Month: October 2017

Categories
Mobile Apps

The Difference Between Native Apps and Hybrid Apps

Melbourne, Australia - May 23, 2016: Close-up view of Google Play Store on Android smartphone and Apple's App Store on iPhone. Both stores allow users to download app, music, movies and TV shows.

Over the last few years, many businesses have made the commitment to mobile. They understand the power of having a mobile app, and how it can grow their brand, reach consumers, and capture more revenue. There is more than one approach to mobile, and one of the first strategic decisions you’ll have to make is: Native or Hybrid.

Here’s a quick rundown on both native apps and hybrid apps

Native apps are developed specifically for a given mobile operating system (OS). This type of app follows the technical and user experience (UX) guidelines of that particular OS. The reason for this is so that the code runs more efficiently and that each function of the app will work smoothly with the device’s internal tools such as the camera, microphone, compass, accelerometer, gestures, etc. This allows for faster performance and an app that “feels right” to the end user based on their experience of and knowledge of the Android or Apple operating system. Since all native apps must follow the same guidelines, each one will have a look and feel that’s consistent with other native apps on the device. This means it will take less time for users to familiarize themselves with your app.
Hybrid apps are essentially driven by a company’s website. This kind of app loads most of the information on the screen as the user navigates their way through the app versus a native app that downloads most of the content when the user initially installs the app. Since one app can be released across multiple operating systems, hybrid apps are typically easier to develop. This makes life easier for the developer since they only have to maintain one version of the source code. What this also means is that getting the app into each app store takes less time and effort because there are fewer requirements to meet. Furthermore, updating a hybrid app is much simpler for the user. Instead of updating the app through the respective app store, the user will see updates within the app as they navigate through it – unless a new feature that dramatically changes the user experience is added.

Which route should your business take?

There is no wrong choice when it comes to deciding which route to take for your mobile app. However, there is a better choice and that choice is native apps. Overall, native apps perform better than hybrid apps, offer the highest security possible, and present a better experience for the end user. The user experience is probably the most important difference. In fact, according to Dynatrace, almost half of consumers are less likely to use the mobile app again due to a poor experience – and 34% would switch to a competitor’s mobile app. Click here to learn more about the importance of mobile UX.
 
Source: Dynatrace Mobile App Survey Report
Check out a few of the native apps that we’ve developed here. To learn more about how mobile apps can benefit your business, reach out to us at 248-353-9030 or marketing@jacapps.com we love talking mobile!

Categories
Mobile Apps

4 Essentials Needed to Build You a Great Mobile App

Mobile App Development, Experienced Team. Flat 3d isometric. Vector illustrations. EPS10 and JPG are available

The appeal of having a mobile app for your business is obvious. Just ask any smartphone user what some of their favorite apps are and they will have a a few favorites on the top of their head. Now if you were to ask them their favorite mobile website, you’ll most likely hear crickets chirping. It’s no secret why having an app can help grow your business so we wanted to provide you with a list of essentials needed before an app can go into production for your business.

Here are 4 things you need before we can build your brand the next great app.

  1. Apple Developer Account

One of the first things you’ll need to secure is a developer account from Apple. This account costs $99 USD per year and there is also an enterprise version which costs $299 USD annually. Users can post questions and share their thoughts with fellow developers and Apple engineers, submit bug reports and request enhancements, as well as receive personalized help by contacting Apple directly.
To set one up, and for more information, visit developer.apple.com.

  1. UDIDs (iPhone only)

A Unique Device Identifier, or UDID, is a sequence of 40 numbers and letters specific to each device. To find out what your UDID is, visit whatsmyudid.com (using Safari on your iPhone) then follow the prompts.
Here’s an example of what a UDID looks like: 2b6f0cc904d137be2e1730235f5664094b831186

  1. Images and artwork

To get started, we’ll need images and artwork specific to both iOS and Android devices, along with ones that can be used for both. For iOS, we’ll need one for the App Store listing along with one for an icon image (what appears on the user’s screen next to their other apps). For Android, we ask for a store listing image as well as a feature graphic. A header image is required for both iOS and Android. Sizes and examples can be viewed in the image below.
mobile app

  1. Feed and Stream Links

Your news and social media feeds are not only essential to keeping your audience engaged. They’re necessary for us to get started as well. This includes your RSS and/or XML feed(s). If you’re unsure how to provide us with these feeds, we are more than happy to help guide you through the process to get exactly what we are looking for.
OPTIONAL: Google Developer Account
Upon registration, there is a one-time fee of $25 USD. With this account, users can access development tools, manage their store presence, track app performance from their Android device, and receive help with publishing, security, and much more. Additional information can be found here.
Note: If you choose not to set up your own Google Developer Account we will build the app in our own account.
To sign up, visit Google Play then follow the prompts.
To learn more about how mobile apps can benefit your business, reach out to us at 248-353-9030 or marketing@jacapps.com we love talking mobile!

Categories
Mobile Apps

3 Reasons Why Small Businesses Should Have a Mobile App

A few years ago, building a mobile app was a challenge for most small businesses. The high costs involved and commitment of a mobile development team deterred many small businesses from creating an app for their brand. But with new technologies, and the massive popularity of mobile apps, creating an app is now easier and more convenient than ever before.
Small businesses should take advantage of this lucrative space. Here are some reasons why:

  1. Apps help increase sales
    Loyalty programs can be used to reward frequent shoppers, or help turn a seldom shopper into a frequent shopper. Doing this through an app eliminates the need to print out loyalty cards or worry about tracking transactions; everything is done conveniently through the user’s mobile device, saving your business time, effort, and money. Furthermore, if you know what products your customers enjoy, push notifications can help you increase revenue too. Sending them offers about products they’re interested in during off-peak hours will help your business add to its bottom line.
  2. Apps can help improve customer experience
    Through apps, you can offer consumers coupons and send announcements directly to their smartphone (or any other mobile device) which creates a more convenient way for them to browse, compare, and order your products/services. It can also provide post-sales support and information. Data that can be collected using apps provides insights into how customers interact with your brand. Small businesses can use this information to their advantage and personalize a great in-app experience tailored for each individual customer.
  3. Apps can help maintain a competitive advantage
    People prefer apps over mobile websites. In fact, 87% of all time spent on mobile devices is spent using apps. Even further, comScore reports that among the top 1,000 apps and mobile websites, apps have an audience that’s 2.5 times as big and growing twice as fast*. If you can effectively, and consistently, promote your business’s app and remain one of the 27 apps that smartphone owners use per month, it won’t be hard to maintain a competitive advantage within your industry.

To learn more about how mobile apps can help your small business grow, reach out to us at 248-353-9030 or marketing@jacapps.com.
 
*comScore 2015 U.S. Mobile App Report

Categories
B2B Apps Mobile Apps

How B2B Apps Can Help Your Business

Portrait of young woman sitting at her desk with laptop and adhesive notes using mobile phone. Asian businesswoman working in modern office.

Email has long been the main communication tool for business owners who are constantly on the go. However, mobile apps are becoming powerful tools for accomplishing detailed tasks while out of the office. And increasingly, apps make sense for businesses that never sell directly to consumers, but instead are focused on other businesses.
Compared to B2C (business-to-consumer) apps, target audiences for B2B (business-to-business) apps are easier to identify. These apps are typically created to solve a specific problem such as providing potential customers, or sales reps, detailed product information. By doing this in a mobile app, not only can the business provide easily accessed product details, they can easily update those details without having to replace reams of printed product brochures.
And B2B mobile apps are always connected and ready for business. Sales reps never have outdated information, and never “run out” of materials. Since most professionals have their own smart device that they carry with them wherever they go, mobile apps are just the right tool to accommodate this work-style. Messages can be sent, notifications/alerts can be viewed, and most importantly, orders can be placed any time of the day from any location more easily than with a traditional PC or laptop.
Here’s a good example of how a B2B app can help, the owner of a construction company is knee-deep in mud when he realizes he forgot to order the bricks required for an upcoming project. Rather than trek back and forth through the mud to log into his computer to make the order, he can instead pull his smartphone out of his pocket and order the supplies right then and there using a mobile app. It’s a win-win situation for both businesses (the construction company and the brick supplier) and the customer gets what they want as well!
Click here to set up a conversation with us about your mobile B2B strategy! You can also give us a call at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.