You may have already noticed that services such as mobile app development are gaining popularity these days. To notice it, you do not need to conduct a social survey or track the number of new apps that are being added to the stores every day. Just pay attention to what is happening around you. Our favorite stores, cafes, and cinemas are asking us to download their apps. Right?
But what are the reasons for it? Do mobile apps really play a significant role in a company’s way to success? And if you do not own a store, cafe, or cinema, should you still consider launching an app 🧐?
We will disclose the answers to all of these questions in our article.
But, as usual, let’s start with the definition of the term “mobile app development.” What does it mean?
To put it as simply as possible,
Mobile app development is the process of building an app that is intended to run on a mobile device.
The process of mobile development includes building installable software bundles (code, binaries, assets, etc.) and integrating back-end services, as well as testing the app on the devices that it is intended for.
Reading this text, you will learn more about the peculiarities of this act, its stages, and its aims. But the main goal that we have now in this article is to show you what new opportunities apps can provide to businesses.
So fasten your seatbelt; let’s start.
Quick reminder: What is a mobile app?
You probably already know what a mobile app is, but why not refresh your memory?
Being a software application designed to run on a mobile device, such an application offers you a new way to build and support interaction with your target audience. A mobile app may help you facilitate and streamline a number of processes for you and your clients.
As a result, it may greatly enhance client loyalty and satisfaction, which will lead to growing revenue. Isn’t that what you want? If you feel like finding out more details about apps, we recommend that you read our article 👈.
Mobile app development platforms
The majority of mobile devices today function on operating systems such as Android (its market share is approximately 77%) and iOS (it has a market share of 22%).
The demand for apps made for these platforms is explained by the wide usage of the devices that work with these operating systems.
The main difference between Android and iOS is that the first one is open while the second one is not. There are a wide variety of devices that are produced by numerous manufacturers that function on Android. At the same time, iOS only powers devices that are produced by Apple.
Android is based on the Linux kernel. The source code for it is provided by Google. There are also some native tools for Android development offered by Google, but it is not obligatory to use them.
iOS is based on Darwin and OS X. Apple also offers some libraries and native tools for iOS app development. Though the usage of these tools is not a requirement (as is the case with Android), to write an iOS app, a developer should use a Macbook which runs OS X.
Moreover, today there are options that may help you cut down your expenses on native app development.
For example, instead of developing multiple apps for each platform, it is possible to create a single cross-platform app that will be suitable for several platforms at once.
There is also an option to build a progressive web app (PWA) that can be run on any mobile device regardless of its operating system.
Still have some doubts about which app would be the most suitable for you? At Omertex, we can build you an app of any type, and we are ready to help you make the right choice between the available options.
What is a mobile app developer?
But who is responsible for app development? Professionals who specialize in building apps for mobile platforms are called mobile app developers. At our company, we have a team of such professionals, and we are extremely proud of their skills and expertise. You can also see how cool they are if you order an app 🙂.
Depending on the type of mobile tools and programming languages that these specialists use, there is a more precise classification. There are Android mobile app developers, iOS mobile app developers, etc.
The responsibilities of such specialists may include not only coding apps, but also testing them and fixing bugs before and after product launch. To create apps that fully meet clients’ expectations, mobile app developers work alongside data scientists, designers, and other software experts.
Mobile application development languages
But how do our developers build our amazing apps? Today there is a number of programming languages and frameworks that allow developers to deliver top-notch mobile solutions.
At Omertex, we use the following programming languages:
- Swift is one of the youngest languages that is used for creating mobile apps. It is an open-source language that is extremely popular in iOS app development. The usage of Swift doesn’t presuppose writing a great number of code lines, which makes the entire process faster.
- Java is mostly used in Android app development. This language has open-source libraries and can ensure cross-platform compatibility. Thanks to the support of APIs, it provides simple integration.
- Just like Java, Kotlin is a popular choice for building apps for Android. However, it is used to create solutions for other platforms as well. The code written in this language can run in a Java virtual machine and is fully equipped with Java code. This code is said to be easily maintainable and very reliable.
For building cross-platform solutions, our developers apply the following open-source frameworks:
- React Native can offer a vast library of ready-made UI components. Using these components, it is possible to significantly reduce the time needed to build an app.
- Xamarin enjoys high popularity as it can ensure the native-like performance of cross-platform apps. This framework relies on the C programming language which facilitates its performance on iOS and Android OS simultaneously.
- Flutter is the newest framework on this list. This framework represents itself with an entire development ecosystem of APIs, widgets, and a number of various tools. At the same time, it is highly customizable.
Mobile app development process
However, building an app is not a quick and easy task. Please note this fact if you are thinking about ordering an app. And, of course, choose your development company carefully. Having the right team to work on your app is 50% of success ✨.
A standard process of mobile app development looks the following way:
- Idea. Everything starts with an idea. So the elaboration of the concept is the first step. For developers, it’s necessary to come to a clear understanding of what you expect to get from them and what tasks are to be fulfilled by your app.
- Research. Using the gathered requirements, it is necessary to conduct full research of the current situation on the market. It is vital to find out what features your app should have to fit your target audience.
- Prototyping. This stage includes an analysis of how your app will look, what content should be presented, and in what way it should be done.
- Designing and development. It presupposes architecture design and UI and UX design, as well as coding.
- Testing and Quality Assurance. It’s extremely important to find all bugs in a timely manner and to fix them before release. That’s why we always pay special attention to this stage.
- Release and further maintenance. Even after the app is released, it may be necessary to introduce regular updates or changes based on the feedback from users. That’s why it is always a good idea to have professional mobile app developers at your disposal even when your app is launched. At our company, we can offer you services such as post-launch app maintenance.
The process consists of a row of stages and requires a number of specialists to get involved. However, we really like what we do and enjoy it. Moreover, if you wish, you can stay tuned during all of the stages and control the process.
Now you know how everything is organized, but are you inspired to order a mobile app? If not, just keep on reading 📚.
What will you get when you order mobile app development?
To help you make a decision, we have prepared a short questionnaire:
- Do you want to have an additional way to communicate with clients? Order an app, as mobile apps offer a new channel for you to build direct interaction with your target audience. Using push notifications and regularly updating your app, you can easily report all necessary information to your clients.
- Do you want to reach a wider audience? Order an app, as according to Statista.com, there are nearly 3.2 smartphone users at the moment, which is over 42% of the world’s population. Launching a mobile app is a great way to reach a wide audience.
- Do you want to react quickly to your clients’ requests? Order an app, as with it, you can immediately receive your customers’ feedback and react as quickly as possible to all their requests.
- Do you want to achieve increased customer loyalty? If you offer a useful app for your clients, it will ensure the growth of customer loyalty and help you build a positive reputation for your brand.
- Do you want to get a new competitive advantage? Order an app. Though the popularity of apps is growing, not all companies (especially small businesses) have them at the moment. So introducing an app shows your customers that you are ready for innovation It also proves that you are interested in offering them new options and channels of communication.
- Do you want to facilitate a number of processes? We are sure that you know the answer already 😉. A mobile app is a great way to make many processes easier. Without an app, a client needs to turn to a phone or a website to order pizza. Now it is possible to make an order via an app and even to pay for the pizza in the same app.
If you answered positively to at least one of the above questions, it’s already worth thinking about ordering an app. Maybe the next mobile app that we build will be the app for you?
Summary
As you can see, nowadays a mobile app can be viewed not only as a channel of communication with your clients, but also as a powerful promotional tool. Moreover, it may greatly help a company organize a number of processes in a more efficient way.
If you have a business and are interested in building reliable relations with your customers, the creation of a mobile app can be a good solution. The advanced technologies that exist today can ensure an amazingly wide functionality of apps that, as a result, can fulfill a lot of tasks simultaneously.
It doesn’t matter whether you already have a clear understanding of what app you want to get or if you just have some ideas, we are ready to help you.
And by the way, if you are a cool developer who has a lot of fresh ideas, we invite you to contact us as well. Talents are always welcome 🙌.