Why, When and How to Develop Mobile, Web and Software Applications
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In today’s world, it’s hard to find an industry that would grow as fast as software and application development. This is happening due to the fact of the introduction of software and hardware systems instead of people in production, commerce, and business automation. For this reason, new, previously unused or unknown business opportunities are opening up. The development of mobile, web and software applications constantly improving, chasing the two goals:
- Automation of communication with clients via the Internet.
- Widespread use of computers, software and mobile devices inside of corporate activities to accelerate data processing and reduce operational costs.
Regardless of what services or products your company offers, the development of the appropriate app will significantly improve communication, business efficiency, and profitability.
What is application development?
App development is application programming used for software creation and consists of some steps. These steps are called Applications Development Life Cycle or Systems Development Life Cycle (SDCL) and include:
- Planning. Determining the area of use and problems which this application will solve.
- Analysis. An indication of the basic functional requirements and tasks that will be set before the developers for apps.
- Design. Determining exactly how the application will look in the eyes of the client.
- Construction. The process of code writing and design creation.
- Testing. Checking the application for operability and compliance with the requirements specified in the “Planning” part.
- Implantation. Enabling people to download and test the newly developed application.
- Support. Creating patches and monitoring user reviews.
Despite the fact that these points are always the same – their solution and implementation can differ significantly from case to case. Therefore, to facilitate classification, there are several different software development methods. Among the most popular are the following:
- Custom Application Development. In cases where commercial off-the-shelf software (COTS) does not fulfill all the functions necessary for a business, the best solution would be to create a custom option.
- Rapid Application Development (RAD). RAD will be relevant when the final product needs to be launched as soon as possible. In fact, this is a phased development of several application modules separately.
- Low Code Application Development (LCAD). This process takes place using intuitive virtual interfaces. This is a great solution for those who are not a professional programmer, but at the same time have a request to automate some work processes in their business.
- Mobile Apps Software Development. The developed apps will be further used on mobile platforms, the most popular of which are Android and iOS.
- Database Application Development. The final product will be used to effectively collect and manage information. Performing various calculations, creating reports, exchanging information between team members – the Database application helps to cope with all this easily.
- Enterprise Applications Development. This is a special type of software designed specifically for the needs of large organizations. It has the functions necessary for mass data storage and full or partial automation of business processes of varying complexity.
Whatever type of development you require, there are several ways to approach this issue. Firstly, you can try to do everything DIY or with the help of familiar experts. And secondly, you can send an order for processing to a reliable outsourcing app development company, such as Front Desk Helpers (FDH). This company provides app development for hire services and has a full staff that can successfully solve any problem associated with the creation of applications of any type.
How to develop an application
The issue “how to develop an application”, if to look at it on a global scale, may seem unimaginably complex. Still, if to expand it into several points, the situation will become much simpler and it will be clear where to start. These points are:
- Create an idea. You do not need any special devices for this. Just take a piece of paper and write on it the features which should be mandatory in the application and those which are just desirable. Strive to realize all from the first, and if possible do not forget about the second ones. This way you get the so-called Minimum Viable Product (MVP). This is the very first version of your application and its history begins now.
- Analyze the market. Often this point is skipped during the development process and this is a rather big mistake. Take a few days to figure out is the idea worth it. This way you can figure out how your competitors act, what potential customers want and how your application will work, app development cost and other very important things. Also, if possible, try to analyze the mistakes of competitors, as this will help to make an application that will become truly successful and effective.
- Creating a layout. In fact, this is a rough sketch of how your app will look in front of the end-user. It primarily tests the general usability of the application and its user interface (UI). There is no room for design since the layout primarily shows a functional approach.
- Graphic design. You can solve this issue both DIY or by hiring a developer for an app. It all depends on the complexity of the application and the functionality that you want to see in it. So, the choice is entirely yours. The main thing is to understand in time when you can cope on your own, and when the help of a third party is needed.
- Create a landing page for the application. Often this issue is also ignored, although it is very important. And it’s good to have a landing page before you even start creating code. This will allow to more effectively find the target audience for your app. The opportunity to talk with interested people to understand which functions are perhaps not so important and can be excluded, and which, on the contrary, should be added is also quite useful. In addition, a landing page will be a great way to advertise your final product.
- Creation of program code. Finally, this moment has come, now with a clear understanding of what functions and features are must-have and which can be neglected, the process of writing code will become much easier. In this case, it is also worthwhile to clearly understand which parts of the development you can take on, and with which, on the contrary, you may need help. The main thing to remember is that time is money, and as soon as you feel that you cannot overcome on your own, you always can contact an outsourcing company, for example, FDH.
- Launch and advertise your offer. When everything is ready, you can safely launch the application for use. Thanks to the presence of the landing page, the distribution process is much simplified already. Also, if this is a mobile application, then you should add it to the App Store or Google Play.
- Improvement. Carefully follow user reviews and, if necessary, make the important changes, and release the new updates. You can also add important new functionality to the application basin on the reviews.
Now you can easily see that creating the application is really a very complex process, which nevertheless can be solved with success. At the same time, if you doubt your abilities and are not sure that you will 100% create a high-quality product, you can always contact the outsourcing company FDH which app development team for hire will help to solve any problems with applications development.
Custom application development
In terms of methodology, the custom application development is not much different from the creation of a commercial one. The main difference is that these custom applications are required to perform clear, narrowly defined tasks. Custom app development is most often carried out either by the internal forces of the company or by hiring developers for the app from third parties. Often, the last option is used because outsourcing companies offer further support for a custom application. This is convenient because quite possible that the application will not have a large number of customer reviews due to its narrow specialization, but nevertheless, it must be constantly maintained and updated. The Front Desk Helpers outsourcing company offers to its customers complex services with which the cost of app development can be greatly reduced.
Mobile application development
Mobile application development is not much different from traditional software creation. One of the key differences is the fact that a mobile application is often created considering some unique functions that a particular mobile device offers. For example, it can be games written taking into account the presence of an accelerometer in the iPhone or a mobile health application that uses the temperature sensor in a smartwatch. The Front Desk Helpers is a mobile application development company that has a team of professionals who know all the features of mobile devices and create apps that use these functions at 100%.
At the start, the mobile app development was happening with keeping in mind the fact that even at a low level, new code must be written specifically for the mobile device architecture of a particular device. Nowadays, fortunately, the situation has changed for the better and the development of mobile applications is focused on creating products that are much less dependent on the type of device they will be used. To speed up development and reduce the cost of it, progressive cross-platform tools and languages, such as C#, JavaScript, Java, and others, are used. If the application development budget is sufficient or it is necessary to create a high-performance mobile application for a specific platform, then Swift (former Objective-C) for iOS or Kotlin (former Java) for Android is used to develop apps for iOS and Android. Also, such products integrate perfectly with application lifecycle management tools, including Jenkins.
How to: Android apps development
The tips below will be useful for the development of the app for Android:
- Visit the official Android site. It is very important to thoroughly study all the information that is presented in this resource. It is possible that you will not be able to immediately remember and understand everything about how to develop an Android app, but at least you will have a place where to look for information in the future.
- Check out the Material Design. Perhaps this is one of the best things Google has created. As in the option above, it is very important to study everything that is on this site and understand its essence.
- Select the IDE. In this case, the choice should be made between the two tools Eclipse and Android Studio.
- Write the code. If you are a beginner – the numerous free lessons about developing Android apps will help you in this. You can also always go to the official Android site and in the “Development” section gather a lot of useful and necessary information for yourself.
- Always stay up to date. Try to always be aware of the latest developments and innovations in the field of creating applications for Android. This will allow creating competitive products, and will greatly facilitate the work as an Android developer.
For additional, more specialized tips, advice and tricks in Android application development, you can always contact the Front Desk Help consultant and get free help. Also, there you can always hire an Android app developer there.
How to develop an iOS app
Before you start iOS app development it is better to get acquainted with tools and guidelines provided by Apple. This company is famous for the fact that it often imposes restrictions on the application, so it is very important to know in advance whether your product will be able to access the App Store. Apple is very conservative in terms of accepting apps, so if your product at least slightly might seem risky it will most likely be blocked. Keep this in mind. If you want to be sure that the application will get the full access, you can turn to a Front Desk Helpers outsourcing company where professionals will assist you in any stage of iPhone app development.
To create applications based on Mac and iOS Apple the special IDE (Xcode) is used. Xcode is a graphical interface that has everything you need to create code based on iOS 8 with the new Swift programming language. At the same time – app development with Swift is not the only option and you can program in any number of languages, including Objective-C.
In terms of design, the application used in the App Store should have the same basic elements of the user interface, and this will significantly increase their chances of being in this store. Fortunately, you will not be completely ignorant as there are some good tutorials on the official Apple website for developers on how to develop an iOS app with the right design.
Cross-platform app development
As the name implies, cross-platform application development is responsible for creating applications that can function on multiple operating systems. Key approaches include:
- Creating a hybrid mobile application. In this case, the kernel is written in HTML5 or JavaScript and then placed in the device’s own shell.
- Rapid Mobile Application Development (RMAD). Here the programmers use tools without code. RMAD offers business users the opportunity to get a good internal application used to solve specific business problems in the shortest possible time.
- Universal Windows applications. They have one code base for all Windows devices. The main goal is the develop an app cross-platform with the ability to run on a PC with Windows, tablet, smartphone or Xbox.
- Progressive Web Applications (PWA). These are sites that look and act like mobile applications, although in essence, they are not one of these. Such apps are necessary to take advantage of the functions of mobile devices, but at the same time, the user does not need to download the application from the store.
Any of the options above you can perform by yourself (in presence of certain skills of course) or redirect this job to the third-party outsourcers, for example to the Front Desk Helpers company. Such action may significantly reduce the time needed for cross-platform app development.
App development outsourcing
Every year the number of mobile applications increases more and more. If to believe the statistics, already in 2020, such numbers will exceed 5 million. For this reason, any businessman tries to have its own application. At the same time, not every (especially novice) entrepreneur has the opportunity to form a professional staff of developers, but outsourced app development provided by Front Desk Helpers will come to aid in this situation.
There are two important reasons why you should pay attention to third-party app development outsourcing.
- The general shortage of developers. If the number of applications will grow (and it will), the number of developers from the United States and Western Europe will not be enough to fill the market, and this creates a certain deficit of developers. Because of this, the price of development will increase even more. At the same time, in application development company that works with programmers from India, China, and Eastern Europe, the development price will be much lower (about 2 to 3 times).
- Time-savings. If you turn to outsource you do not need to spend time searching, hiring, training and retaining employees. You will immediately have a ready-made team with extensive experience and which is able to complete the project in the shortest possible time and with high quality. One of the companies that have managed to establish itself well in the application development service field is Front Desk Helpers.
Web app development
Web applications are programs that are located on remote servers and to which the user accesses via the Internet. The web app development has a fairly short life cycle and is most often done by a small team of specialists.
Programming is performed with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Scripts, in turn, are written by using Ruby, Java, or Python. Also, thanks to these three last tools the user interface is created and the source code becomes hidden.
Despite the fast website application development speed, the process of testing web applications is often quite lengthy. This is because in such applications a large amount of information is stored in which there will most likely be a variety of errors. Testing together with the custom web application development can be transferred to a third party (for example, the Front Desk Helpers company) in order to significantly facilitate the process.
Software app development
The development of software applications for Windows is a serious matter and can be a great test even for an experienced team. Before the start, it will be a good idea to get a free specialist consultation from the Front Desk Helpers. Also, this company offers the opportunity to order the cloud application development from the simplest to the enterprise level. Front Desk Helpers app development company can support you with professionals like:
- Python application developer;
- Amazon application developer;
- Facebook app developer;
- Google app developer.
All specialists have extensive experience and ready to perform their tasks at 100%. Our remote employes are qualified personnel and you can see how we work and select the most appropriate and skilled team to get the best results and boost your revenue immediately!
Game app development
The game application development is currently one of the fastest rising areas of the IT industry. Digital entertainment attracts millions of people to their fictional worlds. Of course, this brings a lot of profit. If you decide to create your own game, then you will definitely need a professional in the game app development. Such kinds of professionals are rare specialists and quickly finding such a person in the labor market and getting an immediate result is quite difficult (almost impossible). But with the help of the outsourcing company Front Desk Helpers, you can almost immediately hire a game app developer and start the creation of your product. It can be carried out on such game engines:
- Unreal Engine. This product provides almost unlimited opportunities for developing games on mobile devices, personal computers, and game consoles.
- Unity. It is an intuitive engine armed with a wide range of possibilities for developing both 2D and 3D games. It is considered one of the best cross-platform game development tools.
- Corona SDK. Cross-platform engine for developing 2D games used on mobile platforms as well as Apple TV and Android TV. The scripting language used is LUA. This game engine is available on both Windows and Mac.
- Amazon Lumberyard. A free game engine based on Cryengine from Crytek. It can be used to create games on Android, iOS, PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Due to its cross-platform functions Lumberyard has a huge number of tools for creating AAA games of any kind.
- Cocos2D. As you can easily understand from the name, this is a set for creating 2D games for Android, iOS, Linux and OS X. It has an open-source code and a lot of detailed documentation. It is extremely resource-efficient and gives the opportunity to game app developers for hire to create nice small games up to 1.5 MB in size. For visualization of 2D graphics, OpenGL is used.
Of course, this is far from the only game engines with which Front Desk Helpers game app developers can operate. To get more information, you can always contact the company manager and get a free consultation.
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