A brief forage through the Internet reveals a few truths about people and what we love – today we’re going to focus on streaming services, specifically, what it takes when developing a streaming app. Streaming services for video like Netflix and Twitch and music streaming platforms like Spotify and Pandora are staples for people around the globe. Because some will seek to build their own platform, it’s important to understand what it takes to accomplish such an ambitious endeavor.
Though delivering video and audio content on-demand has become much easier in the past few years, it’s still wrought with challenges. As many recognize the staggering statistics for the amount of video consumed the world over, providing a unique service for on-demand video or music seems like a lucrative opportunity. Here, we’ll take a look at streaming service facts, using Netflix as an example, then discuss what’s involved in developing a streaming app.
Facts about popular streaming services in today’s market
Today, not having a streaming service subscription or two – or at least access to a friend or family member’s account – is a little… odd. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise but video streaming services have usurped cable and satellite providers in recent years by quite a long shot.
Leading the way for streaming video services is YouTube followed by Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, then Vimeo which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. By looking at the number of users, this reveals a few facts that need to be understood before developing a streaming app.
Netflix is perhaps the best example because of its transparency with various figures. As of 2020, per the New York Times, “Netflix has 182.8 million subscribers, making it one of the world’s largest entertainment services.” If you look at the subscription costs and base estimates around their middle tier of service at $12.99, this means that the company should be grossing around $2.37 billion a month in revenue. A look at their financials shows that they made about $6.14 billion in Q2 of 2020 so our estimates aren’t far off.
Digging into Netflix financials
A look at the bottom line requires understanding what the platform needs to exist. Netflix is a video-on-demand service provider that hasn’t delved into live streaming like YouTube Live and other platforms that televise content as it happens. The technology is about the same but live video requires a stronger distribution of CDNs to ensure live streams are broadcast in real-time with as little latency as possible. As such, the main expenses for Netflix (not counting what they spend to finance the production of their original series) are its hosting costs in conjunction with data transfer and licensing.
Netflix uses a slew of different services from AWS for storing and ultimately delivering content on-demand. The video is a little dated as it’s from 2016 but it shows their heavy reliance on various AWS infrastructure, namely EC2 instances for storage, AWS Elastic Load Balancer for optimizing the usage of VMs that run media, and Amazon CloudFront as the CDN for data transfer or streaming over the web.
Because they’re so large, they use a special pricing structure where they pay based on “commitment” which factors in past usage and growth trends. It’s like a pay-as-you-go kind of pricing but structured to deal with “burstable billing” – during peak times, Netflix spools up additional virtual hosts to maximize delivery. This is how they’re able to capably deliver roughly 1 GB of data per hour, per customer for standard definition video and up to 3 GB per hour for HD video.
Main points to consider when developing a streaming app
Taking what we learned from Netflix, we can apply this to unique scenarios for developing a streaming app. Those in the market to deliver content over the Internet, whether video or audio, can expect to use similar architecture to accomplish the same feat.
The cost to build an app
This is a topic we’ve discussed in the past, covering the approximate pricing structures you would expect by either hiring programmers or going with an app development agency. A streaming service is a little different than most projects as the app itself is just a client that links with storage and cloud streaming services that run the video or audio.
Because information is encoded for delivery over a network then decoded at the endpoint (i.e. the app) this does require a little thought. Different compression techniques affect the amount of data transferred over a network as well as the quality of the output. This doesn’t change the development costs but it will affect the next point.
The majority of the work involved in developing a streaming app is cloud hosting, storage, and streaming costs. The app part is actually quite thin as usually, you are best using out-of-the-box video players like JWPlayer to play the content.
The cost for cloud hosting and streaming
This is where 90% of your costs come into play.
A CDN like Amazon CloudFront is needed to capably deliver content to your customers around the world. This is the content delivery portion of AWS that acts as a turnkey solution for transferring data like video or audio streams across the network. This eliminates the need for the immense amount of provisioning and programming required when developing a streaming app from the ground up.
Looking at Amazon CloudFront, you’ll see that they offer three different tiers of service with varying baseline pricing for their standard tier which depends on how much data is being transferred and to what region in the world. Each GB of data transfer ranges anywhere between less than a cent to as much as $0.20 per GB. So if you’re in Australia and delivering a two-hour-long HD video to a customer in the same region, you would pay around $0.60, at most.
Of course, these costs add up quickly – if this one stream goes out to 10,000 viewers, then you’re looking at $6000 a month to stream this one piece of content. Though most storage and CDN solutions are relatively turn-key, you’ll still want to have a savvy developer handle to minimize instances of duplication (among other issues) to ensure you’re sipping data and not gulping.
Too, pieces around the content need a place to live so again, we’ll use Amazon as an example since that’s our preferred architecture. In this blog, we covered everything from the approximate costs to maintain an app to how much you can expect to pay for VMs that run applications. Your EC2 machines are typically what would be used in this scenario as they would host the API that exchanges media metadata, among other information.
Because of how the content is distributed, you typically wouldn’t use an EC2 instance store the information (though you could) – instead, you would likely opt for a server-less bucket service, like Amazon S3, since video or audio are just files at the end of the day. If you’re planning on live streaming, you would likely use AWS Elemental MediaStore for your content.
Licensing costs
One of the more costly portions of streaming content is the cost to own the files and the right to deliver the content to your customers. Because every movie and song is different costs vary for Netflix just as they vary for songs played over Spotify.
Depending on the kind of media you plan on delivering, the amount of money spent on licensing will vary drastically. If you’re planning on building a streaming service with user-submitted content a la YouTube, then you probably won’t need to worry about licensing. Of course, in these instances, you’ll need to invest heavily in content moderation and management to beat back spam and other undesirables.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a “quick” method available to easily do so. In the example of streaming copyrighted video (think like a Marvel movie), businesses will have to use a service like MPLC to purchase licensing rights.
Blue Label Labs builds apps for business and pleasure
We understand the magnitude of what it takes to build ambitious apps to entertain your end-users. We are challenge seekers who build evolving products for your customers, allowing you to cultivate and sustain meaningful relationships. Get in touch if you would like to learn more about the intricacies that go into building a streaming service.
Not sure what to use? Don’t worry, just flick us an email at enquiries@masystems.com.au and we will assist you make the best decision! Remember our consultation service is absolutely free.
We at masystem australia an app development company provides best Grocery mobile app solutions for business sale their products online. Our end-to-end grocery solution includes separate apps for customer and delivery executive.We build powerful and secure back end admin dashboard to maintain the entire process. Get start your Grocery app development for your business today and increase your sales online.
There was a time when we have to prepare a long grocery list of needed things, have to schedule a day, visiting shops, spending time and returning home tired. But the time is different now. The mobile world has completely changed the scenario. Mobile applications are playing their roles everywhere.
Do you want your own Grocery Mobile app for your business? Then Smarther the best Online Grocery app development company fulfills are your requirements and needs. With the Grocery On Demand App, you offer delivery service to all your stores, which deliver things like vegetables, foods and other needed things.Our Grocery Ordering app provides more customer friendly and easy mechanism in placing orders and getting things home. This app provides a better way in generating revenues.
User can keep a list of their favorite items that they want to order
Scheduling the Delivery timings
Admin control for the owners to add and to update products and prices regularly.
Easy understanding of Admin panel for user Management, task management, blog and review management
Push notification features for customers regarding discount offers and so on.
Easy browsing and order tracking
Advanced search options
The Grocery On Demand app is customized in multiple languages for users convenient.
Messaging features between the customer and the providers
Supporting a wide range of categories
User friendly
Easy and secure Payment options were integrated
Social Media Integrations
Feedback and review options for users
User Interface Features of Grocery App Development
User Profile:
By entering into the application Log in and Registration is the first section to access. Generally Sign up and Login done with using email address or social media account.
Browse Products:
After successfully login into the app, then browse your grocery product. Choose categories in navigation for selecting required products. View product details and add to cart.
Search Products:
To find the required grocery product from the application, search option will help to list out the item. You can sort the list by using Filter, discount and more.
Schedule Delivery:
After choosing all your product from the grocery app development then place your order from the cart. Choose the payment method to complete billing and schedule the delivery.
Order Tracking:
By scheduling your order for delivery, Order tracing will help to check status of product delivery. It will help to track order from the vendor to customer.
Other Features:
The user app includes some other options including product order management, Payment option in multiple way, Discount and offer sale, Review and feedback options. The all above features will work seamlessly in both Android and iOS development.
Admin Panel Features of Grocery App
Dashboard:
For maintaining entire process from the back-end administration panel will be controlled by using dashboard. Here the entire process from product, inventory update to order management has been controlled.
Manage Stores:
The panel is the best way to maintain handle all stores and check their products update. This section help to manage all orders in a single place.
Assign Order:
The option allow managers to assign orders to grocery store when received request from the customer. This will help to make the process in a fluent way.
Manage Customers:
From the admin panel, the owner can able to manage all the customers who are installed the application and contact them.
Manage Payments:
The option help to manage payment method by customers while placing the order. All the transaction are done successfully by managing the panel option.
Other Features:
The admin panel includes many other features like Delivery Request Notification, Accept or Reject Delivery Request, Track Customer Location on Map, Get Delivery Conformation and more.
Smarther is technologically advanced and innovative Grocery App development company. We have a developers team of highly in-depth knowledge and good experience.
Our mobile technology helps you in building a customer-friendly mobile app.It is time to develop and launch your own grocery app.
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There’s been a tough competition between mobile apps and the mobile web since the early days.Countless articles have been written, videos have been made, experts have given seminars & lectures – in which some favored the former while others recommended the latter.Although, we almost forgot that some other trends were also getting popular. Progressive Web Apps are one of them.
Bringing together the best of both the mobile and the web world, this technology is the talk of the town these days. People are talking about it and even the topmost mobile app developmentcompanies in Singapore, UK, and the US are expressing interest.Seeing this, you might be interested in knowing more about Progressive Web Apps and might want to ask a couple of questions like:
What are Progressive Web Apps?
Google’s Developer page describes progressive web apps as user experiences that have the reach of the web and are more fast, engaging, and reliable.
Although if you’re looking for a more specific solution, here it is:
Next-gen apps that combine the benefits of a website with mobile apps, hence resulting in more optimal and better user experience.
Why choose them over native apps?
Well, there are heaps of reasons that explain why Progressive web apps are a better option over native apps. Here are some of them:
They can be accessed Offline
Progressive web apps solve the biggest problem people face, i.e. the need for an Internet connection. Sometimes it’s not possible to access the Internet. As a result, accessing certain mobile apps becomes difficult.
Although, similar is not the case with progressive web apps. You can use them offline as well without any interruption even in areas where there is no sufficient network.
They’re fast and dynamic
As Progressive web apps run in a browser and the content & media files are served by dynamic servers using simple HTML, CSS, javascript files, they work quickly.
You don’t even need to worry about the app screen sizes. They change as per the device and platform.
You can run them on any platform
Yet another major advantage progressive web apps have over native apps is that you can run them on any platform, be it web, Android, or iOS. This way you can reach a larger audience.
You don’t even need to install them
Even the apps with very small size take at least a few minutes to install. This causes a problem if you need an app urgently. At that time, you can’t do anything but wait.Progressive web apps effectively solve this problem. You don’t even need to install them. Just click on the link and the app will open in front of you.
Easily Shareable
It’s very easy to share Progressive web apps. Just send the link to the person who you want to send the app and he can access it on just a click. Isn’t that cool?Hoping that by now you might’ve gotten a better insight, why progressive web apps are a better alternative to native mobile apps. Still, if you’ve any queries, feel free to contact us. We’ll be pleased to help.
Not sure what to use? Don’t worry, just flick us an email at enquiries@masystems.com.au and we will assist you make the best decision! Remember our consultation service is absolutely free.
Smartphones and, more recently, tablets are increasingly becoming the computer of choice for more and more people. Mobile app developers have specialized training in design for small electronic equipment, and write computer programs for smartphones and other mobile devices.
Instead of building for a larger PC screen, these developers are dealing with extremely small Android, iPhone, or BlackBerry screens. They are experienced in multi-media applications and multiple mobile computer programming languages.
Mobile app developers typically write programs using either objective C, C++, Python, or Java. Each mobile device uses a specific programming language which app developers must understand.
Android Developers
Android is the name of the mobile operating system owned by Google. Android typically comes installed on a variety of smartphones and tablets from many manufacturers such as Samsung, Sony, and Motorola (as well as on Google’s own Nexus smartphone), giving users access to Google services such as Search, YouTube, Maps, Gmail, etc.
An android developer develops applications for use on phones and tablets that utilize the android operating system – everything from interactive games to media players, to electronic book readers and global navigation software. The code required for android development is mostly open source and available freely for anyone interested in developing apps for use with the Android OS.
It’s an exciting time to have a career in Android development. There is a healthy supply of jobs, demand for Android apps is accelerating, and technology is advancing.
iOS Developers
iOS is a shortened way of saying ‘iPhone OS’, or ‘iPhone Operating System’, and is the mobile operating system that runs on Apple’s mobile devices such as iPhones and iPads.iOS developers build software – they know how to structure it, test it, debug it, and how to use source control. iOS developers know Swift or Objective-C (and some know both languages, which is best).
They know iOS, which means they have a good grasp on build views; can handle user interaction; can display data; show alerts; handle navigation; display images, labels and text views; and integrate with REST APIs and parse JSON.
Trends come and go so frequently in the tech world that it’s hard to foresee the next big thing in technology. However, one thing that is definitely here to stay is the progressive web appphenomena.You may not have heard of them yet, but progressive web apps (PWAs) have already started making waves. So what are progressive web apps exactly?
Wikipedia explains that a progressive web app is a web application that loads like a regular websites but can offer the user functionalities such as working offline, push notifications, and device hardware access traditionally available only to native applications. PWAs combine the flexibility of the web with the experience of a native application along with other best practices.They strive to deliver an unsurpassed experience for mobile users. PWAs are reliable and respond more quickly to users. Additionally, they focus on engaging mobile users with a more immersive experience than ever before.
According to Google, a progressive web app should offer the following three things:
Engagement: Apart from engaging content, a progressive web app should allow you to add the app to their home screens. It should also be able to send push notifications to users.
Speed: Speed is an important aspect of progressive web apps. They should load instantly not taking more than three seconds.
Reliability: A progressive web app should be designed to work offline and in areas of low connectivity.
What are the benefits of PWAs?
PWAs are known to offer many benefits to businesses. Let’s take a look at them:
Low data usage: PWAs don’t need too much data to run as compared to native apps. For instance, if a react native app consumes 10-15 MB data, a progressive web app will just need 500 KB or so. Also, they don’t need any significant storage on the device either.
No updates required: PWAs are similar to websites which means they are updated as being used by the user. Unlike native apps, these aren’t updated in the background. The best part is that they can be updated much quicker as no Play or App Store approval is required.
Low costs: Developing a native app for Android and iOS phones is a costly affair for businesses especially for startups. Thus PWAs come across as a wise option for businesses as they reduce the cost of development by 60-70%.
Faster speed: Speed is an essential aspect of progressive web apps making them load almost instantaneously. You can browse, shop, view things in lesser time as it would take on web browsers. Faster speed could lead to higher conversion rates means PWAs make attracting customers easier than ever.
Offline capabilities: Progressive web apps changed the game when they allowed apps to run offline. Offline capabilities allow users to access the app even in low reception areas at faster speed leading to more user engagement and higher conversion rates.
Successful examples of PWAs
Let’s take a look at some big players who switched from their native mobile applications to progressive web applications to rake in huge profits.
Twitter
Twitter is one of the most loved social media apps with over 328 million users with 80% of them accessing it on their mobile phones. That’s why, it launched its PWA in 2018. Twitter Lite is 600 KB in size whereas the native app is around 24 MB. In Twitter Lite, users get web push notifications, Add to Screen prompt, and offline access among other features.
With this, they achieved a:
65% increase in pages per session
20% reduction in bounce rates
75% increase in tweets sent
Pinterest
It took Pinterest 3 months to get their progressive web app ready. The major reason for this switch was that only 1% of their visitors converted to signups.
With this, they achieved:
60% better engagement
Page load time reduced from 23s to 5.6s
44% increase in user-generated ad revenue
Starbucks
It was in 2017 when Starbucks launched its PWA with beautiful graphics and smooth animation. The best part was that users could easily get any information and even customize their order offline as well.
With this, they achieved:
Twice the number of active users
Light-weight app needing just 233 KB of data storage
Flipkart
When India’s largest e-commerce website wanted to provide more seamless experience to users, Flipkart Lite came into being. The PWA requires just 100 KB of data storage which is 300 times smaller than its iOS application.
With this, they achieved:
70% increase in conversions
40% higher engagement
Users spent 3x more time on Flipkart Lite
Trivago
Trivago is a hotel search engine that helps users to find the best deal as per the hotel’s information, pictures, ratings, reviews, and other features. So when the mobile experience caught some fire, it realized the need to introduce its progressive app.
With this, they achieved:
150% increase in engagement
97% increase in clickouts to hotel offers
67% users continue browsing the site when they came online
Lancome
Since launching its PWA, Lancome, a famous cosmetic brand has experienced an upward spiral of profits.
With this, they achieved:
50% increase in the overall speed
17% more conversions
51% increase in mobile sessions
Mobile sales have gone up by 16% year over year
Uber
Uber was in dire need of an application that could be used by anyone regardless of device and network speed. That’s how it came up with its progressive web app that came with its native app in terms of functionalities but came at a significantly lighter weight.
With this, they achieved:
An app that is only 50 KB in size
Super fast speed even on 2G networks
Forbes
Forbes is the latest entrant to join the progressive web app bandwagon. It launched its PWA to re-brand their entire mobile experience.
With this, they achieved:
load-time reducing from 3 seconds to 12 seconds to now 0.8 seconds
100% increase in content engagement
Twice increase in average user session length
43% increase in session per user
20% more impressions
The future of PWAs
PWA is the future of mobile apps that promise better drive revenue, increased user engagement while staying ahead of the competition.At ma systems, our team has experts who have experience in developing native apps, hybrid apps, and progressive web apps. Before we begin progressive web app development, we understand our clients’ business needs as well as their budget and app strategy, based on which we recommend the best framework for developing their app.
Have you got an idea that could other people having better life? Give us a call at enquiries@masystems.com.au.
We are keen to assist you making our world a better place to live!
Shopping app development is gaining popularity day by day. No wonder, after all, according to Visa, in 2017 almost half of the consumers have opted for online purchases in the New Year season, and a third of these purchases were made through mobile devices.
Over the past year, smartphone users have spent 52% more time to buy various products via trading applications (compared to last year). And this indicator is going to grow even more, as US m-commerce forecast shows. So, it’s high time to think about how to create an online shopping app and make it profitable and successful.
Flurry Analytics Experts have found that demand for applications for purchases is increasing at an incredible rate, and more than a quarter of shoppers start searching for the product they need in the application right away, without even visiting a website first.
You can say that applications are becoming a kind of “middle way” between online and offline shopping. They allow customers to learn about current offers and discounts, make purchases online or determine the best time to go to the store.So, owners of online (and real) stores can and should build a shopping app, that is – offer their clients one more tool for buying goods and services.
Types of stores for mobile commerce
Usually, online shopping applications are selling such good as:
clothes
cosmetics
products and beverages, especially exclusive ones
sporting goods
medications
kitchen appliances
housewares
computer hardware and home appliances of any kind
Although this is a very short list, obviously you can expand it with any other kinds of goods or services.In fact, it does not matter what you sell, in any case, you can think about how to create a mobile shopping app.But before moving on to the heart of the matter, let’s see if the game is worth the candle.
Why is the app for shopping so efficient?
As you’ve already understood, today a significant percentage of users regularly make purchases through mobile devices. Therefore, shopping app development will bring you:
Increased sales and growth of the audience. Shopping applications are created primarily to improve the sales curve. Special built-in marketing features allow increasing the number of customers very quickly.
Customer loyalty. If you create a shopping app, you will get an additional competitive advantage. Your typical customer definitely has a smartphone, and he is actively using it. So, by offering to install a mobile app, you make the life of your clients easier and better. In addition, you can take advantage of information about user behavior in your app so that you will be able to provide a customer with individual bonuses, discounts, recommendations. All this leads to rising the loyalty factor.
New sales. If you find out how to make an app like Amazon (or a better one), then the clients will undoubtedly appreciate all the benefits of mobile collaboration with you. And the first successful purchase will lead to the second, third, and, in the end, turn the casual buyer into a regular customer.
Expansion of interaction with the client. The chance of leaving a review, getting an invitation to an event, being the first one to know about the arrival of a new product is something that your customer will like and enjoy. So mobile shopping service will help you to engage the audience in much closer interaction.
Optimization of internal business processes. Besides, you should build a shopping app to manage your company more efficiently (and at a lower cost). Believe us, if there is an application at hand, the task of managing and controlling becomes so much easier.
Successful applications for m-commerce are constantly supporting the desire of users to search for products and make purchases at any time and in any place. Studying the audience behavior, the stores stimulate curiosity and interest of their customers, prompting them to open the app again and again.
Still in doubt, whether you should order online shopping app development? Well, we are ready to argue our position even more strongly.
Again, reasons to create a shopping app…
There are 4 main arguments that will convince retailers to find out how to make an app like Amazon, and get the cherished places on the AppStore and Google Play:
According to Google study, more than 80% of online mobile purchases are triggered by the spontaneous impulse. And such an impulse is a powerful stimulus that influences all areas of our life including this one.
Your customers love mobile applications because these services make shopping more interesting, easier and more interactive.
Shopping app development is a service available almost to everyone. Many small companies mistakenly believe that only the largest corporations can make a shopping app. In fact, the cost of the app creation is quite comparable to the cost of developing a perfectly good website. However, we will discuss the price issue later.
Your competitors are also on their guard. After all, you are not the only one who knows about the demand for mobile applications.
Perhaps, the competition issue should be considered in more detail. In the end, it’s useful to know your enemy.
Shopping app features
To build a shopping app that users will like and enjoy, you need to know what they expect from mobile services in the retail sector. The following statistics give some idea about this issue.
Many believe that the mobile application must necessarily be as creative as possible. Of course, uniqueness is always important, but the usability is a much more significant factor. And this usability is provided by the correct functionality of the application.
There are several “classic” features that you can take advantage of during online shopping app development.
User registration
Undoubtedly, this is really a “must-have” feature. Be sure to give the user the opportunity to sign up in various ways: through a phone number, social networks, email…
A helpful tip: let the customer, if desired, make a purchase without registration, this will expand your audience. To persuade a person to become a registered user, try to give convincing reasons (for example, a system of bonuses and discounts).
Catalog
You cannot make a shopping app without this feature which goes second on the list of importance (the first one is registration).
There are two types of people: some come to the store for choice, others look for something specific. To meet the needs of both, you need to create a searchable catalog. This catalog should colorfully present the whole range of your products and provide the possibility to find the goods according to the given characteristics (for instance, color, size, collection).
Purchase online
It is impossible to create a shopping app without allowing users to buy online. But, doing so, don’t forget to take into account the specifics of your business niche.
For example, sometimes it is important to see the product before buying it, so if you have goods delivery points, your application must include a map of their location. In addition, in the shopping app development process, try to make a purchase system as simple (for a user) as possible. Otherwise, why should a customer download your mobile service?
In particular, you can simplify the purchase process by binding a bank card to the application: the shopper selects the goods, clicks the “Buy” button and confirms the purchase with the code.
However, this approach has its own pitfalls: cases of fraud, alas, are not uncommon, and people don’t trust their data to mobile devices. Therefore, it is worthwhile to seriously consider security issue and develop a reliable authorization system.
A shopping basket
Of course, you cannot build a shopping app and forget about implementing this feature. What should a shopping basket be like? Here are its important characteristics:
an intuitive interface (do not force the user to think about what exactly he should do to place an order or add goods);
the ability to add and remove items to the basket;
calculation of purchase price.
Search bar
How to make an app like Amazon?… first of all, follow the example of this popular service and offer a convenient search for the desired product, with a filtration and sorting system.
Wishlist
Not all stores sell online, but this does not mean that they should abandon shopping app development. In this case, you can provide such a feature as Wishlist, its purpose is to shorten the customer service time by facilitating the buyer’s choice.
The mobile app can serve as a user assistant in the selection of goods, allow creating lists of desired purchases (so-called wishlists) and making pre-orders. Then the client should go to your store and pick up his order without the hassle. This simplifies the customer service and thus saves time both for clients and your staff.
System of recommendations
If you want to know how to make an app like Amazon, this feature is just what you need. As we have already explained to you, the Amazon application has won the sympathy of users, among other things, thanks to the system of recommended purchases.
The principle is simple: by analyzing the user’s behavior, you can understand his needs and suggest a product that can interest him – something that he is likely to buy. For example, you can offer products similar to those ones that he has already bought or viewed.
Customer Support
If you want to build a shopping app that will attract users, you need to think about bonuses for them. There are heaps of ideas of the sort: layaway programs, the chance to ask a question to the consultant, leave feedback, get a discount, etc.
And you can think over a special loyalty system for the users of the application – for example, a good discount for those who order products through your mobile service.
Online Chat
This feature will allow a potential buyer to ask you a question online, any time he wants. This is beneficial to both parties of the shopping process since many customers prefer to communicate with online consultants instead of dealing with real ones.
To implement this features during online shopping app development, you can use the chatbot system. This means that the questions will be answered by the program (at least initially, and your manager can join the conversation later if there is such a need). This is convenient because a number of clients use applications during off-hours when managers are usually no longer available.
Scanning codes
This feature allows using barcode scanning to find out prices and information about products. The user won’t have to spend time on asking sellers or searching for help.
Search for the nearest store
If you decided to create a shopping app, then you want to make the purchase process much easier for customers. In that case, the feature that allows finding the nearest outlet is necessary – of course, if you have the chain store system.
Instructions and useful materials
This feature is especially important if you are selling complex or specific products. Then the mobile application becomes, among other things, a kind of manual.
Push Notifications
It’s not enough to make a shopping app. Moreover, it is not enough to convince the user to install it… it is also important to remind him of your mobile store from time to time. Notifications serve this purpose quite well.
However, to make sure that these reminders aren’t distracting the users’ attention from your services, you need to notify only about important marketing promotions, discounts, and activities on interests (for example, an exhibition of new products, etc.).
Interactive Elements
Even if the main purpose of this mobile service is to stimulate demand and build a sales channel, it is quite possible to supplement the online shopping app development with interactive elements.
For example, appreciate our interactive version of the product presentation:
This shopping animation conceptis bright and simple at the same time, right?
Shipping system
Of course, you can create a shopping app where the customer will be asked to make pre-order and pick up the goods in the store itself. This is useful in cases when the product should be preliminarily studied, examined in detail. However, it is much more reasonable to provide a reliable shipping system. A good option is to establish cooperation with one of the many third-party delivery services.
Customer Feedback
Reading negative reviews is unpleasant, but it helps to fix the situation and solve the problem that your buyer might have experienced. As statistics show the implementation of this feedback feature increases sales by 15-20%.
How to create a mobile shopping app?
We hope we convinced you, and you decided to build a shopping app. What are your actions then (apart from finding the right experts)?
Market analysis and collection of requirements
It is unreasonable to begin the process of shopping app development without analyzing the demand and supply rate. In other words, you need to conduct market research.
Objectives:
your competitors (not only world-scale but also local ones): who they are and what they offer;
consumers’ expectations. What user problems can you solve if you create a shopping app?
Features Set
Understanding the market requirements, you can figure out what your application should be like, what you can offer the consumer. Based on this information, you must compile a list of the features of your mobile store.
Specifications & prototype
This stage of online shopping app development implies the coordination of your requirements with an expert company. It is important to make up a technical project and create the prototype which includes the wireframes of each app screen.
Application Design
If you come up with how to create an online shopping app that is visually appealing, you can assume that you’ve made a first step to the future incomes.The successful design for the shopping app includes a stylish logo, a user-friendly basket and a brightly illustrated catalog of products.And it is very important that your application be as easy to use as possible. The fewer actions required for ordering, the better.
For example, take a look at the design examples for shopping applications that our UI/UX experts have developed:This shopping app design concept is very informative and appealing.And this design idea is just perfect for e-commerce purposes. Actually, as well as the following one:
The right choice of the platform
To make a shopping app of the highest quality, you need to choose the right application platform. So, it is necessary to understand which audience you are targeting at and what is the level of your ambitions.
The audience is the owners of iPhones and iPads. Firstly, these are people who value brand image, and sometimes they are even ready to buy an expensive device on credit. Secondly, these are wealthy individuals who attach importance to the status and security of data, as well as to good quality.
The rules for publishing applications in the App Store are tougher than in Google Play. It takes a lot of time and effort before the application is available for users.
If you want to build a shopping app for self-confident people who are striving to make a strong impression on others, then choose the iOS platform.
Mobile devices on the Android operating system are being produced by a large number of companies: Samsung, Lenovo, Sony, LG, Philips, Asus, Huawei… The price range for these smartphones is wide, from the cheapest ones to the most expensive models.
It can not be said that Android is a budget device. But at the same time, if you need to reach an audience with medium and low incomes, then Android should be on your list necessarily.
The main difficulty of shopping app development for Android is its advantage, namely – a wide range of mobile devices. This means that you need more time to test the application and modify it.
If you want to create a shopping app for people of average income who are less prone to fashion trends, the Android platform is what you are looking for.Together, iOS and Android cover about 90% of mobile device users. And this implies that the best option is to make a shopping app for both platforms.If your goal is also to attract fans of Windows Phone (the former Nokia), then in addition to the two popular platforms, order the online shopping app development for Windows.
Shopping app development and testing
Of course, this is the key point of the whole process. And now you definitely can not do without the help of professional experts.
Suppose you decided to build a shopping app for all platforms… what should you do next?
It all depends on your budget. Shopping app development can be carried out in parallel or in two or three stages, that is, for each platform separately. Choose the audience that is the most loyal and profitable for you, and start with a platform that is close to these people (for example, Android). Then, when time and money allow, create a shopping app for iOS.
This option stretches the overall online shopping app development time, but it brings closer the release date of the first application version.
And, of course, you should not forget about testing your mobile service. Some people who are willing to make a shopping app want to save at this stage, which is certainly a mistake. Such an approach can lead to the fact that your application will fail, and instead of the QA engineer, the user will find a malfunction… And this will have a bad effect on the user experience.
Launching the app and publishing on the App Store and Google Play
This is the final stage of the shopping app development process, but it is also very important. First, the application must fully meet all the requirements of AppStore and Google Play. Secondly, you need to make sure that your service somehow stands out among its like. An attractive logo and skillful description of the benefits of your mobile store will help achieve your goal.
Arguably, mobile app developers are the heart of web app development companies. The work they do is both challenging and taxing. They use programming languages and development skills to create, test and develop mobile applications. Not just their hands and mind are always busy but they also need to keep their focus intact all the time.
That is why, I have made a list of the 10 best tools for mobile app developers to work faster, easier, and more efficiently. You can use these tools whether you work solo or with a team – in-house or remote. I hope you find the peace of mind that you’re looking for and stay organized with the following tools.
Xamarin is the most preferred mobile app development tool for native applications. It enables you to use the existing data access and business logic layers across different platforms. The tool can be used for developing all kinds of apps for all major mobile platforms including iOS, Android, and Windows.
Features:
C# programming language with .NET language infrastructure
Allows communication with the API of mobile devices
Xamarin Component Store includes UI controls, cross-platform libraries, and third-party libraries
mobile app developer with Appcelerator
As the name suggests, the tool helps you accelerate the app development process enabling you to create apps with fewer lines of code. This app development tool supports iOS, Android, Windows, and browser-based HTML5 applications.
Features:
Applies the universal concept of “write once, use anywhere”
The quickest way to build app prototypes
ArrowDB, its data store lets you deploy data models without hassles
mobile app developer PhoneGap
PhoneGap is an open-source free to use mobile app development tool used for developing a single app that works on all mobile devices. It integrates various libraries with existing functions and code enhancing the entire app development process and making it faster.
Features:
Works well on JavaScript, HTML5,and CSS3
Comes with a plug-in architecture to increase its functionality
Code reusability across iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Firefox OS
mobile app developer with Sencha
Sencha is a favorite online tool of many developers for designing, developing and testing enterprise mobile applications. It comes packed with 115+ high-performance, pre-tested, and integrated UI components to give multiple options to choose from and work with.
Features:
Lets you code in HTML5 format using Sencha touch software development kit
Includes calendar, grids, charts, and more.
Supports Android, iOS, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, and more
mobile app developer withMobile Roadie
Mobile Roadie is a popular custom app development tool that makes it easy for developers to create and manage their apps for Android and iOS platforms.
Features:
Lets you send geo-targeted push notifications, set up geo-fences, create custom interactive maps
Deeply integrated user community features
Includes features such as auto-updating fan wall, auto-importing of RSS, and Google News or Twitter keywords integration
mobile app developer with AppMachine
AppMachine is a highly efficient app development tool that enables people to build web apps as well as native apps for iOS, Android, and Windows Mobile platforms. It comes with a user-friendly app builder and multilingual interface.
Features:
Comes in a four-column layout with an options panel on the top
Gives a preview of the app in different platforms in real-time
Easy to use
mobile app developer with Good Barber
The name might be a little quirky but its features are on point. Good Barber is a popular native app builder tool that uses the latest app development technologies to create robust and highly functional apps.
Features:
Lets you create an app without actually coding
Offers features like authentication, beacons, geofencing, service worker, etc
Easy integration with Google Play and App Store
The app creation process is translated into 28 languages from beginning to end
mobile app developer with The AppBuilder
The App Builder is a flexible suite of Enterprise Application Development specializing in corporate employee mobile apps and enterprise mobile app platforms. The best part is that you don’t need to possess technical skills to create a robust app on this tool, it’s super-easy to use.
Features:
Comes with an online toolkit along with a training module
Lets you segment your audience by location, job function, project or any criteria you need
Allows you to update your app’s structure, content and linked services anytime – even after the app has gone live
mobile app developer with Kony AppPlatform
It is a low-code platform for omni-channel app development. Mobile app developers prefer it over other tools as it accelerates development, shortens testing, simplifies changes, streamlines support and reduces maintenance.
Features:
No code to full code development
The single code base for omni-channel output
Robust HA/DR and performance SLAs
mobile app developer with LongRange
LongRange is a native mobile app development tool that lets you write once and deploy to Apple, Android, and Windows devices easily.
Features:
Build native mobile apps using only RPG/ CL with DDS
Utilize mobile device features like GPS, camera, audio, SMS, etc.
Automatically push app updates into the mobile devices
Not sure what to use? Don’t worry, just flick us an email at enquiries@masystems.com.au and we will assist you make the best decision! Remember our consultation service is absolutely free.
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