How to Develop an App Like Instagram: Cost, Features & Strategy

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Photography being buzz in today’s era, people love the concept of sharing beautiful visual content and because of that reason, Instagram is the most loveable app today. Instagram has around 800 million people followers who shares 80 million images and video files every day. Most of the top brands are using Instagram to enhance the visibility of their brand.  And when you see this goliath digit, you may be craving for the beautiful app like Instagram and wish to make people use your social networking app for photo sharing in everybody’s lives.

Cost to consider

Before finding the developer or the company for the Instagram like app, you need to consider the cost of developing an app.  The estimated time for it includes:

Timeline

  • Android app development
  • Android design development
  • iOS app development
  • iOS design development
  • Backend development

Features

  • Photo-editing –  upto 200 hours
  • Photo library – upto 140 hours
  • Search function – upto 80 hours
  • Geo-location – upto 20-50 hours
  • Sharing – upto 30 hours
  • Integrating social features – upto 70 –50 hours

Time taken for development

  • iOS – 600- 800 hours
  • Android – 600-800 hours
  • Design – 200-300 hours
  • Backend development – 700-1400 hours

Total cost of developing Instagram like app

  • From $ 120,000 at $40/hour to $650,000

Read also : Step-by-Step Guide To Building Your First Mobile App

The hourly rate will be different, depending on the service provider, platform and type of contract you choose.

So, what does it take to create an Instagram clone from scratch?

Although there is an app like Instagram which is king of the reins, it doesn’t mean there will be no place for your new photo sharing app. If you develop in a right way, you too can get develop engaging app with millions of active user on your app. First, you need to focus on the flow about how users interact on Instagram account.

  • Authorization (Enables to create new profile or sign into an already existing account)
  • Profile editing
  • Upload the pictures
  • Follow, like , comments
  • Photo customization
  • Notifications and push-notifications
  • Search
  • Location enabled
  • Social sharing features

However, this are some of the basic features of photo sharing app which is must have to develop the same. Another thing, you must focus on the design of the app. Instagram has a very simple features but smart and stylish one which is easy to deal with. To build the best app, you just need to user-friendly and nice looking design.

Create your unique spin

If you wish to develop an app like Instagram, you do have to think of some out of box idea which is not available in Instagram. You need to brainstorm of what unique things you can bring to the table. Think of the core idea of what you are planning to focus; it can be photo sharing platform or creating gifs images or editing features etc.  Once you are set with the unique idea, you are ready to create an app.

The Key efficiency indicator

When clone of any app is created, it is necessary to offer unique features than original app. Creating copy Instagram will not lead you to the active users. Check out some important indicators that you need to focus on, if you want to check the status or progress,

  • The number of active users
  • The user’s participation
  • The app’s ability to retain users.
  1. a) Active Users

The first thing is to focus on the number of active users app has. It is easy to grow audience by using with the help of social media marketing. For SMM, it is good to start your campaign at least the half year before the product is launched. It is advisable to develop Facebook pages for business to reach out your target audiences and you can reward your users when they invite their friends to use the app. Additionally, you can also enhance your product status and popularity by also inviting some celebrities of influencers.  You can attract them with the help of PR companies or can post content that can be interesting for such people.

  1. B) User engagement

The number of users just not determines the success of your app. You also need to look upon the factors like average time people spent on app, number of daily logins every day, number of media exchanged and much more. To increase the mentioned factors, you need to integrate social functions like comments, likes, followers which can help to integrate the uniqueness of the channel. Moreover, using high editing tools can attract the potential photographers. Considering all this indicators help to increase user engagement level.

  1. c) User Retention

If you wish to keep your users coming back, you need to send push notifications to remind them about your app. Check your target audience and notify them at a right time when they are likely to open your app. Use marketing tactics and launch different promotional events so that users get involved in your app and make a profit on these events. All these factors are very important, because they show how satisfying your app is for target audience and how much profit you can make with that.

Monetization Strategy

Another factor to consider is how to earn by developing app. There are multiple ways to monetize your app:

  • Native ads and sponsored ad marketing
  • In-app purchases
  • Sell stock photos
  • Special offers for active users

Conclusion

You may have got clear picture to develop an app like Instagram for your business. However, it is always better to develop an app by hiring a professional developer or mobile app development company in Toronto to save much of your time and money.

iQlance being one of the best mobile app development company in Toronto aims to provide sustainable solution that can stand tall amongst crowd. So, if you wish to develop the photo sharing app for your next project, connect with us today.

Importance of Mobile App Development for Your Business

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Today I’d like to talk about mobile apps in combination with business, and why you should consider building a mobile app for your own company.

There is no doubt that, for any business to succeed in this competitive era, adapting the changes and evolving with the growing trends is highly important. But, most of the businesses fail to recognize this importance and are unable to sustain themselves in this digital fascination of today’s era. So, what can help businesses from falling because of innovation?

The only thing that can help businesses to hit the right mark is MOBILE APPS…

A conventional way of marketing like hanging billboards, handling leaflets, printing advertisements in newspapers etc. are some of the 80’s-90’s solution that doesn’t hold any importance today. This solution in today’s era can never help to establish a connection with customers and hence, cannot succeed in the 21st century.

Read Also : How to align IT Assessments with Business Needs

So, in such scenario, mobile apps becomes a top priority for any business to streamline workflow and reach out customers successfully. Mobile apps serve as a platform to reach out your voice to the global target audience and help you to climb your business goals.

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Example to follow:

Domino’s Pizza sales hiked up by 19% after developing a mobile app. The company grew its online ordering business through its mobile app and boosted sales by 20% in the UK exclusively to 214.5 pounds million in sales across the group, 200 million pounds of which were in the UK.

But, how mobile app can be boon for the business???

Let’s zero it down some of the reasons…

  • Increases brand loyalty: If the business wishes to retain their customers and gain new customers, it needs to have a compelling brand identity in the eyes of a target audience.  Engaging mobile apps help the brand to increase customer engagement and help to stand tall amongst competitors.  Rewards and loyalty programs are the proven tools to build the brand loyalty.

For instance: Starbuck’s in-app based loyalty program helps to provide loyalty award stars as in-app points. If the customer is registered at Starbucks; have La Boulange / Teavana card and earns the desired points, they can get chance to grab a free drink. This Starbucks mobile loyalty app is highly admired by the customer as it has increased the brand loyalty by offering customer-centric campaigns and personalization service.

  • Builds brand recognition:

One of the most important things to increase your brand recognition is to increase communication and awareness about the brand. The more audience trusts you, more likely they will commit to your brand. Hence, developing a mobile app can be a platform to establish connections with the users. If you develop a mobile app which is user-friendly and have intuitive features then customers can surely involve and engage with your app. And when the customer thinks about product service, your brand will be the first one to recall.

  • Connects with on the move customers: People are always on the move… going to the school… going to the work… going to the gym… going to the restaurant… driving etc. When they are indulge in any physical activity, they do not have access to the laptops/desktops etc. but they do have access to the mobile apps. Hence, mobile apps provide you an opportunity to showcase your brand across the globe. One of the recent research says that, adult people spend about 3 and half hours a day across phone and various apps. This means, if you develop a mobile app, you can get an opportunity to connect with the customers wherever they are on the move.
  • Helps to provide personalization: You can create an emotional bond with your customers via mobile app… By knowing customer’s likes, dislikes, their shopping preferences etc. you can send personalized offers and show that how much you care for them. With the mobile app, it is easy to integrate behavioral data and profile data to provide personalization service to your customers and discounts. With the bespoke solution, you are more likely to meet the requirements and needs of the audience and convert them to the frequent users.
  • Results into more profits: When customers are satisfied with your brand, it naturally results into increased sales. Moreover, it said that buying experience is influenced by how customers are being treated. The more you please your customer, they’re more inclined to your app and make a purchase. The increase in mobile app surely provides a good return in long future. If you develop a mobile app and responsive website both, you will see a significant increase in sales and of course enhancing customer engagement.
  • Act as a marketing tool: Customers can access their business by sitting in any corner of the world at any time. Regular use of app strengthens your brand when the customer needs to purchase anything. Moreover, it can be easily integrated with Facebook, Twitter and other social media, which means in a single tap your customers can share your brand and their experience on social media. With the mobile app, you can offer push notification to your customers and prospects at the right time and the right place.

The Bottom Line

Mobile app development surely provides platform to enhance brand visibility and increase customer engagement. With the high-end advanced features, user friendly app interface and the optimized app performance, your app will surely climb the ladder.

iQlance being one of the leader in mobile app development company in Toronto, provides solution that can help to leverage your business by considering the requirements and need of your business. iQlance has the best mobile app developers in Toronto who can provide cutting-edge solution that can help you to convert casual buyers into frequent customers.

How to Build a Successful Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

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Just Imagine…

You developed an app using minimum viable product integrated all the features necessary to solve the user’s need. You knew that your app will be a great problem solver. Everything started and ended great but there came a point where users didn’t install your app. All time and money that you invested in developing an app got wasted. You have no idea what went wrong, where did your app lack etc. In such scenario, it becomes difficult to gain user’s attention and ultimately your app fails to reach the mark.

This happens with most of the startups; actually, the chances of succeeding in the startup game are less unless the product is built in a right way.

  • Bloomberg reports that 80% of startups will fail within their first 18 months.
  • An infographic featured in Mashable states that 90% of tech startups fail.
  • The Guardian states that around 50% of small businesses fail within the first couple of years.

Although, hitting the mark as a startup is difficult, there are number of things that can be done to avoid failure especially at an initial stage.

One of the solutions for this is by creating a minimum viable product which is the most efficient and time-savvy way of developing, getting feedback from the user and validating your idea. Before investing in a software solution, you can consider MVP to anticipate the success of the product in the market by reaching out target audience.

But, what is MVP all about?

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A minimum viable product is development technique where the product is developed with the necessary features that satisfy the user’s need and this is very much useful for the startups. Full and final set of features are designed and developed only after considering the feedback of the product from the user. The sole purpose of MVP is to launch the product quickly based on the idea with the least budget. With the help of MVP, one can have the clear insight of target audience and can save much of the time.

Developing MVP means balancing between what your brand is offering to the users and what users actually need. MVP is developed to minimize errors and collecting the quality feedback by targeting a specific group or some type of users.

Check out the steps needed to develop successful MVP…

Market Research

Before thinking about MVP, you must check the potential of your idea. Your idea may be great but it may not just fit to the market needs. So, before starting make sure that people will be interested in your product. For knowing this, you can search for the competitors or similar products or talk to another user. Your idea may be already implemented and you may have no idea about that. Survey always works; it leads to more information and results into high chances of success.

Define your idea

You have an idea about your new app; but what value does it offer to your users? How can it benefit them? What USP you are offering? What would boost them to buy your product? These are some of the important points to keep in mind to represent your idea. You should have clear and concise idea about the estimations of your product. Outline your idea and introduce its value to the people and based on that develop MVP.

List all the features that make your app unique

Make your dreamed feature list that you always wanted in your app. List down everything that you wish to include in your product. Once you are done with developing the features, cross-check the features that you feel are not really very important.  When you have the list of features for each phase, you then prioritize them. To prioritize each feature, ask yourself why my user would need these features? Would it be beneficial to them? When you have organized all the features, you can define the scope of phase 1, and start building MVC prototype.

Describe what is unique in your app

Why users would download your app.

  • If your app is implementing new algorithms by adding advanced technologies like AI, VR, AR or image processing algorithms which can enhance task performance; better than what the current app market is offering
  • It may happen that, you are bound to implement some common features; if this happens, it is important to adapt the whole experience for that specific market with some tweaks in the exiting features.

At the end of the day, your app will be unique, if it is focusing on efforts and time from the beginning.

Proceed towards building MVP

Steps to building an MVP

Once you have determined the key features and have an understanding of market needs, you can start developing MVP.  You must develop MVP with the sole goal of validating your hypothesis and should have basic features to get the feedback from the users and that should satisfy the need of users. Moreover, ask yourself these questions…

  • Does this feature support MVP hypothesis and meeting the sole goal to satisfy the users
  • Is this feature solving the problem of the user?
  • Is this must have feature for the customer?
  • How much time will it take to develop this feature?

Always focus on the needs of the customers and take their feedback if they are satisfied or not.

Test, learn and repeat

After defining MVP, and after development let your product get tested from quality assurance team to improve the quality of the product and conduct the testing stages to know if there are any bugs to be solved.  Launch your MVP and check out the user’s feedback; if they are really satisfied with the product or not. Ask them if they wish to have more features. If you wish to add more features, repeat the process and work towards the enhancement of your product. Do not make your product complex and do not forget to ask your users what more things they are looking for.

Measure success after building MVP

There are several ways to get real picture about your product. Some of the effective and proven ways are listed below.

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  • Word of mouth

Check your product success by talking with the potential customers. Pre-assume it that customers are facing the problem and be ready to hear the problems and ask them what they think.

  • Engagement

See how customers are engaging with your product. Based on the feedback your goal must be to   improve user engagement. It will help you to measure the present scenario of the product as well as future aspects.

  • Sign-up

Ask your users to sign-up with your product as it is the good way to increase the interest of the users. It helps to convert into revenue. Based on the result, you can measure the interest of the user in your product.

  • Check out the downloads of your app

The number of downloads and launch rate shows that your users are really interested in your app. The lighter the app, the more downloads it get.

  • See how many users are actively using your product

Checking downloads is one of the primary thing, you also need to check user behavior and ratings from your active users for the success of MVP.

  • Client acquisition cost (CAC)

CAC means money spent on the customer acquisition channel/ number of customers acquired through the channel. You should have proper insight on the cost to get a paying customer. With this you will know, whether your marketing efforts are effective or there are any changes to be made.

  • Check the users who are paying for your product

Know the products that are bringing revenue also keep check on average revenue per user. Make a report on how much income users are helping to generate in a day.

  • Client Lifetime value

CLV = (Profit generated from user * App usage duration) – Acquisition cost. It checks how much time user spends before uninstalling the app.

  • Churn

Churn = Number of users not using the app per week/ month/ Number of users at the beginning of the week or month. It demonstrates the level or percentage of people who have uninstalled or stopped using your app.

Wrapping it up

The purpose of MVP is to know thick and thins about your product and developing it with low investment. When your product is ready to go live, you will conclude something valuable from your product –whether it needs to be discarded or it can be continued.

It is always better to have a service provider who can help in developing a minimum viable product that can give you an edge to the business. iQlance, one of the leading web and mobile app development company in Vancouver have experts who can help you to convert your idea into the product. iQlance possesses the best mobile app developers from Canada who are well-versed with the technology and can help you to build  a sustainable customized product that can help you to stay ahead of the curve.

Interview with Krunal Vyas, iQlance Solutions – Good Firms

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GoodFirms is B2B research and review platform for top software service companies. iQlance Solutions has been  listed as top mobile application development company in Canada on GoodFirm

– GoodFirm has selected our CEO Krunal Vyas to interview.

IQlance – one of the leading web and mobile application development company in Canada which promises to deliver bespoke solution was epitomized in GoodFirms with embellishing reviews and stars for its mobile app development service by their clients from across the globe. Krunal Vyas, the CEO of the company has put more focus on how mobile apps, web development, custom software solutions and game mobile app development helped their customer to generate ROI and reach out their target audience.

Krunal further talks about his inspiration in developing an innovative and meaningful solution with the help of technology and meeting the client’s expectation while also delivering state-of-art solution by strictly adhering to the deadline. He describes about the business model at iQlance that has made possible for the company to work with the top brands across the globe. The company is involved in diverse services that includes mobile app development, web development, enterprise solutions, game development, emerging technologies, digital marketing and the list goes on…

iQlance has the veteran team in Canada who makes sure to consider your requirements before building a solution. The team covers product development cycle from system analysis, wireframe to design, code implementation, quality assurance and launch and makes sure that there is zero tolerance error. Krunal believes that, his business model is successful of course due to its team, capability, domain knowledge and presence of iQlance in Canada, NYC and California.

Read Also : Interview With Digitalmicdrop : OUTSOURCED MARKETING TECH

Being the CEO of iQance, Krunal takes care of end-to-end business operations and follows agile and scrum approach while conducting the weekly/daily meetings with team members and managers to know the overall insights of the task. He implements time tracking software to effectively monitor and manage project in real-time work environment. Following agile and scrum approach, he focuses on team’s ability to deliver fast product and respond quickly as and when client’s requirements changes.

Moreover, he also makes sure that there are no glitches and grudges for anyone in the company and employees and clients are working on the same page for the same goals. The company has built many mobile- based apps like on-demand taxi, fitness, real estate, healthcare and many more which has helped them to give an edge to the business.  Moreover, the company loves to take on the challenges that are involved in the projects and emphasize in retaining client and building a long-term partnership by delivering a leveraging solution.

The company has flexible development model and payment structure which assures the client that they are paying for what is received. Krunal aims is ‘ idea to innovation’ and would always support start-ups, Small business and individuals to bring idea to reality and focuses on tight budget project that can be delivered in a short time rather than liberal higher budget project. This enables the team to flourish the skills and push themselves to local communities as well. Ranging from $5000- $100,000 the company delivered 50+ mobile applications and 20+startups solution in 2017 to stand tall amongst competitors.

The company is very strict when it comes to security; they consider the process of developing apps after signing NDA only. Additionally, they also ensure transparency in work keeping the unexpected surprises at bay.

To know more how iQlance helps the start-ups to provide a solution, Check out our full interview on Good Firms.

React Native vs Native: Which is Best for Your App?

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So, you want to develop the mobile apps that work on both Android and iOS… Would you learn the native language for each app or would you learn JavaScript framework that helps to develop applications in both the language with the single code base?

Although in mobile app development ecosystem, before you start developing any apps, you need to choose tools, platforms, frameworks to build the apps. In selecting the right toolset, several factors are considered by mobile app developers i.e.:

  • Nature of the product
  • Target audience
  • Cost of the project
  • Existing code skills
  • Purpose of the app
  • Longevity of the product

Yet, knowing the goals, developers are perplexed by the choice of platform, frameworks or tools. But, the key selection they have to precisely make is about the platform – React Native or Native…

But what is Native applications and React Native all about?

Native applications are developed particularly for a specific platform with the tools specific to a programming language. For instance:  Android, developers need to code in Java using Android studio as the environment, while iOS apps are developed in Objective –C or Swift using Xcode as IDE. Development environments for both are different which means, you will need a team of developers for Android and iOS to develop two different applications.

On the contrary, React Native is a framework created by Facebook which is intended to develop applications for iOS and Android both. Hence, it refrains the need of two different applications; only single code is enough for both Android and iOS platform.

Let’s dive in deeper…..

  • Which is the best? React Native or Native

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Well, it all depends on nature, size and target audience of the project.

But, it is said that after the arrival of React Native, there are many improvisations in the UI of mobile app; graphic elements improved to match the standards of platform. Moreover, it is developed by JavaScript which is a simple programming language and can be learned easily. It lessens up the time of app development and the cost as single team of developers can develop one app for two platform.

When it comes to Native apps i.e. Objective C or Swift; it is difficult to cope up with but errors can be caught at early stage of compilation. Moreover, Objective C and Java are getting upgraded to stand at par with modern language.

  • Third-party libraries

In Native app development, for adding functionality, you get full support from API or third party library and third-party library wouldn’t require any further integration. The community is small but there are lot of resources available to available to carry out the app development.

When it comes to React Native, although community is big, it doesn’t support APIs. To use third-party libraries of native apps, these incorporations must be written in Native modules i.e. you need to code for Android and iOS both which is very daunting task.

  • Web app development

When it comes to web app development, React Native stands on leading position. As web development is simple, comprehensive knowledge of web app development will prove beneficial as debugging flows and toolset architecture becomes easier. Moreover, developers can refrain from doing web programming if there are any React.js developers supporting the project.

When we talk about Native application, it has nothing to do with web app development.

  • Community Size

React Native was developed by Facebook which one of the high-performing social media platform. Hence, the number is enough to describe the number on the React Native community which is almost close to 32k. Moreover, React Native is an open source by nature and hence, reusable components can be used in applications.

When it comes to native applications, it doesn’t hold the support of large community and support from peer engineers.

  • App Performance

When Native applications and React Native are compared, both out-performs. With React Native, developing simple apps becomes much easier but if implemented with AR/VR, Blockchain, it may create problems.

Read also : Blockchain : Why it is the Future of Technology

When developing apps with native applications, developers find it easier to develop apps by incorporating the techniques.

  • Reloading

In Native apps, making minor change is pain as it requires you to rebuild everything from scratch. You need to wait for the app to launch again to verify the changes which results into much tedious process. If the file contains number of files, then multiple runs add fuel to the fire and you have to spend much of the time in waiting.

React Native apps are equipped with JS bundle that holds the application code and other assets. Reload process is very quick and you don’t have to rebuild the app ever again as the content of the bundle are cached on the device.

  • Localization

In native apps, developers have to manage the separate files for localizing the strings. Although there are the frameworks that provide easier approach, it lacked standard ways to keep all translations in one place.

React-Native localization – one of the very popular module in React native apps uses single file of translation for strings all over project. This means, developers have to build only JSON file which holds translations for all language. React Native can understand the locale on user’s device and can apply translations accordingly.

So, who wins the battlefield?

By checking out the above-mentioned scenarios, in some ways React Native is standing in front and in some aspects Native proved better. Hence, the app developers need to develop the project on the language that works best according to the requirements.

React Native is the best suited if one is looking to develop app similar to Facebook or Instagram which has large community and reusable components. Native apps are better if one is looking to develop an app that has features of AR or if planning to use third party libraries or APIs.

It is always best to hire React app developers in Toronto to develop the application that can give you an edge to the business.

Wrapping it up

Both Native apps and React Native has its own pros and cons; however, it is up to the mobile app developers to decide which the best one is.

iQlance being the best mobile app development company in Toronto can help to develop the solution that can leverage your business. Our mobile app developers are well versed in developing React Native and Native apps and can build the apps that can cater your requirements.

How to Write a Mobile App RFP for the Best Vendor

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When you are looking to undertake a new mobile app development project, you need to find the right vendors for your project that can ensure its success. However, finding the best mobile app development company for your needs can be a challenging task, especially when so many vendors are trying to attract your attention. In order to make sure that your mobile app project really takes off, you need to get the best vendor and this is something that you can accomplish with a mobile app RFP.

The Importance Of A Mobile App RFP

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The mobile app RFP basically serves as a document which is used for establishing a working relationship between you and the vendor that you choose for your project. It underlines the various requirements of the mobile app and functions as the statement for the work that is to be carried out in the project contract.

A comprehensive and well written mobile app RFP can help you to obtain accurate and reliable information about your specific project. The RFP can be a valuable document that can help you to find a good vendor for your app development project. The app development that you choose in this way can ensure complete success of your app and make it easier for you to stay away from unreliable app development companies.

Here are some of the most crucial factors that you should consider when you are trying to create a mobile app RFP.

The RFP should cover diverse aspects relating to the app

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When you write the mobile RFP, you should make sure that it focuses on multiple grounds rather than just the basic functionalities of the app. The reason for this is that when you are creating an app, you will need much more than just app development services. For instance, your app may need APIs for connecting with other tools and services. The app may require backend server support and development as well. For a high end app with specific features, you may also need effective analytics integration. You may also want to invest on full-fledged UI/UX services for your app so that it is well received. Keeping such factors in mind will help you to come up with a better written RFP that contains all the minute details and requirements of your app which will in turn help you to obtain relevant responses.

The budget is going to determine effective responses

In many cases, companies that are looking to develop apps are somewhat hesitant to include their budget range within their mobile app RFP. If that is the case with you, you should remember that including the budget can actually help you to select a vendor that is suitable for your job. This can also help you to save time and energy in the process of finding out a reliable app developer for your project.

Read also : Does Your E-Commerce Site Really Need A Mobile App?

Mobile app development companies vary greatly in their infrastructure, cost, scope as well as the quality of work that they are capable of delivering. Therefore when you include a budget for your project, it can actually help to eliminate vendors that are not capable to take up such a project. While it is one thing to communicate with your potential vendors, including the budget in your RFP can provide you with an idea from the very beginning if a particular app development company is competent enough to take up such a project.

Mobile app development projects should be backed up by proper maintenance and support

A well written and detailed mobile app RFP must not only cover all the various aspects related to its development but also cover everything relating to ongoing support and maintenance. Unless you back up the main app development project with sufficient support at all times, it is going to seem outdated and unreliable in a matter of few months. Therefore you must invest wisely in maintenance and updates so that your end users have a positive experience with the app. The vendor that you choose for your project should be able to provide you with proper support so as to make sure that the app is working perfectly according to the expectations of the end users.

The clarity of your RFP is going to determine the development scale

Mobile App Development companies Toronto offer a wide range of services that are crucial to ensure the success of an app among the end users. These include consulting and app store delivery to optimization. You may also need more time to develop your app and upload it with the app store in case you have not properly scoped its development. Writing an RFP for your mobile app development project does involve focusing on a lot of detail. In case you send an RFP that only contains some general ideas instead of specific points, it is inevitably going to increase the time required for production. You may not even end up with a finished product that is perfect according to your needs. Therefore you must make sure that your RFP includes all the vital details. Some app development companies may not even respond to your queries unless your RFP includes specific details. For instance, your RF must focus on the basic and core elements of the app and the features that should be included in it. You should include your marketing and business goals and how you want it to function in the long and short term. In short, you must express your vision with your app in great detail.

Well written RFP can greatly enhance the value of the project

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When you write a mobile app RFP that includes all the critical features and points associated with its development, maintenance and upgrades, you are likely to have a product that can aptly match your business needs. When you include a lot of details in your app RFP, it can make the work of the app development vendor a lot easier, while at the same time making sure that the app meets the highest quality parameters.

Ultimately, the quality of your mobile app RFP will affect the quality of the responses you receive. The better it is, the more likely you are to get proposals that convey the capabilities of the vendor, include more accurate timeline and price estimations, and help you choose the company that is the perfect fit for your project.

Blockchain Technology: How It Works & Why It Matters

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The BlockChain cannot be described just as a revolution. It is a tsunami-like phenomenon, slowly advancing and gradually enveloping everything along its way by the force of its progression.

–William Mougayar

As per the research global technology market is forecasted to grow 2.3 billion in U.S dollars by 2021. Isn’t that huge enough? Ever since Santoshi Nakamoto published his invention in 2009, Blockchain technology has added the flavour not only in financial industry but also across other verticals.

What is Blockchain technology and what problem it can solve?

Today, with the advent of new technologies, internet has revolutionized the way people communicate. We make the use of payment gateways to share and transfer information back and forth; but is that really secured? Databases cannot communicate with each other, it needs error-free human administration or a centralized station to run every node.

blockchain-infographic

So, here the Blockchain technology comes into existence. It is decentralized ledger shared by multiple users and works without the interference of third-party. This technology tracks every details that happens on the internet – every digital transaction, private data, service etc. Data is encrypted into blocks and gets scatter into pieces across worldwide network of distributed nodes.

Hence, because of this reason:-

  • Electronic ledgers can become cheap than traditional account system
  • Distributed ledger system nullifies repetitive task and results into less error
  • Lessen up the risk of pending transaction as processing delays

Blockchain has three main features of distributed ledgers:

  • Veracity – multiple copies (as opposed to a single copy) of the complete historical record of ledger entries are each verified by consensus.
  • Transparency – it is a public record of activity that can be seen by all market participants.
  • Disintermediation – Instead of specific central organization, this operates using peer-to peer network.

Blockchain technology is the pillar behind the success of the bitcoin and is the first digital currency to solve the issue of double- spending. This technology is transformative and several predicts expects that it will have massive impact in the market.

 “One Bitcoin can be divided by 100 million units, and each unit can also represent value in multiple ways – i.e.; cash, property, votes, energy.”

Implications of transaction in Blockchain technology

Blockchain technology will revolutionize the way we write, execute transactions and maintain records. Keeping accounts of all transactions is the core criteria for any business as it becomes easy to track the last performances and help in planning the need for the future. Some records consume time, energy and efforts and often creation and storage process results in errors.

Read also : Reasons to Explore and Invest in Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Industry

In the current scenario transactions can be executed immediately but settlement of the funds takes a long process. For instance: Someone selling in the stock exchange can sell stocks immediately but settlement can take few days. Similarly, if someone is making the new deal of buying property, price can be negotiated and signed quickly, but process of registering takes more time and may involve lawyer, government and employees.

But, in the Blockchain technology, transaction process is quick and permanent and distributed across nodes, and details of transaction such as price, asset etc. are recorded, verified and settled within seconds across all nodes and any change in one ledger simultaneously affect the other copies of ledger. Since each transaction is transparent and permanently recorded, there is no need of third party verification and is open for anyone to see.

What makes distributed technology different?

blockchain-guide

The key difference of Blockchain is the ability to transact without the need of trusted third-party through distributed ledger.

Ultimately, distributed ledger technology represent significant innovations. They have broad implications, including:

  • Operational simplification and fraud minimisation
  • Digital identity
  • More transparency in transactions.

Fraud minimization

One of the advantages of distributed ledger technology is that manual efforts to perform reconciliation and resolving disputes can be drastically reduced. Traditional accounting system means parties involved in one project need to check the system and find the reason why they disagree. Instead with the help of Blockchain the same thing can be migrated in number of ways as all parties involved share the same record.

For businesses, Blockchain increases the efficiency, reduction in duplicated and manual tasks and cut-cost and provides opportunities for businesses to focus on value-adding task and facilitate trust along with supply chain. Businesses which regularly deal with unknown customers faces risks, where a business is not sure that its customer will comply with contractual terms. Goods are delivered, but the customer may not make payment for days or weeks. This ties up capital and can cause cash flow problems. Blockchain technology has the capability to minimise risk and settlement times, which ultimately aids in improving balance sheet efficiency.

More transparency in transaction

Distributed ledger provides transparent information in real-time transactions and hence, those currently gaining competitive advantages via imbalance of information is likely to put an equal foots with the rest of the market. Individuals will be able to understand which organizations have used which data under what circumstances and this enables more consumer decision making. The tracking of goods over Blockchain will also provide greater transparency and simpler process for businesses and would enable increased cooperation between regulators and regulated entities.

Example:

SimplyVital Health is using Blockchain technology to give healthcare industry a facelift. The company is using the Blockchain-based data storage and analytics platform aimed for streamlining medical data storage and sharing.

The Bottom line

Blockchain technology is here to stay and is transforming the way society functions. Being still in an early stage, crypto currencies are only its major use case. Above perspectives may sound promising, but business need to come up with the kickass solution or connect with the Toronto Mobile Application Development Company that can nurture your product as per your requirements in a better way.

Why Your Ecommerce Business Needs a Mobile App

mobile-ecommerce-application

As the owner of a major ecommerce store, you must try to use your resources to appeal to as many potential customers as possible within a specific amount of time. One of the best ways to achieve this goal would be to have a customized ecommerce business app that can promote your business in the best possible manner. While at one point of time, businesses only focused on establishing a strong market name and for that they invested in having their very own website. However, the needs of an ecommerce business have somewhat changed over the years and currently it is considered a major necessity for any online store business to have a well developed mobile app.

There are a number of factors for which you should consider having a custom built app for your ecommerce business. Some of them are discussed below in brief.

Apps for ecommerce business can help to promote your company

Statistics have shown that while using their smartphones, people explore sites in browsers only for about 8% of times. For the rest 92% of cases, they prefer to use mobile apps. Hence unless an enterprise has a well developed app to represent its interests, it is likely to lose out on a major part of its business. Apps not only help to engage new prospective customers but they also help in effectively communicating with the existing customers about the central goals and aims of the business. Moreover, having an app to represent your company actually allows you to promote your brand in the best possible way. However, without the app you are actually losing out on a lot of opportunities to promote your company in a subtle but effective way.

Read also: Win More Users Of  Your Business Through Mobile Apps.

Mobile apps can boost your sales

Mobile application useg

It has been found that mobile apps serve as excellent ways to increase your sales figures within a short span of time. Most ecommerce companies that start using mobile apps for their business observe a sharp rise in their business figures within a short time. In many cases, the rise in sales can go up as high as 20% to 30%. Additionally, customers who shop with the ecommerce store also get back within a period of 30 days to do their next shopping with the ecommerce store. It has been found that about 62% of all online traffic that comes from smartphone usage depends a lot on the response generated from the mobile apps. Due to this reason, it is necessary that companies invest wisely and generously on creating apps for their ecommerce business.

Smartphone apps can help to enhance overall user experience

UX or user experience plays a very critical role in making sure that the customers keep on visiting your online portal and using the products and services that your company has to offer. The sphere of digital user experience includes a number of things such as visual appeal, user features and ease of use just to name a few. You should also focus on improving the loading speed of your site as it can play a very important role in determining the success of your site. It has been found that about 40% of users are likely to leave in case the content takes more than three seconds to load. Other factors that deter customers away from using your site include complex user experience problems, limited features as well as complicated checkout process.

Negative mobile experience can not only force a customer to leave your site but it can also lead them to buy their goods from a competitor’s site.

Most users prefer to use mobile apps instead of mobile websites since they are more convenient, offer great speed and an easy checkout process. They can also help to personalize the overall experience that they might have while interacting with a mobile app. Since changes and improvements made in the user experience can reduce your bounce rate, ensure optimum customer engagement and increase sales conversions, most companies nowadays choose to invest in creating apps for their online ecommerce businesses.

Ecommerce is categorized into six major types they are:

1. Business-to-Business
2. Business-to-Consumer
3. Business-to-Administration
4. Consumer-to-Consumer
5. Consumer-to-Business
6. Consumer-to-Administration

eCommerce development and its applications is an unavoidable sector in the present day today life. Given below are the most common eCommerce applications.

Ecommerce apps can convert simple customers into ardent fans of your brand

complete-ecommerce-solution

While you need customers to ensure greater financial returns for your company, you need to retain them for the long term if you are to make the most of what they have to offer. In fact, you need to have a proper customer base if you are looking to solidify your position in a highly competitive market for the long haul. With the help of a mobile app that represents your business, you can do just that and focus on increasing the prospects of your company for the long term. You can use your apps to send push notifications to your customers which in turn can propel them to take actions that can benefit your business enterprise.

In the recent times, it has been found that push notifications are highly effective when it comes to boosting customer retention and reducing the chances of cart abandonment rates. They can also provide customers with a potential marketing channel that they can use in a number of different ways. These notifications help to engage the buyers, propel them into buying the products that the ecommerce business has to offer and also retain longstanding interest on the brand for years to come. The ecommerce apps also serve as a great platform for studying customer behavior.

The metrics obtained from studying customer behavior through ecommerce apps can help your company to come up with better methods to serve your customers.

Mobile apps are now a highly popular way to promote a business

With the widespread usage of mobile apps in the modern times, companies that do not have apps of their own seem negligible or unimportant in the eyes of potential customers. Apps can not only turn customers into loyal fans of a brand but they can also generate positive user experience for a brand and encourage more number of sales. It is in keeping with such factors that mobile apps have become so important for eCommerce businesses.

Why Your Restaurant Needs a Food Ordering App

on-demand-food-appReasons to implement food ordering app

Today, in the digital era, smart-phone has become an integral part of our life and it is really fascinating to know that business in every industrial domain is looking to have its online presence. People love to browse their phone at every second for checking out general information, latest news, book cabs, movie tickets and much more. Hence, because of such scenario strong mobile app presence has become necessity! And when it comes to food business, then unique food ordering app becomes the ultimate platform to generate the leads.

What characterizes on-demand delivery marketplaces?

  • mobile-first user experience
  • fast delivery of products or services
  • cheaper prices than traditional service providers or sellers
  • independent contractors working part-time
  • friction-less payment
  • actionable rating systems
Mobile Application Development

With the food delivery app, customers no longer have to yell their orders on the phone and explain their orders to the restaurants. No more worries about missed orders due to busy phone lines or lack of resources to monitor the phone. Additionally, the local searches via mobile app results into higher conversion rates which brings ROI for your business. With the help of GPS Tracker, end users can search nearby restaurants to order food from the single mobile app; without providing their address or any other information. Application can automatically trace the address and food delivery becomes easy.

So, you must take the advantage of this mobile trend to boost customer engagement and improve dining experience.

To solve the purpose, offering them smarter features like:-

  • Get niche and clear Menu display (along with prices)
  • Easy navigation to click and order- within a minute
  • Display picture that depicts what your customer may expect

But, are mobile apps really worth to develop or restaurants can deliver same experience without them?

Let’s zero down in detail….

  • Drives more revenue: When a person is looking for the good place to dine-in, you obviously wish to provide an effortless way to cater them apart from yummy food. In such scenario, mobile application serves as the best engine to increase the sales and your customers will always appreciate the convenient opportunity to deliver the order through the app and get their favourite food in just matter of seconds. Apart from this, you will enjoy your hike in sales with the enlarged orders like sides, salads, add-ons, desserts etc. which always goes well through mobile ordering. Additionally, ordering online is convenient option as customers love to explore all the menu options and may spend more than they would when ordering over phone or in-person.

 Read also:  Technology Business Trends that Will Dominate

  • Wide customer base: Having higher mass of target audience is just another reason to succeed! Anyone who owns a smart-phone can be your customer… Students who looks to order pizza, burgers, chips; Employees who forgot their lunch or loves to order from good restaurant; Millennial who hang out with their gang at night and craves for midnight food; Family get-together who wish Chinese, Mexican etc. during party and the list goes on.. Today, idea of driving for restaurant no longer seems to be interesting for folks and they would love to opt for mobile ordering options over other options especially for the restaurants offering quicker service. Mobile app promotes social sharing which can help to grow your customers and when they share positive reviews on social media, it ultimately boosts the reputation leading to the business profits. This could be an amazing way to stay in the customer’s mind as they check social media accounts each day and you can keep them updated through their social media profiles.

 Order accuracy improves and easy to use:

Sorry, please can you repeat?

I didn’t understand… Pardon please?

Ohh!! you just said tacos?

These surprised expressions are generally very familiar for anyone who takes order over phone. Misunderstandings are likely to occur and these results in the angry customers, waste of food, money and efforts which ultimately results into negative feedback. With online orders there are fewer chances of mistakes as customer makes everything clear from their end.

Implementing new technology may sound BIG but it is very simple than you think and it always offer win-win approach for both owner and customer. Easy to use food ordering apps are shaped to give customers quick turnaround time and minimal stress which in-turn enables the restaurants to welcome a flood of orders in less time.

  • Cultivates loyal customers: Brand loyalty is always important and with the food delivery mobile app, you can always have repeat business. If you treat each customer by providing them personalized experience they are sure to take visit of your mobile app again and again. Encouraging customer to comment, share and refer by providing some reward points enables the higher reach and strong visibility of your brand. Having an easy way to pre-order, pay and collect goes a long way of building long-term relationship. Providing push notifications regarding offer like 30% very on Tuesday for dinner encourages to use your food ordering mobile app repetitively which ultimately creates the pillar of loyal customers.

Do you think you can attract customers like that ever, through phone calls? Of course Not!!!

what-characterizes-on-demand-delivery

Example: Skip The Dishes connects foodaholics with restaurants and local Food Couriers through proprietary algorithm-based dispatch system. With this app, restaurants receive orders electronically via mobile or tablet application, provide an estimated completion time and algorithmically-manages restaurant delivery fleet. This delivery system enables real-time monitoring and management of the customer order, delivery status and ultimately provides customer satisfaction. This service provide them an opportunity to partner with the good restaurants for ordering, and more rapidly advance its business volumes by being able to focus on delivery  both from an online ordering portal, and also orders directly from the mobile app.

Conclusion

Food ordering apps are gaining momentum in recent times and if you have not yet integrated your business with the Food Delivery App, it’s time to do so…

Any ideas whirling in your mind or looking to develop the next mobile app with us? Connect with us today! We will make your idea into reality…

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