Strategies for Effective Mobile App Marketing in a Crowded/Saturated Market

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In mobile app marketing, a saturated market refers to an environment that offers more or less similar apps with the same features and capabilities, and all apps target overlapping demographics of users. This unhealthy competition creates rivalry, making it hard for new entrants to gain traction.

In such a competitive market space having the right and the most effective marketing strategy can make a difference and help you stand out. Without the right strategy to target and attract potential consumers and users, even the most robust and the highest quality app can fail to succeed.

The right and the most effective marketing strategy can not only improve the app’s visibility but can also help the app influence user perception, lead to customer acquisition, and promote the overall success of the app.

Strategies for Effective Mobile App Marketing in a Saturated Market

1. Conduct Market Research to Identify Your Target Audience and Their Needs

Market research is the cornerstone of any successful marketing strategy for an app, especially in a saturated market. It involves gathering information about your target market and clients, their needs, preferences, locations, and perceptions. By understanding your audience, you can tailor your app’s messaging, features, and marketing efforts resonating with your audience.

Demographic Analysis

Start by identifying the demographic traits of your target audience like their age, location, gender, education levels, and income. This information helps create user personas that represent different segments of your audience.

Psychographic Analysis

Psychographic analysis primarily deals with analyzing your clients’ and potential users’ interests, values, lifestyles, and buying behavior. Knowing you’re the psychology of your users helps you craft messages and communications that resonate with their aspirations and motivations.

Needs Assessment

Identify the specific needs, pain points, and challenges your audience faces and explore how your app can overcome those challenges. Conduct focused groups, interviews, and surveys and gather information from potential users.

Analyze your Competitors to Identify their Strengths and Weaknesses

Competitor analysis is vital for understanding the market and identifying opportunities for expansion and differentiation.

  • Identify competitors. Identify direct and indirect competitors. Direct competitors are players with similar offerings as yours, while indirect competitors refer to players whose products and offerings can easily replace yours.
  • SWOT analysis. Conduct a SWOT analysis to identify your competitors’ strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the market. Strengths may include a strong brand and unique product features and weaknesses may entail limited market presence and poor user experience. Opportunities may capture emerging trends and market gaps, and threats may entail changing regulations and new entrants.
  • Differentiation Strategy. Look for areas where your app can provide added value. You can focus on strengths that your competitors lack and identify weaknesses that you can improve.

Use Data Analytics Tools

Use data analytics news to gather information about your user behavior, measuring the effectiveness of the marketing campaign and measuring its effectiveness. Leveraging data analytics tools to collect client and consumer information may help you tailor effective marketing campaigns and optimize the app’s performance.

  • User behavior analysis. Use tools like Firebase Analytics, Google Analytics, and in-app performance to track navigation paths, user interactions, and engagement levels. Analyze this data to identify trends and areas of improvement.
  • Conversion funnel analysis. Analyze the conversion funnel from app discovery to conversion to optimize conversion rates and identify bottlenecks at every stage.
  • A/B testing. Conduct A/B tests to experiment with different app features, messaging, and marketing strategies. Measure the impact of these variations on user behavior and iterate based on data-driven insights.

Using data analytics tools helps you collect insightful information, helping you build knowledge and insight about your marketing efforts.

2. Develop a Unique Value Proposition

Define what makes your app stand out from the competition. This could be its innovative approach, features, niche market, or a combination of all these. The goal here is to define what makes your app special and unique and why should consumers choose your app over others.

One of the most unique value proportions is unique features. For your app to stand out in a competitive marketplace or saturated market, it must exhibit unique features and functionalities. This means your app must be different and must provide distinct benefits and capabilities that are specifically unique to the app and not to other apps in the same market.

Innovative technology is another distinguishing feature for developing a unique value proportion. Apps like Facebook, WhatsApp, Slack, and Microsoft Teams are innovative because they represent innovative technologies in their respective industries and fields. Similarly, to stand out in a competitive marketplace, your app must provide an innovative technology that’s unique in its way.

Your app must provide an exceptional user experience for it to stand out in a competitive market. The apps must focus on delivering an intuitive, smooth, and speedier interface that responds at the slightest touch. Emphasize how your app saves time, simplifies tasks, and enhances productivity for its users.

Another aspect of creating a unique value proposition is creating a specialized niche focus. If your app caters to a specific industry, market, and user segment, you must emphasize and highlight the specific value it provides to that target market. Highlight how your app addresses their challenges, unique needs, and interests better than other apps.

Crafting a Compelling UVP

There are various strategies you can use to craft a compelling unique selling proposition:

  • The unique selling point must be clear and easy to understand.
  • The USP must communicate the relevance and ease of use of the new app.
  • The USP must contain an emotional appeal.
  • The app must communicate its benefits and value to the end users.

It is important to note that your unique selling proposition is an opportunity to sell your product to your target audience by communicating the features, benefits, and overall value of your app.

3. Optimize Your App Store Presence

To make your app stand out in a crowded or saturated market, it’s important to optimize your app store presence. If your app is designed to run on IOS, it is important to take advantage of app store optimization. Some apps are cross-platform, meaning they’re designed to run on both Android and IOS. Regardless of the IOS, it’s important to leverage your app store to reap maximum benefits.

Use appropriate keywords

It’s advisable to use appropriate keywords in your app’s title, description, and meta-description. Using the right combination of keywords strategically in your app’s metadata will help to improve its visibility in the app store and hence improve adoption and retention.

Some of the strategies you can use to ensure appropriate use of keywords include:

  • Keyword research
  • Natural selection and incorporation of keywords
  • Optimizing app title and description
  • Metadata optimization

Keywords improve searchability and visibility, ensuring you’re at the top of the search engine and easily visible to a large target audience.

Design Eye-Catching Icons, Screenshots, and Videos

Visual elements play a crucial role in capturing users and encouraging them to explore your app even further. Invest in creating visually appealing assets that showcase your app’s unique features and capabilities.

  • App icon. Design a visually appealing and striking app icon that stands out on home screens and the app store. Ensure the icon reflects your brand identity and communicates the essence of your app.
  • Screenshots and videos. Create high-quality promotional videos and screenshots that highlight the benefits, functionalities, and user experiences of your target audience. Use clear captions, engaging visuals, and annotations to demonstrate the app’s value and encourage downloads.
  • Preview videos. Pay attention to the preview video feature in the Play Store or App Store. Use this opportunity to demonstrate your app’s unique features, user interactions, and app functionality clearly and compellingly.

Encourage positive reviews and ratings

Encourage positive reviews and ratings to encourage downloads. Positive reviews not only influence user perception but also contribute to higher app store rankings and visibility. Implement strategies designed to encourage users to leave feedback and give ratings on the app’s user interaction and speed.

Some of the strategies that you can use to encourage positive reviews and ratings include:

  • Prompt user feedback.
  • Ethically incentivize any reviews.
  • Address any negative feedback.
  • Maintain app quality and functionality.

By encouraging feedback and ratings, you can engage with potential users better and shift their perceptions.

4. Leverage Social Media and Digital Marketing

Social media provides an excellent platform for connecting and reaching out to your target audience. Social media allows you to build meaningful connections, obtain feedback, and provide continuous improvement to your mobile app. In a highly saturated market, here’s how to use social media to build an app that stands out.

Platform selection

It’s advisable to select platforms most frequented by your target audience. Facebook, Reddit, LinkedIn, or X are all potential social media channels you can leverage to build meaningful connections with your target audience.

Profile optimization

Optimize your profile with the appropriate colors, logos, and messaging to ensure it communicates your values. Provide clear information about your app, its functionality, and benefits.

Content strategy

Create content that resonates with your audience. It’s advisable to use catchy phrases, captivating colors, and designs to attract user attention and influence adoption. Create a mixture of content types, including videos, audio, polls, stories, images, and quizzes.

Develop engaging content

Engaging content plays an instrumental role in attracting and retaining your social media followers while promoting the app effectively. It’s advisable to consider the following formats of content.

  •  Videos. Create captivating videos that showcase your app’s story, features, and benefits. Include animation, visual storytelling, testimonials, and behind-the-scenes footage to amplify your app.
  • Blog posts. Develop informative blog posts that explore topics relevant to your niche. Include industry guides, how-to guides, case studies, and industry trends content. In addition, it’s advisable to blog posts for search engines to attract organic traffic.
  • Infographics. Design visually appealing infographics that communicate tips, key information, statistics, and comparisons related to your niche. Infographics are highly valuable and can attract attention on social media platforms.
  • User-generated content. User-generated content UGC encourages users to create and share content related to your app such as testimonials, user reviews, success stories, and feedback. User-generated content adds credibility and authenticity to your marketing.

Use targeted ads

Use targeted ads on platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Targeted advertising allows you to reach your audience based on their interests, behavior, likes, demographics, and online activities. Here’s how to leverage targeted ads effectively.

Audience segmentation

Segment your audience based on gender, age, demographics, location, interests, app usage, and app preferences. This will help you create targeted ads that target users based on these specific user preferences.

Ad formats

Leverage various ad formats offered by different platforms such as Facebook (lead ads, video ads, and carousel ads), Google ads (app install ads, display ads, search ads), and Instagram ads (video ads, carousel ads, and story ads).

Ad creative

Develop compelling ad creatives with attractive and attention-grabbing visuals, clear and concise copy, and thought-provoking calls to action. Test these ads on different platforms to optimize performance and improve conversion rates.

Budgeting and optimization

Set realistic marketing budgets based on your marketing goals and monitor ad performance through metrics such as click-through-rate CTR, cost per acquisition, and retention rates. In addition, leverage ad campaigns regularly to maximize reach and returns on investment.

5. Leverage Collaborations and Partnerships

Identifying and establishing collaborations and partnerships with the right organizations and individuals can significantly boost your app’s credibility and visibility. Here’s how to identify potential partners and collaborators.

  • Alignment with your target audience. Identify influencers, brands, and organizations who share the same target audience as yours. Consider factors such as user behavior, demographics, interests, app preferences, and gender.
  • Complementary services. Look for apps that offer complimentary services or products like yours. Collaborating with partners whose offerings complement yours can provide mutual benefits to both parties.
  • Influencer identification. Research and identify influencers in your niche who have a significant following and engagement with your target audience. Look for influencers who align with your brand value and who can authentically promote and grow your brand.

It’s important to note that partnerships and collaborations play an instrumental role in ensuring your app stands out in a highly competitive marketplace.

NS804 – Building Apps That Stand Out

NS804 is a trusted provider of custom mobile app solutions. The company focuses on both iOS and Android apps, providing excellent mobile app solutions for businesses of different sizes and industries. We believe that marketing is crucial for the success of any app.

We believe that businesses must invest exhaustively in developing effective marketing campaigns that educate and inform people about its features and benefits. As part of this realization, we help businesses align their app development efforts with the needs of the market, ensuring that our apps answer the needs and interests of the target audience.

Contact NS804 today for superior and custom mobile app solutions.

 

 

Videos – A Notable Trailblazer in Online Dating

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The mobile app revolution has taken the world by storm – from e-commerce apps that embrace realistic virtual and augmented reality shopping capabilities to video-based dating apps.

Recent developments in mobile apps show that the digital world will embrace a paradigm shift, making apps the next big thing after the internet. Already, the metaverse defined the limits of virtual spaces, signaling a new awakening in how we use and interact with the internet.

Today, video-based dating apps have defined a new frontier, eliminating the barriers set in previous dating apps. Traditionally, the online dating scene was a scam zone characterized by fake profiles and unrealistic characters.

However, today, this is about to change with new video-based, next-generation apps like PreVue Dating.

Here’s what we should expect with video-based, next-generation dating apps:

1. More authenticity

Documented evidence shows that there are many benefits to using a dating app with a video as opposed to one with just images. The first advantage is more authenticity. Videos allow users to showcase their personality, tone, and body language in ways that mere pictures cannot.

Videos give users a more personalized and accurate presentation of themselves, which helps create trust and increase the likelihood of a successful match. So, new dating apps that embrace the video-based capability will ensure more users and personalized experiences than dating apps without this new capability.

 

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2. Better communication

Truth be told: videos provide better communication and more personalized interaction than mere images or pictures. Precisely, videos allow users to exchange information and talk more realistically, ensuring that users can hear and respond to one another in real time. This capability can lead to more meaningful communication and deeper connections which is a critical element in online dating.

3. Improved safety

Videos can help improve the safety of users by allowing users to verify that those they are talking to are the people they’re claiming to be. Videos can also help users feel more comfortable meeting in person as they’ve already seen and talked to each other via video.

Let’s consider the following statistics:

  • One in every seven dating profiles may be fake
  • Of all 3.5 million profiles created every month, 500,000 may be fake
  • Romance scams resulted in losses of over $1.3 billion in the US in 2022
  • Canadian romance scam victims lost over $50 million in 2021
  • Australians lost at least $568 million in online dating scams in 2021
  • Social media remains a fundamental attack vector in online dating scams

So, video-based dating sites are gradually providing safety nets to most users in online dating sites.

4. User experience

There’s no denying that video-based dating apps are realistic and provide a better user experience. A dating app with a video feature can provide a more meaningful conversation and deeper connections and interactions. Users can share videos of themselves and others, making the app more meaningful and entertaining.

Already, a Forbes publication showed that video communication is being optimized to further physical distance and allow for social distancing – in both work and dating spheres.

So, when you combine this capability with the risk of physical communication in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, you realize that video-based communication is gaining momentum in bridging glaring gaps in physical communication.

5. Mutual attraction

Sharing videos with interesting captions on social media is nothing new. Facebook first launched its video function in 2007. YouTube began in 2005. And Snap Chat exploded after adding a 10-second video capability to its platform. TikTok is currently the new frontier in marketing, and it utilizes live and recorded videos of users.

There’s no denying that the short-form video model became a striking feature of most online applications – and this trend will grow. Despite this development, it has taken a few years for dating apps to adopt this feature.

But why the delay?

The prevailing theory is that it’s scary to show more online. Everyone has great photos and excellent captions depicting their ‘best angle’ and ‘their good side’ which provides psychological protection.

However, with platforms such as PreVue Dating taking video-form elements in their models, it shows just how videos are harder to fake and how the dating landscape is changing.

Videos indisputably allow users a better gauge of mutual attraction. And as users become more discretionary, videos will gain more momentum in the dating world, signaling a new normal to most users of online dating sites.

6. Increased confidence

Most people turn to online dating because it’s more confidential. Indeed, most online dating users prefer to first match with interested potential matches before meeting them in person. This ultimately provides psychological protection in case things do not go as planned.

The truth is – videos allow users to showcase their personality, tone, interests, and attitudes which can increase their confidence. This may be particularly helpful to those users nervous about meeting new people or people who may struggle with making the first impression.

7. Time-saving

Videos can be a more efficient way to get to know someone without wasting time. Instead of spending hours, days, or sometimes weeks getting to know someone, videos allow users to get a taste of someone’s interests and personality in minutes. Video-based capabilities help users establish compatibility without wasting time exchanging messages and texts.

8. Screening tool

One exhilarating aspect of videos in dating is that they can act as screening tools. Users can screen those they’re interested in before committing to a date or a meet-up. Screening can help reduce the number of mismatches and increase the chances of a successful date.

9. Hobbies and interests

Videos can help users showcase their interests and hobbies in a more meaningful way than written descriptions and images. By showcasing interests and hobbies in a more interactive and meaningful way, videos can help potential matches get a better understanding of what they have in common.

10. Better visibility

Adding a video on one’s dating profile provides better visibility and enables users to stand out from the crowd. This capability is especially important at a time when dating platforms are flooded by fake profiles. Adding a video boosts the number of potential matches, providing a more fulfilling and interactive online dating experience.

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PreVue Dating – A Path to Online Engagement

Online dating apps have been doing a lot of experimentation and innovation in videos. Some of these platforms allow basic features such as pulling and posting a video from your phone. Others offer full-blown video-chatting functionality. Dating apps have adopted various and varying rules and moderation capabilities to improve match quality and dating experiences.

NS804 has worked closely with online dating app players to identify proven strategies for online dating experiences. And with the wake of PreVue Dating, it’s becoming clear that video dating will be a frontier in online dating. However, it’s important to note that as video becomes a trend in online dating, users will have to adopt several safety guidelines.

Some of the main safety cornerstones for videos in online dating include:

  • Platform guidelines. Online dating platforms must be overtly clear about what’s appropriate content.
  • Community feedback. The online dating community must drive the common good with reporting buttons that flag and moderate content.
  • Human moderation. Human moderation is a critical element in reducing technology gaps and human errors. For instance, Facebook has approximately 15,000 reviewers hunting inappropriate content and fake news.
  • AI moderation. Many dating apps take appropriate precautions to protect their women users. AI-powered private detectors scan images for inappropriate content.
  • Privacy functionality. Controls when and how users use the video functionality feature. Some apps, for instance, allow chat users to blur their screens until they feel comfortable.

Contact NS804 to bring video-based capabilities to your online dating platform.

3 Things You Can Improve With A Mobile App Right Now

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As we enter 2023, many appreneurs and captains of industry wonder if there are things they can improve with a mobile app. Yes, there are plenty of things that a mobile app can make better! Yet the longer answer is a bit more complicated, but that shouldn’t dissuade anyone. Just know that mobile apps still present much-untapped potential for those willing to go the extra mile.

In January 2007, the late Steve Jobs introduced the world to the first iPhone. For some, this unassuming mobile device presented the future. And for others, it was seen as nothing more than a fad that would soon pass. 

Finding himself in the latter camp, former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer dismissed the iPhone for its high price while Microsoft was already selling millions of phones. But nine years later admitted that he was wrong in a Bloomberg interview. 

So what does this tell us about the state of the tech industry? For one, it’s a very unpredictable industry, even for the most prominent players. And secondly, it’s an industry that often rewards those players willing to push the envelope or gain a first-mover advantage.

But Apple didn’t create the first smartphone since IBM’s Simon previously launched in 1994. Nevertheless, Apple launched the iPhone at a time when digital mobile networks and mobile phones already enjoyed wide availability. And, in a way gained a first-mover advantage in a sector largely ignored by its rivals.

Since the launch of the first iPhone, an entire industry and the world have radically transformed. Over the past 15 years, we’ve experienced innovative and life-changing mobile apps. Now, it’s time to see what we can improve with a mobile app in 2023 and beyond!

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1. Use Augmented Reality (AR) & Virtual Reality (VR) To Enhance Education

While AR & VR are not new technologies, they’re still overwhelmingly ignored by most mobile app developers. Sadly, this is a huge oversight leading to the creation of many underwhelming and knock-off apps in the marketplace. After all, how many to-do list apps and tower-defense mobile games do users need or want? Not that many if you were to practice due diligence and thoroughly research the app marketplace.

However, users want apps to take advantage of additional features and horsepower their newer smartphones offer. And that’s because most current mid-range mobile devices can deliver impressive AR & VR experiences. Moreover, the education sector requires mobile apps that help explain complex subject matter in an approachable manner.

Think of a class of biology students that need to learn the location of each organ in the human body and what function each serves. A 2D diagram or representation of the human body and each organ may serve this purpose adequately. 

But humans and their organs are not flat, so a 2D depiction is never ideal. Instead, it’s better to tap into the 3D power of modern smartphone graphics processing units (GPUs) and depict the human body as realistically as possible.

And with the additional functionality of AR, a student may pass their smartphone over a body part. The app will use the camera to film and detect the body part and then superimpose the innards of this part on the screen.

Furthermore, VR functionality will allow for a full 3D flythrough of the human body while the student controls the entire process. It will feel like playing a game, but the student will gradually learn where each body part is through their spatial awareness, which the VR experience will continue to hone.

2. Business Processes Can Improve With A Mobile App

The business world is undergoing significant change due to current global events. An armed conflict in Europe, supply chain disruptions, global chip shortages, tech layoffs, and a looming recession will make 2023 a challenging year for many. Businesses that haven’t prepared for these scenarios may not make it through this difficult period.

But what can businesses do to improve their survival rate and even thrive in 2023? They need to look at all their business processes and consider how these can improve with a mobile app. 

Since many businesses need to perform many tasks with fewer employees, it’s crucial to look at automation. And mobile apps not only help with automation but can take it to the next level with the correct implementations of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). 

Consider an e-commerce app used by customers that regularly order computer chips. But as mentioned earlier — there’s a global chip shortage — and many customers won’t receive their orders. Or they won’t receive their orders on time, causing them to take their business elsewhere. But it’s possible to get a different result with an AI & ML-powered e-commerce app. 

AI can deliver a human-like response to all customer inquiries through the app’s chat feature. If a chip isn’t available, the built-in AI chatbot will notify the customer and suggest alternatives already in stock. And possibly, offer a discount to entice the customer. Thus, instead of leaving, the customer will likely complete the purchase.

And a well-implemented ML algorithm will learn customer order patterns and analyze these in detail. Then, it can pre-order items that customers will likely want and ensures that the company storeroom always has in-demand products in stock.

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3. Social Media Automation To Allow Staff To Do Their Jobs

While there are several good social media automation apps in the marketplace, you may want to custom-build one for your organization. Perhaps, you don’t want your employees to waste precious company time on Facebook and Twitter. But you don’t mind them engaging with their colleagues and company stakeholders on an internal social platform.

You want staff to freely share crucial information that helps the company reach its goals. And you want them to easily find and contact key people in the company, even if they’re overseas.

However, spending too much time, even on this internal platform — will adversely affect productivity. To counter this problem, you’ll need robust automation features that keep staff focused on their daily tasks.

But what form will these automation features take? Staff should be able to upload and organize all kinds of file formats and media content. And this process should be intuitive with few touch gestures. 

Furthermore, staff should be able to schedule when to send files and who should receive them. And receipt notifications should be non-disruptive so that staff members aren’t inclined to look at their phones every time a file reaches a recipient. 

Another area where automation enhances the social media experience is finding vital information quickly. Perhaps, certain staff members took part in a training program and posted this on their timelines. Yet not all staff have added hashtags, so searching for all these posts may prove time-consuming.

But an AI-powered search function will find all these posts in mere seconds. And it’s possible to set it so that it notifies the user whenever other staff members take part in the same training program in the foreseeable future. Knowing which staff members have received training can help with assigning them new assignments.

The Bottom Line

As we’ve already revealed, there are several things one can improve with a mobile app. The education sector and enterprises of all sizes can benefit immensely from the correct mobile app implementation. Contact NS804 to learn how we’ll help you create incredible apps that will empower you in 2023 and beyond!

How to Make an App User Friendly

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Mobile applications continue to be critical tools for our everyday lives. Many factors must be considered when creating an app including; services provided, layout, design, features, and user experience.

Development of mobile apps requires a lot of effort and ingenuity with each app designed to solve a particular problem. However, what makes an app stand out is the user experience which can make a significant difference in making an app successful and stand out from the rest.

There is growing competition for app developers to create quality popular apps. With so many apps out there, users have a wide array to choose from. This makes app retention crucial by not only making the experience awesome but also being functional by solving the user’s problem.

So how do you make your app user-friendly in a highly saturated space? Well, making an app user-friendly requires some elements to collectively work together to achieve this goal.

1. Keep it Simple

The most important tip for making an app user-friendly is simply making it simple. The end user is likely to stay on an app that is simple and easy to navigate. Instagram and Tik Tok are some of the most popular apps which is because of the basic functionality that makes them easy to use.

A basic design must hook users who are not particularly tech-savvy and appeal to those with short attention spans. The average user is usually not interested in all the features of an app. Most users are focused on functionality and convenience when using the app.

They want to navigate the app seamlessly without feeling overwhelmed with information or complex features. An easy-to-use app means a new user can jump straight into the app with zero familiarity yet be able to navigate with ease.

Keeping it simple with an easy-to-understand layout and design creates a pleasant experience.

2. Understand the Target Market

The user interface and experience are based on user demands and behavior. User demands are typically the issues, difficulties, or obstacles that users are trying to address with the app.

User behavior on the other hand is the general pattern of characteristics that the target market shows while attempting to solve the issues.

For instance, younger users heavily rely on apps for on-demand services, whereas elderly users enjoy the personal touch of phone conversations. To make an app user-friendly, it is essential to comprehend the subtleties of user wants and behavior.

Making an app with the preferences of your target users as the top priority will ensure that you are creating something they will enjoy and use repeatedly.

3. Make it Safe and Secure

People are becoming more aware of the threat of hackers and the potential dangers of information getting leaked to the wrong hands. Users want the assurance that the data shared on apps are secure and will not be accessed or used illegally. This is especially true for apps that collect sensitive data like credit card information, medical data, or bank details.

For such apps, the consideration of security cannot be overlooked. Any app with security breaches is going to have a negative outlook with users who will avoid it completely.

Therefore, you should take all necessary steps to ensure that users of your application do not suffer any security breaches. Many apps employ a Facebook or Google sign-in as a method of contracting out their security procedures to a trusted vendor.

The first thing users notice once they launch an app is a design, color, and layout. A basic color scheme is appealing and user-friendly as opposed to a clash of various bright colors. The design should be attractive yet simple without being overbearing for the users.

The layout should be clean without too much going on to convey an application with extraordinary visual appeal. All in all, the design and layout should be simple with icons and paths that make it easy for users to navigate the app.

NS804 – Making Your App User-Friendly

NS804 is a trusted provider of superior mobile app solutions. We help individual businesses and large companies navigate the difficult process of developing an intuitive and user-friendly app. At NS804, we work together with clients to identify their different business needs and deliver mobile app solutions that address these issues.

Contact NS804 for superior, user-friendly mobile apps.

What Are The Most Profitable Apps In 2022

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Knowing which are the most profitable apps is a huge advantage. After all, knowing what types of apps gain traction with users helps appreneurs pick projects that will likely succeed. And given the maturity of the app market, it’s wise to reevaluate what works in today’s marketplace, as what was popular several years ago may have fallen out of favor with users.

But what apps are truly profitable in 2022? It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Bumble, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, TikTok, Tinder, and YouTube lead the way. However, we should delve deeper to see what segments attract users and lead to profitable apps that become household names.  

1. Dating

Dating websites were somewhat of a peculiarity when they first appeared in the ’90s and were generally considered an avenue for loners and losers to get a date. However, that’s no longer the case, as we all know someone that has found love or even tied the knot through a dating site or app. And, likely, this person is neither maladjusted nor hopeless in love.

The truth is that dating sites and apps offer a convenient way for busy professionals, students, and even elderly persons to meet potential suitors. And given the popularity of Bumble and Tinder, many people find it easier to meet others through these apps than in real-life social settings. So, dating apps have become something of a necessity in today’s more atomized world.

2. Entertainment

Some of the most profitable apps revolve around entertainment. And it’s easy to see why that is, as smartphones and tablets have primarily become content-consuming devices. Users love watching movies through streaming services such as Netflix and listening to music on Spotify.

Even game cloud and streaming services have become popular recently. Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass allows users to play Xbox exclusives for a monthly fee and without needing to own a console. 

 

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3. Gaming

The mobile gaming sector should reach revenues of $164.10bn in 2022 and $241.40 by 2027. While that’s impressive, it also gives us a clue about the feasibility and vitality of mobile gaming. Moreover, games offer several ways to generate revenue via ads, in-app purchases, subscriptions, and upfront purchases.

But making games can be difficult and risky, especially for inexperienced developers. Newbie, small, and cash-strapped developers will find that creating impressive-looking 3D games or content-heavy RPGs is overambitious. And the likelihood of completing such games on time is next to impossible without cutting corners.

Thus, new developers who want to make mobile games should pick a game genre that’s popular but also doable. It’s better to tackle a battle card game or a visual novel than to attempt to make the next Genshin Impact.

4. Social Media

Many users prefer to stay engaged online via their favorite social media platforms. And if you’re wondering what grandma and grandpa are doing on their phones, they’re likely checking in on loved ones on Facebook or Whatsapp. They might even make a few online purchases, buying goods or services from marketplaces inside these very apps.

The marketing and money-making opportunities of social media apps are almost limitless. Gone are the days when most users would scout the web, perusing forums and websites that interest them. Today, they can find everything they’re looking for on social media and rarely have to leave the platform unless necessary.

 

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The Bottom Line

Current trends show that the most profitable apps serve users in areas that truly make sense. In today’s atomized society, people have a greater need to connect. Thus, both dating and social media apps fill that void incredibly well. And people also require entertainment, which is where streaming apps and mobile gaming thrive. Contact NS804 to learn how we’ll help you create top-earning apps today! 

How Do Free Apps Make Money

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The mobile app market is highly lucrative. In 2021, the mobile app market was estimated to be worth $187.58 billion and is projected to reach $207.53 billion by 2022. According to PRNewswire, the mobile app market witnessed year-over-year growth of 20.45% in 2021 – a clear indication of its potential as an industry.

So, the mobile app market is a productive and high-income sector worth considering. Today, more than ever, people are turning to mobile apps for almost everything – shopping, communicating, gaming, social interactions, chatting, and even trading.

But how do these apps make money given that 97% of Google Android apps were downloaded for free in July 2022? How do free apps make money if most people download these apps for free?

Freemium vs. Free Trial Apps

The free app market is broadly segmented into freemium apps and free trial apps. Freemium apps allow users to access an assorted list of features for free, but the free trial apps let users interact and access the full functionality of all apps for a limited period.

According to reports, freemium apps have an app conversion rate of 30% while free trial apps may attract up to 50% conversion rates. Either way, these apps end up making handsome incomes for their developers and even founders.

So, here’s how publishers monetize free apps.

1. Paid ads

Interestingly, paid ads are among the leading income-generation strategies today. The same is true for most things, including mobile apps. Free mobile apps leverage paid ads in the following ways:

  • CPM – The app developer is paid a certain amount of money for app impressions
  • CPC – Revenue is generated based on the number of clicks achieved in an ad
  • CPV – Revenue is determined by the number of views per app user
  • CPA – This revenue is gained when users directly install the app on their devices or when they purchase products or services directly using links attached or embedded in the app.

So, it’s advisable to subscribe to some paid ads if you’re not charging your app users. However, always remember that when you take the advertising route, you don’t downplay the user experience with excessive ads.

Excessive ads may greatly impair the user experience, thus being counterproductive to your app monetization strategy.

2. Subscriptions

Subscription is the most cost-effective and straightforward way of monetizing an app. Think of any free app, do you pay to access additional features or do you access all features for a limited period? Either way, you end up wanting to pay for a subscription.

An obvious and straightforward approach by app publishers is to give the apps free of charge and then charge subscriptions for users to continue using the service. That means you only get to access the app’s full functionality after you’ve secured a paid subscription.

Tinder, Disney, Pandora, Netflix, Hulu, Twitch, ESPN, and HBO Max are some of the most popular paid app subscriptions globally.

3. Direct selling

Selling merchandise is a proven way of monetizing your app. Most app publishers build or design free versions to sell products such as clothing, apparel, toys, and accessories.

Most of these products are sold through email marketing or sold directly using the app. So, if you’re considering an innovative way to push your new clothing or toy brand, look no further, a free app can be a hidden ingredient to a potent cocktail.

Contact NS804 for inquiries on app costs and app development solutions.

Transitioning to Apps? Tips for Training Employees

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The Technology Adoption Model TAM answers perhaps the trickiest question about tech adoption: why are employees reluctant to adopt technology or unwilling to partake in new technologies?

Based on documented research and empirical evidence, two factors propel people to adopt new technology: perceived usefulness and ease of use. People adopt technologies if they perceive them as handy and easy to use. Your employees are likely to adopt mobile apps if they perceive them as useful or easy-to-use.

So, when deploying a new technology that’s complex or sophisticated, you’ll find that your employees are somewhat reluctant to adapt or learn. While the ever-evolving and improving access to new technology, including mobile apps, is critical for businesses, it’s frustrating for employees.

The key is knowing how to train and equip your employees with the right skills. So, if you’re transitioning to mobile apps, here are some tips for training your employees.

Tips for training employees:

1. Trainers need to know the mobile apps themselves

A vital part of successful change management training is equipping trainers with the relevant skills, knowledge, and proficiency. Your employees cannot excel in mobile app training if the trainers are not competent in handling this transition.

So, in conducting an organizational-wide overhaul of mobile app training, ensure that your trainers are competent professionals proficient in high-end software and best-in-class hardware.

2. Make training a priority

A majority of organizations assume that by asking their employees to reserve time off and learn new software, the employees will automatically alter their schedule in favor of education or learning.

The truth is that employees will forgo learning in favor of their daily work. To succeed in a solid change management training plan, you must allocate the resources and time required for employees to learn.

Make learning a priority by ensuring that the training program is carefully packaged, well-designed and comprehensive in its reach and scope. In addition, offer incentives for the training by conducting tests and rewarding the winners. Incentives will encourage active learning and training.

3. Set realistic deadlines and roll-outs

It’s crucial to set clear and realistic deadlines on project deliverables. Ensure that your employees understand the training aims and goals and meet the underlying course objectives.

For instance, if you’re training them on mobile app security, ensure they can spell out mobile security measures and implement security practices around mobile app use.

Engaging your employees to gauge their understanding of mobile apps is crucial in evaluating the impact of the training. In addition, when rolling out a new mobile app, ask your employees to download it and interact with it days before launching it.

4. Improve learner engagement

Last but not least, improve your learner engagement. That will help your employees appreciate your mobile app transition. Your employees don’t want to be stuck for hours learning how to download, deploy, or manage mobile apps.

Instead, they’re interested in what the mobile app can do in real-time. So, request your employees under training to order product(s) from the app directly and schedule deliveries. You can use these deliveries as incentives to reinforce the learning and training. You can introduce creative and exciting ways to learn, including active demonstrations.

NS804 – Transforming Your Mobile App Experience

NS804 offers custom-built mobile apps for businesses of all sizes and sophistication. Inquire from NS804 the solutions and offers they provide if you’re embarking on your next mobile app design project.

NS804 guides clients, organizations, institutions, governments, and businesses on mobile app design and development. We help clients curate the best-of-breed apps for their establishments, regardless of purpose, sector, or size.

And if you’re transitioning to mobile apps, we advise that you equip your workforce with the relevant mobile app training and education. The forever-changing mobile landscape demands that employees remain proactive to new solutions.

Contact NS804 for inquiries and solutions on mobile app design and development.

How Can Mobile Apps Help Improve Company Culture?

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Company culture can make or break a business. And that’s because company culture consists of the formal and informal behaviors, values, and systems that impact customers and employees. But it’s easy to ignore or misunderstand these facets of an organization since few people can tell apart these behaviors and values at face value.

Yet we can easily identify the organizations that have a good company culture, and here’s how? We look out for companies with good customer service, high employee retention rates, solid financial results, and boast a culture of innovation.

Another way to identify good company culture is by surveying the staff of an organization. And we’d ask them the following: How well do they communicate with each other? What is the decision-making process like within the organization? Does the organization acknowledge and fairly reward staff contributions? And how are employees hired, promoted, and laid off? 

Surveying an organization’s customers makes sense too. And we’d want to know the following: How well does the company respond to customer complaints and feedback? Do the products and services of the company meet or surpass expectations? And does the company delight and surprise customers with innovative products and services?

Think of how customers and employees perceive a company such as Apple. We’re willing to bet that it’s mostly positive, even though it isn’t perfect. But more likely than not, expect Apple to improve company culture constantly to stay ahead of the curve.

Now, you may be wondering what all this means for your organization. Actually, it means far more than you’d think, especially if you bring mobile apps into the equation. We look into how mobile apps can improve company culture in more detail below!

Improve Company Culture With Powerful Communication And Collaborative Tools

Your employees may have multiple email accounts and use several communications tools to get work done. But that’s an administrative and security nightmare, especially if you have staff coming into the office and working remotely. Furthermore, they may use desktop PCs and various mobile devices to complete daily tasks, increasing the complexity of your systems. 

Relying on third-party vendors to provide essential productivity software makes sense if you’re a startup. But you’ll eventually reach a roadblock since you’ll likely find this software doesn’t scale with your needs or lacks features essential to a growing company. Then, there’s the case that not all your productivity software integrates well with your existing or upcoming systems. 

That’s why you’re better off working with an experienced developer such as NS804 to create a custom solution for your needs. Together, you can build a mobile app that provides staff with a tightly integrated mobile app for communications and collaborative purposes. And you can allow them to log in with a secure two-factor authentication (2FA) or even passwordless authentication.

Your staff will become more productive, as they will no longer rely on disparate pieces of software to get work done. They can work within a singular all-in-one solution with a cohesive user interface (UI) and user experience (UX). Furthermore, they won’t have to wait for a third-party vendor to release features and updates when they’re most needed. And there’s a risk that new features may take months or years to arrive, and sometimes — never!

But with a custom mobile app, this isn’t a problem. You can add new features on short notice and have these implemented to your specifications. And staff will feel confident knowing they have access to the most productive tools tailor-made for them.

A Mobile-First Approach Enhances Company Culture

We mentioned earlier that you could be using desktop PCs and mobile devices. There’s also the possibility that you could be relying on web apps for some of your mission-critical business processes. If that’s the case, it’s a messy approach that will make your systems and staff workflows more inefficient than they should be.

But the good news is that you can streamline all this with a mobile-first approach. The latest smartphones and tablets are powerful enough for most business tasks. And if you opt for native app development, your mobile app will boast high performance and speed on these devices. Thus, it’s no longer necessary to have most, if not all, of your staff using desktop PCs or laptops. 

And if you have staff that works outside the office or remotely, they’ll appreciate using lightweight devices with small form factors. Also, consider those employees that don’t feel comfortable or like using desktop PCs or laptops at home. Either because they feel intimidated by these or need a break from the computer screen and desk when not in the office.

But a smartphone or tablet feels more accessible, especially to non-tech-savvy employees. And with an intuitive mobile app, they can get work done while sitting on their couch, back porch, or while waiting for an order at their favorite restaurant. Knowing that they can quickly complete tasks on the go and in any environment helps improve company culture and staff satisfaction.

Staying Connected With Customers

While it’s a wise choice to develop a custom app to improve staff efficiency, you should also consider your customers. And think of how you will build an effective and sustainable communications pipeline to connect with them. Now we know what you may be thinking, “Why not use Facebook or Twitter to stay in touch with customers?” 

While social media platforms do a reasonably good job at connecting businesses and customers, they have several shortcomings: 

  • Firstly, you don’t have ownership of these platforms and are subject to their terms and policies, which means you could lose access to your account for reasons within or beyond your control.
  • Secondly, you’re only a business in a sea of businesses on these platforms, so it’s challenging to stand out or prevent your customers from discovering competitors with a few clicks. 
  • Thirdly, you can’t create your own UI/UX and messaging functionality and are strictly reliant on what each social media platform provides, which may not meet your expectations and requirements. 
  • And finally, you can’t directly contact users that engage with your business unless they specifically provide you with their contact details and email addresses.

From a business standpoint, relying exclusively on social media to stay in touch with customers isn’t a good move. You’re better off building an email list via your website, especially if you want to build long-term relationships with customers. But a website isn’t the only avenue to help you accomplish this goal, as you can also utilize a mobile app. 

Furthermore, a custom-built mobile app allows you to present your products and services exactly how you want. And you can keep your UI/UX and identity on-brand and tailor your messaging features so that they’re satisfactory to you and your customers.

The Bottom Line

As a business leader, one of your key goals is to improve company culture. While this isn’t easy, you can accomplish much by utilizing the methodologies and tools that will impact customers and employees positively. And the good news is that one or more custom-built mobile apps can bring about changes that can radically transform your organization for the better. Contact NS804 today to learn how we’ll help you create mobile apps that mean business!

The 13 App Ideas That Could Change Your Business

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Mobile apps have transformed many things, among them user browsing experiences and online shopping patterns. Mobile apps have reinvented business communications allowing businesses to optimize on financial and operational performance.

In addition, mobile apps continue to accelerate digital retail practices, especially as online retailers view mobile apps as a frontier in mobile commerce. There’s no doubt that mobile applications have dominated businesses, from small enterprises to large establishments.

Mobile apps continue to push boundaries in business process developments. So, if you’re looking to build your first app, here are some app ideas that could change your business.

1. Scan and Shop App

The “scan and shop” app lets users scan items they find physically so that they can order them online. The scan and shop app allows users to physically translate their physical shopping experiences to online. The app allows you to scan items and track them back online by images. This approach allows customers to buy products easily from online stores. Scan and shop apps allow vendors to add more features to make the app experience interesting. Businesses looking to transform their online shopping experiences can invest in scan and shop apps.

2. Mall Navigation

Although the Covid-19 pandemic saw shrinking mall spaces following social distancing measures in public areas (stores and malls), digitization has the potential to debunk this anecdotal talk with mobile commerce. Mall navigation apps will secure the digital maps of all the physical malls in a specific area, allowing users to locate specific stores in malls.

These apps allow shoppers to physically locate a store and use navigation to physically visit and shop. This app can navigate directions and maps, check restaurants, stores, bathrooms and locate parking spaces. So, if you’re a business enterprise or an individual running a commercial building, a mall navigation app is a must-have.

3. Restaurant Booking

Among the most hit businesses by the pandemic was the hospitality industry, hotels and restaurants being the biggest culprits. Luckily, the pandemic revealed that apps could bridge gaps in customer service through graphical restaurant reservations.

Nowadays, couples, families, individuals, and groups can use mobile apps to book hotel reservations. To what’s known as the graphical restaurant reservation, this booking app gives you access to a restaurant’s physical layout and general appeal. Graphical restaurant apps allow you to select your preferred dining spaces (and tables) for a specific time.

4. Supermarket Checkout

Supermarket checkout apps let users compare prices in different product categories. In addition, these apps let you automatically scan products and make purchases using e-payment gateway integrations. Integrated e-payment options provide improved shopping capabilities and superior experiences for prospective customers. Businesses can use this app idea to bolster online retail experiences.

5. Health Check-up and Food Planner

Health is a priority today more than ever. That’s why health insurance has skyrocketed in the last decade with rising emphasis on disease prevention and management. The health check-up and food planner app checks your health on a daily basis and suggests the meals that you should consume to remain healthy.

Health check-up and food planner apps incorporate temperature measures, body mass indices, blood pressure, body weight, and calorie count metrics. Collectively, these metrics can be used to boost your dining experiences, especially if you run a fast-food, groceries, hotel, tours and travels business.

6. Voice Translation App

There’s no doubt that business is about communication and agreements. In the contract management process, a central part of negotiation is establishing clear communication that supports all procurement needs. Businesses engage in “buy-and-sell” processes that often involve communication between people of different cultures.

A voice translation app understands the rising globalization and multiculturalism. This app responds to differences in languages, especially between employees, customers, professionals, and associates of different cultures. A voice translation app is a superior tool if you’re looking to foster communication in a multicultural workforce environment.

7. AI-Based Picture Translation

We all have challenges translating road signs, pictures, images, and signatures – especially when traveling to another country or exploring a foreign culture. So, just like Google Translate or Lens, an AI-based picture translation app allows travelers to translate pictures, texts, images, and objects. AI-based picture translation apps would transform business experiences, especially enterprises looking forward to transforming and reinventing how they communicate to multicultural audiences.

8. Criminal Alert App

Businesses in warehousing, logistics, and procurement definitely need a guaranteed security solution. A criminal alert app is embedded in warehousing computers, personnel devices, and procurement endpoints to detect any anomalies in inventories. A criminal alert app is important for monitoring inventory inflows and outflows, and monitoring warehousing activities. This app provides end-to-end visibility to procurement processes, enabling store owners and warehouse floor supervisors to keep track of inventories.

9. Exam Study

Virtualization is changing traditional education with online distance learning opportunities. New learning platforms such as Coursehero, Coursera, Doordash, and Quizlet are at the center of traditional learning transformation. Already, schools are implementing software and adopting technologies to support this transformation. In responding to this shift, businesses in education and higher learning sectors may consider investing in these apps.

An exam study app is a virtual study app where students can meet virtually and revise for upcoming exams in a particular discipline. By using exam study apps, learning can be facilitated using discussions, study tools, and study materials. This app would definitely be a win for enterprises in research, academia, higher and Montessori curriculums.

10. Call Recording App

Cybersecurity is a rising issue in enterprise security especially with the uptake of digitization solutions in business processes. Unfortunately, despite the significance of cybersecurity in today’s online shopping, most customers still fall victims of phishing and spam calls.

Most businesses are investing and downloading call recording apps so that when they’re harassed by scammers, they can record, save and share the audio file with anyone. This app is critical for all enterprises that want to share scamming and phishing audio calls to internal personnel as a measure against cybercrime.

11. Tip Calculator

The tipping culture is forever changing and affecting businesses differently. This app has a calculator that allows faster entry of food bills when you’re dining with friends and family and you want to split the bill. The tip calculator calculates the total amount to tip. This app is a critical component for hotels, restaurants, and businesses in the hospitality sector where tipping is nigh.

12. Sell, Buy, Rent Apps

The sell, buy and rent app is just like the Facebook app but with added functionality. This app lets users hire products online, buy or sell. Apps like Airbnb, TripAdvisor, Expedia, Vrbo, and Plum Guide let you hire properties for a specified duration. However, a sell, buy, or rent app allows active customer-buyer engagements, facilitating property and goods transfer either through buying or renting out.

13. M-Commerce Apps

Mobile commerce, popularly referred to as M-Commerce, refers to shopping on a mobile device, especially a smartphone, tablet, or wearable. The future of m-commerce is bright with customers turning to mobile shopping solutions. This means that for forward-thinking organizations, a simple m-commerce app can put you ahead of competitors.

Mcommerce allows you to operate contactless ordering and delivery applications. This improves the entire customer service experience by using innovations such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and mixed reality. For instance, virtualization and mixed reality allows shoppers to try out new outfits before purchasing. That means that malls and fashion retailers must look at Mcommerce apps as the next frontier in retail fashion.

Contact NS804!

There’s no doubt that a superior digital retail strategy combines an intuitive, user-friendly digital store and a fully functional website. However, mobile apps are complementing digital retail strategies especially with the accelerated uptake of mobile solutions. Rising adoption of smartphones and infiltration of internet connectivity continue to define new shifts in mobile app adoption.

Contact NS804 to transform your business with intuitive mobile applications.

How Much Does It Cost To Implement Real-Time Updates in Your App?

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Utilizing real-time updates in your personal or business application is no longer an option but a necessity. Most business applications are adopting real-time features such as: push notifications, instant messaging, real-time feed, and tracking live orders. The rising adoption of real-time notification occurs because real-time features deliver information to users in action-time incidences and scenarios.

There’s no doubt that real-time updates have made themselves available in mobile and app development in recent years. For instance, since 2015, instant messaging apps have witnessed a substantial uptake. Today, both established firms and upcoming start-ups are adopting real-time features to strengthen connectivity and power interactivity between users and their brands.

Companies and internet users can benefit immensely from real-time app updates, as both enjoy reliable and quick communication and information exchanges. That is the reason many sectors – healthcare, food and beverage, banking, insurance, technology, education, and retail – are witnessing a rise in real-time features in their apps.

How Businesses and Customers Benefit from Real-Time Updates

The history of real-time updates dates back to when stock market traders realized that it took a long time to update charts and close trade. Real-time updates were developed to update stocks and trades. Shortly, more sectors started embracing real-time updates to streamline internal communication and information exchanges. Real-time features soon migrated to reputable applications such as Uber, Airbnb, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Most apps are equipped with one or another form of real-time technology, thanks to earlier developments made in the stock market.

The following are just but a few advantages of real-time updates:

  • Apps with real-time updates can generate a higher degree of user engagement. Real-time technology helps apps to replicate real-world human behavior. For instance, users can handle multiple tasks simultaneously like, talking to friends while booking a ride in a cab-hauling app.
  • Through real-time updates, users can get connected more naturally. For instance, one can follow friends, share live locations, and message online using these applications.
  • Real-time features enable programmers and developers to focus more on the app’s core competencies. These core competencies include innovative features, upgraded user interfaces, and interactive user experience.
  • With the cloud delivery networks available, developers need not worry about maintenance and related expenses. When developers make real-time updates to users, they can rely on public clouds like the Amazon Web Services AWS.

Examples of real-time updates you can integrate into your app include:

  • Real-time feed
  • Push notifications
  • Integration of IoT devices
  • Multi-user collaboration
  • Live messaging
  • Live streaming
  • Live tracking order status

Here’s how your business and your customers can benefit from real-time updates

1. Real-time messaging

There’s no doubt that people love instant messaging. Messenger apps with multi-group messaging, media sharing, video, and voice calls are a classic replacement for the otherwise archaic, inconvenient SMS messaging. The prominence of instant messaging apps is evidenced by the rise of instant messaging platforms like Slack, Telegram, LINE, and Viber. According to Statista, there were 1.82 billion app users in 2017. This figure is expected to skyrocket to 2.48 billion by 2022.

2. Push notifications

Push notifications have become a necessity for most mobile and web applications. Notifications inform users about critical events, pull them to a brand or a product, and encourage users to use products more. For instance, 21% of users abandon your app after the first use. Thanks to push notifications, you can get users to return to your app by reminding them about its existence. The social app can encourage users to open it and download it by informing your users about recent news or events. However, be careful not to overuse notifications when choosing the right frequency for push notifications.

3. Real-time feeds

An in-app feed feature that updates immediately when new content is published is a necessity for all social networking applications. Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook allow users access to new content and updates without updating their feeds. The advantage is that your app becomes sticky with real-time feeds because users get the latest and most relevant information in real-time.

4. Live data streaming

Live streaming is widely used in many business sectors – from real estate to logistics and social networks. Live data streaming allows an app to create and deliver data to end-users, facilitating deep user engagement. Live streaming is considered the precursor of video streaming.

Developed in 2007 by Periscope, live streaming allows users to create videos and share the videos on platforms where other users can play the video content via smartphones or desktop computers. When Periscope made a market entry, video streaming went viral.

Later, the video-streaming feature was adopted by players such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and now TikTok. Indeed, the popular video streaming platform Twitch has been built around the same live streaming technology – allowing users to stream games and get paid for that.

One of the reasons companies are adopting live streaming as a real-time update is the possibility of connecting with audiences and building user engagement. In 2017, Livestream collaborated on market research with New York Magazine and found out that 80% of the respondents would rather watch a live video than read a website or a blog. For instance, Ustream App is a classic example of an app that uses live video streaming. The app blends augmented reality, 360-degree video capabilities, and virtual reality to transform live streaming experiences.

5. Order status updates

This feature is crucial for on-demand shipping and delivery companies as it helps bridge the trust gap. Users want to know that their orders (products or services) are safe and sound. Indeed, users are more than willing to track the progress of their orders for transparent customer relationships. Research shows that customers care about transparency and accountability in shipping and deliveries.

For instance, 82% of respondents indicated that retailers must constantly communicate at every stage of the delivery process. 45% of respondents track their order status using phones and SMS messaging, while 84% use email to stay updated. So, how can you improve user satisfaction? Well, provide customers with regular updates about their orders. That means providing them with a convenient and efficient way to track their orders via an app.

Other ways customers and businesses can benefit from real-time updates include:

  • Multi-user collaborations
  • Real-time data analytics
  • Control and integration of IoT devices

The internet of things represents a classic example of real-time functionality, whereby data from devices or sensors is conveyed instantly to the end-users.

The Cost of Installing Real-Time Updates on Your App?

It’s crucial to understand app development cost indicators to understand how much it costs to install real-time updates on your app. Well, several years ago, there was a key difference in app development cost between two main platforms – Android and iOS. However, today that difference is not significant. The only driving factor in the difference between app development costs is complexity.

Today, the major factor to consider when calculating the cost of installing real-time updates is the complexity, which can arbitrarily be segmented into – complex, medium, and simple. For instance, the price tag for a simple update ranges from $10,000 to 30,000. Medium-complex real-time updates range from $20,000 to 40,000, and complex real-time update installation cost between $40,000 to $60,000.

The complexity levels of real-time updates

Simple updates Medium updates Complex updates
 
Push notifications Real-time messaging Live data streaming
Real-time feeds Multi-user collaboration Integration of IoT devices
  Live to track of order feeds

Real-time updates installation costs

Simple complexity Medium complexity Complex complexity
$10,000 – $30,000 $20,000 – $40,000 $40,000- $60,000

It’s important to remember that the above numbers are just but a ballpark. They are supposed to offer you a birds-eye view of the prices you’re expected to pay for a real-time installation depending on the complexity, size, and scope of installation.

Maintenance Costs

Every app has an ongoing maintenance cost, no matter who designed or created it. Once an app is created, you have to track its performance, additional updates to install, and let users know of new updates or feeds. If your app leverages a server to store information like payment information and user records, you’ll have to pay to manage this storage.

Every app needs regular and ongoing maintenance and real-time updates to keep users engaged, happy, and coming back for more. In addition, depending on your app’s complexity, you can incur additional costs for emergency maintenance, servers, push notifications, processing, and many more.

So, how much does it cost to maintain an app, including installing real-time updates?

Well, the answer to this question depends wholly on how it was built. You can save significantly on upfront costs with a cheaper developer or programmer. However, if your app is not designed up to par, you’ll run significant expenses as your app grows and attracts more users. It’ll be expensive to install updates if your app didn’t meet the standard requisites of a conventional app.

A good estimation is to budget 20% of your initial app development cost for new real-time updates and installations. If your initial app development cost was $100,000, estimate $20,000 per year for updates and real-time installations.

However, if you outsource NS804 mobile app developers, you get to enjoy subsidized installations of real-time updates. However, be informed that different service providers offer varying costs depending on the app’s complexity, the scope of installation, and other factors.

Why are Real-Time Updates Important?

Real-time updates provide convenience, save time, and enhance user engagement. Investing in real-time updates prevents your app from being obsolete. For instance, in 2016, the Apple App store removed 50,000 apps from the App Store for being obsolete. With technology advancing at an unprecedented pace and with changing user habits, it’s becoming imperative for app developers to adopt real-time updates. Chances are that without real-time capabilities, your app will crash and burn.

If you’re still thinking about why you should install real-time updates, check out the following reasons:

  • Minimizes uninstalls. Apps with regular crashes and annoying bugs frustrate users, driving them away. Similarly, if your app doesn’t offer updated functionalities and information, users may find no reason to use it.
  • Better user experiences. You just don’t want users to download your app; you want them to use it. That is because developing long-term relationships with prospective users is the key to your app’s success. And to nurture lasting and valuable relationships with users, you’ll need to offer a unique user experience that comes with real-time updates.
  • Stay ahead of the competition. Millions of apps in the App Store and Google Store are competing for users’ attention. So, users cannot download and begin using all these apps. To beat the competition and stay at the top, you’ll need to ace your app with new updates, including: push notifications, live streaming, instant messaging, and feeds.
  • Safety from cyberattacks. With increases in mobile apps, there’s a corresponding increase in cyberattacks. So, it’s crucial to ensure the safety and security of your app to prevent exploitation and safeguard sensitive data and information.
  • Increases ROI. Real-time updates offer room for maximizing the returns on investment and decreasing the cost of acquiring new users. Once your app goes live, you’ll probably face crashes and bugs somewhere. Real-time updates provide a reliable communication channel when users face unprecedented service disruptions.

NS804 – Masters in Real-Time App Updates Installation

NS804 ensures that individuals and businesses get the best from their app development journey. With years of experience designing cutting-edge technology solutions, NS804 allows clients to estimate app development costs with an app development calculator. The significance of real-time updates cannot be undermined, with the growing emphasis on superior user experiences in customer relationship management. Real-time updates reinforce relationships by providing a reliable and constant channel of communication.

Contact NS804 for timely solutions in app development and real-time app update installations.