Completed App Portfolio: Developing Apps Across Segments

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

If you’re an appreneur or business planning to hire a studio for your next app, you should look at their app portfolio. Perusing portfolios is a vital first step when evaluating potential development partners. And that’s because you need to know if one or more of these studios have completed projects similar to yours. 

Expect a more established studio to have a comprehensive app portfolio, whereas a newcomer’s catalog of apps will be sparse. NS804 is in the former camp, having built over 100 apps since 2012. Moreover, we’ve focused on categories like branding, business, communication, entertainment, productivity, and even web design. 

Our expertise in delivering quality apps across various segments makes us the ideal partner for appreneurs and organizations with demanding or unique briefs. We have the team, resources, and proven track record to tackle projects of all scopes. We’ve also received multiple awards for our efforts, with NS804 recently attaining the Clutch Champion Award for Fall 2023. 

While all this sounds great, it speaks to the competency and commitment of NS804’s ability to deliver. Even so, we’ll never dissuade you from shopping around. Do this by comparing the portfolios of the studios you’re considering working with, then add the most suitable candidates to your shortlist.

To simplify your evaluation process, we’ve prepared this post that details several apps we’ve built for clients over the years. We reveal what makes these apps noteworthy and how they fulfill client goals. If an app listed below aligns with your ideas or goals — be sure to note it down and discuss it with us. 

Bat Flaps

While NS804 has made plenty of business apps, we’ve also made games. To showcase our game development skills, we created Bat Flaps, where the player takes control of a cute-looking bat. Bat Flaps follows Flappy Bird’s footsteps closely with its simple control scheme and highly addicting gameplay. 

Arcade-centric mobile games generally do well on the app stores. So, Bat Flaps works as a proof of concept or even a template to build your next mobile hit. You can enhance and differentiate this concept by implementing gacha, rogue-lite, and role-playing game (RPG) elements. 

Whether you’re prototyping your game idea in Unity, Unreal Engine, or Godot, you may need the assistance of a professional studio to bring your game to market. The app stores have raised the bar and will no longer accept apps or games that don’t meet their requirements. Thus, QA testing takes center stage, but it’s a complex and costly process that requires the expertise only an established studio can provide you. 

Béné

If there’s one example in our app portfolio that truly innovates on digital tipping, it’s none other than Béné. While several cashless tipping solutions exist, few do it better than Béné, especially those targeting the hospitality industry. The highly-rated app simplifies digital tipping and ensures hotel staff receive tips in their bank accounts and payslips. 

A significant hurdle with digital tipping is that it’s challenging to implement frictionless tipping due to the many differing digital wallets available today. For example, you may wish to tip with Apple Pay, but a hotel staff member has Samsung Pay on their phone or no digital wallet at all. But Apple Pay and Samsung Pay don’t quite get along, and you’ll need a third-party payment app to make this work. And if the staff member doesn’t have a digital wallet — you’re out of luck!

But this was a problem NS804 and our partners, 3ADVANCE, LLC and Red Canopy Holdings, LLC, wanted to solve. Instead of relying on disparate digital wallets for cashless tipping, we opted for a simpler and more elegant system. Hotel owners need to download the Béné app and commence with a staff registration process. Then, place Béné QR codes in all the areas within the hotel premises where staff serve guests. 

Now, if you visit a hotel that uses Béné, scan the QR code in your room, the bar, or the lounge to tip the staff member serving you. You don’t need to download any apps, as the QR scanner on your phone will suffice. Immediately after you scan the QR code, the staff member will receive the payment. The Béné app does all the heavy lifting in the background, which only the hotel owner and staff need to have installed. 

C5G

It’s no secret that we specialize in mobile app development, but did you know that NS804 has a solid track record in web development? The web design segment of our app portfolio showcases some of our work. But we’d like to draw your attention to C5G, an e-commerce website for a company dealing in wireless hardware. 

C5G makes it easy for customers to find affordable, discontinued, and rare wireless equipment. Furthermore, they work with co-sellers, resellers, and enterprise customers in this technology segment. We understood the goals and company culture of C5G and built a website that helps them sell 5G and LTE devices effectively.  

Given that the company sells a wide range of goods ranging from handsets to routers, we ensured the website had a clean visual design and was highly performant. Customers want to find products quickly without being bogged down by unintuitive UI and slow response times. C5G and NS804 can take pride in the result, as we’ve delivered an e-commerce site that sits among the best in its category.

CFO Sidekick

If you’re running a small or medium-sized business, you may struggle to decipher your numbers and what they mean for your growth. That’s nothing to be ashamed about, as running an organization of any size is difficult. We understand the struggles of this market segment and delivered a solution to make life easier for entrepreneurs. 

CFO Sidekick is an excellent addition to our business segment of our app portfolio. It’s designed specifically for tablets, as the larger screen real estate is necessary to view and work with documents, financial data, media, notes, and to-do lists. Moreover, it reads QuickBooks data and will let you analyze and work with all this data.

The intuitive nature of CFO Sidekick and its ability to deliver frequent and helpful tips will help keep you on top of your game. And the way crucial information is displayed will let you interpret even the most cryptic information to help you make informed decisions.

Clips & Cuts

Most of us are pressed for time and must plan our days carefully, especially when booking appointments. When closing an appointment with your dentist, bookkeeper, or barber, you must ascertain that it fits your schedule and theirs. Booking with a barber or stylist often proves challenging, given the high demand for their services and dealing with seasonal fluctuations. 

You may have experienced this issue attempting to secure an appointment before the work, school, or holiday seasons. There’s often little chance to have your haircut even if you’ve booked earlier. Worse still, the barber or beauty salon may alter your appointment for a later date due to increased demand. Undoubtedly, this is incredibly frustrating and may make you question the professionalism of the barbershop industry. 

But an effective solution we have in our app portfolio solves this pain point. We built Clips & Cuts as a booking platform, which lets users instantly close appointments with available barbers in their area. The app’s intuitive user interface (UI) makes it easy for users to peruse barber profiles, book appointments, view map directions, request receipts, and even leave ratings and reviews. 

Mamava

We worked closely with Mamava, Inc., known for its trailblazing lactation rooms and pods, to develop a mobile app that helps mothers find breastfeeding locations nearby. We wanted to make the experience as user-friendly and stress-free as possible. It’s often daunting for mothers to find the necessary facilities for breastfeeding when visiting new and unknown places. 

The Mamava app employs GPS navigation and smart technology to help mothers locate pods quickly and let them know if they are occupied or available. The app also utilizes the smartphone’s Bluetooth to lock or unlock the Mamava pods. We also understand that every mother’s needs are unique, so we put personalized content front and center and made it easy for them to access parental resources and support. 

On the surface, Mamava may seem simple, but we built it using several technologies. Staying committed to delivering native and performant apps, we used Java with Android Studio for the Android version and Swift with Xcode for the iOS version. For the backend, we used Kumalos and built its admin layer with Node.js and HTML5.

PreVue

PreVue is a project we’re very proud to have in our app portfolio. Our client, Lucanus J. Grady, approached us with a forward-looking idea to reshape the dating app space. His experiences with popular dating apps left him disenchanted with the entire experience. Often, users doctor their images and biographies, leading to an inauthentic and dishonest dating environment.   

To solve these glaring issues, our client requested we help him create an alternative that utilizes short-form video. PreVue users must now record 22-second videos of themselves without filters or uploads, showing their true selves. Then, PreVue will match users on specific criteria, like what they say in their videos and the background images shown. 

It seems like such an obvious solution, yet PreVue is a rarity in today’s dating app space. More importantly, this app makes the dating experience more natural and honest while eliminating catfishing. While PreVue targeted college users in their early 20s, the app enjoyed significant traction with young professionals looking to build more meaningful relationships. 

Referral Buddy

There’s nothing more frustrating and rage-inducing than referring a business to customers but not receiving compensation for your efforts. Of course, this scenario applies to companies that actively engage in referral marketing. They promise to compensate you with money, free products, or exclusive offers but don’t deliver on this promise at the end of the day.

Now, this may happen because some companies are indeed dishonest. But in most cases, this happens because companies don’t know that you’ve actually referred customers to them. The problem is that customers seldom acknowledge your referral after using a company’s products or services.

So, how do you keep everyone accountable and in the loop when making referrals? Our client, Joseph Jablonski, thought about this problem intently and ideated a workable solution. He then approached us with his idea, and we encouraged him to forge ahead while assisting him during every step of the development process. 

We helped him create Referral Buddy, which tracks referrals between businesses and individuals and businesses. Referral Buddy tracks every referral, even those that don’t require a follow-up from the customer. The app’s clean UI makes it easy for non-technical users to issue requests from vendors and customers, complete referral forms, and receive compensation.

Rivvir

Contactless digital payment solutions are nothing new, but only Rivvir makes your life easier when ordering drinks. When attending music festivals or food and beverage events, you must wait in long lines to get your order. Of course, that’s not fun at all, and it’s an issue we attempted to solve with Rivvir.

Fortunately, our attempts proved successful thanks to the implementation of an easy-to-navigate UI and a streamlined ordering process. It’s simply a matter of picking a drink on the app, swiping the ticket, and getting the beverage from the quicker VIP line.

But Rivvir doesn’t only help customers with the ordering process since it’s an all-encompassing solution. We’ve also made life easier for beverage vendors by building an iPad app to help them keep track of their stock and sales. The cohesiveness of the ordering and stock control apps makes Rivvir the ideal solution for the next big special event in your town. 

In Conclusion

The projects listed above represent only a tiny slice of the apps we’ve released to this day. Several apps received critical acclaim, media coverage, and high ratings on the app stores. And even the apps that flew under the radar introduced new ideas and innovations, making them stand apart from the competition. 

Take the time to check out the remaining apps in our app portfolio and read up about us on Clutch.co and various media outlets. And when you’re ready to tackle your next project, contact NS804 to help you build the app of your dreams!

Strategies For Effective Project Management In Mobile App Development

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

Project management is fundamental to the successful completion of any mobile app. But it’s a deeply involved process that requires careful planning, plenty of meetings with stakeholders, and constant collaboration. While there are several ways to approach project management, we’ve prepared this handy guide to help you focus on the most effective strategies. 

Why Project Management Is Crucial For Your Mobile App Projects?

Developing mobile apps consists of a series of laborious and complex tasks. To uninitiated developers, the opposite may seem true, considering the vast quantity of apps that hit the app stores daily. Yet, few of these apps make a dent in the marketplace due to a lack of project management planning. 

Successful mobile apps are seldom created on impulse or by solo hobbyists and freelance developers. Instead, they’re the products of visionary appreneurs who partner with talented app development studios like NS804. Quite often, other stakeholders like app publishers, businesses, and marketing teams will also contribute. Keeping all these entities on the same page is excruciatingly challenging — but necessary for the success of any app project.

That’s where project management planning comes in. It helps all stakeholders involved in your project understand its core concept, how much it will cost, and how long it will take until completion. Furthermore, the plan will detail all goals, expectations, resources, tools, and methodologies necessary for the project. 

Depending on the scope and needs of your project, the plan may include additional details. In all cases, it’s best to hash out a project management plan that is as detailed as possible. It’s also wise to detail a contingency plan or offer alternative solutions for project bottlenecks or missed milestones. Ultimately, the primary goals of project management are to deliver a completed project and reduce the risks associated with app development. 

 

USE OUR APP COST CALCULATOR TO ESTIMATE THE COST TO BUILD YOUR APP!

 

What Does Project Management Entail?

Project management includes all the details and specifications required to complete an app project. A common misunderstanding involves the ideation process of app development. Some team leaders will integrate this process into their planning, while others leave it out. So, which method is the correct one? Usually, it’s best to leave out the ideation process since this happens long before a development team will tackle the project. 

A good example is the appreneur who comes up with an app idea and commences with basic ideation on a handkerchief or piece of paper. Then, the appreneur approaches a development studio to discuss this idea, gain additional insight, and for further brainstorming. 

The studio will offer guidance and create a wireframe to flesh out the appreneur’s ideas. At this point, the appreneur and the studio’s development team have a basic understanding of what the app will look like. If necessary, the appreneur will greenlight the creation of a prototype for a better replication of the finished product. 

Once the appreneur is satisfied with the wireframe or prototype, it’s time to approve or abandon the project. If the appreneur decides to forge ahead, project management planning will take center stage. During this stage, the appreneur, the project lead, the designers, the development team, the marketing team, and any other stakeholders will commence a series of meetings.

Ideally, most initial meetings will occur face-to-face at the development studio’s physical premises. NS804 makes this easy as we have offices in Richmond, VA, Charlotte, NC, and Denver, CO. But we also make it easy for clients to stay in the loop via our Slack channels and to peruse the project management plan via Trello. 

Is Project Management Necessary For Mobile Game Development?

It’s essential to conduct project management planning before you start making your mobile game. Developing modern mobile games is hard, so it’s foolhardy to tackle such projects without a carefully conceived plan from day one. You must also prepare a game design document (GDD) that will contain the following:

  • A summary of your mobile game: This section includes details of the core concept, genre, target audience, and overall scope of your game. 
  • Gameplay details: In this section, you will describe all the objectives and challenges players will face. 
  • Core game mechanics: Describe all the physics, rules, and player interactions within your core game loop. 
  • Worldbuilding: This section will include information about your game’s characters, story elements, levels, and locales. 
  • Game assets: Describe the types of graphics, music, and sound effects that you will include in your game.  
  • Game development tooling: Include details about the game engine, graphic design software, and 3D modeling tools you will use during development. 

Set Realistic Milestones For All Stakeholders

One of the first and most essential steps of your project management plan is to set milestones. Ensure that all these milestones are realistic and that all stakeholders are on board. Conducting face-to-face meetings early on is a great way to confirm which tasks each stakeholder will handle during the development of your app. At times, it won’t be possible for everyone to meet physically, so you will have to rely on video conferencing. 

Verify that all stakeholders understand every phase of your plan and the timeframe of each milestone. You may use Trello, to-do lists, or spreadsheets to keep everyone on the same page. Regularly check to see that all stakeholders are meeting milestones, and message or email those that fall behind. If any team member isn’t meeting their obligations, remove them from the team and replace them with someone who will fulfill your plan.

Carefully Plan The Resources For Your Project

How you manage your resources will make or break your project. But what constitutes these resources, to begin with? These resources may include key team members, specific skills, hardware, software, and tooling. Additionally, include any cloud services, testing, and app deployment services you will use for your project. 

But be sure to assess only the resources you will use for this specific project and not for other projects you’re working on in tandem. You want to be as accurate and detailed as possible when you assess all the resources you will include in your plan. And that’s crucial because it will impact your project’s cost analysis. Many stakeholders, particularly investors, will eventually want a cost breakdown. 

Furthermore, conduct several meetings with the most experienced members of your team to pinpoint the most suitable resources for your project. Don’t assume that certain staff members or tools that proved effective in a previous project will also serve your upcoming project. Instead, be willing to switch things up based on deep and detailed analysis of similar projects, current development trends, and the current state of the app marketplace. 

Consult Your Team Lead To Set The Timeline

Ideally, you should have a team lead — but if you don’t — you must assume this role instead. But leading an app development project is challenging, so we recommend you work with a competent studio if you can fit this into your budget. 

Whether you decide to work with a team lead, hire a studio, or go solo, you must set a timeline. That’s because you don’t want your project to consume all your time and eventually burn through all your funding. 

But if you haven’t developed apps before, you may find it hard to determine an accurate timeline. More often than not, you’ll probably be way off in your timeline if you don’t consult a professional. Sure, you may watch several YouTube videos and read blog posts about app development, but nothing beats working with someone with hands-on experience. 

Your timeline must align with all your set milestones and be realistic and trackable. Also, consider all scenarios that will cause delays, such as staff members taking sick leave, holidays, internet outages, funding issues, API updates, backend integrations, troubleshooting, etc. 

Above all, hold all stakeholders accountable for meeting milestones on time. Stick to a weekly or bi-weekly routine to check everyone is committed to your project management plan.

Detail Usage Of All Communication Channels

Even the most rock-solid project management plan will fail without properly implemented communication channels. That’s because all stakeholders must communicate regularly during each stage of the development process. Any communication bottlenecks will delay or derail your app’s progress and even lead to a catastrophic outcome. 

To avoid all this, you must set up all the communication and feedback channels you’ll use during development and outline these in your plan. The good news is that there are many excellent paid and free communications services available, as follows: 

  • Chanty
  • ChatWork
  • Discord
  • Google Chat
  • Messenger
  • Microsoft Teams
  • NuovoTeam PTT
  • Trello
  • Troop Messenger
  • Slack
  • WhatsApp Business
  • Wrike

Some of these services also have integrated project management features. Take the time to assess the most suitable communications services for your app project. You may want to opt for an all-in-one solution to simplify your workflow. Alternatively, you may need more advanced or specific features, so you may need to rely on several disparate services.

Set And Follow Guidelines  

Project management relies heavily on team members following specific guidelines. You must decide on these early on and cover them in detail in your plan. These guidelines will cover multiple issues, like how your team will handle communications, app testing, and quality assurance (QA). 

Draw up guidelines that will facilitate a smooth app development process but also deliver a quality product. And ensure that you post these guidelines in all the places where team members will see them. Consider posting communications guidelines and etiquette rules in all your communications channels. 

Due to the complexity involved with testing, bug tracking, and app deployment, prepare documentation that covers all these aspects in detail. If there’s significant information that you need to cover, then consider creating several eBooks or PDFs. These will include guidelines and best practices that the relevant team members must follow. Most communications tools allow you to upload and distribute these files to reach the right people. 

You may decide to automate your testing process, especially if your team’s headcount is low. But this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t set guidelines for such a use case. That’s because setting up automated tests is an involved process that requires troubleshooting. Once set up correctly, automated tests will run flawlessly and scale to meet project scope.

 

SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION WITH AN APP DEVELOPMENT EXPERT TO GET A CUSTOMIZED QUOTE!

 

Choose A Project Management Methodology For Your App

Eventually, you’ll decide on a project management methodology that best suits the developments of your app. There are five commonly used methodologies, so you must pick one listed below: 

Agile

Agile project management is one of the most common methodologies used by developers. It’s popular due to its flexibility since project tasks consist of shorter phases. Thus, teams focus on completing projects on time and within budget while allowing for bug fixes and changes at every stage of development.

Scrum

Scrum follows Agile’s principles with an emphasis on short team meetings held daily. There’s also a greater emphasis on assigning tasks to specific team members and completing tasks in order. Therefore, it’s a good choice for teams that require clearly defined roles and responsibilities.  

Extreme Programming (XP)

XP is yet another methodology firmly within the Agile camp. It’s aimed at experienced software developers who value simplicity and good communication pipelines. Do keep in mind that XP is unsuitable for new developers or teams that struggle with transparency. 

Kanban

Kanban relies on to-do lists, columns, and cards to visually present project tasks and completion. Popular platforms like Trello are based entirely on Kanban, so it’s easy to onboard and expose team members to this methodology. Kanban is a good choice for teams that must roll out bug fixes, patches, and updates regularly. 

Waterfall

Waterfall project management is the simplest but also the most inflexible method here. Teams complete tasks according to a pre-defined and ordered sequence that flows downwards, hence its name. Therefore, it’s only suitable for teams that will follow a rigid plan with no possibility of implementing changes at a later stage. 

In Conclusion

App development is often challenging, complex, and risky. But you can reduce all these factors significantly by implementing the right project management strategies for your app project. Contact NS804 today to learn how we’ll help you complete your app on time and budget! 

The importance of Market research for App Development

/0 Comments/in /by

Mobile app research helps to understand the target market, competition, and expected trends in the industry. There are important statistics that explain why this analysis is crucial before any app development starts.

Only 0.5% of all apps published on online stores are successful. Two-thirds of all apps do not get more than 1000 downloads. A further 18% do not manage to maintain at least 1000 active users. 71% of all apps churn customers within three months. Therefore, getting traction and attaining profitability is a serious challenge for app developers.

Ironically, the mobile app market is growing, based on revenue earned in the past five years and projections into the next five. Statista puts the size of the global app market revenue at $475 billion with a projected CAGR of 19%. Clearly, the pie is big and revenue opportunities exist but only for the most well-executed mobile app projects.

In this article, we will explore specific reasons why you need to spend sufficient time on market research for your next app.

Securing Funding for Your App Development Project

The average mobile business app will cost at least $10000. The costs can go up to $300000 depending on the level of complexity and the time it takes to complete. The main cost will involve hiring developers who can charge over $100 per hour in North America.

Proponents of a mobile app need to conduct in-depth research on the likelihood of success of the app in order to convince the board to make budgetary allocations for the project. Some of the questions likely to come up are:

  • How much time will the app take to build?
  • How much will the development cost?
  • What are the annual maintenance costs?
  • Are there auxiliary costs such as marketing and publicity involved?
  • What are the revenue projections or operational cost savings arising from the app?

A comprehensive report not only sends the right signal to the budget team but it gives them the opportunity to interrogate assumptions and projections made.

Reducing the Risk of Failure in App Development

Conducting market research prior to starting a development project highly reduces the risk of failure due to blind spots. Proper research would involve tapping into the wealth of knowledge of experts in the industry as well as analysts. Therefore, nothing is left to chance, and mitigating actions are taken in advance.

For instance, it is important to establish the size of the market that an app will target, and the current market share held by each existing player. It is then important to establish whether the market size is growing or shrinking. A growing market would be seen a favorable but a shrinking one would be seen as risky. Some geographical markets may be seen as too saturated prompting the business to pivot to a different country.

Another common blind spot for apps is the regulatory landscape especially when an app is launching in many countries. Different laws on revenue taxation and data privacy mean that a business has to incur costs in ensuring compliance. If these costs are not factored in the budgetary phase, they may cripple business operations short before or after launch.

 

USE OUR APP COST CALCULATOR TO ESTIMATE THE COST TO BUILD YOUR APP!

 

New Revenue Opportunities

Ideas that have not been subjected to research are just that. Ideas. However, when you analyze the viability of an app, you are likely to uncover revenue opportunities that you had not thought of. Researching customer needs and comparing them with what existing apps are offering reveals opportunities in the market.

Successful apps are more than just a collection of features put together. With limited resources, you have to prioritize features that provide the most utility to the target market while differentiating the app from the competition. Through research, the app promoter picks the right mix of features to integrate into the app.

In addition, some features may not be included in the first iteration of the app but are included in the product roadmap. This ensures that users keep getting more value and find reasons to continue using it. A majority of apps are free and rely on ad revenue for sustenance. By adding premium features, businesses can justify adding a premium tier to their offerings.

Besides just features, opportunities also lie in untapped markets, whether geographically or demographically. This informs both current and future decisions on the direction of the mobile app development project.

Strategies for Conducting Mobile App Research

Businesses intending to carry out research on the viability of an app development idea will normally use both primary and secondary research.

Primary research would involve a fresh collection of data for analysis. The main advantages of primary research are that it provides current data, and you get to choose the number of questions to include in the questionnaire. However, primary research takes time and significant resources.

In some cases, primary research is inevitable when you need to find information with the currently available solutions for them. Besides customers, primary research may involve interviewing industry experts and even testing out prototypes with real users.

Secondary research relies on existing studies done by reputable sources. Typically, secondary research is useful in providing a high level of information on a sector or industry. However, secondary research alone cannot form the basis for the validation of an app idea.

Here are some steps to follow during the research.

Target Audience Identification

Every business must come up with demographic features that identify who their target audience is. The persona of the target audience helps to develop a mix of features that will appeal to them. The marketing communication (both the channels and marketing copy) will also be tailored to that particular audience.

The risk of not identifying a target audience is the likelihood of the app lacking focus. It may attempt to serve many demographics but not serve any well enough.

Conducting a SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis paints a picture of where you stand currently, where the market is, and what you need to do to create a successful app.

You may conduct a SWOT analysis of your own idea or that of existing players in the market.  Your strengths might include a good development team and a robust budget that can finance a powerful app. Threats may include the likelihood of competitors reacting to your entry into the market through pricing, advertising, and rolling out new features. Opportunities may exist in underserved markets and a continued growth in revenues in your target market.

A SWOT analysis is a powerful framework to help you decide what information to gather during research.

Reliance on Big Data

Big data is the secret sauce to making objective decisions on user needs. If you can find access to data on your target user behavior, you are likely to uncover user needs and preferences that even the customer is unaware of. In fact, the establishment of a data-gathering strategy ought to be a big part of any app improvement efforts after launch.

Businesses that launch beta versions of their apps often do so in order to collect real-time data that then inform later versions of the app.

Social Media Listening

Social media listening tools are critical when building apps for the mass market or the consumer market in general. It involves tracking of conversations to find out what users think of existing products or pain points that have not been addressed by any product so far.

Social media listening tools such as BuzzSumo are great for following conversations on multiple social media platforms. You will get insights on what the demographic is talking about. This may include the pain points you are addressing, the nature of the language they are using (formal vs informal), influencers they are engaging with, where they are going for opinions, and so forth. It really helps in establishing a communication strategy for brands.

Even after launching your app, social media listening tools are a must-have in order to draw a candid analysis of user experiences. It may also help you get ahead of issues by addressing problems identified by users quickly before they evolve into crises.

 

SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION WITH AN APP DEVELOPMENT EXPERT TO GET A CUSTOMIZED QUOTE!

 

Understanding the Competition

One of the most important things to establish is the business model of your competition. The context in which they operate may help you determine what their future actions are likely to be. For instance, a cash-rich business may be able to respond to new competition with pricing incentives and advertising. A publicly owned company publishes its finances and that may help you understand their financing position.

Once you figure out their business model, you must break down their app according to features. What purpose does each serve? What gaps exist there? What technologies have they used? How secure is the app? How much revenue are they making? How many active users do they have? What percentage of users are on a paid tier?

A detailed breakdown establishes what you are up against and what you must beat.

Examples of Well-Researched Apps

It is possible to find numerous well-documented app development proposals that indicate the importance of market research prior to development.

Alma- The Document Scanner App

The creators of this app were working for a client who owns an app publishing firm. The idea was to create a document-scanning app that scans an image and converts it to PDF format.  Users can export the document or store it within the app. However, there already exists solutions in the market that do this. What differentiates the proposed app is the use of optical recognition technology to enable text translation in more than 18 different languages.

The app would use existing technologies such as WeTransfer for scanning and Google Firebase ML Kit for optical character recognition. The app would also provide the option to add watermarks to documents and e-signature. Customers can also lock documents using a password on the app. The app would allow customers to pick the orientation in which to export or print documents with sizes such as A3, A4, A5, Business Cards and Legal included.

The project team expected most customers to use the basic free version of the app, but a few features would be only available for premium users. Such features include email scanning and being able to scan documents in batches.

The project was solely focused on building an iOS version of the app. The preferred development language was Swift while the Database would be built using Core data-iOS and MySQL.

School Bus Tracking App

Another well-documented project is one that aimed to solve the problem of parents being worried about their children’s whereabouts after school. The project team built a solution that used GPS tracking to help both parents and schools.

The project involved building several apps and admin panels. There would a parent’s app, a driver app, a school admin app, and a super admin to manage all schools that would get on the project.

Some of the most important features for parents would include a payment gateway for parents, real-time tracking of buses, and push notifications for when new trips begin and end, as well as when there have been delays or reroutes.

For schools, the app would help them manage their fleets better through real-time tracking as well as data on trips made, time taken, stops made, and much more.

The project’s proposal was crystal clear on the target audience, benefits to each stakeholder, revenue model, and technology stack to use to build.

Let NS804 Handle Your App Development

As seen, conducting proper research is key to avoiding committing resources to any app development project. The odds are often stacked against you owing to competition and quality expectations from target customers. An underwhelming experience often leads to app installations within a few days. Retention relies heavily on the ability to deliver real utility to target users. Therefore, a clear focus on customer needs is paramount and this can only happen through a thorough dive into customer pain points.

A combination of primary and secondary research is your best bet for determining the best mix of features. In addition, you need information on what the competition is doing well, what they have missed, and where differentiation opportunities exist.

At NS804, we take great pride in helping businesses ideate and build successful apps. Prior to any development work, we help clients conduct a thorough analysis of their intended projects in order to validate the ideas. We help them gather the necessary information to come up with a target audience persona, analyze competitors, find gaps, and list all the features to include in the MVP.

After the building and deployment of apps, we also take part in the maintenance and building of future iterations of projects.

If would like to talk to us about conducting market research for your app development project, reach out to us through our website. Our team will be in touch to discuss how best to bring your idea to life successfully.

How Clients Benefit From Android Mobile App Developers In Denver

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

The bustling capital of Colorado, Denver, has so much to offer out-of-town visitors and those looking for Android mobile app developers. Owing much to its phenomenal museums and historical landmarks, it’s a city that showcases its rich culture and heritage with panache. And it’s also home to some incredibly talented app development studios.

One of these studios is NS804, which also ranks as one of the most reviewed developers in Denver, according to the Manifest. Furthermore, we’re renowned for developing quality apps for our clients and have earned several accolades over the years. We’re Gold Verified on Clutch and have a comprehensive portfolio and many happy clients that back up the quality of our work.

But what makes us better than our peers, and what can you expect from NS804? We’re a full-service mobile app developer specializing in native Android and iOS development. That means we’ve amassed a team of specialists in all areas of app creation. 

We have designers, project managers, programmers, testers, writers, and even app store optimizers. So, our clients benefit immensely by having access to a ‘one-stop-shop’ instead of dealing with disparate entities, which only complicates the app development journey. But clients can enjoy further benefits, which we’ll explain in more detail below.

SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION WITH AN APP DEVELOPMENT EXPERT TO GET A CUSTOMIZED QUOTE!

A Team Of Android Mobile App Developers Utilizing Design

Design plays a fundamental role in the app development process. We start by designing a wireframe of the user interface (UI) and may even create a prototype. And we do this to show clients how their app will look, feel, and function. 

If they’re happy with the results, we’ll proceed with a minimum viable product (MVP) or a full-fledged product. But if they’re not, we’ll listen to their concerns, feedback, and suggestions before going back to the drawing board. And once we return with satisfying results, our clients will be eager to move forward. 

Since we’re one of the leading native Android mobile app developers in Denver, we’re inclined to use the latest best-in-class tools. And that means we’ll use Jetpack Compose to create beautiful and modern native UIs. These UIs will delight Android users and keep them engaged, especially those that have purchased the latest smartphones and tablets.

Android Mobile App Developers Demystify The Development Process 

Many clients are new to app development and have many questions. We’re always available to answer their questions and demystify the development process as best we can. After all, it’s not uncommon for clients to have questions about the following:

  • Notable similarities and differences between Android and iOS
  • Required tools for Android app development
  • Game engines and tools required for making Android mobile games
  • Ways to optimize an Android app or game
  • How to succeed on Google Play and other Android app stores
  • How to build a backend and implement analytics

Building Android Apps That Succeed

App projects are always risky, even on popular platforms such as Android. That’s why we always strive to keep clients informed about the progress of their projects and any issues or upcoming roadblocks that may hinder progression.   

And since we know the Android landscape so well, we’re aware of the various factors that could sink even the most promising projects. These may include a lack of a clear objective, an unintuitive UI, failure to iterate, poor marketing, or a disappointing user experience. However, we work closely with clients to ensure none of these materialize.

The Bottom Line

As one of the leading Android mobile app developers in Denver, we use our vast experience to create phenomenal apps according to spec. And since we know all of the ins and outs of the Android platform, we’re well-positioned to tackle the most demanding projects and to support these in the long term. Contact NS804 to learn how we’ll help you create the most engaging Android apps today! 

USE OUR APP COST CALCULATOR TO ESTIMATE THE COST TO BUILD YOUR APP!

 

7 MVP (Minimum Viable Product) App Development Questions, Answered

/0 Comments/in , , /by

The concept of Minimum Viable Product (MVP) comes from learnings in the book titled The Lean Startup and the movement that stemmed from the book’s success. The concept insists on the value of learning while still developing new products. By definition, the MVP is the first iteration of a product that can allow the development team to gather sufficient validated learning about customers with the least effort. It is a stripped-down version of a product that is testable in the market.

Describing an MVP?

When many potential entrepreneurs describe new ideas, they use existing products as a reference. For instance, one might say they want to build an IKEA, but for something else. Or Uber, but for something else. While this may help to visualize it to the person listening, such a description is not very helpful to the developer the entrepreneur intends to hire.

Coming up with a detailed enough MVP requires certain boxes to be ticked. First, it must be very clear the minimum features one intends to give customers. An MVP is not just a collection of features without utility for users. An MVP must be capable of solving an existing problem for users. In addition, the promoter of the MVP must know which features they can give up without sacrificing utility. Lastly, the promoter of the MVP must list down what questions they seek to answer by testing the MVP in the market. Is it the business case? Is it the utility for users? Scalability of the idea?

Import Questions to Ask

While still deciding on what to include in your MVP, some other questions may also arise. Building an MVP is a resource-consuming process. You may need to question whether the MVP is necessary at all. The developers are only supposed to build what you ask them to. Your input and supervisory skills are important in delivering the product. If you cannot make the time commitment, you may be better off shelving the MVP altogether.

Another important consideration is whether you need an app or an MVP. This may be determined by both the resources available and expected user behavior. A mobile app is more expensive to build and promote, especially when you want to build native apps for iOS and Android platforms. The stores (Apple and Google) may also charge a fee or take a percentage of revenue from the app. In other cases, a web app may be preferred if users are expected to be mostly on their computers. Browsers are becoming more powerful and the user experience of web apps may be just as smooth as a mobile app.

Therefore, you may find it better sometimes to give up building a mobile app for a web app instead.

SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION WITH AN APP DEVELOPMENT EXPERT TO GET A CUSTOMIZED QUOTE!

Why Build an MVP?

A common question is why it is prudent to build an MVP instead of going all out to build a fully-kitted product and launch it. Several reasons.

Most app development projects face resource constraints both in terms of time and finances. Whether an entrepreneur is doing all the technical work themselves or hiring a team, they need to make the most of their resources. A bulk of the resources should only go to building features with the most impact on the product. The MVP embraces the Pareto principle.

Further, by starting out with an MVP, it becomes possible to validate the business idea. Based on the feedback, the business may decide to continue with the business idea as it is, or pivot to something different. This greatly reduces the business risk involved.

What’s the Value of Feedback?

User feedback is the essence of building an MVP. As stated, you must know beforehand what the MVP is meant to communicate to the development team. There are two types of feedback: quantitative and qualitative. Qualitative feedback comes from customer surveys and comments on social media and on app stores. Quantitative data is collected passively as users interact with your product. You may collect data such as downloads, usage times, pages visited, bounce rates, and so on.

Feedback is essential in determining the roadmap for a product. There must be a concrete plan to collect, analyze, and act on user feedback. App development should be seen as an ongoing process of producing better iterations of the MVP.

How Do You Determine the Success of the MVP?

Objective feedback should be the yardstick for determining the success of the MVP. Sometimes there is dissonance between what people say and how they interact with the product. Therefore, some features that were popular during the research phase may prove unpopular in the MVP. Quantitative data, therefore, is the best way to determine whether to build upon, fix or scrap features from the MVP.

What are Some Common Mistakes Businesses Make with their MVPs?

Perhaps the most common problem in building MVPs is the failure to properly limit the scope of the project. The resultant problem is that the project depletes available resources while the product is still not ready for the market. This is why product managers need to have project management skills to ensure that the development process does not veer off track.

Next, there may be a lack of proper structures to incorporate user feedback. It’s important to bring on board the thoughts of intended users by showing them mock-ups of the finished product and explaining how it solves their problems. Most projects have early adopters who have an existing problem and are willing to pay for a solution. These should be your target and the MVP should attempt to solve their problem. Their input is invaluable.

Lastly, the lack of enough testing is a big problem. While rushing to get the product into the market, the development team must conduct thorough functionality, usability, security, and robustness checks on the product. Putting out an unstable product will result in a negative impression of the product, which inhibits prospects of future growth.

What are Some Recommended Best Practices when Building an MVP?

These practices are common with MVPs that end up as commercially successful products.

First, the development teams have a deep commitment to fulfilling the customers’ needs. The entire process is customer-centric. The features in the MVP must a result of customer research and so will be those features added later on.

Next, it’s important to have the plan to market the MVP before and after it reaches the market. For niche products, you may find ways to get enthusiast groups talking about the product. Landing pages help a product gain visibility through search engines. You could also reach out to influencers and thought leaders in your industry to have the product reviewed.

 

USE OUR APP COST CALCULATOR TO ESTIMATE THE COST TO BUILD YOUR APP!

Examples of MVPs

There are numerous great examples of big apps that started out as simple MVPs. When Twitter started in 2006, it was a simple website where people posted messages (micro-blog/tweets) and followed other people. Now, it’s possible to post videos, voice notes, and even hold live events (Twitter Spaces). The platform is continually adding features and trying out different interfaces.

Spotify began as a desktop app that allowed users to stream music. They used ads to generate revenue but also gave users the option of paying for an ad-free experience. Spotify has grown steadily by adding more features and content to become a multi-billion dollar company and an important stakeholder in the music streaming industry.

Let Us Build your MVP

If your company is looking to build a new product, you must decide on the most important features for the MVP. This will help to focus your efforts and get the product into the market quickly to get user feedback. The right app development partner makes the development journey smoother. For a world-class app development experience, reach out to us at NS804. We have delivered hundreds of applications to businesses in multiple industries. Talk to us about your MVP today.

Your App Development Partner in Denver

/0 Comments/in /by

Denver has differentiated itself as a tech hub offering friendly legislation for businesses, thus attracting high-profile tech companies to set up regional offices there. Facebook, Microsoft, Intel, Amazon, Apple, and NVIDIA all have a presence in Denver.

If you are seeking app development services in Denver, hundreds of companies offer programming services. However, finding the right partner to work with on long-term projects is not always straightforward. Finding a development partner with the right mix of skills, work ethic, enough developers, experience, proper communication, and reasonable pricing is a tough balancing act.

SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION WITH AN APP DEVELOPMENT EXPERT TO GET A CUSTOMIZED QUOTE!

NS804 App Development

At NS804, we pride ourselves in offering world-class app development services to startups, scale-ups, and mature businesses. Whether you need iOS, Android, or cross-platform apps, our teams will deliver a robust application for your business. Our UI/UX design teams believe in simple and intuitive interfaces that will guarantee easy familiarity for intended users. Using cutting-edge techniques, we guarantee a maximized user experience that raise user retention rates for our clients.

You can speak to us no matter the stage of app development you currently are in. We have helped hundreds of clients right from the conceptualization of app ideas to building to the minimum viable product (MVP). We are pragmatic about clients’ budgets, helping them figure out the most important features and ship their products to the market within the shortest time possible.

Our team helps companies in Denver test out early versions of their apps using early adopters and using feedback data to improve later versions. Clients retain NS804 for ongoing improvement in order to boost growth and ensure user retention. On marketing, NS804 assists clients with app store optimization to maximize app visibility on both Google Play and the iOS store.

USE OUR APP COST CALCULATOR TO ESTIMATE THE COST TO BUILD YOUR APP!

For more information on app development for businesses in Denver, schedule a call with NS804 here.

IOS Development Denver

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , /by

IOS app development is a complicated and sophisticated exercise. However, an IOS app provides many enterprise benefits that a typical Android app cannot. Indeed, published statistics show that 80% of all households in the United States have an Apple device. That means IOS apps have a better chance of adoption than Android apps and are thus well-positioned for adoption by enterprises and organizations.

IOS Development Denver

So, if you’re looking for IOS development solutions in Denver, here are some of the benefits you’ll enjoy:

1. Higher app revenues

IOS apps have a better return on investment than Android apps. That’s because IOS apps have to meet stringent design criteria and fulfill a larger market need than Android apps. However, it’s important to note that to optimize app revenue generation opportunities in IOS, you must keep an eye on the tips, mistakes and tricks of designing IOS apps.

USE OUR APP COST CALCULATOR TO ESTIMATE THE COST TO BUILD YOUR APP!

2. Security of enterprise data

Intruding and compromising on enterprise data is common in Android apps. However, IOS provides stringent technical standards for app design and implementation. When comparing IOS vs. Android on the basis of app security, IOS provides a far better security infrastructure than Android apps.

IOS apps protect enterprise data using numerous security procedures:

  • Measures to prevent data duplication
  • Integrated data handling methods
  • Preventing data encryption

In addition, iPhone users are cushioned against ransomware and malware because users can only download and install verified apps that pass stringent security requirements.

3. Quality standards

IOS app development remains incomplete until it passes the high-quality standards in Apple’s Play Store. You’re assured of superior performance and a flawless browsing experience when downloading IOS apps.

The trust and goodwill bestowed into Apple’s legacy assure customers of a superior browsing experience and quality performance. On the other hand, Android app users dig into public libraries and often follow a non-standardized development approach.

So, when comparing Android and IOS, the latter has indisputably higher levels of quality and performance.

4. Versatility

Businesses of all sizes and scales recognize the significance of a mobile app for business. From manufacturing, retail, healthcare, and hospitality, enterprises require an app that can respond to different customer needs.

Customers further expect responsiveness and mobility in every app they interact with. Responsiveness and mobility are something that is attached to every IOS app. IOS users have superior usability and performance courtesy of the high-operating standards embedded in IOS apps.

IPhone apps, whether off-the-shelf or custom-built, will suit different business needs. So, whether you’re looking for a messaging app, a shopping app, or a marketing app, IOS apps are well-suited to cover these diverse business needs.

Although iPhones are more expensive than Android devices, iPhone apps are more lucrative because of their well-paying customers and their wider market reach.

SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION WITH AN APP DEVELOPMENT EXPERT TO GET A CUSTOMIZED QUOTE!

5. Tech-readiness

Apple is well-known for its innovation and constant growth. The brand is open-minded to innovation, making IOS apps well-positioned for tech-ready consumers. In addition, iPhone devices are perhaps the edgiest in user experience, making them adaptable for tech-savvy consumers.

NS804 – Improving Your IOS App Development Experience

IPhones have a rich history and a superior user experience, thanks to Apple’s constant innovation and adaptability. In addition, IOS apps are lucrative because they target a higher-spending demographic of consumers.

So, if you want to develop a scalable and superior app for your Denver business, do not worry. Denver’s diversified economy is one of the advantages of living there. The leading sectors in Denver include healthcare and fitness, aerospace, financial services, and energy. IOS development Denver allows you to enjoy superior app development solutions for your Denver business.

Regardless of the sector – healthcare, aerospace, telecommunication, and energy – having a mobile app for your Denver enterprise will provide numerous benefits.

You can contact NS804 for superior mobile app development solutions in Denver.