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5 main metrics to control the quality of a mobile application
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Andrew Douglas

“What can be measured can be improved,” said Peter Drucker, the father of modern management theory. But what exactly does a startup measure in its product? How do you differentiate actionable, fact-based mobile app launch metrics from “vanity metrics” that can only flatter a developer’s vanity?

And most importantly – why?

The answer is simple: then, to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your product. You will never correct the latter if you collect erroneous data or process correct data in the wrong way. In order not to ruin your startup at the very beginning, we recommend tracking 5 key performance indicators of a mobile application from our article. But before moving on to them, we recall that any company needs to first of all monitor financial metrics, including:

  • Fixed and variable costs;
  • Cash balance;
  • Capital burnout rate;
  • Break even;
  • Cash flow;
  • Profit.

1. Average income from one user and the total profit from cooperation with him

Total profit per client – one of the main indicators of the success of your chosen business model. When applied to mobile development, it speaks about the financial value of your company, showing how much each user contributes to it throughout the entire time of interaction with the application. Josia Humphrey of Appster proposes to predict the total revenue per user by multiplying the annual cost of services (for example, an app subscription) by the number of years that you think the user will stay with you. For example, if, on average, your client spends 1,200 rubles a year and uses the application for 5 years, then the total profit from it will be 6,000 rubles.

Young people define the concept of a new beautiful mobile app

In the case of startups, this formula may not work due to the lack of sufficient data. Therefore, instead of your own statistics, you can use the statistics of the closest competitors in order to understand which indicator you need to strive for. In any case, entrepreneurs agree that in order to ensure the company’s profitability, the total profit per user must exceed the cost of attracting it at least three times.

Average revenue per user (ARPU) Is a metric related to the purchasing behavior of your audience. It is needed to analyze the source of the company’s income. Including, its changes from each new installation of a mobile application or a purchase made in it. From this metric, investors draw conclusions about the potential profitability of the project, and developers – about its shortcomings. Overall, increasing both metrics along with expanding your user base is in your best interest.

2. The cost of installing the application and the cost of a loyal user

Installation cost (CPI) Is the amount you spend to get one person to install your mobile application. You advertise in various media to increase installs and pay a fixed or floating rate to install the app. Organic installs are not included in this metric.

The install cost is calculated as the ratio of the advertising campaign budget to the total number of app installs. For example, if you spent 300,000 rubles on advertising and got 1,500 installs, then the cost of one will be 200 rubles. Loyal User Cost (CPLU) Is the amount you spend to get a “loyal” or “active” user who has logged into the application more than three times.

The student installs a mobile application during an interesting lecture

This metric shows how much you should spend in order to reach an audience that actually uses your app after installation. In conjunction with the average income per user, it will help you calculate:

  1. Return on Investment Ratio (ROI) – the ratio of funds earned to invested funds;
  2. The break-even point is the number of mobile app installations at which the sum of the company’s fixed and variable costs is equal to its income. When it exceeds costs, you start making a profit.

Fiksu DSP statistics at the moment are as follows:

  • The average cost of a loyal user in the mobile app market is $ 2.51;
  • Average cost to install an iOS app – $ 1.88
  • The average cost to install an Android app is $ 2.42.

3. Audience retention

Today, more than 6 million mobile applications are available in the Google Play and App Store. However, users spend almost 85% of their time on smartphones on just 5 of them. And the likelihood that your application will be removed after 72 hours of use and never installed again is 4 out of 5. This means that people are content with a small set of favorite applications and are not inclined to expand it. Obviously, in such conditions, audience retention is becoming a serious problem, especially for mobile startups. Apptentive estimates that only 4% of iOS and Android users have been using the same mobile app for over a year. Josia Humphrey of Appster believes that “the moment you get a new user, you should do your best to ensure that they stay with you as long as possible.”

Man makes a fateful decision

Inc.com and Molly Galetto define the term “audience retention“As” the company’s ability to build and maintain long-term relationships with as many customers as possible. ” But why keep users on a mobile app? Alex Waltz is sure that knowledge of this indicator is an excellent indicator of the success of the application and the number of its real users. Based on this data, you can improve your marketing strategy and make the promotion of the application more targeted, as well as calculate the total profit from cooperation with each client and the total income of the company.

4. Audience engagement

Involvement – not an empirical indicator. It can be assessed by tracking and collecting various data:

  • the duration of the session;
  • preferred ways to interact with the application;
  • the number of transitions to the application via push notifications;
  • the total number of screens viewed per session.
The story of turning off notifications during a meeting

Engagement is important because it speaks to the quality of a mobile app, complementing quantitative assessments. Active users not only increase audience retention and total profit, but also contribute to the viral spread of the application through social networks. Therefore, the largest mobile apps like Facebook have a very high engagement rate.

We discussed the issue of engagement in more detail in an article on this topic.

5. Consumer loyalty index

Consumer Loyalty Index (NPS) Is one of the most effective indicators of user satisfaction and mobile app virality. It can be measured by asking the audience the following question: “On a scale of 0-10, what is the likelihood that you will recommend our app to friends, colleagues and family members?” If you want to know the reasons for this or that attitude towards your product – ask one more question, but no more.

Very loyal mobile app user

An article about the features of creating applications for android help to develop a product that satisfies users as much as possible applications on this OC…

Based on the answer, Netpromoter.com categorizes users as follows:

  • “Distributors” – put 9 or 10 points, ready to make purchases in your application and support it in every possible way.
  • “Passive consumers” – they give 7-8 points, they are satisfied with the work of the application, but they may well go to your competitors.
  • “Critics” – put below 6 points, are not satisfied with the application and can ruin the reputation of your brand, leaving negative reviews on the Internet and in life.

The final consumer loyalty index is calculated as the difference between the number of “critics” and the number of “distributors”.

Whatever the outcome, it will give you an idea of ​​the audience’s impression of your app and help you:

  • understand if your product meets market demands;
  • measure the value and viral potential of the application;
  • evaluate whether users want to share your application with other people, making them your potential customers.

On the site, you can leave a request for the development of mobile applications in Moscow and Russia (if you are from another country – also write), and in the blog you can find out about the prices of developing an application for android and ios.

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Application development timeline
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Andrew Douglas

About 1 million applications are published in stores every year. In 2017, the number of app downloads was 197 billion, with a forecast of 352 billion by 2021. This whole celebration of life will generate about two hundred billion dollars in revenue according to the same forecast. All these big and beautiful numbers only mean that a lot of applications are being developed, and more will be developed.

World experience in development gives a certain understanding of various aspects of creating mobile applications, including the main ones: cost and development time. In this article, we consider the issue of timing: how long does it take to develop a mobile application?

Research

Kinvey surveyed 100 UI / UX professionals in mobile app development with a single question: “How long do you think it will take to create an MVP (first working prototype) of a mobile app?”

The average of all responses was 18 weeks
(about 4.5 months)

This estimate implies costs of approximately 10 weeks for the backend and 8 weeks for the frontend…

Kinvey also made this beautiful infographic:

Mobile app development timeline infographics

Estimated stages include:

  1. Storage design
  2. Thinking about caching
  3. Data Synchronization Issues
  4. Prototyping
  5. UI / UX design, development
  6. UI / UX design polishing on a prototype
  7. User account management
  8. Server logic
  9. Integration with external services
  10. Implementation of push notifications, onboarding
  11. Version compatibility support

During the same time, it is possible to assemble 1.3 Boeing 777s and launch the Apollo mission to the Moon 40 times.

The second study was conducted in 2017 by GoodFirms. They approached the matter more thoroughly, interviewing various experts in the industry to estimate the time and cost of developing specific examples of mobile applications (Instagram, Tinder, Uber, etc.). The results are as follows:

1. Complex applications like Instagram or Uber, which include large functionality, are estimated by the development time 4.5 to 5.5 months…

2. Development of an application for iphone and other smartphones, medium in complexity (WhatsApp) require about 4.5 months working time of the team.

3. High-quality applications with little functionality will require from 3.8 to 4.1 months…

The average estimates of the cost (in million rubles, two platforms: iOS and Android, the server side) and the terms of application development were as follows:

Evaluating mobile app development by budget and timeline

A total of 55 mobile application development companies from 15 countries were surveyed. At the same time, the scatter of estimates turned out to be quite large:

Evaluation of the development of a mobile application in terms of time and cost

Some companies estimated the volume of work to be no more than a month, some – no less than eight. Someone gave an estimate of 300 million rubles, someone – at 13 million.

results

Based on the combined results of both studies the average development time for a mobile application is 4-5 months… We are talking about a full cycle: from thinking through an idea to launching, which includes many stages.

If you are planning to create an android application from scratch or develop a relatively small iOS application, expect a period of 3 to 4 months. Complex application – about 6.

At AppCraft MVP studio is done quickly: we understand that in 4-6 months the state of the market and the needs of customers can change significantly. Therefore, preference is given to the ability to test the product as quickly as possible on real users instead of implementing additional functionality.

On our website you can fill out an application for the development of a mobile application to order, and in the blog you can read about the cost of developing a mobile application.

Subscribe to our Telegram channel: every day we publish interesting materials about creating a business and developing mobile applications.

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Next article

5 main metrics to control the quality of a mobile application

What should a mobile startup measure? How do you differentiate actionable, evidence-based mobile app metrics from “vanity metrics” that can only please a developer?

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Business Application Development
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Andrew Douglas

Content

  1. Do you need a mobile application
  2. How we help you find the optimal solution
  3. How to work further

If you have a desire to competently develop your business, then the development of a mobile application should be treated as a tool for achieving specific goals. Attracting an additional audience, increasing the loyalty of an existing one, creating a platform for selling additional services – there can be many tasks. But first of all, it is important to understand whether a mobile application is the best way to achieve your goal.

Every entrepreneur is an expert in his field and knows better than others how to create his own goods and services and sell them. We know the strengths and weaknesses of IT products. Establish a dialogue at the initial stage for a comprehensive analysis of the proposed product – our initial joint task.

Do you need a mobile app?

Creating a mobile app is an expensive and slow process. We analyzed this issue in detail in the article on development cost – usually worth it from 500 thousand to 1 million rubles and takes 2-3 months busy working hours.

There are always several options for solving the problem.

As a consequence, you need to make sure that the means to achieve the goal is chosen correctly. You can develop a mobile version of the site, you can create a chat bot, you can solve a problem through social networks or integrate into existing products. It will be both cheaper and faster, and the payback period, accordingly, is significantly shorter.

So that we can offer different options, describe in detail their positive and negative sides, we need to understand the specifics of your business and the details of the hypothesis that led you to the idea of ​​developing a mobile application. Most likely, we have already come across similar solutions or some of their elements, and our experience can help to shorten the path.

How we help you find the optimal solution

The typical sequence of cooperation is as follows:

  1. We dive into specifics your work and the task at hand.
  2. Analyzing the market and offer several options for solving the problem with different costs, a description of their strengths and weaknesses.
  3. Together choose the optimal path, we draw up a technical task.
  4. Together think over the design, testing prototypes on target audience groups.
  5. We develop a mobile application short sprints – iterations that allow tracking the quality and speed of passing the stages.
  6. We integrate the necessary tools into the product: analytical and accounting systems, split testing services, quality control and customer support services. We have experience in integrating with 1C systems, Bitrix, R-Keeper, Iiko, various payment solutions and banks.
  7. Together launching the mobile application…
  8. We regularly generate analytical reports about the current state of the key indicators of the product.

If you already have a detailed technical specification and a clear understanding of the strategy after the conducted and deliberate testing, we will move in the already developed direction.

If, nevertheless, there are doubts at some stages, it is always better to weigh the available arguments of different positions and move forward in a more balanced way.

How to work further

Every product we develop is covered by performance guarantee: if an error suddenly occurs, the built-in monitoring systems will recognize it and we will correct it as a matter of priority.

AppCraft warranty support and maintenance
This is how we help products develop

In addition, we can conclude an SLA agreement on technical support, under which we will help in solving more complex product problems and provide technical support for the product. For example, the load on the server may be too large and it needs to be expanded, it is necessary to replace certificates for the payment system to work, etc.

We can also periodically generate a statistical report based on the collected data of analytical systems and send our recommendations for further actions, if necessary.

Our main task is jointly make a workable and effective productwho is able to achieve the set goal. We discuss different forms of cooperation and support for each product, they always have their own specifics, but always the same task.

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Main programming languages ​​for mobile app development

Knowing the languages ​​for creating mobile applications is useful not only for developers, but also for customers who want to better understand the project processes and know which language to choose for their application. In this article, we will talk about the main programming languages ​​for iOS and Android mobile development.

Read more

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Development of mobile applications for iOS
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Andrew Douglas

According to the App Annie platform, iOS app users spend almost twice as much on the Apple App Store as Android users on the Google Play Store – in the last quarter of 2020, the Apple App Store earned $ 19 billion, and Google Play $ 10.3 billion. …

Apple owners are more solvent, which means that an application on IOS can bring more profit. If you want to attract new customers and make the buying process more convenient, the AppCraft team will develop a product from scratch that will take your business to the next level.

Development of a turnkey IOS mobile application – from 600 thousand rubles to several million rubles.

Who needs IOS app development?

Big business

It systematizes the work of all structures within the company and branches, automates interaction with customers and helps to quickly receive feedback, analyze the effectiveness of employees and eliminate costs.

Online stores

The application will attract buyers and increase the number of repeat sales, allow you to set up individual Push notifications for each user and create an effective loyalty system. The application can be integrated with CRM, enterprise management and accounting systems.

Startups

It will help you quickly attract the target audience and get the first profit, bypass competitors with the help of modern technologies and present your product to potential investors.

Why do you need to develop an application?

  • App Store users download more paid apps than Google Play, so a product with a paid download or in-software purchase will be a profitable investment in your project.
  • The target audience of IOS applications is people with above-average income who are actively buying new solutions on the market.
  • IOS applications allow you to implement a large number of useful functions for different requests.
  • Fast product development time: Apple devices are unified and have fewer versions than Android, so they take less time to build.

Appcraft studio has been developing applications for companies for more than 9 years, their further support and promotion in the App Store. We have assembled an experienced team of developers and marketers who will take into account the specifics of your business and make it convenient for your audience. We are based in Moscow and work with companies throughout Russia.

Order the development of a mobile application for IOS to increase the profit of your business.

Specificity of mobile applications on iOS

The first and main distinguishing feature of ios applications is that the number of devices is much smaller than the number of Android smartphones. This means that it should be easier to adapt the appearance of a mobile application to the current iPhones on the market.

At the same time, with the release of each new device and the update of the operating system, the vast majority of mobile applications need to be adapted to new conditions. App Store statistics show that iPhone users are eager to update to the latest version of the OS. Therefore, applications must comply with its requirements, for example, support the dark theme introduced in devices in 2019.

The diagrams below show that in one month since the presentation of iOS 13, 50% of users have updated to it… This looks especially interesting in comparison with the statistics that we provide in the article on development for Android.

Operating system update statistics on iOS devices as of October 15, 2019

At the same time, the screens of modern iOS devices have a good resolution. This allows the use of thin fonts: they are not distorted, as is the case on low quality displays.

Also, the device architecture of the same type allows not to carry out additional checks at the start of the application: there is no need to check the presence of a camera, GPS sensor or accelerometer.

Features of development and creation of applications for IOS (iphone)

And yet, despite the fact that the base of devices on the iOS platform is much smaller than on Android, there are a lot of nuances of creating and developing applications for the iphone. Design, up-to-date code, and the use of smartphone features in the creation and development of applications for the iphone can greatly increase user loyalty, which will lead to an increase in the rating of the application in the store. But first things first:

When developing applications for ios, it is necessary to take into account not only screen sizes, which is important when designing an application, but also hardware differences of each device…

In our studio, applications are developed in a native way – this is writing a program in the base language for the iOS platform – Swift. Apple strongly recommends using native technologies for the fastest, most intuitive app and the latest operating system features.

Let’s return to the diagrams with update statistics: it turns out that when a new version of the operating system is released, most users are almost immediately updated to it. But the new version may be very different from the previous one, and some functions of the application may not work correctly or not work at all.

Respectively the code needs to be kept up to date, while Apple does not provide a complete list of all the innovations in advance, giving access only to beta versions with unfinished functionality, the implementation of which may differ in the end. Therefore, within a few weeks after the release of the final version of the new OS, you need to test the mobile application and quickly adapt it to the new conditions, if necessary.

Dark Theme Presentation at 2019 Apple WWDC

The addition of new features in the latest versions can be attributed to the same topic, since progress does not stand still, and Apple tries to be in trend, introducing the top inventions of the technology world into its product. For example, in iOS 13, it became possible to forget about entering different applications by phone number or social network account, not to mention the long-forgotten username and password: now you can simply click the “sign in with Apple ID” button and, without filling out anything extra, get into the application. Moreover, the user can choose the option to hide his Apple ID, and no one will get access to his e-mail.

It is important to take this nuance into account not only when developing applications for ios, but also in a marketing strategy, since collecting such data for their further use is a frequent practice in promoting applications. You can send a letter to the pseudo-address generated by Apple for the user through a specialized channel, but mass mailings will not work this way, at least until popular mailing services provide this feature.

Another block of features of developing ios applications from scratch is design… The visual component has always been a priority for Apple, so the audience of users is used to stylish interfaces, intuitive application controls and an obvious layout of sections. Moreover, there is a strict guideline, which must be adhered to in order to successfully pass the verification for publishing an application in the App Store.

Sometimes, when creating a new product, customers ask us to make as many unique icons, buttons and fonts as possible, while the platform requirements are the opposite. But the most important thing here is user experience, and practice shows that the user can get to the profile faster if he is uniquely identified by the icon.

What icons shouldn’t be used in the iOS interface

Another feature of the development of mobile applications for iOS is the implementation of the dynamic size of the system font. IOS device users can change the OS-wide default font size. If your application does not dynamically change the font and displays it at a fixed size all the time, it will be perceived as a low-quality product for this segment of the audience.

When developing a design, it is also important to consider that some users open the application in the mode tablet compatibility… On some iPad models, the resolution of the work area becomes the same as on older iPhone models: 4 and 4s. Apple’s App Review Service often does just that: even iPhone-only apps are checked on the iPad.

This means that you need to consider the layout of the interface of applications and on screen sizes of 960 × 640 pixels, not just on the iPhone 6 and above. Many elements may overlap each other, text will not wrap correctly, etc.

Apple’s App Store Publishing Policy

After you have developed the application yourself or ordered the development of an ios application, the moment of publication comes. The App Store has stringent requirements that must be followed when publishing an app. It is important not only to comply with all style guides when developing a design, but also to ensure the confidentiality of the user’s personal data, the stability of the application during operation and, most importantly, its usefulness.

One of the reasons for the refusal to publish may be that the reviewer considers the application useless, or not useful enough against the background of many similar applications in the App Store. In this case, the functionality of the application should be revised, adding to it, among other things, elements affecting the innovations of the operating system. Such applications are readily passed on, encouraging developers to continue to support the latest OS features.

It is worth noting a number of formal points that are very important to take into account when creating a mobile application for iOS:

  1. To place a product in the App Store, you need to register as a developer, pay a fee of $ 99 per year and correctly fill in all the data about yourself. If you plan to release a product as a legal entity, the registration procedure will take longer, and you need to lay down on this process from a week to a month. Therefore, we advise you to create a developer account as soon as development has started – this will help to place it in the store without unnecessary delays by the time the application is ready for launch.
    •
  2. It is necessary to prepare materials for the application page: screenshots of a strictly specified format and size (even 1 extra pixel plays a role and pictures will not be accepted), advertising and general description of the application, keywords, privacy policy (write and place the file so that it is accessible by link). And you also need to provide for an easy entrance to the application for verifiers, since if it is necessary to register with a phone number with SMS confirmation, they will not be able to get inside and check the application, and they will immediately reject it. Usually we generate a given phone number and a code by which you can enter the application, bypassing the receipt of SMS.
    •
  3. The application itself can be validated from one day to a week. In exceptional cases, this period may be longer, but, as a rule, the application is verified within a few days. This is also worth considering when planning a marketing campaign – it is worth leaving a margin between the day of sending for verification and the start of advertising at least a few days.

Apple’s requirements are not limited to the side, for example, placing the button “Download on the App Store” on your landing page is also regulated by the rules, so it will not be possible to paint it in the colors of the product.

Although there are many rules and conditions for placement, you just need to act according to a verified plan and follow the recommendations, then the risk of encountering problems will be reduced to a minimum.

conclusions

When developing ios applications from scratch, it is important to consider the following features:

  1. The device park is relatively small and they have the same architecture – this is good.
    •
  2. At the same time you need to ensure comfortable work with the interface and on small screens, in compatibility mode with which applications open on tablets.
    •
  3. Devices are updated to the latest version of the operating system quickly – this is wonderful.
    •
  4. All current devices use high-resolution Retina display… You can use thin fonts and elements, and not be afraid of their incorrect color or outline display.
    •
  5. When designing an interface must follow Apple Human Interface Guidelines…
    •
  6. When publishing an app all requirements of the App Store Review Guidelines must be considered, there are many of them and they are very diverse.
    •
  7. You need to prepare for publication in advance: it may take 3-4 weeks to get the required DUNS number, check the documents and the application itself.

The list of requirements is quite extensive, in addition, for each type of application it expands into its own specifics, but following these development principles allows us to make really high-quality products. In our studio you can always order the development of ios applications in Moscow and Russia.

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Why you shouldn’t apply for a patent for a mobile app idea
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Andrew Douglas

Very often, aspiring entrepreneurs who come up with a business idea in the field of developing mobile applications, the first thing they think about is the need to get a patent for their invention as soon as possible. Such a desire is understandable, because there is a feeling that immediately after the start of work and the promulgation of the idea, anyone can bypass you at the turn, taking advantage of a new vision of the potential of the idea.

In this article, we will summarize the reasons for not patenting your idea.

What is a patent

A patent is a title of protection certifying the exclusive right, authorship and priority of an invention, utility model or industrial design. In the case of the development of a mobile application, which is software, it will not be possible to obtain a patent in Russia and Europe for the algorithmic part (the program itself): Article 52 of the European Patent Convention directly prohibits the patenting of computer programs.

Therefore, in the case of mobile applications, as a rule, it is not the product itself that is protected, but the general idea of ​​the service functioning, reflecting some novelty of the approach to solving a particular problem. It is also possible to patent the code, but only in some jurisdictions, for example, in the USA or South Korea.

It is long and expensive

Obtaining a patent for a mobile application takes up valuable time, which at the start of the product is better spent on testing a hypothesis about a working business model.

You not only need to find a patent attorney who can take on the job of describing and formalizing your idea, but also pay for his services, pay patent fees, a translator, and so on. You will spend at least 50-100 thousand rubles (if you do part of the work yourself) and at least 3-4 months if you do everything very quickly.

After that, you may receive a refusal to register from the patent office, because the description is not detailed enough, does not contain innovation, duplicates existing patents, etc. Only 56% of patents are registered, respectively 44% are rejected.

At the same time, according to statistics, 97% (!) Of patents generate profit less than the cost of their registration.

An article about developing mobile applications for ios…

You are patenting the wrong thing

Almost always, the desire to protect a business arises at the stage of the first idea. As soon as enough time has passed to think over the plan, the thought immediately arises of protecting another future enterprise. The desire is understandable, but the idea and its implementation are always different things.

Knowledge and experience

Paul Graham, one of the most famous entrepreneurs in IT and the founder of Y Combinator, says that in his experience, from 70 to 100% of projects have different key ideas at the start and after 3 months of operational work.

This is due to the fact that business is a solution to real problems. It develops and grows in synergy with the needs of people who:

a) you are completely unknown at the idea stage
b) change over time
c) they decide the way they want, not you.

As soon as you start launching an idea, with a probability of close to 100%, you will have to, if not completely change your idea, then significantly rework it. Why, in this case, patent at the very beginning something from which you yourself will later refuse?

The main thing is forgotten

And the main thing is the speed of testing hypotheses about working models, collecting feedback from potential customers and implementing MVP. Anyone who works in the same market and does it better will get ahead of you despite having a patent. Because, firstly, he understands the market better, and secondly, the more efficient model he discovered will probably not coincide with your patent.

By focusing on defending an idea, you immediately lag behind in the speed of its development and implementation.

An article about the development of android mobile applications.

A patent is not the only way to protect yourself

If a patent is an ineffective way to protect a business at the very beginning, this does not mean that no defensive measures should be taken at all. Due to their simplicity and low cost, you can use the following methods:

  1. Buy a domain with a product name. A good name has a strong effect, and when resolving any dispute, buying your domain earlier than a competitor’s trademark solves many issues.
  2. Create social media groups with the name of the project. As in the case of a domain, good names also have good search positions, and are well remembered and become inaccessible to competitors.
  3. Register your trademark. This is not fast in some jurisdictions (for example, in Russia), but in many countries it is carried out within a few days and at minimal cost.

Total

Patenting inventions is important and necessary, but it’s not at all the first thing to do when you’re starting a startup. Many companies only started to deal with intellectual property protection after they started generating profits.

At the very beginning, you should completely focus on the idea of ​​the product itself, its verification, thinking through virality and creating an MVP, while being in constant, as close contact with your future customers as possible.

You can find out more about the development of mobile applications on our website, and we have written a detailed article about the price of developing mobile applications.

Subscribe to our Telegram channel: every day we publish interesting materials about creating a business and developing mobile applications. More about mobile app development and

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Mobile app development technology: native or cross-platform development
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Andrew Douglas

What is native and cross-platform development

Native development (from English native – native) means the use of original languages ​​and tools for developing a mobile operating system.

Development of applications for ios takes place in the Xcode development environment in the Swift language (and earlier – in Objective-C).

When using the technology for developing mobile applications on the Android platform, the Android Studio environment and the Kotlin language are used (until 2018, the main language was Java).

An article on building android apps.

Each development environment contains a whole set of utilities for writing code, interface design, debugging, profiling (monitoring) and building applications. Both the environment and the corresponding set of utilities are created specifically for each mobile operating system, and are the most convenient and powerful tools for developing mobile applications.

Cross-platform mobile application development technology implies the use of special frameworks to create an application based on the JavaScript family of languages. All the structure and logic of the application is created using such tools (React Native, Flutter, Ionic, Xamarin, PhoneGap, etc.) in JavaScript, and then wrapped in a native trigger, i.e. integrates into base project for XCode or Android Studio. This allows you to create project assemblies with the same logic for several operating systems at once.

A simple analogy can be seen in the case of personal computers: MS Word, Skype, mail agents, calendars – these are natively developed applications for the desktop operating system. Everything that happens in the browser (websites, online text and graphics editors, social networks, chats, forums) is cross-platform technologies.

Xcode and Android Studio logos

Pros of native mobile app development technology

The development of a mobile application in native technologies and languages ​​for iOS and Android has the following positive aspects:

1. Application speed

Since the application is created using the original development tools (Xcode, Android Studio), the resulting compilation of the project code is optimal for this platform.

The application receives full hardware support for the device (the processing of the same images is carried out by a separate processor specially designed for this – the GPU), multithreading is used to implement complex tasks and load content in the background.

During the development process, programmers can measure the speed of work of all sections of the code and, if necessary, optimize them. They also have tools at their disposal to monitor the use of RAM, search for possible leaks, etc.

2. Flexibility in implementation

In contrast to the limitations in the construction of the interface and the complexity of visual effects imposed by frameworks for cross-platform project assembly, in the native technology for developing mobile applications, you can implement everything that the technologies of a particular mobile operating system are capable of.

3. Use of the latest technologies and dependence on cross-platform frameworks

New software and hardware functionality provided by the device and operating system manufacturers becomes available for implementation immediately after the release of the corresponding updates.

For example, iOS 9 includes the ability to search within apps. Each of them must implement a special method that returns results for a specific search query. As a result, for those native iOS applications in which this functionality is implemented, the ability to search for content through the system search section in iOS is available. In the same place where the search for applications, contacts, events and other information is carried out.

In the case of cross-platform technology for developing mobile applications, to implement such functionality, you will have to wait not only for the release of iOS 9, but also for the update of the corresponding framework, and it is impossible to predict when support for certain new features will appear and whether it will appear at all.

4. Ease and quality of testing

In addition to the toolkit mentioned in clause 1 for monitoring the use of the device’s hardware resources by the application, developers and testers have a whole range of technologies at their disposal.

Firstly, all system parameters are controlled automatically during the operation of the application. If an application uses more memory than expected, or more CPU resources, it will not go unnoticed.

Secondly, the possibilities in the widespread use of unit tests – automatic testing of almost every method in the application. If some part of the application stops working correctly due to any code changes, the new version will simply not be compiled, and the programmer will immediately see the reason.

Thirdly, there are ample opportunities for integrating remote error monitoring systems. In each native project, the corresponding functionality is built in, which allows you to see the error and its cause that arose on the device of any user.

5. Full support from App Store and Google Play

Both companies are committed to ensuring that users get the most positive experience possible when using applications on their respective platforms.

This means that the application should look as high quality as possible (if the screen has a high resolution and the images are blurry, the App Store will simply not let the application pass), work as fast as possible (if the application displays a small list of items in 20-30 seconds, it they will not miss it), and in general everything should be nice and comfortable.

If any of these parameters are too low or not met at all, the application will not be allowed to enter the store. If they are not up to par, which is extremely difficult to achieve with cross-platform technologies for creating mobile applications, and often impossible in principle, your application will never be considered by the relevant companies for placement in special advertising sections (Featured).

Among the applications in Featured sections of both the App Store and Google Play, there are none made using cross-platform technologies. Except for game projects in which the interface is not systemic.

Pros of cross-platform mobile app development technology

The cross-platform development environment has the following positive aspects:

  1. Less resources are required to implement an application for several platforms at once. This, in fact, is the essence of the cross-platform technology for developing mobile applications on the android and iOS platforms – the same code runs on both platforms. There are exactly half the number of programmers involved in the project. The designer only makes one set of graphics. All this reduces the number of working hours and the project budget.
  2. Less development time. Due to the lack of unique interface elements and simpler technologies for developing cross-platform applications, the time for creating simple products is usually less.
  3. Simplified product update cycle. If you need to add something to the project or fix some mistake, this is done immediately for all platforms to which the project applies.
  4. The ability to use the mobile version of the site. In most cases, languages ​​for cross-platform technology for mobile application development are part of the JavaScript family of languages. Therefore, if you already have a mobile version of the site, a significant part of the code and materials can be used in the application without changes.
  5. Using a single application logic. The logic behind the application will work in the same way for all platforms. Quite often, this can be a disadvantage due to the different architecture of operating systems.

    A prime example is the Back button in navigation between screens. Android has a hardware Back button for this. On iOS – swiping your finger from the left side of the screen, or having a button on the left side of the navigation bar. If you don’t do the button at all, iOS users won’t be able to go back. If done, but in the wrong place and looking out of the box, iOS users will be unusual and inconvenient; and if done as in iOS, it will be unusual for Android users.

    However, once written and debugged, the logic contains potentially fewer errors and discrepancies in its work. Therefore, you do not have to do the double and triple work of finding problems on each platform.

conclusions

From a technical point of view and from the point of view of the quality of the interface being created, the native technology for developing mobile applications has much more advantages. However, there are areas in which cross-platform technologies are justified: the gaming sector and test projects.

Most modern games are written on cross-platform technologies. This greatly speeds up development without sacrificing quality. in this case, special graphics frameworks are used (the most popular is Unity 3D).

If a project needs to be done quickly to conduct any tests, and the situation requires the project to work on several platforms at the same time, a cross-platform implementation may be the best solution.

If the project is not a game project, aimed at long-term development and requires a positive user experience, then it would be more rational to create a mobile application in a native way. Once the development method has been chosen, it is time to discuss the cost of developing the application.

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Development of mobile applications for medical centers, medical clinics
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Andrew Douglas

According to a Ricoh Research study, 79% of patients prefer clinics with user-friendly websites and applications – they inspire confidence and help reduce the time to make appointments with doctors and fill out documents. The Russian market for medical IT solutions is just beginning to grow, so a proprietary mobile application will help you differentiate yourself from competitors and increase patient loyalty.

Why does the medical center need an application

Loyalty. A person will more willingly return to places where there is an opportunity to sign up in one click, avoid bureaucracy, chat with a doctor and receive individual discounts.

Analytics. You can upload information for each patient and get statistics on user activity, behavior and service ratings. This will allow you to timely adjust the promotion strategy and service.

Communication with patients. The service interface allows you to collect all information about the hospital in one place, provide a round-the-clock online chat for communication and PUSH messages with reminders, news and special offers.

Automation. The chatbot can collect health complaints, medical history and documents, recommend tests and specialists for diagnosis. During the appointment, the doctor will already have all the information about the person, which will shorten the duration of the consultation and make it more useful.

Marketing. You can implement activities to increase sales: hold sweepstakes, organize promotions, give promotional codes and discounts.

Features of medical mobile applications

Registration

It is important to maintain a balance between expertise, legal aspects and usability. Choose a laconic color scheme in soothing colors, replace complex terms with accessible ones, simplify the user path from filling out a questionnaire to purchasing, and support the person at every stage. The functionality should be simple, even for people 40+ years old.

Remember that the main task is not to replace a professional and scare with complex terms, but to build trusting communication and loyalty.

Privacy and security

When working with personal data, you must take into account the laws and regulations for the storage of information. In Russia, this is the Order of the Ministry of Health on the procedure for depersonalizing information – it is mandatory from a legal point of view. Without observing them, you cannot publish in the Google Play Store and Apple Store.

To make people trust you, tell us about the security of personal documents before filling out your personal account and add the ability to hide your data from staff.

Application types

In the service industry, services are often created for two parties: customers and performers.

Healthcare facilities may have separate areas for doctors and patients.

Specialists can see the patient’s medical history and medical record, keep the work schedule, fill out the cards online, chat and follow the medication prescriptions.
Patients – choose specialists, sign up for consultations and procedures, receive reminders, ask questions to the chat bot and earn bonuses for payment.

What functions can be in the application

The main

  • Personal Area. Fill out a profile, upload a photo, medical card and test results.
  • Family account. Add profiles of the child and close relatives.
  • Appointment… Choose a doctor, date and branch, reschedule or cancel the consultation.
  • Home call. Set a date and address, describe the symptoms of the disease.
  • Payment for services. Top up an account, arrange an installment plan, pay by credit card.
  • Ratings and reviews… Leave a comment after visiting the hospital.

Additional

  • Chat bot. Sending appointment reminders, answering common questions, technical support.
  • Maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Diary of nutrition and physical well-being, a list of prescribed medications and advice for the prevention and treatment of diseases.
  • Integration with electronic medical records. The doctor can edit the records online.
  • Chat and video calls with a doctor. Remotely consult with about the results of the examination and current treatment.
  • Scanning drug barcodes. Tracking the treatment process and adjusting doses.
  • Bonus system. Accumulate bonuses and receive discounts for a regular customer.

Development stages

Analytics

Before creating an interface, gather as much information as possible about the company, market, and competitors. Define business goals, create a portrait of a potential user, define an approximate user path and a list of available services.

AppCraft conducts interviews with the customer, his target audience, organizes focus groups and expert assessment in order to obtain as much information as possible in a short time. This will help us develop an understandable and convenient mobile product that will simplify communication between doctors and patients.

Technical task

Determine the composition of the team and requirements for the developers, set goals, deadlines and budget. The more detailed the plan is, the faster it will be possible to get started and bring the first version (MVP) to the market.

The terms of reference may include:

  • Business goals.
  • The project team.
  • Portrait of potential users.
  • The visualized user experience.
  • Mandatory and optional features and services
  • Monetization methods
  • Technical requirements for interface, performance and security.
  • UX / UI design concept.
  • Stages and terms.
  • Budget.

The description of the terms of reference helps to understand what exactly the other party wants and how to implement it. The more detailed the technical assignment, the higher the chance of getting what you really need and avoiding lengthy improvements

At AppCraft studio, we check the technical specification for compliance with the platforms and develop it from scratch.

Marketing strategy

Consider a promotion plan at the beginning to integrate monetization elements organically.

You can tell about the project using targeted advertising, native materials in the media and blogs, affiliate programs and viral techniques. Describe your audience, explore ways to promote your competitors, make your own plan and change it depending on the circumstances.

Team organization

It includes product managers, analysts, marketers, UX / UI designers, developers and testers. The number of people is determined by the scale, complexity of implementation, timing and budget.

At AppCraft we do not involve external specialists – we have a time-tested team and well-tuned communication. Each employee knows his tasks, is focused on the end result and is interested in doing his job with high quality.

Design and prototype

The UX / UI designer works out the appearance: selects corporate colors, fonts, draws push notifications, buttons and pages. After that, he builds the logic of interaction between the pages of the registration and authorization screens, filling out information, profile, shopping cart, schedule of entries and payment.

When the design is agreed upon, a prototype is created – a layout in the form of master page screens. This is not yet a finished product, but it allows you to see features in action, evaluate and fix bugs before launch.

Development of

This is writing code, working out the architecture and logic, client service. Mobile developers need to know the idea, target audience and be involved in each stage in order to assess the viability of ideas and implement all the functionality.

Front-end programmers develop the client interface and platform logic.

There are two methods:

Native. A separate application is developed for each platform. This is the most expensive but reliable way: you will receive full support from marketplaces, and the service will work quickly and seamlessly on every iOS and Android device.

Cross-platform. A universal code is used for all platforms, but the system will run it as native. The best option in terms of “price-quality”.

Backend developers create a server for storing and exchanging data, choosing a programming language, hosting for the server and API, and building a management system.

Testing

After development, the prototype is handed over to testers – they check every button, push, page and form, find bugs and shortcomings. Testing is necessary at every stage.

Testing can take a long time, but it is better to double-check each page and fix the errors found than to get a wave of negativity after the release.

Important: such specialists should not participate in other processes – their view should be fresh and objective.

Publication

Prepare screenshots of the service pages, a promotion plan and a description. If you comply with all Google Play Store and Apple App Store rules, the service will be available on marketplaces in a few days.

At AppCraft, managers help you pass the test the first time and resolve issues related to account registration and site requirements.

Refinement and technical support

In the early days of launch, keep your finger on the pulse: follow reviews, study the number of visits and targeted actions, the most popular features and user experience. At this time, technical support must quickly respond to feedback and fix problems, remove unnecessary functions, optimize and refine.

Appcraft provides 12 months warranty support. We completely transfer the rights to you, but we continue to collect analytics and promptly troubleshoot problems.

The creation process may seem like a complicated and endless process, but in the hands of an experienced team, everything is created quickly without loss of quality and is tested on real users at every stage.

The AppCraft team deals with all stages of development: from analytics to release, provides prompt code improvement and technical support.

In this article, we described the features and steps of developing applications in the field of medicine. We discuss this issue with everyone separately, so that the process is understandable and suitable for the specifics of the business.

Over 10 years of work, we have created several of our own projects and more than 200 mobile applications – messengers, corporate solutions, systems for banks, e-commerce and social networks. If you want to create a simple and popular mobile application for a clinic, dentistry or medical center, we are ready to turn your idea into a product.

The cost of creating an application for the medical sector will depend on the terms of reference, scope of work and functionality. Contact us to discuss the details and find out the exact price.

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Promotion of Android and IOS mobile applications
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Andrew Douglas

According to Adjust, in 2020, the number of sessions in mobile apps grew by 30%, and in the first quarter of 2021, installs grew by 31%. Fintech projects, games with a simple and repetitive storyline, and online stores have become especially popular. If you have an idea for your own project or it’s already ready for release, it’s time to explore ways to promote it. We at AppCraft have been developing and promoting mobile apps for over 10 years. In this article, we share our experience and tell you how to study the audience, determine the key metrics of success, and which sites to choose.

Preliminary project analytics

Before launching, study your users – what devices they use, why they download, what functions they use most often, what updates are awaiting, and so on. This information will help you develop a smart mobile app promotion strategy.

Create a detailed portrait of your audience:

  • Age, gender, interests, income, time zone, education;
  • What problem / need a person solves with the help of your software;
  • Software type and phone models;
  • What user journey people go through, what features they like, how much time they spend, and how often they come back;
  • How many purchases can one person make during the entire period of use;
  • Which does not suit you. For example, a long download, an inconvenient shopping cart or support does not resolve the issue.

You can collect information on CustDev or with the analytics tools described below. Organize face-to-face interviews with people and divide them into segments to plan a campaign for each of them.

Before starting the promotion, study your users. To do this, we recommend compiling a portrait of the target audience.

Product metrics and activity parameters

To measure the bottom line of your ad campaign, define your own success metrics. For example, get 5,000 downloads, 4,000 transactions from promotion, or get into the top three in your niche. Choose metrics, tools, and budget based on your goal.

Here are the parameters to help you measure your results:

  • DAU (Daily Active Users) – the sum of daily active users.
  • WAU (Weekly Active Users) – active clients by week.
  • MAU (Monthly Active Users) – users per month.
  • Session time – the period from start to close.
  • Sticky Factor – Loyalty. It is calculated by the ratio of the number of visitors per day (DAU) to the monthly parameter (MAU).
  • Retention Rate – the level of engagement.
  • Churn Rate – refusals.
  • CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) – the cost of attracting customers.
  • CPI (Cost per Instal) – the price for downloading the software.
  • LTV (Lifetime Value) – the average profit for the time of use. The result is considered positive if the LTV exceeds the CPI.
  • ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) – the average income that comes from each client. This parameter can be used to determine the loyalty to prices.
To effectively assess the promotion of an application, it is important to choose a toolkit and key performance indicators based on the set goals.

You can evaluate the effectiveness of a sales funnel by the following factors:

  • percentage of downloads and registrations;
  • the number of people who have studied the tutorial / completed the profile;
  • the proportion of users who reached the cart / passed to level 2 in the game / bought a subscription.

Monetization can be assessed by the sum of the first and second payments, and to assess customer acquisition, consider the Retention Rate at 1, 7 and 30 days after downloading.

Analytics tools

They will simplify the collection of information, provide up-to-date statistics and help to adjust advertising for search engine queries. Let’s analyze the most popular services: Google Analytics, Firebase, Facebook Analytics and Apple Analytics.

Google analytics

Android, iOS

It will help you find all the necessary information about the user: where he lives and what he is interested in, how he finds, how much he uses and what he buys. Google Analytics 4 dumps data into one report. Cons: does not work with iTunes.

To start, add the Firebase SDK to the software and enable integration with Google Analytics. The program itself will start collecting data and generating a report.

Firebase

iOS, Android, Unity, C ++

This is a service from Google for software development and analytics. Firebase provides cloud storage, crash reporting, transaction information, connects to Google Analytics 4 and segments audiences even in narrow directions.

Facebook Analytics

Android and limited functions for iOS

Helps to collect reports within the social network. Examines the entire user journey in real time, maintains statistics, predicts trends and sends notifications if something changes in audience behavior. It will work with Android without problems, and in iOS there are limits and delays due to restrictions on the collection of information.

App-Analytics

iOS

Provides analytics from the App Store. Tracks the amount of impressions in the store, counts user engagement and analyzes their behavior, displays sales data.

Appsflyer

iOS, Android

Shows which channels people come from, what path they take and how many people remove the product, calculates the cost of new customers. Analyzes the success of re-engagement, profit from banners within the project.

Test promotion

First, do a “soft-launch” – test the project on a small segment of the target audience to quickly get feedback and fix bugs.

In the process of soft-launch, you can understand how quickly a person gets to the functions he needs, whether monetization works well, at what stage people fall off and what they write in reviews.

For the test, select

  • A statistically sufficient number of consumers for which you will customize the offer.
  • Customer segments.
  • Soft-launch duration. Usually 2-3 months are enough.
  • How much of the total marketing budget can you allocate for tests.

What metrics can you track?

  • Amount of attracted applications and traffic sources;
  • CPI – average price of one download;
  • Organic growth – dynamics of growth in the number of people attracted through “organic” traffic;
  • Engagement;
  • Retention rate;
  • How much time a person spends on one session and for the entire time of use.

Did the soft test live up to expectations and perform well? Finish the little things and head to the main market. If you find many flaws, postpone the start and come back with an updated product.

Platforms and methods for promoting mobile applications

Google Play, App Store

Optimize product descriptions and banners for each site, this will help attract more people and avoid problems during moderation.

  • Explore the titles, descriptions, and reviews of other projects in the niche.
  • Find keywords and phrases that accurately describe the software’s functions.
  • Upload high quality and informative screenshots, videos.
  • Set up a pop-up asking for feedback and ratings in the marketplace.

After optimization, banners can be launched.

Universal App Campaign (UAC)

Android

UAC is used to run advertisements on the websites of search partners, Google Play, YouTube, Google Search, recommendations in Google Search and other placements.

To run you can use:

  • Banners with animation of fixed size
  • Images with static graphics. You can create combinations for different ad sizes.
  • Video banners. More effective than other formats, but not at every site.

Most often, all three types of ads are used to get the maximum response.

Features of Universal App Campaign

  • Determine the purpose of the ad: to increase the number of installs, to perform certain actions, or to increase the value of actions.
  • The system does not translate banners. The language must match the targeting language.
  • It will be easier for the program to generate effective ad combinations if you add as many descriptions, banners and headlines as possible.
  • Create as many formats as possible during tests.
  • It is better to increase the budget gradually, up to 30% per day.
  • To train the system, you need to receive at least 100 conversions per week.

Apple Search Ads

iOS

A platform for advertising in the top search bar of the App Store.

You can work in two formats:

  • Basic. The system will configure everything by itself, so it is suitable for beginners. Payment for installation only.
  • Advanced. There is an advanced toolkit for campaigns, but only experienced users will be able to evaluate. Pay per clicks.

A typical card or your own version of the description is used as an advertisement. After the start, you can monitor the effectiveness of each keyword, adjust the bid and banners.

Tips for Apple Search Ads

  • For large coverage, study the market and competitors’ offerings to highlight the principles of search in marketplaces.
  • Divide keywords into segments.
  • Make personalized offers for different types of keywords.
  • Use auto-targeting Dynamic match – it performs well with unique queries.

Facebook

To get started with Facebook, sign up and set up your campaign. To do this: register a project on the Facebook for developers platform, install the SDK (Software development kit) and choose a strategy.

Possible strategy options:

  • increase the number of installations;
  • increase the amount of clicks on links;
  • increase activities within the project.

Recommendations for writing an effective ad:

  • Show the benefits with facts and compelling statistics;
  • Describe the benefits visually;
  • add a call to action button;
  • test as many ad variations as possible;
  • avoid narrow audience segments;
  • choose pay per click only if you are sure of a high conversion;
  • set a minimum price for installation on a limited budget.

Promotion through VKontakte

VKontakte integrates with the myTarget download tracking system, which can launch campaigns in Odnoklassniki, Moi Mir and Mail.ru services. In general, the algorithm of action coincides with the Facebook format: you need to specify deep links, create and set up an advertising campaign, and in the process analyze statistics and adjust to the results.

Google ADS

iOS, Android

The platform has generic tools for every operating system. The advertiser only needs to calculate the budget, determine the location and language of the target audience, and launch targeting. Ads will appear on AdMob, Display Network, Gmail, SERPs, and partner sites. Through ADS, banners can also be launched on GooglePlay.

To connect an advertising campaign, use the most conversion words, dividing them into clusters. Then select the resources and types of publication impressions.

Promotion of mobile applications through YouTube

The most effective way to get the word out about a product is to reach out to a blogger. He already has a loyal audience to whom he will be able to convey all the benefits. Unlike advertisements, there is more space for creativity. Bloggers can be found in almost any direction: business, games, learning, creativity, science, etc. and order a review.

How to choose a blogger

Choose a blogger by topic, reach, popularity, and engagement. Use independent services WhatStat and LiveDune to evaluate statistics, watch videos on his channel and comments. Choosing the right blogger can reduce the installation cost.

Promotion and placement plan

  1. List bloggers. Choose the one that suits your performance and budget.
  2. Start negotiations with a blogger, draw up a technical assignment, agree on a video release date and posting format: review, selection of TOPs, native integration.
  3. Agree on the scenario.
  4. Check the output of the video and analyze the statistics.

Efficiency can be assessed using a universal formula:

Installs 7 days after the advertisement – (traffic on the link 7 days + organic orders a week before the video)

You can work with bloggers on your own or contact an agency. Specialists take a commission, but noticeably shorten the approval period and take on all stages of cooperation.

To develop a product is 50% of success. The remaining 50 depend on the effectiveness of the advertisement. The AppCraft team will help you create a useful mobile application, build a marketing strategy and find your target customers. The cost of the work will depend on the terms of reference and the scope of work. Contact us – we will discuss the details and understand how to tell about your product.

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How to create a strategy for a mobile app
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Andrew Douglas

A strategy is a deliberate, prioritized plan that can lead you to a goal. She helps answer questions:

  • What result do you want to get and what are you aiming for?
  • Why are you creating a specific product?
  • What’s the best way to achieve your goals?

So that the developed application does not turn out to be a waste of time and your budget, it is important to take into account all the information received not only before starting development or during testing, but also for further promoting the mobile application.

Step 1. Get started

Strategy is work that requires the collection of a lot of data.

Here are a few points to get you started:

Market analysis. What do users want, what do they need, and where can they find growth points? By starting with external analysis, you can work around your own misconceptions and find new opportunities. Of course, this method is best combined with your insider knowledge and data. Keep up with the news in your industry, conduct customer interviews and research your competitors for a complete picture of the market. Think about how your application differs from competitors in the market and what user problems it solves.

User interviews. Talk to your target audience and users. Ask about their lifestyles, problems, jobs and needs using empathy and intuition.

Data analysisFind trends and patterns in metrics by user type, country, platform, and industry. Write down the expected result, taking into account the amount of effort that the project may require. This could be something other than revenue or engagement: for example, customer satisfaction (short term), development speed, etc.

Article: How to upgrade CustDev using user interviews

Step 2. Determine the criteria for success

What is success and how can you measure it? Many people express it in terms of increasing revenue or audience engagement. These metrics are important, but not the goal. Success criteria should take into account both the long and short term and reflect a clear vision for product development.

For example, if you only have high user engagement in your success metrics, you may be missing out on other opportunities, so aim for complex strategies.

Answer yourself the following questions to avoid myopia in terms of goals:

  • What is our mission? Why is this important and how do you broadcast the mission through the app? Try saying out loud, “What will the world be like if comes true?”
  • What basic human need do you satisfy?
  • What success rates can be calculated in 6 months, 3 years? Different periods of time will help answer different questions.

Step 3. Select ideas

When you have a clear idea of ​​the goal and the necessary information, it is time to form your own vision and strategy. You may have a lot of good ideas, but it is not enough to simply distribute them on a timeline – you cannot build a long-term plan out of this.

Here are some common mistakes when formulating a strategy:

Do only what the users / team / managers ask for
This is a safe path: it helps to easily create a roadmap and makes everyone happy at once, but only in the short term. Most of the time, people will ask for incremental improvements rather than leaps and bounds, but this is a dangerous strategy: the feedback from such users will be short-sighted and unlikely to lead you to your goal. Don’t ignore this source of feedback, but know that it is more about customer retention than about strategic change.

One big brilliant idea
Sometimes we fall in love with an idea so much that we want to go to great lengths, ignoring the risks. This strategy can be used if the company is small and has not yet had time to gain a foothold in the market. For example, the decision to go into VR technology in most cases will be the wrong strategy, since it is associated with great risks without the right amount of data and testing – this is not a reasonable risk.

Change everything at once
This is often due to technical debt and the need to clean up a large codebase. Changes to the product and code base are necessary, but doing everything at once without clear goals and results is dangerous and time-consuming. A new design can lead to frustration among users and the team, and in the long term, nothing will change.

Step 4. Visualize the strategy

Presentations and other documents to summarize and publish the product strategy provide clarity and concreteness without being distracted by visuals. Typically, a strategy document is 2 to 6 pages long with the following sections:

  • Key players: who will implement the strategy.
  • Context: Research and analysis, user interviews, and other data you relied on to create your strategy.
  • Plan: what activities it includes, and why you chose them.
  • Metrics for measuring results: short and long term indicators of success.
  • Key risks and their mitigation: is the company ready for such risks and can they be controlled.
  • Collaboration: What kind of help you need from other teams and partners.
  • Evidence that your strategy will be successful.

Analysis-based and well-articulated mobile app marketing strategy – the basis for the success of the product. Think about strategic positioning, learn all about your target audience, conduct competitive analysis and define performance indicators.

Of course, real life is much more complex and includes many subtleties with limitations, and it can also be difficult to find a balance between ambitious, interesting and achievable. You can endlessly hesitate and read tons of books on strategy, but just getting started is enough to strategize and bring your best ideas to life.

Next article

Creation of applications for an online store

With the advent of Aliexpress, Ozon, Wildberries and other popular Internet applications, people have fully experienced the convenience of a quick order in a few clicks and are no longer so willing to access sites. If you have an online store, it’s time to think about its mobile version, so as not to lose your own audience.

Read more

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Mobile application for an online store: stages of development, functionality and terms
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Andrew Douglas

With the advent of Aliexpress, Ozon, Wildberries and other popular Internet applications, people have fully experienced the convenience of a quick order in a few clicks and are no longer so willing to access sites. If you have an online store, it’s time to think about its mobile version, so as not to lose your own audience.

AppCraft studio has been engaged in mobile development for 9 years and has created more than 208 applications for iOS and Android, including in the field of e-commerce. In this article, we share our experience and tell you how to create an application for an online store.

Why does an online store need an application?

Now the creation of a mobile application is no longer a fashionable feature, but a strategic tool that will help retain its customers, attract new ones and increase profits.

Fast and convenient ordering. People have begun to use their phones more often, but the mobile version of the store is not always responsive: it loads slowly, has inconvenient little buttons and links. Such pages are often left without reaching the order. The application solves this problem: it takes into account the characteristics of each smartphone and has an intuitive interface that helps you complete a purchase in a few minutes.

Push notifications. Pop-up messages on your phone are much more effective than SMS and email newsletters, and are also free. With the help of them, you can set up a mailing list for a narrow circle of people and tell them about promotions and sales. People are much more likely to open these messages and make a repeat purchase.

Attracting new users. If you are hosted on Google Play and the App Store, you may be found through these sites. They can also place advertisements and display store advertisements on the first line of search results.

Integration with instant messengers and social networks. Users can share their purchases with others or talk about interesting products in their accounts. This is another way to advertise your online store for free and natively.

What are the stages of development?

Business and market analysis

Before starting the development, we conduct analytics: we study the goals of the business, its audience, the network of products and competitors in the market. The AppCraft team conducts interviews with the customer, his customers, organizes focus groups and expert assessment to get as much information as possible.

This data will help us develop an application that will meet the needs of customers and stand out from the competition.

Preparation of technical specifications

After the analytics, the customer and the developers draw up a list of requirements, set deadlines, budget and team composition.

Here are the main points of the terms of reference:

  • Business goals
  • Portrait of potential consumers
  • User journey map.
  • Mandatory and optional options that must be valid in the online store.
  • Technical requirements for interface, performance and security.
  • Implementation of UX and UI design.
  • Development stages.
  • Cost of work.

Team building

A project from and to is created by a product manager, analysts, marketers, developers, designers and testers. The number of specialists depends on the scale of the product, the budget and the time frame. All this is agreed with the client before starting work and discussed during development.

AppCraft employs a permanent team with extensive experience in creating and developing applications, which performs its tasks with high quality and works for the result. We are confident in the professionalism of each of them, therefore we practically do not involve external employees.

Development of a prototype

A prototype is created to test the application for usability and functionality, in order to fix bugs and improve the user experience at the initial stage.

The prototype helps to reflect the logic, structure, UX and UI design and all functions, test them and start developing the final product.

Main application development

Takes up the largest amount of time and resources: developers write code, work out the architecture, create backend and frontend. Before that, programmers study analytics well, the customer’s tasks and implement his ideas into reality.

Testing

Now testers are involved in the work – people who are called upon to press every button, open all pages and push notifications in order to find all bugs and shortcomings and understand how convenient it is for them to buy in an online store. It is important that such specialists do not participate in other stages of the work, and that their assessment is objective, and the look is fresh and impartial.

Testing can take a long time, but it is always justified: it is better to double-check each item and fix all important flaws than to get hundreds of negative reviews from real users after the release.

Publication

After careful testing, it’s time to publish the finished application and meet with the first users. For everything to go well, you need to study the rules of the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, send screenshots of the pages, a marketing promotion plan and a description of the project. If all goes well, your online store will appear on the platform in a couple of days.

Finalization and technical support of the project

The application resembles a living organism that is constantly changing, so you cannot do without corrections and stable technical support. You need to carefully study statistics, conduct analytics, study the path of users and reviews – this will help you find the most popular sections, the number of targeted user actions, problem areas of the sales funnel, etc. As the online store develops, refine popular categories and get rid of unnecessary functions.

What features to add to the application?

Before development, a technical assignment is formed, which includes the requirements and functionality of the future project. The online store has its own list of features that will make it useful and user-friendly.

Basic

  • Registration and creation of a profile.
  • Viewing and editing personal data.
  • Browse the catalog and search for products using a filter.
  • Transferring goods to the cart and placing an order.
  • Online payment for purchases

Additional

  • The ability to postpone a product, add it to a wishlist, or compare several options from different brands at once.
  • Chat with online user support.
  • Product reviews.
  • Recommendations based on interests and purchases made by the user.
  • Loyalty program with bonuses, discounts and gifts for purchases.
  • Administrative panel for managing content and promotions.
  • Marketing analytics tools.
  • Viewing and trying on products in augmented reality.
  • Notifications on the user’s smartphone screen.
  • Integration with social networks.
  • Paid features: subscription to a premium account with additional promotions, discounts and terms of order and delivery.

On Android or IOS?

Both platforms have their pros and cons, so choose based on your goals and audience. Android phones are used by 88% of people, but iPhone owners spend more money on apps. According to statistics, Apple store generates 80% more profit than Google Play.

There is also cross-platform development, when one base is created for two platforms at once. This allows you to reduce the time and cost of the final project, while maintaining the required level of quality. Cons: the application can sometimes crash due to the peculiarities of the platforms.

The AppCraft team will help you develop an online store for any platform and make it as convenient as possible for any target audience.

How long will it take and how much will it cost?

The average term for developing an application for an online store is 4-5 months. It will take 3-4 months to create an Android application from scratch or a small project, while a complex project will take about 6 months.

At AppCraft, we try to optimize each of the stages of work in order to bring the finished product as quickly as possible by testing the product on real users instead of the long implementation of numerous functions.

The cost of creating an application for an online store will depend on the terms of reference and the amount of work. Contact us to discuss the details and find out the exact price.