness.

-> Get a good graphic designer to decide the best colour and contrast for your app. A realistic colour shade does impact your app’s optics.

3. Search for the Right Keywords

-> When a user wants a particular type of app, he/she is going to do a keyword search for it.

-> You need to know what keywords the user will search for. Leverage the power of social media to drive keyword searches to your app.

4. Diversify Your Promotion Approach

-> Don't stick to the same promotion approach for every platform. What works for Android needn’t necessarily work for iOS too.

-> App platforms differ in their approval process and store reporting and this needs to figure in your promotions as well.

5. Get Multiple Traffic Sources

-> Target more than one platform to market your app. Remember; you can never predict where your customer might come from.

-> Target social media sites. Create a separate FaceBook and twitter page and re-tweet positive user reviews about your app. Build positive talk about your app on peer sites as well.

6. Peer Reviews Matter

-> Knowledgeable users will first look at app reviewing sites to first get to know about your app before using it. It might cost you a few dollars, but it is well-worth it. Get your app reviewed on quality sites.

-> But remember, a positive review on any site of repute cannot be ‘bought’. This again takes you back to the basics via, a great design, responsiveness and UX.

7. If None Of This Works, Slash The Price!

-> Now, if you’ve decided upon the price of your app after having done a thorough research and have done it competitively, then your app won’t suffer any handicap in the market.


-> But it may sometimes be the case that your app has been priced a little too higher for its functionality. In this case, you need to cut-down on the prices of your app in order to stay competitive.

Why App Store Optimization is Important?

It is the process of optimizing mobile apps to rank higher in an app store's search results. So, when your mobile app ranks higher on Google’s search results, it means greater visibility to your app and more traffic to your site.

Chief among the challenges for developers in any platform is discovery. As more and more apps get launched every day, this is getting more and more difficult. Therefore, it has now become extremely important for application developers to take it to themselves to promote their apps so as to boost visibility and improve the download rate of their apps.

App store optimization is one important way by which an application developer can improve discovery of their app. Enhancing the major product page elements to increase chances of standing out in a list view, improve search discovery and better the scalability of the page for the purpose of converting to purchase or download. ASO covers all elements of your app's product page such as icon, product description, screenshots, category, name and keywords you use to portray and sell your app.

Taking a look at these elements from the perspective of a user to make sure that they are working rigorously to market and sell your application is the key concept behind app store optimization. Therefore, ASO ensures that your product page elements are creative, convincing and clear.

It endeavors to eliminate any vagueness in what your product provides and attempts to cut through the noise around you in order to make sure that your application can stand out whether a user views your app in a category list or finds it in search results. You need to look at your users, your competitors and make use of some key application tools if you want to carry out app store optimization.

Importance of App Store Optimization:
ASO is important for the following reasons:

·         ASO Improves search results as well as the instantaneous comprehension in the app store lists with an optimized name.

·         It capitalizes on the app ranking opportunities through sub-category and category recommendations.

·       Improves search discovery and increase scalability with SEO focused Product Description.

·         It improves rapid comprehension and brand recall and also increases conversion with screenshots and icon suggestions. 

How Mobile Apps Are Revolutionising the Travel Industry?

Mobile apps are influencing business across verticals in the way they communicate and establish a relationship with the users. Be it banking and financial services (BFS) or health and fitness or travel and tourism or gaming and entertainment, mobile apps are redefining the way users consume and utilise content. And this is aided in great measure by the mobile surge in South Asia.

But the impact of mobile apps on the travel and tourism industry has gone unnoticed for the most part. In this article, we take a look at the impact of mobile apps on the travel industry.

User Experience That Takes You Closer

Now if the function of a travel and tourism app were to merely provide you information about the place you want to visit, you can make do with a map or a Google search on the particular place. Where a mobile app differs is that it connects the place with the contextual information, images, maps, restaurants and motels around.

Say you have developed an iOS app about Venice tourism. The app must contain details about the city’s history, places of historical importance, and its connection with other places of interest in Europe.

Community Travel Apps

Price comparison websites have revolutionised the pricing policies of tour operators as they allow tourists to plan their holidays as they want it. Creating community apps make it possible to exchange information and good deals besides offering conventional online auction. These kinds of apps comprise images, videos and social networks to share views and comments on the quality of hotels, restaurants and tourism services in real time.

Digital Tour Guides

Apart from offering locals and tourists accurate geo-positioning of everything, depending on the time of day and GPS location- users will be informed of the nearest sites or activities. These digital tour guides allows vivid monitoring of social networks like FaceBook or Twitter and respond to visitors when they mention the area’s tourism facilities.

Bookings 24*7

Whether it is purchasing a flight ticket, finding accommodation or booking a holiday, mobile apps are the top choice for consumers across the world. This is because when you search an airport, the restaurants and bookstores that are near it and what is available in them on that particular day are available as well!
No Wonder Travel Mobile Apps Are a Fad!

Why the Forgot My Phone App Is Indispensable To You?

There are a plethora of utility apps out there on the Appstore. But how many of them are indispensable? With a functionality that you definitely need and a speed that is enviable, the new Forgot My Phone app from the Openwave stable is just what the doctor ordered. Let us take a closer look at what appears to be one of the best apps that we’ve seen in recent times.

What Forgot My Phone Does?

If you ever left your phone in your car or at somebody’s place or worse don't know where you misplaced your phone at all, you needn't worry. Thanks to the Forgot My Phone app, you can not only track your phone, but also raise an alarm, lock it, and erase data at your request. It works with a plethora of service providers from AT&T to T-mobile though it is available only on the Android Play store!

Call Forwarding

The network provider gives the service code and based on the code (to activate or deactivate call forwarding) the call is forwarded. The codes are hard-coded into the app to facilitate the user to select his network and get this functionality.

Lock

Now, the lock feature is used to prevent misuse of your stolen (or misplaced) phone. And the Forgot My Phone app does it through the push notification feature! You send a lock request from another phone to the web server to lock your phone. And the web server promptly, enables it on your phone.

Locating your Device

To locate your device, all you need to do is send a location tracker request from the secondary device to the web server. Now when the web server sends back a notification to the primary device about the latter’s location, your job’s done.

Erasing data

This functionality too, is similar. You send a request to erase data from a secondary device to the web server which in turn, sends a notification to the primary device to send its location which is then displayed on the secondary device from the web server.

Now, which other app has all the functionality that is mentioned? You get all of this for just $9.99! Yes, you read it right!

Why Cortana Won’t the Android Way and More

If you were following the daily dose of tech news (which does appear occasionally apart from the usual staple diet of politics and sport), you would know that Cortana is now on Android. For the uninitiated, Cortana is a personal assistant created exclusively for Windows and in particular, for the Window Smartphone. So, why did it have to venture into the Android space?

The answer is actually pretty simple: Because the Windows Smartphone simply didn’t take off! If Microsoft had continued with its strategy of releasing its products/applications only on its own operating system, the application too would have bombed along with Windows. The apps, no matter how good they were would have failed to find a larger audience and tanked for loss of users.

The change in Redmond’s strategy

Microsoft has sought to make up for the failure of the Windows phone in two ways: by focusing on cloud-based products and by making Microsoft applications available on other mobile platforms. The latter a decision that stems from the realisation that Windows is no longer a credible option in the Smartphone segment.

Cloud-Based Services

That Microsoft would make a mark in the cloud-based services segment was never in doubt. This is evident in the success of Azure with services like Operational security assurance (OSA) that protects power and utility companies from security attacks and PhotoDNA, that prevents online stalkers from gaining access to protected photographs gaining well-deserved appreciation.

The Android foray

When the Windows phone was released, Cortana was a key part of the marketing campaign around it. Cortana was in fact the vital link that strung together various parts of the Windows phone such as Bing, Xbox, email etc neatly. In short, it was a niche service available only for Windows Smartphone users.

So Cortana on Android means that Windows under Satya realizes that it is not a good strategy to let other Windows apps die at the altar of the Windows phone and that the only way to popularize its mobile applications would be to make them available on popular mobile OS platforms.


This is actually a good move by Microsoft though observers might say it had no other way out. But now that Windows’ premier app is on Android, it paves the way for more exciting apps from the Microsoft stable. 

7 Ways You Can Promote and Monetize Your App!

As people are spending more time on mobile apps than on their desktops, building a mobile app has become the best way for a business to advertise itself. Not only can you get greater visibility, you also get to monetize your app. It is this area (app promotion and monetization) that this article focuses on.

You may build the best app in your category. But you need to build effective ways to market the app, promote and monetize it. In this article, we look at some of them:

1. Tell your website audience about your app

This is the first step towards promoting your app. You need to tell your primary audience, whether in the form of a link or a separate page, about your mobile app and its features.

2. Use social media effectively

Integration with social media is crucial to get visitors to use your app. Create a page for your app on FaceBook, Google+ and Twitter. Use app Infographics to explain the stand-out features of your app. An image stays in mind much longer than a piece of text.

3. Advertise online aggressively

Advertising online does have its benefits. It helps you get traction among a targeted audience. You can gain through this if only you don't mind spending a few shillings.

4. Engage actively on online forums

Online technical forums are an effective way of engaging with the user and clarifying on many aspects of your app functionality that you can’t communicate with the lay user. It is here that you can focus on giving more insights on your app’s design and development to the informed.

5. In-app purchases

Any app maker’s first focus is on getting visibility for his app. For this, you need to market your app with methods such as premium services, option to take-off ads, etc. These ensure you get the much needed investment to further focus on improving your app.

6. Functional design

Your design must not only focus on being visually attractive, but also seamlessly blend into the core functionality of your app. Don't clobber your app with too many features. You should focus on minimal features with maximum usability.

7. Remind users to use your app


You need to gently keep reminding users to use your app. Studies have shown that apps that come with background notifications and those that use push notifications are used more than the apps that don't have these.

Mobile Payments – A View at Widgets and Gateway API’s

Payments form an extremely important part of mobile apps in the merchant shopping category. They are the key to directly transacting with customers. But security issues and wading through multiple merchants have clogged this area for long. In this article, we take a look at the intricacies in mobile payments and the obstacles therein with reference to Payment Widgets and Gateway API in particular.

Payment Widgets

If collecting payments within a mobile app was considered difficult before, Mobile payment widgets with their libraries have made it look so easy. The advantage with these libraries is that they provide their own payment user interface (UI) components that make implementation of payment collection very easy.

PayPal, Braintree and Stripe are some of the big names that currently offer mobile libraries. If you are looking at choosing one of them, you would do well to go for one that has a mobile SDK as your effort would be lessened.

As with every application, there are certain issues with payment widgets too. You will have to contend with losing some control of the front-end as the payment widget now decides the look and feel. And as your payment information is stored in the gateway, your future payment decisions are constrained to an extent.

Gateway API

An API lets you transact with credit card data and every gateway supports a direct API (in some form). Implementation plays a vital part in integrating these APIs and that also depends to a great extent on the client library support. But the real deal is safeguarding the card data on your app.

The first thing you should know about processing credit card data is that you need to obtain PCI compliance. Apart from this, there are other security practices such as not bundling secret passwords, such as gateway credentials along with the app.

Mobile devices can be compromised easily and the user is always at-risk when he/she uses it. But when you directly use a gateway API you have full control of the UX but risk greater complexity in development. Gateway lock-in too, is a real possibility as you need to operate across multiple gateways. In such cases, a multi-gateway provider would be the best.

What You Should Consider Before Developing a Mobile App?

Apps are useful, entertaining, and ubiquitous. Owing to the amazing rise in the number of mobile phone users, apps are being used by a large population all over the world. This means an app is the best way to build your brand in the market today.

If you’ve decided to make an iOS app for your business, you need to see if you check certain boxes

before you can go ahead with your app design.

1.       Firstly, you shouldn’t develop an app just because it is the best option available. You need to analyse thoroughly how it will improve your brand’s presence among your customers. Customers basically look for quick and smooth interaction in a mobile app. You need to

make sure you have the right plan to link your app interaction with your brand.

2.       Have you researched about what devices your customers are using before selecting your platform? If you’re looking to build a multi-platform mobile app, know that your app needs to be successful on both (iOS as well as Android). It is always better to build your app for one platform and then diversify it.

3.      What kind of app do you want to offer? A productivity based app or an entertainment based one? If you want to build your product through your app, then an entertainment app may not be the right choice. You should go for a utility-based app as it gives customers useful information about your business and also helps build a business-centric relationship with them.

4.        Are you looking to build the app yourself? This may not be a great idea unless you have in-depth knowledge and experience in developing mobile apps. You can pretty much rule out this option if it’s a white-label app that you’re looking at. Building an effective, responsive and secure white-label app demands a team of experienced professionals and you simply can’t afford to take a risk here.

5.        Do a thorough testing of your app before it goes live. The importance of the testing process simply cannot be overstated. Make sure every aspect of your app undergoes system, integration and user acceptance testing. Get feedback from as many diverse users as possible. When you go live, your app will be open to everyone on social media and therefore, even a small error somewhere will bring down the whole effort. 

What Users Want and How Android Delivers?

Readers must be aware that the Smartphone is a device of immense possibilities. And, through it speak a billion minds. This is possible because the Smartphone is today a place where ideas from all over the world converge in the form of either apps or content. Checking mail, sending messages, sharing articles, videos and music and taking training sessions, the mobile is a vehicle where just anything happens. And it is taking place at a rate that was not possible with desktop internet because the mobile comes with mobility and a distinct pricing advantage.

 It is this accessibility and pricing advantage that has driven mobile sales all across emerging economies with South Asia and Africa, in particular leading the way. And here, it is Android that is showing the way to the rest as it continues to occupy a lion’s share in the app market with its ease of use and efficacy. So, why does it lead? Top answer this question, we need to look at what users actually look for in an app platform.

First, the app needs to be multifarious in terms of its functionality. In other words, for the app to perform a lot of functions simultaneously, it needs to have a complex and elaborate structure. But on the outside, it needs to be simple to use and neat in terms of design. Users may say this is exactly what iOS achieved. Well, Android does the same too with its accessibility and easy integration. After all, Android is no ‘fenced garden’.

Secondly, your mobile platform needs to provide security. This is even more important in the light of apps coming under attacks of various kinds, in the form of spams, Trojans, viruses etc. Especially when you design an app for payment processing or ecommerce, no customer would consider using your app if it fails to deliver here. And as you all know, Android does a fabulous job here.

Thirdly, your app platform needs to constantly reinvent itself. Well, Android is renewing its platform altogether. With default encryption and SELinux security with multiuser support, Android will have reinvented itself come the next year. And as users would recall, Android 5.0 was just what the doctor ordered in terms of performance improvements!