Category: Mobile Application

Top 4 Application Development Resources You Can’t Miss Out On

Top 4 Application Development Resources You Can’t Miss Out On by .  Available from <http://www.lifehack.org/511189/top-4-application-development-resources-you-cant-miss-out> [Dec 27, 2016] Photo credit: startup ideas via alltopstartups.com

The development of applications has several stages, and each stage is important for successful development of an app. When creating an application it is essential to have a good understanding of the process, methodology, tools, and available resources; being aware of the tools and resources available is a key to developing a good and efficient app, and understanding how apps are built.

There are several platforms, such as the waves platform that can help in understanding the resources, and using them to your benefit. There are also guides available for android and iOS app development.

These guides provide details about designing and distribution of the apps, and are able to provide all the fundamentals, including the intents, filters, compatibility of a device, activities, interfaces, and resources.

Here are some of the resources that can help you a lot in app development.

1. Stackoverflow

Stackoverflow is a site that is able to provide answers to all the questions you might have about the development of apps. With the help of this website, you can get help from professionals. The best thing about this platform is that you can get expert perspectives and opinions of your problem, as most of the questions are answered by experts and professionals. You can always review all the answers and implement the best options available to you.

Stackoverflow has a library with detailed answers about different stages of programming and application development.

2. Android Developer’s Blog

If you are developing an app for android devices, then this blog is an excellent resource at your disposal. The content of the blog is written by the employees of Google and is full of useful content.

There is a mixture of technical topics and informational content on this blog, and it is an excellent way of learning about any new developments that are being introduced in operating systems; it shows the developers’ ways of incorporating new features in app development. It also provides inspiration by sharing success stories, as well as providing a lot of information about analytics, new courses, event listings, and more.

3. iOS Dev Weekly

iOS Dev Weekly is an excellent resource for iOS developers. It is another effective resource, as it is a blog that provides all the latest updates about the industry.

You can gain knowledge about every latest development in Apple and operating systems through the blog. New content for this blog is published every Friday, which makes it easy to follow all the new content and take advantage of all the new information.

This blog allows developers to search through the latest tools, marketing, code designing, news articles, and videos. It also helps developers in finding job opportunities, as it lists any available positions that are iOS related.

4. Tuts+

Tuts+ is a website that is full of practical tutorials. There is an extensive range of both written and video tutorials; if you want tutorials about photography, design, illustration, web design, craft, game development, etc., then you will be able to find useful tutorials on this site.

All the tutorials are free, and are extremely useful in learning and polishing creative skills; and, they don’t just include step by step instructions, but also display screenshots to make things easier to understand. It also offers the latest news about the new trends in application development in the code section.

These are some of the resources that are very handy in the development of applications. They offer a better understanding of app development, and make the task easier to accomplish. Any newbie in app development can easily learn and use these app development frameworks to get a good understanding of them, and maybe even become a top developer.

Top 4 Application Development Resources You Can’t Miss Out On by .  Available from <http://www.lifehack.org/511189/top-4-application-development-resources-you-cant-miss-out> [Dec 27, 2016] Photo credit: startup ideas via alltopstartups.com

Safety Tips For Online Shopping

Safety Tips For Online Shopping.  Available from <http://asianetindia.com/safety-tips-for-online-shopping/> [December 07, 2016]

E-commerce or shopping online provides a exit. Given the near universal accessibility to Internet connectivity, consumers save your time and efforts by internet shopping. More and more merchants are realising the enormous potential from the medium of Internet and therefore are gearing up to present products and services.As the potential of internet shopping is being grasped, the potential for loss are going up too, particularly for consumers. Sadly, many online shoppers disregard the pitfalls , nor follow even minimum risk protection norms. If anything, buying online frauds tend to be more dangerous, because in the event the security is breached, fraudsters can siphon off a lot of cash without the victim realising it.Here are some safety tips for online shopping.

Safety tips for online shopping are:

1.Link Of A Website: Avoid gonna an shopping online site by having a link or pop-ups, howsoever interesting the offers are. Always type the web page address into your address bar. Be wary of tempting offers, because they may be from fraudsters who’ve created a fake site.

2. Look For The Image Of A Lock At The Bottom Right Corner: To make sure your site is safe, search for the image of the closed now you should the browser window. Click on the icon and be sure the security certification is displayed. You are prone to identity theft when you’re entering your details on a spoofed site.

3.Check Privacy Policy: Are you sure the seller of your website the place you have given personal details isn’t sharing them others for cash? Check the Privacy Policy on the website to ensure that what the property owner will and won’t do with specifics about you.

4.Be Wary Of e-mails: You may get an e-mail that looks like it is from the vendor that you have shopped online. You could be asked for your very own information to “verify” the accounts or “clear-up” errors which may have occurred. Before responding, reconfirm with the vendor. Call up and ensure if necessary, or send a mail and act only as soon as you get a response.

5.Secured Programs: If the purchases are by having a debit or debit card, then make certain that you sign-up for that “verified by VISA” and/or “Master secured code program(s)”. Each transaction will be authorised only by you.

6.Anti-Spyware/Trojan Software: Make without doubt the latest version of antivirus, anti-spyware or anti-Trojan programs were installed on your PC or laptop and they are regularly updated.

These are the safety tips for online shopping.

Safety Tips For Online Shopping.  Available from <http://asianetindia.com/safety-tips-for-online-shopping/> [December 07, 2016]

3 Tips for Increasing Mobile Commerce Sales

3 Tips for Increasing Mobile Commerce Sales by Taz Lake.  Available from <http://multichannelmerchant.com/ecommerce/3-tips-for-increasing-mobile-commerce-sales-21112016/> [Nov 21, 2016 3:54 PM]

With the continued growth of the handheld device market, mobile commerce continues its rapid rise. Many millennials use their smartphones as their primary internet connection, and mobile internet traffic actually surpassed desktop traffic in 2015. This increase is traffic has also led to a rapid increase in mobile sales. A recent BI Intelligence report states that mobile commerce will represent a $79 billion market in 2016, and will make up 45% of all ecommerce by 2020.

The mobile market is clearly growing by leaps and bounds. With over half of all internet traffic coming from mobile devices, what are some of the tips for maximizing mobile commerce opportunities? As someone who has evaluated thousands of websites, I would like to share the following trends and advice:

Mobile Apps Are Not Always Necessary

Many retailers feel that they always need a mobile app to maximize mobile sales. That simply is not true. Today’s mobile devices and browsers have advanced to the point where they can handle most of the functions of the top mobile applications. For example, with the right equipment, location information can now be captured through a browser.  A mobile app is only needed if the incremental spend is justified by a business case.

The key is to treat your website like a product with mobile as a feature. You should dedicate programming resources to it and update it frequently to continually improve commerce opportunities. It is also very important to review your website periodically for errors and bugs. These would ideally be caught before production, but website owners often focus on adding new functionality to their sites, but never clean them up. Websites can easily get bloated this way.

Size Matters

Mobile connections are typically not as fast as wired desktop connections. Therefore, if a website becomes very large and there is no alternative mobile version, you run the risk of losing mobile traffic. It’s great to have a feature-rich desktop version of the site, but it is important to turn some of these features off on the mobile site.  You don’t want to block or delay customers from the main call to action which is to buy your products.

For example, I recently read an article on how Nordstrom added some advanced 3D virtual reality features to their website. Shoppers could use this technology to create 3D models of dresses and preview them in a virtual environment. This feature was a great from a functional perspective, but it was so complex it slowed the site down to the point where it was actually impacting conversions and had to be taken down.

Navigation Is Key

Navigation is one of the biggest challenges in mobile website design because there are so many different products and so little room to properly display them. Navigation control and design is one of the main reasons many of the largest retailers develop mobile apps.

When you build a website, there are ways to enable and disable features on mobile devices based on what’s called a “user agent”.  This technology can tell what type of device and browser you are using, and then the web application tunes certain site features to make the user experience more appealing.

For example, let’s say your desktop website has a fairly complex “megamenu” – a menu that presents sub-menus when the user rolls over specific words or icons.  This feature is not going to work on a mobile device. If you have this feature, you will need to ensure an alternative mobile navigation gets people to where they need to go while still preserving some level of interactivity.

Also, many retail websites provide cross-selling opportunities on certain product pages. This works well on a desktop browser, but screen real estate is limited on mobile devices. Let people focus on each product and give them the ability to add to cart easily if they choose.  Your customers will appreciate not having to scroll through all of this extra information, as well as the faster, uncluttered mobile experience.

Whether this is their first foray into ecommerce or they are considering a retail website redesign, most small and mid-sized retailers should build their websites with mobile first in mind. Mobile technology is the present and the future of e-commerce. More and more consumers are choosing to do their online shopping away from their desks, and the mobile commerce market will doubtlessly continue its rapid growth. Building a feature-rich, yet lean mobile commerce experience is a wonderful starting point for a desktop website.

3 Tips for Increasing Mobile Commerce Sales by Taz Lake.  Available from <http://multichannelmerchant.com/ecommerce/3-tips-for-increasing-mobile-commerce-sales-21112016/> [Nov 21, 2016 3:54 PM]

How brands can leverage the mobile shift

How brands can leverage the mobile shift by .  Available from <http://www.marketingtechnews.net/news/2016/nov/15/how-brands-can-leverage-mobile-shift/> [15 November 2016, 10:10 a.m.]

Today, smartphones are more like an extra limb than a device for most people. Consumers take their phones with them everywhere they go, and each time they unlock their home screens is a chance for brands to become a part of their digital lives.

With 85.7% of smartphone internet time spent in apps versus mobile web, more consumers are opting for the seamless experiences that apps offer.

By keeping a few key tips in mind, brands can make the most of this mobile shift, using apps to drive awareness, engagement and conversions—both online and off—and give consumers the optimised, personalised and engaging experience that they have come to expect in the digital world.

Set goals

It’s a mistake to launch an application for the sake of having one. A successful app begins with planning and setting goals.

These goals will help to target the right audience, measure success and, if needed, adjust strategies. Goals should also be specific. Are you looking to drive more traffic? Increase conversions? Raise awareness?

Clear and defined goals will help deliver an experience that will benefit both brands and consumers.

Offer value

Providing consumers with a 1:1 branded application experience starts with understanding why your application deserves to be included on users’ valuable home screen.

Mobile real estate is a hot commodity, and when consumers run out of mobile storage space, what’s going to compel them to keep your app?

Offering users value, whether it’s through promotions, immersive entertainment or exclusive content, will drive consumers to use your app and engage actively with your brand.

Mobile functionality can also turn a standard branded opportunity to a one-of-a-kind, engaging experience

For example, Phunware teamed up with international media agency MEC and Paramount Pictures International to promote last year’s summer blockbuster, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.

The campaign used branded content within two popular mobile games, creating custom levels that let users experience the thrilling life of an Impossible Missions Force agent.

By offering players unique content not available elsewhere, we were able to drive results, including 13 million overall gameplays, an 87% video ad completion rate and a 6.65% click-through rate.

Understand your audience

As consumers spend more time in apps, brands gain access to an unprecedented amount of user data.

With each interaction, consumers leave behind a digital data trail, giving brands valuable insight into who their users are, when and where to engage and how to hold their attention.

From time spent in app to content and ad engagement to mobile purchasing behavior, mobile app data enables more comprehensive customer profiling and the ability to better segment and target customers.

Consumers also have a lot to gain from the data they leave behind.

The more a brand knows about them, the more personal and relevant content can be. For example, by paying attention to the playlists most frequently used—like Running or Dance—brands like Pandora can learn a lot about who their users are and deliver relevant ads for a more personalsed, less disruptive listening experience.

For retailers, frequent shoppers may receive special offers or rewards upon entering a store, generating quick sales and ultimately, happy shoppers. What’s more, with a deeper understanding of the traits of power users, brands can more easily find lookalike targets to grow their audience even more.

Leverage mobile functionality

Coupled with the first-party data brands get from their own applications, mobile allows for unique experiences users can’t get from a laptop. Bluetooth, GPS and Wi-Fi technology give brands valuable information about users based on where they engage the most.

For instance, those who engage most in airports or hotels during the week are likely to be business travelers. But these functions also enable more ways to reach on-the-go users, including the ability to send contextually-triggered messages and promotions.

Mobile functionality can also turn a standard branded opportunity to a one-of-a-kind, engaging experience.

For example, game immersion experiences that turn a smartphone into a wand or a steering wheel yield a level of consumer engagement that can’t be replicated through traditional channels like websites and subscription-based newsletters, and help garner brand loyalty and customer satisfaction.

One-to-one indoor and outdoor contextual targeting will be critical for brands as consumers continue to spend their time in-app.

According to comScore, with mobile now representing more than 65% of digital media time, mobile applications are a must for brands that haven’t incorporated them yet, and optimisation should be the next step for those that have.

With clear goals in mind, brands that offer valuable content and engaging experiences and utilise the wealth of available mobile data will be on their way to mobile success.

How brands can leverage the mobile shift by .  Available from <http://www.marketingtechnews.net/news/2016/nov/15/how-brands-can-leverage-mobile-shift/> [15 November 2016, 10:10 a.m.]

The Ingredients Of A Successful Mobile App

The Ingredients Of A Successful Mobile App.  Available from <https://techfeatured.com/1766/the-ingredients-of-a-successful-mobile-app> [November 06, 2016; 17:36]

Gone are the days where people used to read and write. The smart phones dominate the life of every other person around the world. These smart phones are powerful in countless ways. Let’s begin by taking a look at all those mobile apps resting in your phone. From cooking to staying healthy, there’s so much you can do through them. Mobile apps have a strong influence in times like these. No, it just doesn’t stop to Candy Crush and Pokemon Go. The mobile apps built in this century are sophisticated and functional like never before. It is tough to stay put with this competition.

If you wish to build an app that runs well in the market, here are some helpful tips for you.

1. Do People Need it?

When you build a mobile app that is the first thing you need to ask yourself. Why is it going to be there in the market in the first place? This will ultimately help you to set your goals right and drive you into the right direction. Is there a void in the market that you intend to fill? It shouldn’t be like any other app in the market. People don’t want to flood their smart phones any longer. When you build an app, it should have a grander purpose and deliver what is not there already.

2. Cross-Platform App

Any mobile application is only beautiful to the users if it appears the same way throughout all the platforms. You know the misery of visiting some websites that completely change its shape on the mobile phone? No one wants to have more of those. You must develop a mobile applications that is functional throughout all the platforms. Haven’t we already seen how terrible the Android users felt because Prisma launched later on Android?

3. It Should be Super Fast

We certainly aren’t patient beings. Let’s not blame us for that. The never ending traffic tests enough of our patience. When it comes to mobile apps, people prefer the ones that are fast and load quickly. No one wishes to wait for it to load and reveal what it has. Most of the times, people wouldn’t wait beyond five seconds for an application to load its pages. Everyone has high expectations when they download an app. Your mobile app should be tested against this and you must ensure it runs fast to survive the competition.

4. Have an Online Presence

Before your mobile applications gets launched in the market, you must have a stronger online presence beforehand. For this reason, a functional and great looking website must be launched before you launch the app in the market. This would help you to promote the application on your own platform and help people to create a stronger brand identity. A major concern of a lot of users is fakeness of mobile apps. Your website will eliminate those fears completely.

The Ingredients Of A Successful Mobile App.  Available from <https://techfeatured.com/1766/the-ingredients-of-a-successful-mobile-app> [November 06, 2016; 17:36]