What is the need of a mobile app in retail? There are reasons to check out.

Whether owning a shop, or a store, you always seek for customer attention and loyalty. You want them to buy only from you, even if your competitors are located nearby. In spite your products have a high demand in the market, and you are providing best in class service, still you might be missing out on something. Custom windows mobile application development is on the rise, just like it counterparts iOS and Android. 

Today, a user wants to access everything right on the fingertips, without actually visiting the brick and mortar store. Other than this there are a few reasons, why your retail business needs a mobile app. Let us find out. 

1. Go with the flow 

Your competitors are bringing their shops on mobile apps. If you are not doing so, you are lagging behind your competition. Users are more likely to shop from brands, having presence on mobile phones, especially in the form of apps. 

2. Provide an interactive platform 

A mobile app tends to be highly communicative even more than a website. An app can be accessed anywhere with a free WiFi, opening opportunities to potential customers for trying out products, avail discounts and offers, and more. This in turn helps users not to decide with the right products, but also enjoy the entire experience by getting huge discounts on purchased products. 

3. A medium providing convenience 

There is an incredible amount of convenience users have when checking out products right on the mobile app. They can check whether the products are in stock or not, the prices associated with it, and the availability from nearby stores. 

4. Increases customer satisfaction drastically 

A user would like to hear good or bad things about a product from other users. This is a natural human tendency, and hence ratings as well as reviews play a defying role in helping users decide whether to buy a certain product or not. Additionally, collaborative forums lead to a community building wherein consumers discuss about different products, and help each others to arrive at a firm decision.

5 Reasons Why Design Paid Apps Instead of Free Apps

It is worldwide fact by now that Android users always look for free apps, while iOS users are more inclined towards using paid apps. You might be a bid advocate of free apps, as you can have ample savings, and still using some nice features. However, paid apps do have their own set of advantages that are not obvious on first instant, but gradually comes into focus. 

Being a custom iPhone mobile application development company in India for years now, we know what it takes to build a paid app, and how clients are greatly benefitted from a paid app. Why users would prefer to pay for downloading an app? Let us find the real reasons behind that. 

Paid apps are completely free of external ads

Best part about a paid app is you do not have even a single ad popping up, when you are using an app while online. Hence, you can seamlessly use an app, even if connected with Internet, without getting interfered from unwanted advertisements. Users have the tendency to click on such ads by mistake when using an app, leading to opening up the browser unknowingly. This does not happen in case of paid apps. 

Advanced features can only be accessed in paid apps

It happens all the time, when users want to go beyond an app, by accessing the advanced features, which are useful. This is especially true in case of business users. Sometimes true potential of an app can only be leveraged through advanced features, and that too in a paid version. 

Every single update strike upon a paid app

Each app has its share of regular updates showing up every now and then. Paid apps get the privilege of receiving all the updates, as compared to free ones that might receive updates or might not. With more updates, come more features. Hence, paid apps are full of latest features, with free apps showing old features. 

Less data consumed in case of paid apps

As discussed earlier, free apps have the tendency to show up ads every now and then, and even worse that users happen to click that ad by chance. Imagine, the data lost by doing this activity frequently. Especially, if you have video ads in place taking hell of a time to load, you have all the data lost right away. This is not the case with paid apps, as they do not have any ads to serve at all. 

Revenue generation for the app developers

It is not just the users benefitted with using advanced features within an app. With paid apps, even the app developers are able to generate revenue, which only increases over time. As the number of paid features grows, so does the user loyalty, and in turn the overall app revenue, leading to continuous cycle.

Missing Android App Feedback is a Big Mistake

Whether it is a push notification, reminding user of app updates, or a paid advertisement in the form of a message, allowing your app brand to communicate with the users is the key to a long-lasting loyal relationship. In most cases, app owners have various ways to communicate with users, but that is not the case with users. 

Users have limited ways to get in touch with app publishers. In fact, with most apps, there is no way by which users can actually contact and provide their feedback in words. As of today, app owners or publishers, try to receive feedback through app store ratings and reviews, or by placing an email link within the app where users can contact. 

However, what if customers want to express their opinion by speaking out, or getting in personal touch with the app owner? The above channels are not at all helpful or convenient, when users want to discuss about your app at length. At the end of the day, they feel that providing feedback is unimportant, and it is better to switch on to other apps. 

So, as a customized Android application development company India, what it takes to encourage user feedback related to your app? Most importantly, how can you leverage this feedback, to build a top rated, profitable, and better app. It is a systematic process. Let us find out. 

1. Incorporate feedback loops within the app

Having feedback loops integrated within your app, result in a frictionless experience between your app, and the user. It is not surprising to see users preferring calling over texting. People prefer to say everything on phone, rather than texting out long blocks of information. 

2. Have a proactive approach in place

After implementing a communication channel within your app, it is time now to tell users about it. Send a message to your app customers telling them about this new direct communication channel in place. Let them feel that you value their opinions as well as experiences. 

In spite of the fact that users currently have feedback to share or not, prompting them will always keep your app on the back of their minds. That way, whenever they have any issue, they will remember to communicate directly, instead of going through indirect channels of app store ratings and reviews, as well as emailing. 

3. Respond back quickly by remaining on the toes

Value customer issues by providing them immediate feedback. Whether, small or big, instantly responding to their queries will not let them feel, as if their queries are going waste. Even after the issues have been fixed, reach out to your customers, and ask them about their experience during the whole process. 

4. Take measures based on overall feedback

It is finally time now to improve the product. Analyze the feedback provided by the customer during the entire experience. Work upon areas that need improvement, and strengthen on your USPs. The insights should provide a nice directional roadmap for enhancing CRM processes. 

It is high time to start a conversation

Now you know the importance of customer feedback, especially in leveraging entire app experience. There are many ways, by which you can start. However, the best way is to think about customer goals, and then listen to your customers.

3 Strikingly Important Mobile UI/UX Elements Making An App ‘Addictive’

If you are already having an app on application stores, you might have known by now, how hard it is to get people onboard. The challenge lies in getting your app noticed in the eyes of users. However, the game is not yet over. Your app should be competent enough, forcing users to go for an install. An app has less chances of survival, with 90% of them removed from the smartphone within a year of download.

Imagine, investing ample time and money behind the app, and at the end the only thing you get is “uninstall”. Frustrating, isn’t it? Now you know why majority of startups drastically fail, because they know what to do, but cannot figure out how to go during mobile application development stages. It is all about retaining your customers. ‘Retention’ is the name of the game. If your app is addictive enough, people will not mind coming back for it. How to make your app, a daily habit for people?

We identified four crucial elements, differentiating between a good app, and an addictive app. Let us find out.

1. Triggers

A trigger is an initiator of an action. They are the ones directing human brain to perform an action. Say for instance, when you reach the cashier counter in a super mall, your brain automatically receives a trigger to take out your wallet. When it is time to go to bed, or in case of waking up, your brain gets a trigger to brush your teeth.

Talking in terms of mobile app, there are two types of triggers associated with a mobile experience – internal and external. Internal triggers are something; developers have absolute no control. It is something that clicks users from within. As an example, whenever feeling bored or lonely, you tend to go on social media. This is an internal trigger, coming out from within.

External triggers are ones, wherein you score as a developer. They are the ones present within the app, directing users to take actions. For example, consider notifications, messages, emails, call to actions, ads, etc. as external triggers. If external triggers are effective enough to reach users at a right time in most efficient way, users will surely be encouraged to take an action.

2. Actions

An action is the second stage of process right after a trigger initiates. More actions mean more opportunities for users to perform something or the other. However, what is important to note here is, remove as many unnecessary steps between triggers and actions, as possible. Make the bridge between a trigger and an action as short as possible, so that users have smooth time accessing the app.

3. Virtual Rewards

Whether you are on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, or any other popular social networks, getting increase number of shares, likes, comments, follows, the next time you log in, is so rewarding that you are forced to come back again and again. It is not only physical awards that people strive for, getting virtual rewards is equally important nowadays, for experiencing a sense of belonging and approval. There are just too many ways to introduce virtual rewards, especially with “Selfie” trend setting in; it has become even more vital.

iOS 9 Beta Restricting Beta Testers To Post App Reviews

As per the latest restriction from Apple, beta testers can no longer post their reviews related to a specific app, on the App Store. By implementing this restriction, Apple wanted to make sure that no Internet bugs can hamper the App Store security, or individual app security for that matter, because of a pre-released unfinished version exposing vulnerability to outside attacks. 

Unlike previous iOS versions, iOS 9 did not make a debut as a beta release meant specifically for developers. In fact, this time a wider audience segment was targeted, allowing for more people to use the app, through a public beta release for the first time in the history of Apple. Although public beta release, establishes more stability than a mere developer build, the company wanted to ensure security against any kind of compatibility issues, because of a wider audience reach this time. 

A negative first hand user experience, has the potential of an overall pessimistic impact when the actual OS releases. Beta versions are more prone to crashes, behave anonymously, or even let the OS hang. As of now, the ability to leave across star ratings is still intact. These changes appear to take place on the server side, and they are right now limited to only full point beta versions i.e. iOS 9 public beta. This means that beta testers still using iOS 8.4.1 will be able to post their reviews, if in case it is not possible to do on iOS 9 beta. 

The changes will be highlighted in all the pre-released versions shortly. Nevertheless, until we see the final release of iOS 9, beta testers will be refrained from posting the feedback about a particular app, on the App Store. It will be interesting to see what will be the impact of this security move on the iPhone application development and the apps present in the App Store, because of most iPhone users opting for iOS 9 in the pre-release version. Meanwhile, iOS 8.4.1 users will play a crucial role, in defining the positives and negatives of an app, ultimately deciding their App Store presence & fate.

Ground rules to follow prior to mobile app design

You might have a vision, mission, and logo ready for your mobile app. But is it all that you need before the actual mobile app design? 

Small nitty-gritty details before the practical mobile app development stages, are the nuts and bolts of an app production. As long as you stick to the ground rules, you will have your mobile app stand out from others, following the completion. 

What these nuts and bolts are, leading to a user-friendly mobile app design? Let us find out. 

1. Design should not overcome clarity

The key features should be made clear to the users. Do not leave them confused, through an over the top design, hard to digest. Insert menu tabs, content, labels, buttons, fields, and multimedia, simple enough for even a first time user, not well versed with using mobile apps. As soon as they arrive, they should feel comfortable looking at the app design structure, offering both tangible and intangible values. 

2. Identifying the right audience segment 

It is very important to analyze your target users, in order to plan features and functionalities around the design. Provide valuable information and content within your app, which will help users save both time and money. The best ways to go about are: 

• Recruiting a focus group of selected individuals who can conduct a market research. 

• Creating online communities, and getting one on one with the users online. 

• Organizing live conferences, seminars, or workshops, where users are allowed to use the app live. 

3. Speed is just about everything 

An app gives the impression of performing faster, when a progress bar, or a loading bar is displayed. The reason being, a user expects interactive and immediate responses, on performing an action. If their actions are acknowledged, they will have no issues whatsoever, waiting for the loading bar or a progress bar to complete 100%. There are two ways to deal with it: 

• Provide an engaging animation while a user clicks, taps, or swipes. 

• Simple moving icon such as bouncing, sliding, or glowing symbol will also do the trick, entertaining users while waiting.

5 Things to Keep in Mind While Developing Native Apps

Mobile apps have become household names, and probably an inseparable part of human lives. With an increasing awareness and usage over a past few years, of all people using electronic devices, 86% of them spend their time on apps. This is not going to stop right here, as you might think. 

So, why not think of having apps for separate mobile OS platforms? Yes. We are talking about native apps. 

You can get web apps developed accessible across all platforms, native apps being specific for different platforms, or hybrid apps combining both web and native capabilities. Most companies or businesses today, prefer native mobile apps development for iOS, Android, and Windows, since they perform and appear the best, among all the three app categories. 

Do you want to know what things to keep in mind, while going for native mobile app design? Let us find out. 

• Check out the OS specific interface guidelines, as every mobile OS has separate parameters or criteria, regarding apps they accept and the ones they reject. 

• Seat with the developer team, and have an in depth discussion of the related challenges and insights. Have a talk regarding the strong points and weaknesses associated with individual platforms. Get designers to design accordingly, considering what is feasible, and what is not. 

• Study the top rated native apps, and try to rebuild them by having a makeover. It is not a bad thing to copy, unless you deliver a replica, which is far more better in terms of performance, and offer users way more functionalities than the actual. 

• Differentiate your native apps by integrating transitions, animations, and multimedia components. Go for a raw prototype, letting you have a glimpse of the elements study, before actually breaking or making an app. 

• Focus on features more, rather than just mind boggling appearances. It is the services that power an app. Deliver top-notch front end and back end experiences, so that user needs and context in which the content is presented, are both taken care of.