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So, you’re thinking about developing a mobile app, but you are not sure where to start? Before you jump into the app development process, take a look at this list of the top five points you should ponder, chosen by a top app development team that walks the app walk every day – Barefoot Solutions. 1. First, choose your platform The most popular mobile platforms today are iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry, and Mobile Web. The mobile platform(s) on which you develop your app depends largely on whether you want a web mobile, hybrid, or native app. Do most of your current and potential customers use iPhones, or do they use all types of smartphones? Do your research carefully so you know what platform will best meet the needs of your unique customer base. 2. Big decision number 2 - Decide what type of mobile app you want - Mobile web, hybrid or native. If you’re not sure what works for which, here is a really simple breakdown for you. Mobile web apps are fundamentally mobile versions of websites. They make websites easier to read, track through and interact with on phones and tablets. Hybrid or cross-platform apps are coded and then wrapped for whatever mobile platforms you choose, using a framework like PhoneGap or Titanium Appcelerator. They allow for some very interesting give and take because they provide for cross-platform compatibility and can use the phone’s hardware (camera, GPS, user’s contacts). And it’s a timesaver because you only code the app once and can deploy across the various platforms. Native apps are coded in the native language of a specific mobile operating system, like Objective-C for iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch apps. For apps that are a bit more complex and have a tad more interactivity, the native programming language provides a faster and more responsive experience. Native apps are speedy, dependable, and brawny. Still to date, games are mostly native apps. 3. Here’s the question that should define exactly what makes your app uniquely yours - what would you want your users to be able to do? Write a detailed description of each and every basic function you want your app to perform and why. Sound daunting? Try writing it out as a user story. Start by filling in the blank: “I want my users to be able to ____”. Every top thing you want to do within the app should be outlined, defined, and explored. And you know you have a picture in your head of what you want it to look like – colors, graphics, etc. Put that in your description too. Once you have laid out all this detail about your app in a descriptive narrative, you will be able to get a much clearer idea of how much it will cost to develop. Oh, and remember that your first user story should just outline your minimum viable product, meaning that you should try to limit the features of the app to the "must haves" and think about postponing the "want to haves" for another version of the app. This will keep your initial costs down and will open up the door to some fast adoption rates and really good user feedback from the initial release. That way, the next release can include some user wishes that maybe weren’t something you’ve thought of already. 4. Know your user demographic. You already know what you want your app to do, so who do you think is going to use it? Why? What age group? How much money do they have to spend? What kinds of smartphones do they use? What general interests/shopping habits do they have? How plugged in are they? Investigate the market, read pertinent blogs, ask questions, observe - and get your answers. 5. And, finally, there is this to consider – if you want to make money on your app, you need a monetization or pricing strategy. Will your app be free, free with in-app purchases, ad-supported, or paid? If paid, how much are you planning on charging for it? How will you charge? One time? As a subscription? Per use? There are many things to consider when coming up with your pricing strategy and it is really important that you think long and hard about the pricing question before you start. With no valid pricing engine in place, your app can derail pretty swiftly. Let’s wrap it up here and underline a few points Your marketing plan plays a big part in all of this, but especially when developing your pricing strategy. Your app, no matter how stupendous, will not sell itself. You’ll need a strong app marketing plan that will help generate a rock-solid fan base of engaged and delighted users. Build all your marketing costs into your equation – both pre and post launch marketing. Think, think, and think about your demographic. How much money do they have to spend? What smartphones do they use? iPhone users tend to spend more on apps, but maybe your app is more targeted toward the larger Android market. Not just the demographic conundrum, but each of these five points should be really mulled over, look at again and again – and thought about in tandem with each other before you go forward with developing your mobile application. A final note - - - Once you are headed down the app path, you may realize that you need a little guidance from a top scale mobile development group - like Barefoot Solutions. Because they walk the app path every day, they know every twist and turn, every potential hazard and have a clear view to the ideal final destination.

It’s not uncommon if the first thing you do in the morning is grope around the bedside table for your phone. Who can get out of bed without checking the stocks, checking email, checking Facebook. Or even before going to bed at night, the last thing many of us do is check Instagram, fire off a final tweet, or confirm what time boxing class is the next day. What is it about these apps that have inherently integrated them into our daily lives? There was a time before mobile applications when people didn’t NEED to check mobile apps, but that time occurred simply because they didn’t exist. Now that they do, it can be nearly impossible to imagine what life was like pre-app. How did the most addicting apps become so...addicting? Yet even more importantly, how can your app become one that users can’t get through the day without? Plug Into the Routine The apps that are used the most have everything to do with what their user does in day-to-day life. Think about the ones you use...apps that track exercise and eating, apps that help manage schedules, apps that provide music to help you hum through the day. These are the winners in most people’s lives because they are with the users as they go about their day, and even make it easier for them to do the activities they like. If you can fulfill a need that fits into a user’s daily routine, it’ll be addictive. Integrate with Other Services Some standalone apps have good reason to be just the way they are. However the golden handcuffs are fastened when your app can integrate with apps and services your users already love. For example, PayPal is a well known money transfer service, allowing businesses to accept funds and allows friends to send money to each other. All that is needed is an account holder’s email or phone number and poof, money is sent. However the hassle arrives when the payer must look up the phone number or email address of the person they wish to pay. This can be just as much of a hassle as getting up to get and enter the credit card, which can inhibit the transaction from occurring altogether. Then came along Venmo, a money sending mobile application integrated directly with Facebook. Upon sign up, a user immediately connects to Facebook and accesses the Facebook user’s profile and friends. Once bank account information is initially entered, the user can easily send funds to anyone on their friends list who has also activated the Venmo app. This integration makes it much easier to send money to friends, and removes the barrier of looking up any sort of account information. Because of this Venmo quickly became a go-to app for savvy spenders, and eventually were acquired by PayPal.  Talk to Your User Send timely notifications to let your user know you’re there. You’re competing with a heavy amount of noise both from the users app filled phone and with the busy world around. In order to become an app worthy of daily use, your user should be regularly aware of its existence. For example, if they haven’t logged in for a day or two, send a gentle reminder via push notification to remind them to check in. Perhaps you can gain the user’s email address. If so, send updates on what’s going on with your app to keep the user informed - and your app top of mind. Get Personal Have your user enter personal information, if it makes sense in the context of your app. From there, personalize their experience. When they log in, greet them with a, “Hello Brent!” or even ask them how their day is going. If you know their time zone you could go even further and say, “Good evening, Brent!” The sweetest sound to any person’s ear is their own name - so use that Psych 101 tidbit to your advantage to get your user hooked on your application.  Make it Fun Regardless of if your app is for business or play, most of the time you can still have fun with your user. Gamification is as addicting as sugar, so get your audience engaged in ways that make your app feel more like a game.* Perhaps you can add a host character who guides the user about the app, making it fun and friendly. Or encourage more activity by unlocking new features with continued use. Awarding points or prizes in some way is a great way to make your user feel rewarded - and keep them coming back for more. *If your app is a game, well, make sure it’s a really fun game.  Keep an Eye on User Activity Monitor where your users spend their time. What portions of your app are they using? Which are hardly opened? If you can determine usage you can gain valuable insight into what is working for your app, and build upon the features that intrigue and engage your audience. There are some great tools available that can help you with this, such as Google Mobile Analytics or Flurry Analytics. Just remember that what is taking up valuable data space could possibly better be used otherwise, which can make your app the attractive solution to getting the user through their day. Connect with Friends Similar to our point about integrating with other services, if you can connect your app to the user’s community, all the more reason for them to stay engaged with your app. While we know that we talked about dating applications recently, we can’t help but hammer on the issue of how genius it is to connect daters with people who aren’t entirely strangers. In our particular article we talked about Pear Friends, yet there are other dating applications that utilize user’s friends to get better results when providing matches. One such app is called Hinge, the app that helps users meet new people through friends by connecting daters only with people within the parameters of that user’s social circle. It does this by plugging in directly, again, with Facebook. From there the app searches through friends of friends to determine what kind of people may be a good fit. Using this strategy makes it much more addicting for daters, as infused with it is the excitement of learning who friends are friends with, and the added security that matches are not complete strangers. The success of your app depends on having users. Giving your users a reason to use your app daily gives them reason to talk about it with their friends, thus widening your user base and making you more successful. If you’re ready to get started making that app dream a reality, let us know how we can help you get started.  

There is no denying the demand for mobile applications in just about every capacity. The phenomenon began with consumer facing apps, allowing businesses to entertain, sell to, or build value for their customers. Then the call for business apps started to climb, as companies understood that having the mobility of mobile (see what we did there?) enabled employees and management to work more efficiently. But once you get to the point where you fully understand the need for mobile - what’s next? Chances are you’re not in the business of building apps yourself and even less likely to have an on-site developer already. Not that you won’t get there, but the big question is, “Where to start?” As such, we’ve laid out the choices for you to see your mobile app development options: 1) Hire On-site Developer It’s a wonderful thing to have a developer on site. Should a bug arise, they are right there for you to interface with and determine what is wrong. Not to mention they are in your same time zone, a huge plus for those of you who understand the joys of working with others around the world. Oh those 11:00pm meetings… However before you can dream of the convenience of a developer on-site, consider your particular business model. Besides the mobile app, what else can they help you build? Do you run a technology based business where your clients use your software? Or would this be a one time project and the developer would no longer be needed? In weighing your options, understand that an on-site developer, while convenient, is a pricey option. 2) Hire Offshore Developer Offshore developers have their fair share of pros and cons. One of the best things about these developers is they tend to be one of the cheapest options. It is not uncommon for companies to hire dev teams in India or Russia, and the cost per hour is considerably less than developers in the US. If you are a start-up, chances are you’re watching a close budget and looking to save cash anywhere you can. Though you may save money on the front end of the project, there are also challenges to consider that could cost you. We get requests every week from companies that have tried and failed to work with offshore development teams. Given language barriers it may not be entirely clear what you are looking for, leaving opportunity for misunderstanding. The team could build something you didn’t want, requiring you rework the app on your dime. Additionally as time zone was a convenience with the on-site developer, that is a weakness in this option. The aforementioned countries are on the other side of the world, which means when you submit requests they will likely not get back to you until the next day. While your eye may be on the budget, it’s probably on the clock too. Hurdling language challenges and time spent going back and forth could be more expensive than anticipated. 3) Do It Yourself At this point you might be unsure of hiring someone else and considering, “Maybe should I learn to code?” Understanding a programming language is a powerful tool, so if you’re at all interested, learn code! The first thing to consider here is that the two languages most commonly used to build iOS or Android native apps are Objective-C and Java. However bear in mind that Apple just released its own programming language, SWIFT. It is absolutely brand spanking new and will be replacing Objective-C over the next few years for iOS development. If you do choose to go this route, be prepared to spend at least 6 months to a year in full-time study. There are many great resources out there that can help you on your way, so fortunately there is no shortage of that. However if you do have a shortage of time, it would be advisable to try one of the other options. Do also remember that while creating your first app is great, perhaps you don’t want to put your company on the line with your first project. 4) Hire Mobile App Development Specialist Whatever it is that you do, you’d like to think you specialize in that thing. Maybe you are the best in medicine or the best in construction management. When considering developing a mobile app then, a natural option is to hire a mobile app development company. These companies already know the ins and outs of creating a mobile app - because that’s all they do. The benefit here is they have already built so many apps they can help you conceptualize precisely what it is you are looking for. While a traditional developer may have great ideas on how to do so, chances are that’s not all they do in their life of coding. The investment in a mobile app specialist may be an investment, but we choose the word investment wisely. The ROI on having a sleek looking app with rich design and drop-dead simple UX could be the game changer to helping your business explode. So which option is best for you? You get to decide. Yet if you need help figuring out how you want to approach building a mobile app or have any questions, we would be happy to point you in the right direction.