Whether you are a former entrepreneur or you are about to start your new project and want a strong start and a quick reputation in light of the fierce competition in the local and international markets; In both cases, you cannot ignore the technical progress and the trendy trends in which smartphones and their applications have taken a firm place and have become a basic and indispensable need. You may be thinking where do I start? What steps do I need to follow in order to create an app for your business?
Importance of create an app for your business
The wheel of development in the markets for smart phones and applications is advancing at an unexpected speed, as the rate of selling smartphones has reached about 1.5 billion smart phones annually. The number of applications has reached nearly 9 billion applications, with the number of users exceeding the 3 billion user barrier around the world. You don't want to miss the race right? Well, then you have to adopt a strategy to design an application for your project or company as soon as possible, otherwise you will be in a weak position in the competition market.
Are smart apps really that important to your business? In fact, smart applications have become one of the most prominent means of exchanging information around the world, and their popularity has reached fantastic numbers that are still increasing. Entrepreneurs are striving hard to develop their own applications to consolidate their brand and gain customer loyalty through their smartphones.
Before we begin to list the steps for creating your own application, you must realize that the basis for building any successful project lies in its good planning and management. Each step needs careful consideration, so don't ever skimp on giving enough time and resources to each stage.
Steps to create an app for your business
Applications are simply like computer programs, but they are customized and directed to a specific and clear goal or goal, perhaps to communicate, surf the Internet, or even play. Just as computer programs are generally intended for Windows and Mac systems, the applications are intended for smartphones operating on Android and iOS systems, in addition to secondary systems such as Windows.
The applications are not required; That is, it does not require a large processing capacity, as it is specialized, as we mentioned, to perform a specific function. You will go through the journey of creating your own application with three main stops, ending with choosing the right application developer. Each of them must be given enough time and resources to get a great job:
The first stage: Realizing the importance of smart create an app for your business
You might be wondering, do I really have to go through the intricacies of creating a smart app and designing an IDP? Well, it's simpler than you think and the results you will get in your business campaign or project will be noticeable. Therefore, knowing where the strength and benefit of creating an application for your project lies, will boost your confidence and help you build a clear strategy, to design your own application and evaluate its success after its launch. The strengths of smart applications can be summarized in:
1. Branding
If we asked people what three overlapping circles mean to you, what would the answer of the great majority be? Of course it will be the luxury car company Audi, why such a firm impression? In fact, this is due to great efforts to consolidate the brand and the company’s reputation in the minds of customers, and this is exactly what your application will do if you succeed in making it a unique experience for your customers.
Applications are a simple tool, compared to traditional field marketing and promotion campaigns. Through it, you can establish the name and features of your products and services and constantly remind the customer of them, through notifications, offers, discounts and other features provided by smart applications. In other words, your brand will be with your customers wherever they go through your application.
2. Marketing
- If you have already established your business, this means that you have already started a marketing campaign on social media, via email, and more. But your campaign will be incomplete without creating an application for your project or organization, especially if your project requires some features that can only be obtained through smart applications.
- For example, if you are opening a chain of restaurants, through a smartphone application, you can take advantage of the GPS feature and send an automatic notification to the customer that includes the food offers that you offer in your restaurant when he is near him.
3. Gain customer loyalty
By taking advantage of the interactive interfaces in smart applications, you can present offers, prizes, gifts and free vouchers, which will attract customers and establish them with the efficiency of your brand. For example, you can include in your application for your restaurant the points feature, so that your customer gets points recorded by the application for each order for a meal, and then give him a discount or a free meal when he reaches a certain point limit. Small ideas yes, but you will notice that they have a great psychological impact on your customers.
Through the application, you can also provide a quick and flexible response to your customers' requests. With a few clicks on their phone, they can request your product or service and do not have to call and follow the voice procedures that are annoying to some. In addition to the possibility of creating a section for complaints and suggestions in your application, all of this will add confidence in the hearts of your customers and gain their loyalty.
4. Greater access to your customers
- Well, if your project includes the adoption and marketing of famous local or international brands and products, or if you seek to sell your own products and services, smart applications are your short-cut way to reach satisfactory sales, but how?
- As you know, displaying your products on one of the platforms of local or international electronic stores such as: Amazon or eBay requires the customer to dedicate his time, attention and targeting your products in advance. In the sense that your products must be known and the customer decides to buy your product and searches for it among hundreds of similar products in the store, the competition in those stores is great, in the end the store is not your own store.
- As for when you are working on creating an application for your products or services, then you will have given your project a character of privacy. You have your own application and your customers can enter an application and see all your products without the competing products attracting their attention, that application will be your own online store.
The second stop: Learn about the different types of applications
Knowing the appropriate type of application for your project is the basis of the entire application design process. Choosing the most appropriate type will not only save you the initial investment, but will also avoid errors and unnecessary maintenance and follow-up costs. There are three main types of smartphone applications in the global markets, which are web applications, native applications, and hybrid applications.
It should be noted that an important thing is that each type of application has its appropriate use. There is no one type of application that is suitable for all uses, so you have to choose the right type for your project. Below is a breakdown of the features of each type to facilitate the selection process.
1. Web Applications
In fact, web applications are not applications in the sense that ordinary users perceive, but rather an interactive display interface programmed within an independent internal browser. what is the meaning of that? This means that web applications are Internet pages (sites) that are programmed and configured to provide greater ease and a better experience in the interaction of browsing users.
Web applications differ from traditional sites or pages in that they include interactive interfaces, tools, and services, while traditional sites rely on news, that is, they contain only information. A purely information-providing site.
Web applications are distinguished from native applications and hybrid applications in that they do not require much effort during the design and programming process, and they work on all platforms and operating systems in smartphones. This means that you will need one software code in order to create a web application for your project, this code will work on all operating systems, only an internal browser and an Internet connection are required.
One of the most prominent advantages of web applications is that they do not require much effort in maintenance and updating processes, as the application database will not be on the phone, but will be on the original site of the project. Thus, you can easily update the content of the application and maintenance of bugs.
As for the negative aspects of web applications, they are limited in their features, unlike native applications and hybrid applications, they are not installed on the mobile phone and therefore do not have the powers to use the features of smart phones, such as the camera, microphone, sensors, GPS, etc., and also require an Internet connection for the user to interact with your project data.
Web applications are a good option if you want to display products or services and connect them to a basic online database, or if you are going to display your products or services in local or global centers and link them to your primary database on your own site, as is the case with the Amazon app for example.
If your goal is to use the features and services of smartphones to display your products or services, then native and hybrid applications will be the best option for you. I will give you an example if you want to showcase and market your products to customers using Augmented Reality technology, as in the IKEA application, You need to employ a mobile camera and so native apps will be the best option in such projects.
2. Native apps
Native apps are distinguished from web applications in their complexity and dependence on the features and capabilities of smart phones, and they are similar to computer programs; The user must install it on the phone, in other words, the basic data of the application is on the internal storage of the device and does not require the Internet to work, and it is characterized by fast performance, smoothness and ease of use, and provides a better customer experience.
Native applications need to write different programming code for each platform or operating system. This means that if you want to create an application for your project on Android and iOS phones, for example, you need to design two different code for each system separately, and this requires that you assign two developers (or a programmer familiar with both systems) to work on each code. The effort of maintenance and modernization will be doubled, so huge costs will be waiting for you!
As mentioned, native apps are directly related to the operating system. Therefore, one of its features is the ability to exploit the features of smart phones, such as: the camera, microphone, tracking system, and others in presenting or marketing products and services. These applications can also be connected to an online database, thus you can enhance the communication process with customers through the application generation of notifications and reminders. Attracting the customer's attention contributes to consolidating your brand and enhancing the customer's trust and connection with it.
These applications can be sold or displayed through well-known application stores such as: Google Play, the App Store and iTunes, and they require the user to download the application files and then install them on the phone, unlike web applications that do not require this as mentioned above.
3. Hybrid apps
Hybrid apps combine web applications and native applications, and are characterized by extensive customization and use of smartphone features. It is also characterized by a single software code that works on various mobile operating systems. It is thus easier to develop and maintain than native applications, but more difficult than web applications, and requires only a slight additional software effort to deploy on all platforms.
Hybrid applications lack the power of the original applications, their smooth performance, and their full use of smartphone features, but they nevertheless provide a distinct experience and better performance than web applications. The user must download the application from the main stores for each operating system and then install it as in the original applications,These applications can be linked to your online database as well.
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The third stage: Building the optimal application design strategy for your business
Everything we discussed earlier is in the framework of building the appropriate strategy for you that will lead you to success in each step of the design, so you must give this stage enough time, as it will determine the extent of the success of your application in the short and long term. Here are the five keys to building a coherent strategy for creating a successful implementation of any entrepreneurial project.
1. Write down the results you want from the application
This step may seem intuitive, but it is necessary for the success of the rest of the steps. Put a pen and paper in front of you and write down the results you are looking for from the application. Is your goal for marketing or perhaps to offer a new and unique shopping experience to customers who are constantly dealing with your products? What increase in the number of customers or percentage of sales do you expect from the application? Make sure to write down all the points you expect to get from using the smart app in your project.
2. Determine the nature of the target customers from your smart application
If you have established your business previously, you must have identified the spectrum of customers that you want to attract to your product or service, and if you have not started with that step, you must complete it now. Who will be interested in your products? Who are the potential customers to use your services? What are the points through which you can attract the attention of these customers? The answers to all of these questions depend on precisely identifying your target customers.
3. Study your competitors’ strategies and applications
Do you want your application to enter the competition market strongly? You should therefore carefully research the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors' applications. What are the features that attract customers in these applications? What are the features that customers wish it had? Knowing these features will form a solid grounding for your application. Of course, blind imitation will inevitably put you at the back of the race, you have to take advantage of the experiences of your opponents and then develop your own strategy.
4. Choose the type of application your business needs to succeed
Previously, we detailed the three types of smartphone applications and the advantages and disadvantages of each of them, and you have to determine the type of application that is best for your particular project, and here are some notes that will help you in determining the right type for you:
If you are planning to make your app paid, native apps are the best option; It can be published in popular app stores, and this will help to market and present it to your customers, in addition to that, hybrid apps are also an option, you can ask the programmer to configure them to display in the app stores.
If your goal from the application is to increase the connectivity of your website and publish it to the largest number of users, then the hybrid application is the best option, as it does not require much programming effort as the case with the original applications, and you can design it to work on all smartphone operating platforms.
If you want an attractive application to display your products within an interactive interface with effort and acceptable costs, your destination is web applications. By employing one programmer, you can design a comprehensive web application that works on various smartphone operating systems, but do not forget that the limited use of web applications does not enable you to take advantage of the features of phones. The smart one.
5. Select the OS you want to target from the app
Android or iOS, which one should you choose? Or maybe it is better to choose both operating systems? Well it actually depends on your project itself, but there are some points that you should know before making your decision. Of course, if you have adopted the creation of a web application or a hybrid application, you can bypass this stage.
But if the original application is the best choice for your project, then you should realize that designing these applications requires good software skill from the developer, and you will have to assign a developer for each operating system if you decide to adopt both operating systems for your application. Each platform has a different programming language and platform, of course extending your app to Android and iOS increases the potential popularity of your app.
The Android system is based on the Java language, which is characterized by its ease of use and flexibility, and the search for an experienced programmer is easy, while the iOS system depends on the Objective C and Swift languages, and the latter is the preferred language at the moment for applications iPhone.
Here are some points that will help you choose the right operating system:
- Programming the application in a secure and controlled operating platform such as iOS, helps you predict the results of the application and avoid programming errors and even security holes in applications. It is useful to know that users of Apple devices are forced to constantly update their phone operating systems, so this will reduce software errors and facilitate the maintenance and update process for your application.
- If you tend to create a flexible app and can get the most of the features of a smartphone, then the Android system outperforms its iOS counterpart. It is characterized by being an open source application and has greater programming flexibility and better exploitation of the capabilities of smart phones.
- If you plan to sell your app, the iOS system is suitable for that, as the iTunes Store and the App Store include more paid apps than free ones, thus a larger base of potential users to purchase your app.
- The Android system is superior to its counterpart in terms of advertising revenue, so if you are going to get a financial return from the ads in your application, then Android device users are the best target.
- If your application is directed or configured to be used on tablets, as well as in statistical applications and graph studies, Apple devices outperform their Android counterparts in popularity and have a greater popularity base.
- The main point and the most important, is the opinion of your potential customers and individuals in the community in which you are embarking on the implementation of your project, you have to create a survey of your own, what is the preferred operating system for them? What devices are prevalent and prevalent in your town or community?
How do you find the right App builder for you?
We have now come to your last and most important stage, which is to hire the right developer to design your application. We have previously indicated that your knowledge of the details of the application compatible with your business project is necessary in order for the terms and requirements of work to be clear with the developer, and to make it easier for you to anticipate the results that you will get from your application.
Choosing the right programmer is a delicate matter, as it requires a reliable source and a destination that guarantees the accuracy and credibility of the work. The best way to ensure that you create a great app at a reasonable cost is to hire an app developer via an independent platform; The largest Arab platform for freelance work. As it includes an audience of capable Arab developers, you can add your project, choose the right developer and make sure of the quality of his work, ratings and opinions about it.
You have to know exactly what the programmer’s role is. To avoid misunderstanding and lack of clarity in the expected results, the selected programmer is expected to complete the following work:
- Works with you in the planning stage for the features to be added to the application
- Write clear and accurate code in the programming language of the target operating system
- Coordination with the work staff if necessary, such as coordinating with the marketing and financial resources officer in order to add electronic payment features, for example.
- Test the code's security, effectiveness, and bug-freeness.
- Continuously follow up and develop the application to keep pace with operating system updates.
In order to ensure that the selected programmer accomplishes the previous tasks, you must look at certain qualities that the programmer possesses, including these qualities
Application developer skills
- Communication skill: Continuous and diligent communication between you and the developer, and between the developer and other individuals responsible for the project, is an essential condition for the success of the project. So make sure to choose a programmer who is flexible and has good communication and follow-up skill.
- Accuracy of work: Never hesitate to choose a professional programmer, as a perfect application will inevitably generate better profits and will save you a lot of money and effort in maintaining errors and software defects.
- Creativity: A creative programmer will suggest promising solutions that you may have missed in the planning stage, so look for a programmer who is a leader in their field.
- Language proficiency: The selected programmer must also be proficient in the appropriate programming language for the type of application you have chosen for your project. Web applications require proficiency in HTML, CSS and Javascript. Native apps require Objective C and Swift for iOS and Java for Android, while hybrid apps require expertise in HTML5 and Javascript.
It's now up to you to choose the right developer, always be clear and transparent about the requirements you want in your app, and be sure to choose a committed developer. Programming the application is part of the success and needs continuous follow-up to the performance of the application and its development if necessary.
Our time has now become the age of technology, and it has become difficult - if not a fantasy - for any business owner to be able to start any successful and pioneering new project without adopting modern technology. Therefore, do not hesitate to decide to create an application for your projects and business, as any delay may leave you behind the local and global competition.