The rate at which information gets shared in the present day is outrageous. You don’t lazily sip a cup of tea and go through the newspaper every morning. Newspaper news is stale to you as you’ve already read it from your smartphone.

Read also: 10 Common Features of Good Learning Apps for Kids

As a publisher, your present might be dull, and the future, even more so. But you have a way out – convert books to mobile apps. Why should you do it? Here are 12 reasons for you:-

Offer Fresh Content to the Digital Generation: – You have to be where your customer is. And currently the biggest consumers of digital content is the digital generation. A number of them wouldn’t have read books. And they do have a voracious appetite for new content.

So, your traditional books would be new content to them, and chances are they would love it. Most of them are more comfortable with digital content than traditional books.

No Printing Cost – Unlike doing a new edition, creating a mobile app does not involve the cost of printing. One of the major investment you require for traditional books is printing cost. So, creating an app would cost you a lot lesser.

Storage Space Required – With an app, you need next to no physical storage space. So, that godown you used to have earlier to store books are not required anymore.

No Transportation cost – If you do not have anything to print and store, you don’t have anything to transport as well. So, no transportation cost – another reason for you to convert books to apps.

Easily Portable – The process of setting up your own account in the popular app stores such as Google Play and Apple App Store are no big deal. Probably your mobile app developer himself would get it done for you. There is no need to carry it around by any means of transportation.

Recommended read: 5 Smart Tips for Parents to Buy Learning Apps for Kids

Easy to Market and Distribute – Its very simple to distribute as well. With the right App Store Optimization (Why Use App Store Optimization Services?) and digital marketing techniques, you can reach out to a massive number of audience. Distributing is simple as sharing the link to the app.

Customizable – Unlike physical books, e-books in apps can be easily customized and updated. So, adding a few design changes or correcting a few pages or typos wouldn’t be a big deal. You can change the fonts, colors, etc and just upload the update

Environmental Benefits – Obviously, paper is not required for publishing your content as mobile apps. Leading to lesser trees being cut down, which is a huge positive for the environment.

User Benefits of Converting Books To Mobile Apps

Can Be Interactive – Traditional books are not much interactive. They are just plain, fixed text. So, it is that much more difficult to keep modern readers engaged. But in the case of apps, you can show a variety of content, such as videos, social media integration, ability to search, annotate, etc.

Easily Accessible Alternate Resources – As mentioned above, apps can be interactive, which offers you an opportunity to cross link between your resources, allowing them more exposure.

You can link to other e-books, videos or even a product you want to sell. This offers a good experience to the readers as well. Because, unlike with a traditional book, they don’t have to search for a book mentioned in the bibliography among stacks of library books.

Easy access and simple to use – Apps are very easy to install. They are just a click away, in fact. People don’t have to neither go to book store nor wait for it to arrive after ordering.

Search Feature – The modern generation is so accustomed to Google, that they expect the search feature in everything. And traditional books cannot beat the ability of e-books or apps to search. It makes finding particular information very simple.

” What’s the purpose of your app? ” This should be the first and foremost question that should creep into your mind when you think mobile app development. There should be a solidly defined purpose for every app created. Candy Crush is for entertainment, Skype is for communication, and eBay is for shopping online. Developing an app without a purpose would only be a waste of money and time.

Okay, now that you’ve got a purpose for app creation, you can move on to the next step – Finalizing the app idea.

You may also: Why Complex Designs May Hurt Mobile App Development

There is every reason for you to be excited once you get hold of an apparently plausible list of app ideas. You will be eager to continue with the initial steps of mobile app development by choosing the most promising one among them. But, before jumping heads first into the development process, it is worth validating the concepts you have in hand, in order to know whether they could stand a chance in the competitive market and gain enough ROI.

The mobile app development process is quite expensive. Validation helps to save your money, time, and effort. There is a trend of copying the already successful apps in the market. But you should remember that, something that works for others may not work for you every time.

Proper planning and research is important in app development like in every other business. You should take effort to generate maximum feedback from the public. But that’s not an easy job. How could you generate any feedback for an unfinished app that is still in its conception phase? This topic gives you information about the different ways that you can use to validate your app.

Research Your Market Well

It is very important that you thoroughly check if your app can satisfy an existing demand in the market or create a new one. Google has got its own tools to determine the number of searches made all over the world. Keyword tool, Google trends, etc. will help you to analyze where the public demand heads. It also gives a more focused, niche based search option that allows you to obtain the preferences of people concentrated over a particular geographical area.

Recommended read: How do Mobile Applications Benefit the Education Sector?

The best app idea to choose could be the one that returns a total number of searches and that could come inside of a low competition area. The total searches made should be somewhat consistent round the year.

Study App Stats from App Charts

Use websites such as App Annie that track app market statistics to get an idea about the top apps and download stats of particular genre of apps. Also, do not forget to browse in popular app stores and get a record of the popular apps in them. This will help you to know about the possible competitors and will give you a glance into the existing market gap for different products.

Build Your Own Landing Page

Right when you have finally decided to stick on with an idea, you could start creating a landing page for your app. The landing pages should be simple with easy to grasp information and digestible designs. It should give the viewers a general idea about what your app exactly is, complete with graphics and the main functions.

This is a sure way of generating a much realistic estimation on the possibility of your app’s success. As a general rule, the number of clicks that you get will be directly proportional to the conversion rates. If whatever you get is a bit unsatisfactory, you should consider revising the design, text, color and other features of your app.

Apart from these major three, there are still other ways that could give you a chance to know if your app will hold up well. These includes social media campaigns through twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn etc., creating promotional videos, blogging and so on.

Ranging from the demand and supply gap to available budget and marketing plan to sheer luck, there are many factors that contribute to the success of a mobile application.

mobile app development

Mobile app development companies should adhere to the industry’s best practices and ensure quality control standards are given necessary importance. This can make the difference between your app’s failure and success.

Here are the top reasons that concludes why mobile app development fails.

1. Absence of Purpose

absense

All apps should have a solidly defined and useful purpose first of all, in order to target its market and be successful. Be it for entertainment or staying connected, apps should address a real-world situation.

Apps like Baby Shaker is a clear waste of money and time which will only earn you defame and rejection.

2. The Complexity of Apps

complexity

Don’t design your mobile app like your website. Developing good mobile apps means you go forward with simple tasks, well written functions, minimum navigation and enough white spaces.

Do not try to solve too many problems with a single app. Stick to the priorities and give specific reasons for users to open your app. Simplicity is the key to app success.

3. Study Your Market First

study your market

One of the most common reasons that mobile app development fails are because of poor or lack of any market research and failure to understand the potential audience expectations.

When you set out to popularize your product on an over-saturated market, it is undoubted that you are going to face a lot of challenges and risks on the way.

If what you build and give is just a copy of an already popular app, you are at imminent danger. A good app will provide users with something new; like a great idea, a new perspective or a new solution to an unsolved problem.

There should be something that is interesting for the customers who have landed on your app for the first time to stay on it- something that will compel them to use it over and over again. It is important to build what people want, and not what you want them to use.

4. The Problem of Resource Scarcity

resource scarcity

Apart from the acquisition of budget, there are still many other affairs that mobile app development companies need to look into while developing your app.

The app development costs are huge and can range from $1K to 15K for basic apps. To complicate things up, finding talented workforce is a Himalayan task.

Experienced mobile app developers are too picky about the projects they wish to work with, as the market bears a high demand for their services.

When in-house developers are not available after signing up for a project, they will be forced to settle with less talented or beginner level developers.

5. Security Concerns

Monitoring whether all the security protocols are met is a headache that mobile app development companies face throughout application development. The app should be carefully tested for any security vulnerabilities and issues must be rectified.

hire mobile app developers

There is a high risk for failure, unless apps ensure a safe a secure experience for their customers. 2019 is predicted as a year when more businesses are going to adopt better security practices.

Read also:Top Emerging Trends in Mobile App Development

6. Why Customer Feedback is Valued So Much

customer feedback

It is very important to track the feedback you receive from customers and take immediate action on any grave problem.

Even if you employ the most extensive and rigorous testing procedures, it is only natural for minor bugs and errors to show up during the alpha and beta versions or when the app is finally released to the public.

So the app behavior should be monitored soon after your app is launched.

As per statistics, over 75% of mobile apps are downloaded once and then never used again. If you receive a lot of negative ratings and reviews and are still not keen on taking any corrective measures, it will eventually lead to a very low number of app downloads.

For e.g., if your app is too slow to load or is too hard to use, users will turn away and look for other faster-loading and easy to use app alternatives.

The more frequently you release updates, there are more chances for its success. It is very rare that users will give a second chance for an app. Mostly, they will only keep using it if they have no other options available.

7. Spreading the Word about Your App

spreading the word

You may be relieved after months of hard-work, dedication and testing that you’ve finally transformed your app from a bare idea in your mind into a proper money making business. But that belief is very far from reality.

What your app needs next is the right kind of exposure to keep it well ahead of competitor apps. No, your app is not alone in the market.

8. Ignoring the backend support

ignore

You need to have a robust backend support to make your app more stable. Scalability is yet another feature to consider when looking for a robust backend.

In fact, a scalable backend service will adapt according to the traffic influx over a period of time. One of the finest examples of a scalable and strong backend is Twitter.

9. Making apps so complicated for users

angry men

While enhancing the user experience, app creators usually make it a complex affair for the users. If a user cannot locate the right buttons in your app in one attempt, then definitely the app is not serving its purpose.

Nowadays, people around the world are busy. No one have the time to sit back and learn how to use your application.  If you want them to make an effort to do that, then you are certainly investing in an unsuccessful app.

You need to ensure that the design of your mobile app justifies its business value.  In order to make an app compatible with the user, you need to analyse your target audience’s intellectual understanding and their compliance towards changing trends. Design intricacies also cause mobile app development,  fails.

Read Also:Top 10 Reasons For iOS App Rejection From App Store

Conclusion

The most harmful mistake that could be made while marketing is giving your customers the impression that, “we are selling this app to you because we want your money”.

mobile app development

Even though monetary benefit is the sole and ultimate purpose behind most of the app development endeavors, it is not fit for you to openly advertise the idea.

The market is saturated, and marketing is a tough job. You can’t risk all your investment money with poor marketing efforts. The best thing to practice is make avail of every possible and available method for putting your app in the limelight. Before enter into mobile app development, aware of these reasons why they fails.

The mobile industry has metamorphosed from the first DynaTAC prototype model to wearable devices and has become part of Internet of Things (IoT) through the last four decades. It is now an integral part of our lives, on account of its usability and affordability. With the mobile app industry evolving at such a fast pace, it is an absolute requirement for a mobile app development company to keep track of the emerging trends in the industry.

User experience comes first: With large-scale competition and increasing number of smartphone users, it becomes imperative that a mobile app should be embedded with features that promote better user experience for its success. Leading mobile app development companies are continuously striving to provide our customers with unequalled user experience from all our apps.

App security: Implementing app security has called for more focus these days. A lot of sensitive information is handled during each transaction. Hackers continuously try to exploit this data. An app that promises high-end security is always a boon to your business goals.

Cloud driven development: The benefits of using the cloud technology in your mobile app development is that the apps can be accessed on multiple mobile devices with same features and functions from anywhere.

Wearable devices: There is no doubt that wearable technology promises to be the future in electronic fashion wears and tech wears and it is certain to hit the billion dollar industry in a big way. Wearable devices are supposed to be taken up by leading enterprises to improve their productivity and efficiency in 2016.

Internet of Things (IoT): Multiple devices are being used by all of us these days. There is a lot of scope in developing mobile applications that can control various electronic devices that we use in our everyday lives. IoT has already influenced healthcare, marketing and business industries. There are a lot of smart home appliances available in the market already.

In- App advertising and purchasing: The paid app download model of monetization is making way to a more practicable solution, i.e. in-app advertising. In-app advertising and purchasing are today’s feasible source for making revenue.

App analytics: Tracing your app’s performance is really crucial in all sectors, because the data is a major deciding factor for streamlining your apps. This data represents customer engagement and success of your app.

Location based apps: It’s happy times for businesses based on location apps, because they are growing fast. There are more and more apps being developed for businesses such as restaurants, real estate, home décors, sales of used products etc.

Recommended read: Why is Apple’s Swift the Future of Mobile App Development?

Location based Wi-Fi services: As data plans are becoming costlier, the prime focus for networking locally is now on Wi-Fi services. Apple has already lead the way by introducing their customers to Beacon technology. Android will follow Apple in the coming years. The advantage is that the businesses could know where there customers are concentrated and provide them with more specific content.

Mobile gaming: Beginning from 2014, the mobile game industry has been gradually shifting from developing single player games to multiplayer games. Another trend developing within mobile gaming is social media integration and cloud driven games.

Enterprise apps are growing: It is predicted that all major enterprises will be developing own apps in 2016, to boost their efficiency and performance. The demands for enterprise apps are currently huge.

Emergence of hybrid apps: Hybrid apps have successfully completed the experimental phase and are now widely being adopted. It combines both the elements of native and web apps. There will be contents that are accessible only locally as well as that are shared online.

M-commerce and Mobile payments: M-commerce and mobile payments are taken up by many users as this has given them the advantage of shopping at their convenience. Consumers can browse, and pay for their goods, all from their mobile without the need of a credit/debit card.

A mobile app development company should be keen in incorporating these trends in their development process, in order to be successful.

Today, everyone is using smartphones for staying in touch with family or friends, social media, music, apps, etc. Android is a popular mobile platform used by several people across the globe. Android app development has been gaining popularity since the last few years. Businesses are developing Android applications to attract more and more users. The increasing popularity of Android phones makes it important for businesses to develop the apps for this popular platform and harness the countless benefits.

Why should one develop Android Applications?

Better Business Growth:

As the Android applications are Java-based, they are considered to be reliable and robust means of mobile app development. It is known that Android is a cost effective platform and generates good revenues in no time. You can easily make your business grow by using effective Android apps for your business.

Cost Benefits:

Android is an open source and hence, you do not have to spend money for availing the licenses. The software development kit (SDK) can be accessed by the developers. The developers can customize Android apps and they can be monetized. Hence, you would be having several cost benefits when you opt for Android application development.

Good Returns:

When you hire a reliable Android application development company, you would need to make an investment to develop mobile app for Android. Initially, you would need to spend money for development and testing the app. You would not have to pay the licensing fees. You would easily be able to achieve the maximum returns on investment when you have Android applications for your business.

How to Hire the Right Professional / Company for Android App Development?

If you have an Android app development idea in mind, you can look for companies who have a team of experts and talented developers. Keeping in mind your budget and business goals, you should employ the best company for developing Android apps for your business.

It is important that you hire reliable and honest company for Android application development. You can contact a few companies and get free estimates from them. You can compare the quotes and select the best company according to your requirements.

Make sure that the company you hire understands your requirements and is capable of delivering the best solution. You should discuss the requirements with the project manager or developer and ask for the appropriate solution.

If you hire freelance Android app developers for your project, then it can be risky. There are chances that you may have to repent later on. Hence, always search for experienced and reputed Android application development companies for developing robust and scalable Android apps. All the best!

Prabhat Ranjan, Police Commissioner launched a new website and a mobile app on behalf of Mumbai Police.

The website of Navi Mumbai Police Commissionerate and the mobile app- “Citizen Cop” are for the safety of citizens, mainly women.

“Our official website, navimumbaipolice.org, will act as a medium for interaction between the police and the citizens. The citizens can now obtain online information about the police permissions, types of licences, legal aspects, safety related information among others. Now, the citizens will not require to physically visit the police station for submitting mandatory documents such as rental agreement, domestic help employed, etc. Instead, they can do it online now by clicking on the option of ‘Inform Police”, Police commissioner Prabhat Ranjan said.

Recap: Delhi Police to Introduce Three New Mobile Apps

He asked the citizens to help in upgrading the website.

Ranjan added, “The key feature of Citizen Cop app is SOS facility for women in distress. If a woman travelling alone in a taxi or an auto finds the driver suspicious, she can click on the option and send distress messages to three mobile numbers of her family members and one message to the police control room.”

The app provides relevant information about the Traffic Police Department.

The website and app will be very helpful for the citizens regarding their safety.

Smartphones and tablets have become vital technologies in today’s fast paced and tech-driven world. This is mainly due to mobile applications assisting people with their personal, work and even education commitments. By next year, the global app economy will be worth $143 billion, as projected by the App Economy Forecasts 2013-2016 report. However, the market is always changing as mobile manufacturers looking to reshape the app market produce new forms of technologies.

What revolutionary features should we expect from mobile devices next year that will be vital to app developers?

Trend 1: HTML 5 as the Main App Development Platform

HTML 5 will be a common platform used by many mobile browsers and apps due to its fast-loading feature. In the recent Sencha 6th Annual Developer Survey, it revealed that an increase in HTML 5 usage in building web apps will be evident in 2016. The platform will be relevant in building cross-platform web apps, especially since many companies are facing problems related to form factors, fragmentation, and OS compatibility. Currently, 67% of developers build apps for businesses, and an increase is expected soon as HTML5 usage and adoption increases.

Trend 2: Augmented Reality Continues

Although the craze for wearables may have subsided, anything that uses augmented and virtual reality technologies will continue to prevail in the coming years. This will be more apparent since rumors of Apple releasing a see-through handset may happen in 2016. It has been reported that the California-based mobile giant received an approval from their see-through AR display patent this year and may start its production in late 2015. Applying AR and VR features on apps will be a plus factor for developers. But, it will depend on the apps purpose and how the technology performs through the app. Remember that user experience will still be the most important factor to the success of an app in the long term.

Trend 3: Real-Time Feature is a MUST

The rise in the demand for apps with real-time features will be more apparent by next year. According to InfoWorld, we are not only talking about “real-time analytics, but real-time everything.” As people become more reliant on their mobile devices for information (traffic, GPS, work, social media, etc.), developers would have to make their next apps with real-time features. It is expected to create a fundamental shift in the business process, as all apps will be required to offer real-time updates and information.

The concept is not all new to the public. Most of the recently released iPhones from the 5c and 5s model to the newest 6s and 6s Plus are built with real-time apps like the iCloud, Facebook, and Maps. Android devices have the top Google services such as Drive, Gmail, and Maps.

Trend 4: Iris Scanning Sensor

Security will still be highly important in terms of app usage and consumption. Currently, premium smartphones are built with a two-way authentication process that involves the fingerprint scanner embedded on the Home button and pressing a 4- to 6-digit passcode. But, next year, mobile biometric security will introduce a new technology in the form of iris/retina scanning sensors. Some tech giants were already reported to be testing devices with the said security feature such as LG with their LG G5 and Samsung with their Galaxy S7. App developers will have to incorporate this new feature in their security process such as in-app s.

One of the changes and challenges that app developers would have to prepare for would be the possible market release of the phoneblok or Ara modular phone by Google. It has been pushed a couple of times, but the search giant is positive that they will be able to release the first modular smartphone sometime in 2016. It’s still not clear how apps are going to work on this new mobile device, but it’s a challenge that app developers would figure out soon.

What other mobile tech trends should app developers should expect next year? Feel free to leave a comment or tips below.

Photo Credit: FotoDB.de via Compfight cc

Exclusively submitted to RedBytes
Written by TechRomantic

Shravan Kumaran and his younger brother Sanjay Kumaran at the age of 11 and 10 developed their own mobile application.

The kids were one among the top ten designers in the world selected by the ‘Korea Herald’ newspaper in 2013.

Aged 15 and 14 now, they are the president and CEO of an app development firm- ‘GoDimensions’.

“Having developed a strong desire to launch our own company and to stand on our own at a small age itself, we were firm to launch our first mobile game application under the banner of our company even though our Dad suggested the other option. Later, our Dad carried out the processes of company registration and we released the app in ‘iTunes’, the Apple’s App Store, in January 2012”, Shravan and Sanjay said at the annual technical fest of National Institute of Technology, Calicut.

Also developed a wireless virtual reality googol that gives an in-field game experience while playing games and are developing a game for it now.

“While the available virtual reality googol is very expensive and complex, we developed it at just Rs 700 by making its hardware using our 3D printer. We just made it to explore the technology and have no plans to manufacture it as we are devoid of time and money to manufacture it,” say Sanjay and Shravan.

They also developed ‘Internet of Things’ device for their house to lock and unlock the house using a mobile app.

They have also interacted with students of several top universities and colleges like IIT Bombay, IIT Chennai, NIT Raipur, IIM Bangalore, etc.

Delhi police to introduce three more new mobile apps each for Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Special Police Unit for Women and Children (SPUWAC) and Vigilance wing.

“We have initiated the process and are currently in the process of developing and then carrying out the trial runs. The launch would take at least two to three months after which public access could be made possible,” said the Delhi Police officer.

The officer said that these apps are well structured so that detailed complaints would mostly come for actionable calls.

Read Also: NHAI to Introduce Mobile App to Check Traffic Trespassers

“The app will alert the complainants and save them the effort of going to the police station and filing a complaint or to find out the mandate of the EOW. The cyber crime cases also come there and financial matters often have the scope of mediation with digital documentation would further facilitate,” said the officer.

For the others, too, it was in tune with Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi’s efforts reducing public inconvenience and better monitoring of performance, he added.

New apps will be added to the apps that are currently running including an integrated app called “Suraksha” and many more.

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to introduce mobile app for the public to file complaints against those who are involved in rash driving or violating traffic rules.

This will take a month or two to create it. It will be soon available for the citizens so that they can even take a photograph of the vehicle, which is speeding or violating any structures relating to transport and press a button to register a complaint against that vehicle, Mr. Chandra said.

“All the complaints will get registered in the ledger pertaining to that vehicle whereupon the police/transport department can take further action about it,” he added.

Recap: Western Railway to Introduce Paperless Unreserved Tickets

“In the days to come, I hope to be able to introduce reforms to bring about better management, control, policing of our highways network, I feel with more physical intermediation we should be able to bring about something like patrolling to improve the physical management on roads and I think that will have a significant improvement on road safety,” he said.

NHAI was working towards building up complete information of bank of each and every highway, known as the Road Asset Management System (RAMS).

“Within the next one year we should have information of the entire 1,00,000 kms of highway network on its every aspect, including the encroachment on both sides, quality of the road, width of the road, width of the right of way, issues concerning with junctions and so on,” he added.