How to Create a Social Media App & How Much It Costs

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Social media apps have changed how we convey information and communicate with each other. Now more than ever, people spend much time online, scrolling news feeds on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. That is not to mention other social media apps that target a specific niche of users and can even motivate users to develop something similar.

The popularity of most social media apps is the freedom they extend to users. Users can share their thoughts, dreams, goals, and achievements with the whole world. Therefore, that is precisely why the social media app development market is one of the leading trends in IT today. People want to exchange ideas, share, and chat with other like-minded users.

So, if you want to know how to create a social media app, continue reading this post.

Types of Social Media Apps

If you’re thinking of starting a social media app, it’s first important to know what type of social media your idea belongs to. First, you need to define your target audience, identify competitors, and offer your targeted users more appropriate functionality in their overall user experience.

Let’s define the specific types of social media apps:

1. Social Networks

The primary aim of this type is to connect people with shared interests and who pursue different goals. For example, LinkedIn helps users find professional opportunities and build professional connections. Facebook offers a lot of thematic groups and more than 2 billion users to connect and befriend.

 

2. Media Sharing Networks

From its name, you can tell that these networks allow users to share different content. Users can share live videos, photos, and images. These days, the margin between social networks and media sharing networks is narrowing because such apps as Facebook are allowing users to share live videos and images.

 

3. Discussion Forums

These social media networks are gaining popularity because they allow users to learn from experts and share opinions on different topics. For example, discussion forums allow users to find the right information on specific topics. In addition, it’s possible to start a discussion, ask questions, and get responses from experts and knowledgeable users. The leading discussion forums include Quora and Reddit.

 

4. Consumer Review Networks

The primary objective of these social networking sites is to let users share reviews, opinions, and thoughts about products, locations, services, brands, and more. Consumer review networks can bring customers to the brand in case of positive reviews. In addition, company owners and stakeholders can get genuine client feedback and improve their products. Examples; Yelp and TripAdvisor.

 

5. Content Sharing Networks

Also called bookmarking apps, content sharing networks allow users to save and organize links to various online resources or websites. Users can save links in different folders according to topics. These platforms host more exciting features. For instance, Pinterest lets users upload their photos. In other content-sharing networks, users can download pictures they like. Most users choose these content-sharing networks to look through creative images and draw inspiration. Examples include Flipboard and Pinterest.

 

6. Blogging and Publishing Networks

Blogging is not as easy as it sounds. First, you must possess creative writing skills to keep your users engaged on a topic. Bloggers need applications that will enable them to pen their ideas from any device. It’s generally not difficult for you to build a social media app like this. YouTube and Facebook are the market leaders in this domain. But over the last few years, several other platforms have gained popularity like WhatsApp, Wix, Bubble, Squarespace, Microsoft Expression Web, and Medium.

Social Media App Development Cost

There are many websites offering clones of the Instagram app. These are templates with a few options for customization. So, it can be tempting to choose one of these and try to save money. However, utilizing them can breach privacy and security. In addition, you will still be required to develop a backend.

The truth is that a social media application development from scratch stands out because of its compelling brand, design, and functionality. But just like any other functional application, it takes time and money to develop. So, how long does it take, and how much will it cost you?

Let’s take a closer look.

Social Media App Development Timeframe

The one-platform version of a social media app may take upwards of 2000 hours to develop, including UI and UX design, app development (client-side and server-side), and accompanying activities like deployment, testing, and project management. In addition, if you want to create a promotional landing page for your app, it may require another 100-200 hours.

Social Media App Development Costs

The cost of a social media app depends on how much you choose to pay your developers. You usually have three main options as outlined below:

  • Freelancers – From $15 per hour.
  • In-house development team – From $90 per hour.
  • Outsourced development team – From $50 per hour.

The problem with freelancers is the difficulty and necessity to coordinate their efforts and the possible lack of expertise which is especially difficult to notice if you’re unaware of the complexities and intricacies of web development. On the other hand, hiring a local development team is way too expensive – it means spending far too much on simple fixtures.

Therefore, the way to go is to outsource a development team. The outsourcing option is a great way to tap into the expertise of a local in-house development team at just a fraction of the cost. For an Instagram-like social media application, you can take the below rough calculations:

Application development: Android/IOS – $25,000

Client-side app development – $13,000

Server-side app development – $25,000

UX/UI design – $9,000

Total Cost: $72,000

Social Media App Features and Their Costs

So, to calculate the cost of a social media app, you need to consider the required features since they affect the cost significantly. In addition, these features must perfectly fulfill the expectations of your target users and seek to solve their problems. There are two main features you must consider: the minimum viable product MVP and advanced features.

Must-have or minimum viable product features stand for basic functionality to satisfy users’ needs and offer them the appropriate user experience. It’s common for developers to launch the MVP version of the social media app, then gain feedback before investing more money in the idea itself. The MVP allows understanding what specific features need improvement. It’s only after this basic understanding that you can add more features.

Basic MVP Features to Build a Social Media App

With an MVP, you have better chances to get investments since a working app earns more trust from stakeholders. To give you a hint, we’ve singled out some MVP features.

  • Search
  • User profile
  • Sign-up feature
  • Chat
  • Newsfeed
  • Push notifications
  • Add post

Advanced Features

  • AR filters
  • Editing
  • Location-based content
  • Post-release marketing

Social Media App Development Trends

Social media is changeable. New app designs come and go. Therefore, the following elements can prove to be a game-changer in the coming years and something to add to your next social media app development project.

  • Interactive content. 91% of social media users are striving for interactive media content. Key aspects of interactive content include 360-degree video, AR/VR, games, quizzes, and many more.
  • Video content. Video is one of the most interactive content forms, and it’s gaining more popularity. Whether it’s short videos like on TikTok and Instagram Live or long videos like on YouTube, the social media video apps are defining the future.
  • Social commerce. Social commerce is becoming the primary way of retailing, whether online or offline. Shortly, this trend will intensify with the advent of an increasing number of social networks offering new sales features.
  • Leveraging social networks to serve customers. This change took place slowly as brands began noticing customers were contacting them through social networks. It’s simply the easiest way to get in touch with some social media users.

Contact NS804 for more inquiries about social media app development costs.

How To Create A Social Media App

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Social media applications have taken up a great part of our lives and dominated the application market. With the rapid adoption of smartphones worldwide, there have emerged opportunities for social media apps with superior, advanced features.

As a result, many entrepreneurs cannot miss the chance of being part of something big and that’s why many are thinking of building a social media application to join a wave of successful enterpreneurs. So, if you’re one of these people, you’re right to be reading this post. I will tell you exactly how to create a social media app for your target audience.

What are the Different Types of Social Media Apps?

Let’s first identify the different types of social media applications. This will help you know what specific niche you’re going to venture into and what big competitors are waiting for you. So, the following are the most common types of social media to know about:

What are the Specific Types of Social Media Applications?

  • Social network apps – These help you connect and interact with other people online. For instance, social networking apps can be used for personal needs (Twitter and Facebook) and professional needs (LinkedIn).
  • Media sharing networks – Media sharing networks help users share different kinds of media files such as photos, images, documents, and GIF files.
  • Networks for consumer reviews – Used by customers to find and review brands and businesses they have used before.
  • Community and discussion forums – Great avenues for asking questions and receiving honest reviews.
  • Blogging and publishing platforms – Allow users to create their pages, publish and manage their content.
  • Bookmarking and content curation networks – These networks allow users to create their content, view and save the content of other users.
  • Interest-based networks – These networks unite people with similar interests.
  • Anonymous social networks – These are synonymous with teens. These apps let teens convey information and communicate with each other. Some of the apps in this category include Ask.fm, Steams, Yik Yak, Whisper, Popcorn Messaging, and After School.

How To Create a Social Media App

In this section, we review the best practices for social media app design. So, the following are the simple rules you should follow when creating a functional social media app.

  • Shades of blue – It’s advisable to use shades of blue because they are considered less offensive and less annoying.
  • Navigation consistency – Use the same navigation bar with notifications, search functions, and profile icons throughout the app and on every screen.
  • Similar to any device – The design of the social media app must be adapted to a specific platform for users to feel comfortable using the apps on different devices or endpoints
  • Smooth switch – Smooth switch from a web app to a mobile app design, therefore making the user experience similar across all platforms.
  • Round profile pictures – Round profile pictures help focus on the user’s image, thus making it easier to remember or distinguish them from others in the social media list.
  • Infinite scroll of posts
  • A simple search of relevant content and users
  • Quick sign-in and entry without signing up

Why Choose NS804 Social Media App Builder?

NS804 is a leading app builder that helps developers and typical users create a compelling social media app. The social media design platform helps users evaluate their needs and instantly create a social media app. In addition, the NS804 offers customer-deployed, intuitive tools that are most favored by developers. So, you may check NS804 and find what mobile app development services you can use for your next app development project.

What Should You Know About Your App Analytics?

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It’s now a lie that the growth of your social media app depends only on the value you bring to your customers. Today, more than ever, many factors determine app performance. These factors include: complexity, design, app testing, butterfly effect, and the list is endless. So, developers are careful about how they view and assess their apps. Therefore, without knowing how your clients react to different marketing strategies and which acquisition channels work best for them, you’ll never be 100% sure of how to make your app increase traction. Today, using app analytics yields countless possibilities and endless insight. However, there are special benefits that stand out.

Here’s What You Should Know About App Analytics

  1. App Analytics Drive ROI in Every Aspect of Performance

Millions of apps on the stores are competing for customer attention and better visibility. In this cut-throat contest, you can’t afford to have an acquisition strategy that lacks monetary goals. Marketing costs huge money. As such, you need to measure how much different channels deliver and compare with different acquisition strategies to determine what results in the best ROI. A winning app analytics strategy includes the following two points.

  • Looking at which channels offer the best customer lifetime value. Customer lifetime value LTV is calculated by customers generating higher revenue and higher possibility for retention.
  • A focus on in-app messaging. Hearing from prospects who have the power to connect to your employees at any time throughout your app experience is helpful to improving your strategy.

  1. App Analytics Help You Gather Accurate Data to Better Serve Your Customer

It’s hard to listen and serve your clients without looking keenly at their feedback and use patterns. Thus, app analytics help you to gain insight into customer data to serve them across all lifecycle stages. Many apps suffer the unfortunate fate of gathering a bulk of followers and failing to serve their needs adequately.

  1. Personalized, Customer-Focused Marketing

Creating an individually targeted and customized customer experience is now possible with app analytics. Customer-targeted push messages sent to specific people can make your app double its rates in a short time. It also converts up to three times better than traditional push messages.

  1. Tracking Individual and Group Achievements

Most app marketers rely on marketing strategies they’ve experienced before to drive results. But, using app analytics gives you a whole new set of customer data. Now, more than ever, app marketers can gain insight around small groups and individuals completing specific, directed activities within the app. What’s more, the possibility of using this knowledge is endless.

  1. Data-driven Results in Issues Concerning Retention

There’s a lot of buzz concerning customer retention these days. However, you can’t have a strong app engagement score if you don’t have many customers using your app regularly. The bottom line is that apps with higher retention rates enjoy better engagement, and more engagement and retention helps the app to gain customers and achieve growth. The most successful apps use analytics by focusing on high life time value customers and acquisition channels. In addition, app analytics close the gap between churn and retention.

Bottom Line

App analytics work in your social media background to enhance your app marketing efforts. It helps you achieve better growth and higher ROI. The above benefits paint a picture of how helpful app analytics is in today’s marketing space. And now, with NS804, you can create a social media app and collect app analytics in just a few clicks.

 

How Much Does It Cost To Develop A Social Media App?

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One of the most asked questions by businesses is how much does it cost to create a social media app. So, the average cost of designing an application like LinkedIn, Tumblr, and Facebook, can range from $15,000 to 50,000+ depending on app types, elements, features, design, complexity, and software development.

From Twitter to LinkedIn and Facebook to Instagram, all have become a social sensation that is booming the internet these days. Furthermore, with the projection that social media users will reach 4.6 billion by 2025 from 3.6 billion in 2020, it is fair enough to surmise that social media applications will take the world by storm. So, the existing social media platforms have revolutionized the way people communicate these days. And they are becoming an integral part of everyday life.

Cost of A Social Media App

In calculating the cost of a social media app, it is important to factor in three fundamental elements. These elements include; the complexity of the app, features, and the operating platform. The first level of complexity is the simple social media app. This level has embedded app features such as sign-in, text messages, profile editing, and push notifications. In addition, it provides access to in-device features like camera and storage. The simple social media app uses a single-platform operating system and costs $15,000+.

The medium app entails the following features: profile editing, sign-in, push notification, user profile, sharing stories, and video sharing, and costs $20,000+. The advanced social media app entails superior app features like text chat, voice notes, video sharing, push notifications, and more. The advanced app utilizes a cross-platform operating system and because of this, it costs $25,500+ on average.

Minimum Viable Product Cost

According to the best practices of mobile app development, it is important to start your project with a minimum viable product. The MVP will help you see whether your product meets the market demand because users interact with the minimum viable product. It provides an overview of how effective your marketing strategy is. The minimum viable product provides much output from the least input. As a result, developers and app owners can see the potential benefits, costs, and expenses of the social media app long before it is developed.

After determining the cost of the MVP, you can proceed to coordinate your marketing and development efforts with the results obtained from the MVP study. Essentially, an app MVP is a great tool for reaching out and keeping in touch with your intended audience.

This leads us to the question: So, if you build a minimum viable product for a social media app, how much will it cost?

Well, the cost will depend on a combination of factors like the set of features you want to implement. These features include; technology stack, deadline, project design, and the operating system. A simple ten-screen app is likely to be cheaper than a ten-screen application with a complex design.

Features of a Minimum Viable Product

Research shows that a minimum viable product with a basic feature set could feature the following functionalities:

  • Sign up
  • Private messages
  • Post feature
  • Personal profile
  • Feed
  • Search
  • Comment feature
  • Group

So, as you embark on your journey, remember that creating a successful app is not easy. Luckily with app development experts like NS804, you can take your shot. The world has witnessed small ideas materialize into great apps, your story could be similar. Visit NS804, your app development partner, to know how much it costs to create a social media app.

Everything You Need To Know About Agency Development Practices

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A Quick and Comprehensive Rundown of Agency Development Practices

Risk is an aspect of everyday life because it’s always present. In other words, there’s no way to completely eliminate risk. However, there is a way to manage risk. This is the goal that many businesses and enterprises aim for. By balancing risk on a large scale, businesses can make huge profits and huge progress. The other side of this coin is quality control. Without quality control, risk can quickly get out of hand. Agency development practices bridge the gap between risk and quality control, allowing for the highest quality, lowest-risk results.

Of course, agency development practices often require more than a single developer or programmer. This level of scale comes with a cost, which can elevate the service’s cost as a whole. Breaking the cost down further though, agency development fees prove well worth their salt.

A Look At Agency Fees

When considering agency development vs freelancer development, the upfront cost of freelancers is certainly appealing. There are a variety of factors that bring the cost of a freelance developer down, but choosing the freelance development route for a large-scale project, comes with a hefty set of risks. Some of the risks associated with freelancers include looser timelines, less experienced development skills, and oftentimes, a lack of quality guarantee. These are major risks to take with a professional-grade project. Not only that, but some freelance developers will present a finished project that’s dysfunctional and riddled with bugs. Finally, some freelancers charge so little that in turn, they take on more projects than they can handle.

There’s an age-old phrase that goes, “you get what you pay for.” And that sentiment is no truer than it is when it comes to app development. Agency development practices aim to address the gaps that many freelancers cannot. This is also where the price starts to climb. First of all, agency development practices normally assign a full team of developers to any single project. This not only creates efficiency but also weaves a natural quality control into the process. Additionally, each of the team members assigned to a project typically has a certain specialty that they’re contributing. However, the presence of more manpower also creates a higher cost.

Not only are there more people working on the project, but those professionals are specialists, as mentioned above, which means they have a higher level of training, education, and experience than the average freelance developer; this too, adds cost. Finally, both the quality and the timeline of the project are guaranteed when it’s brought to an agency developer.

Final Thoughts

The costs associated with agency development are often higher than going through a freelance developer. However, those costs contribute directly to the quality and care with which your application is built and delivered. There’s no reason to take unbalanced risks with your application. Instead, trust true professionals, and go with an agency, it’s often the right choice.

For more information on agency development practices or anything else related to app development, keep browsing NS804’s content library. NS804 is the app developer of the everyday appreneur.

Mastering and Understanding the MVP

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Mastering the MVP: Elevating Development Strategy

In every industry and marketplace, there are historically proven and tested tactics and tools. Looking to these proven tactics and tools, then, is helpful in painting a pathway to success in the future for new players in the industry. In the context of app development, one such proven tool, is the MVP. MVP, in app development, stands for minimum viable product. In other words, this is the smallest version of the product your team can produce while accurately representing the functionality of the concept. This sounds relatively simple, but understanding the full breadth of the MVPs role in app-development is vital to creating a strong reputation.

While it may not seem incredibly intuitive at first, the MVP is often what makes or breaks an application. This is because MVPs often act as an introduction to the application concept for any interested parties external to the development team. Therefore, the MVP is extremely weighty in forming opinions about your application prior to its launch. Furthermore, though, MVPs also leave a mark on your reputation as a developer; doubling down on the important role that they serve.

Defining The MVP

As was mentioned above, MVP stands for minimum viable product. This serves an important purpose as providing a universally accepted term for essentially small-scale versions of applications. Having said that, though, there is value to further defining what constitutes an MVP for your specific firm or development team. By further expanding what an MVP looks like for your specific team, everyone should be on the same page.

This type of team and vision alignment builds value into your firm, and will help you in producing more consistently high-quality MVPs that attract, and retain, attention. Further still, with your team aligned to the vision of the project; and everyone on board with what a finished MVP looks like, there will be a reduction in miscommunications.

Develop A Process

Like with any business practice in your organization; once done a few times successfully – it’s time to replicate the process, and the resulting success. This is the same principle behind developing a process for your MVP development. Once your firm or team defines their standards for a finished MVP, then you and your team can reverse engineer the process from there. Standardizing the MVP development process weaves consistency and quality assurance into your application development lifecycle.

A standard MVP development lifecycle is multi-faceted and contains more than a few steps. Commonly, the process begins with the birth of the concept. From there, the driving concept for the application gets nurturing and brainstorming between colleagues until a value-proposition is born. Now, with a driving concept and a value proposition, the real design work begins. This is where designers, developers and programmers start working on the general framework of the application.

These first lines of code, that will eventually compose the MVP, act as the foundation for the application and its entire future. Investing in a strong team of programmers, developers, and designers will ensure that your MVP comes out high-quality, with the important features on display and some level of user-experience design included as well.

The Importance

As should be obvious, the role of the MVP in app development is a robust one. Since the minimum viable product often acts as the introduction to the application-to-be, prioritizing its development leads to higher-quality results. Well, you may be thinking, if the end-user doesn’t ever interact with the MVP; does it really matter how strong it is? The answer is a resounding yes.

While users and players may never interact or even see the MVP, potential investors, advertisers, and partners will all want to see your MVP; before making any sort of decision toward partnering with you or your application. Therefore, its vital to present a strong minimum viable product that accurately showcases the value proposition and core functionalities of your application.

Not only this, but MVPs should also contain a thought-out design and user-experience element. These don’t need to be nearly as thought out as the value proposition or the core-concepts need to be; but their presence will elevate your MVP greatly, and indicate that you’ve thought about these various important features and factors.

Who To Go To For MVP Development

Some appreneurs, however, come to the game without the technical savvy or coding know-how. This though; should never act as a deterrent from entering the application-development industry. Especially with the explosion of the mobile and web application markets over the past year. the opportunity is as bountiful as ever. For the appreneurs who fall into this category; there are plenty of options for you to pursue and launch your application.

There are, of course, freelance options who will come with relatively cheap development rates, and promises of quick turn-arounds. However, working with freelancers, especially on application development projects, always comes with a relatively high-risk. From missed deadlines, to projects that completely fall-through, or finished products that are low-quality or bug-ridden. Before signing on a freelancer, be sure you know the risks involved.

On the other side of the development wall are agencies. Agency developers usually come with a slightly higher price-tag, but their quality and deliverable guarantees are much stronger. Plus, with an agencies support, you will usually have additional support-options that assist you in taking your application all the way from MVP through app-store launch, and even updates and reiterations.

The Benefits of Strong MVPs and Presentations

MVPs are clearly a huge part of the application development world. Their role is expansive and they serve a myriad of purposes. So let’s explore a few more of the benefits that yield from prioritizing a strong MVP presentation. Having a well-developed and well-designed minimum viable product is half the battle; presentation is the other half.

Making sure that your MVP presentation does the value-proposition justice, emphasizes the core-concepts of the application, and brings its main features into the limelight is just as important as having an MVP in the first place. By prioritizing the MVP development, your application will start its journey with a leg-up on competitors. This advantage stems from the interest that strong MVPs garner from external parties, prior to app-launch.

Financing, Investors, and Interest

Financial support, investors, ad partners, and a generally bolstered level of consumer interest in your application all start with a well-developed and thoroughly thought-through MVP. The MVP is arguably one of the most important aspects in application development because of it’s direct correlation with building, generating, and maintaining financial interest from partners, sponsors, and investors.

Therefore, by prioritizing the MVP development in your firm by defining the standards of an MVP for your team, building an MVP development process, and properly packaging your MVP proposals, your firm will be well on its way to long term success with a strong reputation and a formulaic process.

Wrapping Up

There are many tactics and strategies that app developers use to garner support for their projects. The minimum viable product is by far one of the most powerful and impactful tools that developers and designers can produce. This is especially the case as a proper MVP showcases the value proposition and the main features of the application.

For more information on how to begin your app-development journey, or the importance of a strong MVP, keep browsing NS804’s content library. NS804 is the proud mobile app developer of the everyday person, more than happy to help.

An Appreneur Guide To The App Store

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Understanding The App Store Leads To Stronger Appreneur Performance

In every industry, there are techniques, tools, and tactics that form the foundation of operations within that industry. Therefore, any professionals starting a journey into a new career need to learn the applicable fundamentals. For instance; in the world of app development, the app stores and various markets that connect developers to users are beyond vital.  The app stores are important for an aspiring appreneur to understand because it’s where users find your app. Even apps with the strongest designs need to be positioned properly, and if they aren’t, users simply won’t find them.

This is important to realize because of the simple truth that no matter how good your app is; it still needs users to thrive. By understanding the app stores you, as an appreneur, can leverage stronger marketing techniques, speak directly to user needs, and ultimately climb the metaphorical leaderboard.

Key Distinctions To Note Between the Apple Store and Google Play

Now, before moving too far along, it’s important to know the differences between the Apple app store and the Google Play store. These two marketplaces have a lot of the same offerings to present to appreneurs. However, they also differ in distinct ways that alter the strategies and tactics successful appreneurs apply.

One of the most important differences between these two markets is the programming languages. In the Apple app store, applications run on a programming language, Python. Python is the language of the Apple operating system and is most well known for its rigid rules and strength in security. By creating an entire app store with a universal coding language; the applications that exist within that market come with a bolstered level of security. Additionally, this makes it easier for users to get an idea of the function and feel of your apps before they’re even downloaded. By standardizing the programming language, developers also benefit.

Developers benefit from the standard programming language because it creates universal understanding. In other words, programmers and developers working in the Apple app store have a slight advantage as they only need to learn and work with one programming language.

Getting Into Google Play

The Google play store comes with its own set of advantages as well, though. For instance, while the defining feature of the Apple app store is a universal coding language; the exact opposite is true of the Google Play store. The Google Play store thrives on creativity and flexibility. While this is often positive, it also brings with it a few drawbacks. One drawback in particular when it comes to the Google Play store and its flexibility in the programming language is that it opens up the door for a much higher percentage of faulty, bug-ridden, and less secure applications.

Since the coding is so much more flexible in the Google Play store, appreneurs don’t have to follow as rigid of programming rules. While this acts as a catalyst for innovation, technological exploration, and creativity in design; it also opens the door to higher security threats and a higher rate of finished apps that are full of bugs.

The App Store and Niche Markets As an Appreneur

The Apple app store and the Google Play store both represent app markets. By that, these are full marketplaces with a wide spectrum of industries and fields of practice. Think for a second about the wide range of apps that are available; from health and wellness applications to budgeting apps, to apps for pure entertainment, there’s an app for almost everyone doing almost anything. This means that as these markets continue to grow, advance, and evolve, applications will emerge for every niche market available.

For an appreneur, this is great news. As society further integrates technology into more and more aspects of everyday life, more and more opportunities for appreneurs will exist. However, it’s important to realize that, just like with traditional stores; the game changes completely when it comes to niche markets in mobile app stores.

When it comes to marketing your application in a niche market; it’s absolutely vital to conduct your due diligence in order to gain some insight on successful trends that already exist within that niche market. By discovering and implementing successful marketing tactics for your niche market application you’ll put yourself a step above the competition before you even launch.

Learning From The Competition

Watch, listen, and learn. This is a basic principle that applies to almost every aspect of life. By being still and observing carefully, you can learn mountains of helpful information without the risk of making mistakes yourself. Learning from the competition isn’t a new concept, not by any means. It’s a long-standing strategy that business professionals and innovators use to re-create success seen by other entrepreneurs.  By borrowing successful tactics and strategies from a wide range of sources you and your team have the ability to create a comprehensive launch and marketing plan that’s fast-tracked toward success.

Address App-Store Reviews

In the same vein as learning from the competition, another huge resource pool for appreneurs is app-store reviews. In today’s virtual world, consumers have more access to better information all-around. This puts a lot more pressure on sellers because consumers hold such a low tolerance for negative experiences. In other words, after a single negative experience with a company or application, most users are more likely to switch providers or companies altogether, rather than give them a chance to make it right.

As such, app store reviews are a rich reservoir of consumer insights: both good and bad. As a crafty appreneur, then, you can mine app store reviews for potent insights to apply to your own applications under development. You can see what features excite users about applications they love, and reviews will also pinpoint areas of failure and aspects desperate for improvement. All-in-all leading you down a pre-paved path straight to the top of the app store.

App Stores, Appreneurs, and Algorithms

It’s no secret that app stores run algorithms constantly. These algorithms, while seemingly random, are actually extremely precise. However, even the algorithms that the app stores themselves are using undergo rapid evolutions and reiterations. As such, it’s incredibly difficult to get an accurate reading of how these algorithms are built and run. However, you and your team can track patterns.  The patterns illuminate what types of apps are continually reaching the top of the charts. This information can then be used to inform the development process of applications you and your firm are working on launching.

A Brief Overview of An Appreneur Guide To The App Store

The world of application development is busy and bustling. Over the past year specifically, our society rapidly advanced into an era dictated by technological integration. Each and every day there is new technology and new innovation happening all around us. As a determined appreneur, understanding the app stores, how they function, and how to make them work for you will bring you a significant advantage in building and delivering top applications across markets.

For more information on app development or mobile app development specifically, keep browsing the NS804 content library. NS804 is the one and only proud application developer for the everyday appreneur.

Why Custom Enterprise Development is Soaring

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The Digitalization of The Economy & Enterprise Development

In the last year, our world saw a massive acceleration into a more digitalized state. This was largely due to the global pandemic that swept the world. However, the wave of digitalization was well on its way long before the COVID-19 pandemic. Regardless, in today’s world, the economy has shifted to an almost entirely virtual experience. To meet this large appetite of the consumers for instant gratification and virtual service, companies have turned to custom enterprise development for a wide variety of solutions.

Developing a custom enterprise application for your organization leads to a wide variety of benefits.

How Businesses are Utilizing Custom Enterprise Apps

Companies are already making great use of custom enterprise apps and enterprise development. One of the main functions for which many organizations employ a custom enterprise application is communication. Communication is one of the most important aspects of any organization. Without strong communication channels, it’s fairly difficult to accomplish large-scale projects that require robust teamwork, cooperation, and strategy.

Furthermore, this is extrapolated when you consider the remote work atmosphere that many organizations have embraced following the COVID-19 pandemic. While working from home has proven beneficial for both organizations and staff members, it goes without saying that communication efforts saw strain as companies dealt with the transition from office work to remote staff.

The Benefits Of Enterprise Apps

There are many benefits to developing a custom enterprise application that streamlines business operations and creates internal efficiencies throughout the organization. From bolstering communication channels to fostering stronger collaboration sessions between remote employees, custom enterprise development offers firms a wide variety of solutions.

The Lifetime Value of a Custom Enterprise App

Investing in the enterprise development of a custom application is a big decision. However, when you consider the lifetime value that an application of this nature offers your firm, it really becomes a no-brainer.

For more information on custom enterprise applications, or anything else related to app development, keep browsing NS804.

5 Tips for iOS & Android App Development

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Both iOS and Android have had an enormous impact on the business, entertainment, and tech sectors. And both platforms have been embraced by developers and users alike for over a decade. The good news is that the popularity of these platforms will unlikely diminish in the foreseeable future. Therefore, it’s still worthwhile pursuing app development and investing the necessary resources into applications that will excite users eager for new experiences.

1. The Latest Trends in App Development for 2021

 

Nobody can deny that 2020 was an eventful year, and much has happened in the app development space. Some of the latest trends in mobile app design include advanced animations, convenient voice search, robust aesthetic with rounded corners, and universal device UX. 

But in 2021, expect app developers to kick it up a notch with improved design and powerful features. Some of the niceties users should expect; bolder and more colorful visuals, data-oriented design, embossed typography, Face ID integration, hand-drawn illustrations with more natural-looking graphics, and virtual reality (VR). Make sure to take advantage of these trends for your upcoming app to impress and retain users. 

2. Supporting iOS and Android

 

In the second quarter of 2020, Apple led the US smartphone segment with a market share of 46%. Samsung came in at a close second with a 25% market share, with LG in third place at 12% and Lenovo Motorola at 7%. Generally, US consumers are satisfied with Apple’s and Samsung’s smartphone offerings. However, given Apple’s higher penetration in the US, you may want to focus on this platform initially to save on development costs if you’re targeting the American market exclusively.

But if you’re planning on releasing your app globally, then you’ll want to support Android. As of October 2020, Android has gained almost 73% of the global smartphone OS market. While it’s a compelling platform, it’s also incredibly fragmented. It’s challenging to offer all Android users the premium experience that they can get on Apple devices.

Unfortunately, most Android users don’t own powerful smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy Note20, which can provide a comparable experience to the latest iPhones. The hard truth is that the majority of Android devices in circulation are cheap and underpowered. Manufacturers such as Alcatel, Huawei, and Xiaomi regularly release budget mobile devices for the lower end markets. Today’s high-end apps experience performance issues on these phones due to their low memory and weaker CPUs

3. Leveraging Results on iOS

 

Make the most of Apple’s popular platform with these handy tips:

Integrate easy payment options – If you wish to sell products, services, or in-app purchases in your upcoming app, then you should make the payment process frictionless. Integrate Apple Pay and express checkout functionality to make life easier for your users.

Engage users regularly – Ensure that your app has push notifications to notify users about the latest products, promotions, and updates. Better yet, segment notifications to target your users more effectively. For example, you should send notifications to active users, inactive users, and subscribers to make your messaging more personalized. 

Gain and track app reviews – Your App Store Optimization (ASO) strategy will be a determining factor in the success or failure of your app. You’ll need to gain and track those vital appreneur system reviews from your users by implementing a Call-to-Action (CTA) and app review tracking API.

4. Leveraging Results on Android

 

Take your Android app development to the next level with these methods:

Utilize contactless payment options – Nowadays, many smartphone users enjoy the convenience of contactless payments. Integrate Google Pay and Samsung Pay into your upcoming app, and enable their respective Near Field Communication (NFC) features.

Implement Artificial Intelligence (AI) – With over 3 million apps in the Google Play store, it’s getting harder for new apps to stand out. But many successful and top-rated rated apps, such as Google Assistant and Swiftkey Keyboard, are renowned for their excellent AI.

Keep your app relevant – The Google Play algorithm doesn’t respond kindly to uninstalls and user churn. That’s why you should regularly send push notifications and emails to inactive users, encouraging them to try your app again after implementing features and optimizations that they want.

5. Finding the right partner for mobile app development

 

Developing an app that will find success on both platforms and showcase the latest trends in mobile app design is harder than it seems. However, you don’t have to go it alone if you find the right partner. Experienced developers such as NS804 can help you create an app that will cut through the noise.

Furthermore, we can craft an effective CTA that will convert users and gain those essential appreneur system reviews. We can also help out with nasty edge cases, such as dealing with an app rejection from Apple.

Can You Get Professional Results With App Design Templates?

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Making apps is a costly endeavor, causing developers to seek ways to make their production processes more efficient. And given the increased competition, it seems challenging to stick to the planned mobile app budget. After all, users desire more features and slicker design, whereas innovative competitors push the envelope even further. While it’s tempting to cut corners to stay on budget, this move would be detrimental to the success of your app.

Keep in mind that there’s no need to reskin existing apps or source low-quality assets to bring costs down. Users have become seasoned in spotting asset flips, reskinned apps, and generic GUI icons sourced from the web. Fortunately, there are ways to make impressive-looking apps without resorting to these questionable methods. A custom app developed by an experienced developer, such as NS804, will provide the best results.

An alternative way to make your app look professional is by utilizing app design templates, which we’ll discuss in more detail below.

1. Why You May Want To Use App Design Templates

Every developer wants to reduce their time to market (TTM) significantly. That’s why many teams use existing frameworks instead of building everything from scratch. Furthermore, most experienced developers are capable of crafting unique apps instead of cookie-cutter apps using these frameworks. Since they no longer have to worry about boilerplate code, they can now focus on creating compelling apps that excite users.

However, you can go beyond frameworks to reduce cost and time to develop your upcoming app. After bouncing some app design ideas with the relevant team members, it’s time to consider using customizable or pre-made templates for your project.

We recommend that you stay away from cheap templates, as they’ll make your app look dated, low-effort, or unpolished. Many talented designers work on custom templates and ensure that they meet the criteria set out by platform holders such as Apple and Google. Do keep in mind that a North American designer may set you back between $ 45-250 per hour depending on experience and project complexity.

Your project’s requirements will largely determine whether you’ll opt for a custom solution or templates. But if you don’t want to skimp on quality, then nothing holds up to a custom-designed app.

2. Are Custom-Made Apps Really That Different?

Well, that depends if these custom-made apps have enough unique elements to make them stand out. And since the attention span of users is less than 8 seconds, developers should get their ideas across quickly. Furthermore, most successful apps always strive to provide users the instant gratification that they crave. But to make these types of apps, it’s vital to understand the entire process.

It all begins with a rock-solid idea that has been conceived after planning your app on paper. Team members should be encouraged to share their app design ideas, which should include ‘must-have’ and ‘nice-to-have’ features. Then, you should create a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that’s a stripped-down version of the final product. Moreover, you can create a prototype that lacks all the bells and whistles but showcases basic functionality.

Once you have a functioning app up and running, you’ll want to focus on its visual elements. The work you put into your User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) will go a long way in differentiating your app. If you’re fortunate enough to have talented designers on your team, then they can create stunning icons, menus, and screens. Also, they can alter existing templates and recompose them so that they seem custom-made.

If you don’t have designers on hand or aren’t confident in making a compelling app, then we recommend hiring an experienced developer. NS804 can help to make all your ideas come to life while also assisting in other key areas. Don’t forget to do market research before launching. By knowing what users want, you can add those unique features that differentiate your app from the competition.

Lastly, you should always study user feedback and make changes, whenever necessary, to keep them engaged. Several good ways to gain user insight is through interviews and surveys. Then, update your app regularly and ensure that you’re delivering the changes and features that they want.

3. The Right Template Is Already Professional

App builders have become commonplace in recent years. They make it easy to build apps for small businesses and other organizations using drag-and-drop wizards and templates. However, they’re not always the ideal solution, especially in light of Apple’s 2017 ban on low-quality templates. Ensure that all your cool app design ideas don’t go to waste by meeting the requirements set forth by the platform holders.

Apart from not being spammy, your app’s built-in features and UX design should serve specific businesses or needs. If you’ve sourced high-quality templates that scale perfectly to different screen sizes, then you’re on the right track. But it’s also necessary to consider the use cases of various templates as well. For example, it’s never a good idea to use a template meant for restaurant apps when you’re making a fitness studio app.

Users and platform holders prefer a clean and uncluttered look for the current generation of apps. Not only does this enhance usability, but it’s also more aesthetically pleasing. The good news is that it’s reasonably easy to find pre-made templates that comply with this minimalist design language. Moreover, it’s possible for any experienced designer to alter these templates to better fit your app and UX design.

4. Use Templates To Get App Design Ideas

Coming up with the latest great idea for your upcoming app may seem difficult. Fortunately, there are several handy tools to help you draw up and visualize your app in record time. Microsoft’s Web and Mobile Wireframe Templates make it possible to design your next app with a few mouse clicks. These templates are generic so that it’s easy to implement changes without much guesswork.

A few of the starter templates include Company Wireframe Diagram, E-Commerce Wireframe Diagram, List Wireframe Diagram, Media Wireframe Diagram, User Profile Wireframe Diagram, Wireframe – Mobile App, and Wireframe – Website. These will help you get started quickly, as they cover the most common use cases for mobile and web apps.

One of the tool’s most useful features is its ability to display templates on different web browsers and devices. Without a doubt, this allows you and your team to conceive app ideas while having a clear picture of what they’ll look like on the target platform. Even if you can’t come up with ideas at first, manipulating these templates will help you get your creative juices flowing.  

Final Thoughts

App design templates can help reduce the cost and time it takes to produce apps. But these must be professionally made templates that will look good on various devices and display sizes. Furthermore, they must comply with the requirements set out by platform holders to avoid bans. With our many years of experience in app development, NS804 can help you achieve professional results for your next mobile app.