Q: On average, how long does it take to develop an app?
A: Our normal build cycle is 90 to 120 days, but that’s heavily dependent on the actual feature set and is determined on a per-project basis.
App development doesn’t include the time you spend researching the market to come up with the problem you want the app to solve. Factors that affect app development time include the number of features it needs, the platforms you want it to support and the number of users.
An app that requires a lot of graphics can be particularly time-consuming to develop due to the conceptualization and execution needed for these features. Integration with third-party systems such as a Customer Relations Management (CRM) system, Content Management System (CMS) can also increase development time, since these apps typically need to access a database, retrieve information and display it to the user.
Q: What is the average cost of an App?
A: The cost of an app is directly tied to features and functionality, as the cost is driven by the man needed to complete the tasks. It’s very hard to estimate an average, but a decent range is between $10,000 and $25,000. The actual cost is determined on a per-project basis. 99% off apps will also have a nominal monthly fee after the app is built for data hosting, push notifications, analytics and many other tools that make your app successful.
A simple mobile app may perform only one basic transaction and have a very small number of screens. The user typically fills out a couple of forms that the app stores in a database. An average app typically adds user registration with a profile and includes some business logic.
These apps may also provide interaction with a device such as a camera or Global Positioning System (GPS). A complex app like Amazon or Uber needs to handle millions of users simultaneously. These apps often require two interfaces, one for customers and one for merchants.
Once the app has been completed, you’ll need to submit it to the appropriate app store, depending on the OS. You’ll need to pay a registration fee, and your app will need to be approved before it will be available for download. Apple is particularly strict about its rules for approving an app.
For example, iOS apps can’t use unpublished APIs and technical terms must be spelled correctly in the submitted documentation. Apple also prohibits apps with violent titles, which are fairly common with games. Once approved, you can promote and market the app yourself or hire a professional to do so.
Q: Do I need an NDA?
A: That’s up to you. Reputable developers aren’t out to steal your ideas, and we wouldn’t stay in business for long if we did. The need for an NDA is a personal preference, and we can gladly furnish one for you to sign if that puts you at ease.
An NDA may also be known by other names such as a confidentiality agreement (CA) or proprietary information agreement. It’s a legal contract between at least two parties that identifies information that the parties agree not to disclose to third parties.
An NDA is commonly used to protect proprietary information and trade secrets. It may restrict the disclosure of information by only one party or it can be a mutual NDA, meaning that neither party can disclose the information. Businesses often require their employees and contractors to sign an NDA at the time of hire.
Q: Do I own the App once completed?
A: Yes. We have a standard Work for Hire (WFH) agreement that we furnish our customers. It specifies that NS804 is retained to work for you and all work products produced while working for you is your property.
Copyright law in the United States and other jurisdictions generally consider the person who creates a work to be the legal author of that work. A WFH is an exception to this general rule because it makes the employer the legal author rather than the employee. However, a WFH isn’t created simply because the parties agree to it, since WFH is a statutory term defined in 17 U.S.C. § 101.
The actual creator may be credited for the work since accreditation has no impact on a WFH. For example, the Windows OS is simply credited to Microsoft, even though it was developed by many programmers. On the other hand, Adobe Systems lists the individual developers in its credits of Photoshop.
In both cases, however, the employer owns the software, while the actual creators retain moral rights to the software. Moral rights include the right to attribution, the right to the integrity of the work and the right to publish the work anonymously.
Q: What platforms do you develop for?
A: iOS and Android. Focusing on these platforms allows us to remain one of the best and on the cutting edge of the newest technology available.
iOS and Android are the two most popular mobile operating systems (OSs) in the world. iOS is developed and maintained by Apple for exclusive use in its mobile products, which currently include iPad, iPhone, and iPod. Android was initially developed by Android, Inc., which Google bought out in 2005. This OS is primarily designed for mobile devices, although custom versions of Android are used in other devices such as cars and televisions.
Both of these OSs use touch screens that the users directly manipulate to enter commands. This manipulation typically consists of touch gestures such as tapping, swiping and pinching to interact with on-screen objects. IOS and Android can also use a device’s internal accelerometer to accept commands by shaking and turning the device.
The development environments for these OSs are distinctly different. iOS requires the developer to use a Mac computer and Apple’s proprietary tools such as Xcode Cocoa Touch, which cost a fee to download FREE to download.. iOS are written in Objective-C or mostly Swift the newest iOS, which adds Smalltalk messaging to C. language.
Android apps can be developed on any of the major operating systems, including Mac, Linux, and Windows. Android is an open-source OS, so its software development kit is available for free. Android apps are written in the Java programming language, which is used by many developers.
Q: I have an App idea where do I start?
A: Great question. We advise our customers to create a simple outline of how they see a user interacting with the app. The outline gives us a starting point for our discussions to see what you have and what we can add to help you round out the concept.
Start speaking with developers once you have an outline or even just a paragraph on the app. This approach is the best way for you to know if your app is feasible.
A market study is essential for coming up with an idea for a mobile app because it provides insight into the changes that are constantly occurring in the app market. Customer reviews are another area that’s commonly overlooked when developing an app idea.
Reviews allow you to connect with your core audience, which can provide a competitive advantage. Case studies can help you improve your idea by avoiding the mistakes of your competitors.
We believe if you can define the following you are ready to begin speaking with a developer:
- A brief 2-3 sentence statement of the app concept
- What is your target demographic
- What is the main problem you are solving
- What is your budget
Each question helps you further define so when you are speaking with a developer a fair amount of the research has been completed and you will have a clear path on what your concept is going to do, so and who will use it.
Q: With so many options what makes NS804 Different?
A: We LOVE this question. You’re right, there are many options for choosing a developer for your project and many of them are highly skilled. What sets us apart is our knowledge and ability to speak normally to you. We speak business first and Geek second, as you can see.
Our years of business and marketing allow us to offer an entirely different perspective on your project than other development companies; we are truly a partner of yours. We are in this for the long haul and enjoy hearing the success stories and even failures of our customers. This approach allows us to learn together and make the best apps possible that change the way people live, work and play.
Qualified mobile app developers should be eager to provide apps that they played a major role in developing. A close look at these apps should tell you if a developer has the skills and experience you need to develop your app.
Speaking directly with a developer’s former clients is essential for verifying that developers created the apps they claim, since you typically can’t identify the developer just by looking at the app.
If you still have questions about what makes us different, please call: (804) 793-9572
Q: How will we communicate during the App build process?
A: That’s easy; we use Slack for our daily communication and we invite you to your project’s channel to interact with our team. You’ll remain up to date on our progress and aware of what we are doing, so you can provide us with insight.
A mobile app developer should set up a meeting with the client before beginning development. This meeting provides the client with an opportunity to suggest ideas for the app without needing to know anything about the development process. The initial meeting should also provide project manager with a clear understanding of the client’s expectations, including the desired delivery date. The manager will then determine if the project is feasible.
Documentation is also a vital part of communication when developing an app. The technical specifications should include the versions of the mobile OS with which the app is compatible. The compatible display sizes should also be document due to the variety of mobile devices currently available.
Mobile app developers must also constantly update their clients on the development process. Frequent communication is particularly important for developing apps that need to integrate with a client’s existing system. In this case, the web services that will interface with the app must be tested thoroughly to identify any problems.
Let’s Talk!
info@ns804.com | (804) 381-4877
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