Are you rushing to create your iPhone business app?

This is what we tell one another these days, be it in our personal lives or professional ones. The same is true when thinking of using state of the art technology to boost performance as well as to help society at large. Thanks to the modern day inventions, businessmen now breathe a sigh of relief, because of the way their smart hand held devices have eased the burden on their shoulders. This is why, application developers burn the midnight oil working on apps that would bring in the best output as well as ease lifestyles, in the workplace and out of it as well.

Designing can be tough

Do not jump the gun choosing a developer that promises you the sun or the moon, but shows you dirt at the end. Phones play a very important role in personal as well as professional lives, and that’s why it is best to choose an application developer who has;

a. Experience
b. Expertise
c. Success rates, along with
d. The best results from the past

For this it is important to do your homework as well as research, conduct surveys if need be but do not blindly shoot in the dark. The end users requirements need to be satisfied and that is what you should bother about.

Tips to follow

1. Which platform do you want to use? This should be your first query and you should find an answer to it, before you start working on developing the application you dream to launch. For money matters, working on iOS would be the best, since it is used widely across iPads as well as iPhones. With android apps, revenues flow slow inwards and downloading them is a pain.

2. Social sharing should be included, and this is what actually rakes in the moolah over time. Make space for users to share their experiences as well as to post it. If you are developing an application for gaming needs, there should be enough space for the user to share real time feedback on your company’s profile.

3. Do you want the application to be FREE or PAID? This would be your decision at the end of the day and in sync with the aims or ambitions of the app too. If you want to promote your brand or market the company well, keep the application free.

4. Value added services with an application would be a very preferable aspect. Yes, this is a fact because as a consumer one would always want a little more than what money can buy. The app isn’t a part of your company, it is a sister concern, hence should be treated as an entity which is individualistic along with being a money making one. So, let the application speak of the core values your business shows, but ensure you beat competition at the same time too.

5. The app needs to be relevant as well as apt or else it wouldn’t answer the needs of the end user as well. The information given needs to be apt with that of the app, including suggestions and tips on using the application.

6. Interact with your customers to inform them on how to use the app on a regular basis. Give them news they can use, provide timely updates as well as have a system in place that would automatically do it all.

7. Retain your users and make the user base loyal to your app, so that they use it everyday. Downloading an app doesn’t mean they love your app or the app is a hit, that is in fact just step one towards success. The moment of truth comes about when they use it every day.

8. Be regular with the app updates and communicate with the masses. No one likes to be left in the dark, especially if there are downtimes to maintain. Suggestions, brickbats, etc. should be welcomed, because this would help your app gain name, fame, as well as money.

9. Update the functional features of the app regularly. This should be an app that would work as a marketing manager for your company. For that it is important to check with the workings of a smartphone and how the end users would use the app.

10. Keep it simple and user friendly, or lose out!!

Business owners need help and for that, you now have to come out with an app which is user friendly and state of the art, with functions that would connect the end user while being on the go. Hence, take your time, do your market research, study the consumer’s needs and only then invest in the best.

You can hire developers from top iPhone app development companies in India who can help you build mobile apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide iPhone app development services. If you would like to discuss with an expert iPhone app developer from our team, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

Does Your Business need a Mobile App?

A number of recent reports have highlighted how mobile apps will reshape the future of businesses in the upcoming years. The steady increase in the sale of smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices also indicate the necessity of mobile applications for enterprises. However, a business has to consider many factors before developing a mobile application. Also, it has option to consider several alternatives including mobile websites. Therefore, it has become essential for each enterprise to decide if it is time to invest in mobile app development.

5 Reasons Why Each Business Requires a Mobile App

1) Reach and Engage Most Relevant Customers

You may be finding it a daunting challenge to promote your products or services by targeting the most relevant audience. The mobile apps make it easier for you to reach the most relevant customer in real time. At the same time, the application will also enable you to keep the customers engaged by accessing their location and detailed profile information. Along with promoting your business, you can further encourage the app users to purchase your products by offering coupons, interactive deals and similar incentives. With most users downloading business applications, it becomes easier for you to attract and engage the most relevant customers and prospects.

2) Serve Mobile Ads
Many reports have highlighted how mobile ads are more effective that other conventional and digital advertising techniques. Often businesses have to incur additional expenses to server mobile ads through publishers and marketing companies. The enterprise mobile app will make it easier for you to serve mobile ads by targeting the most relevant users, while avoiding additional expenses. Along with giving coupons and discounts, you can also easily send location-based push notifications. The innovative advertising methods will further keep your customers interested and engaged.

3) Add Value to Your Customer Service
Often the quality of customer service and support helps a business to retain customers. The business mobile app will make it easier for you to deliver prompt customer service, while adding value to your existing customer care services. Many customers, nowadays, gather information about a product or service directly using their smartphones and tablets. Similarly, many people even buy goods using their mobile devices to save both time and effort. So you can always build a base of happy customers by providing smart and quick customer service through the application.

4) Allow Customers to Shop on the Go
Each customer wants to buy the best product at his own pace and convenience. Along with gather information about a specific product or service, many people, nowadays, prefer shopping through mobile apps. So you can always use your enterprise application as a mobile store that enables users to browse through the products and shop on the go. Many reports have highlighted the growing popularity of mobile shopping options among customers residing in different regions. So you can beat competition through the application by providing smart and flexible shopping options to customers.

5) Avoid Losing Customers
Despite the growing popularity of digital and mobile shopping, many people still prefer shopping at local stores. As the customers will not gather address and contact numbers by visiting your business website, it is important to allow them to access the information in an instant. The application enables you to let customers access your contact information without initiating a web search. Further, the app can use the GPS tracking feature of their mobile devices, and enable customers to find your business without any hassle. The combination of mobile advertisement and option to target all types of customers will help you in building a base of regular customers.

Each business can further choose from a number of mobile application development options. In addition to developing the enterprise app by deploying its in-house team of developers, it can also consider hiring a freelance mobile app developer or outsourcing the project. Many enterprises prefer outsourcing the project to a reliable company to develop, launch and promote their mobile applications without investing any extra time and effort.

You can hire certified mobile app developers from top mobile app development companies in India who can help you build mobile apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide mobile app development services. If you would like to know more about the expertise of our expert mobile app developers, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

What impacts Mobile App download numbers?

According to a statement released by research firm Gartner recently, “Mobile app stores will see annual downloads reach 102 billion in 2013, up from 64 billion in 2012. Total revenue in 2013 will reach USD 26 billion, up from USD 18 billion in 2012.” The statement also predicted a steady growth in the upcoming years, while adding that free mobile apps constituted for 91% of the total application downloads this year. These constantly increasing number of downloads further encourage many enterprises to invest in mobile application development.

But with more and more companies venturing into mobile app business, the field has become highly competitive. Each enterprise, nowadays, has to implement a comprehensive mobile application development and promotion strategy to make its apps popular within a very short span of time. At the same time, the strategy also needs to identify the key technologies and market forces that affect the number of mobile app downloads.

Important Factors Affecting Mobile App Download

Performance and Speed of the App
Many reports have highlighted how the mobile app loading time can have a huge impact on the user experience as well as number of downloads. Often users avoid applications that take more time to load, or require them to take a higher number of actions. So the performance, efficiency and speed of the mobile application must be optimized, while making it more focuses to keep the users impressed and engaged.

Options to Get User Feedback
People love to use mobile apps that are more interactive. Most users also appreciate the feedback mechanism provided by applications. At the same time, many mobile users also look for constant consumer-centric improvements in the app. The right feedback mechanism will help you in gathering the user feedback and comments, and implement these suggestions to deliver improved user experience. Further, you must convey information about the updated version of the mobile application to users, and encourage them to download it to avail a set of fresh and innovative features.

Make the App Easy-to-Customize
Each user wants to customize the mobile application according to his personal preference. So you can easily make the application popular by incorporating features that enables users to personalize it by adjusting settings. It is also a good idea to allow users to change the color, font size, font type and privacy settings to add more value to the app, while delivering more personalized user experience.

Use Dedicated App Marketing Channels
Most mobile application stores allow application developers and resellers to promote their apps by availing customized advertisement options. However, you have to choose the marketing channel according to your mobile application. For instance, the iOS apps can be promoted through Apple’s iAD, whereas the Android apps will be promoted through Google’s AdMob. As these dedicated mobile application marketing channels are effective in reaching out to a large base of mobile users, you can use these advertisement options to get more mobile app downloads immediately after its launch.

Make the Application More Searchable
Many users gather information about mobile apps using online search engines. So the landing page of the application must be optimized to appear at the top of major search engine results pages. Similarly, the title, descriptions and feature list of the application also need to be optimized by using the most relevant keyword and phrases. You can always make your app more searchable to increase the number of downloads without relying on the app stores.

Create App Profiles
You can always optimize the exposure of a specific mobile application by creating profiles on directories, review sites and similar online platforms. It is also a good idea to submit the app to popular app reviewers, and request them to post app reviews. The app reviews will further help you in determining the flaws that affect user experience negatively. You can even use the data to increase app downloads by launching its updated version.

Track the App Constantly
The app promotion strategy must be modified and updated regularly to optimize the campaign. You must keep track of the app consistently using a set of tools and services. The constant tracking will make it easier for you to gather key information about the app including the audience, their age group and usage pattern. You can even consider using mobile app analytics to gather detailed information about the performance of your mobile app, along with identifying its flaws and weaknesses.

The number of mobile app downloads is also impacted by the current and upcoming trends in technology and user demand. At the same time, an enterprise also needs to update its app at regular intervals to increase the number of downloads.

You can hire mobile app programmers from top app development firms who can help you build mobile apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide mobile app development services. If you would like to discuss with an expert mobile app developer from our team, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

How Publishers Hope to Close the Mobile Revenue Gap

A number of recent reports have highlighted that websites, nowadays, get over 50% of their visitors through mobile platforms. With more and more users accessing internet on their handheld devices, it has become essential for enterprise to explore innovative ways to serve ads on mobile. However, many reports have also highlighted that mobile ad rates are still negligible in comparison to conventional rates of advertisement. Therefore, each publisher will find it a daunting challenge to close the mobile revenue gap. At the same time, each enterprise must make and implement a comprehensive mobile advertisement strategy by considering some important factors.

5 Effective Ways to Close the Mobile Revenue Gap

1) Target Multiple Mobile Platforms
Despite the rapidly growing popularity of Android, iOS still generates the maximum ad revenue. So the publisher needs to target the right mobile operating system. In addition to the popularity and market share of the mobile operating system, it is also important to consider its potential to generate ad revenue. An enterprise can further consider serving ads on multiple handheld devices and platforms to generate more revenue. However, no publisher can ignore some of the existing mobile platforms, because Symbian is still effective in generating adequate ad revenue despite being ditched by Nokia in favor of Windows Phones.

2) Personalize Display Ad Units
Similar to mobile platforms, revenue gap also exists between smartphones and tablets. So each publisher can close the mobile ad revenue by creating multiple display ad units according to user-consumption patterns. At the same time, publishers need to extend native platforms for individual handheld devices to easily serve smaller banner ads. Similarly, the animations and videos can be customized for individual mobile platforms to attract and engage the users.

3) Build Innovative Mobile Ad products
The quality and effectiveness of the mobile ad product will have a direct impact on the revenue. So the publishers can avail several benefits by building innovative mobile ad products. In addition to using the products as a medium to impress enterprises, the ad products can further focus on the needs of individual advertiser. The innovative mobile ad products will further encourage advertisers to allocate more funds to serve mobile ads.

4) Target a Higher Level of Customer Intimacy
Each enterprise wants to serve mobile ads by targeting the most relevant users. In addition to customizing the mobile ad products, it is also important for publishers to convince businesses about the effectiveness of mobile advertisement. Therefore, the publishers must explore innovative intelligent marketing techniques that enable them to serve customize mobile ads by targeting the most relevant users. However, no publisher can develop a high level of customer intimacy without putting some amount of time and effort. A publisher also needs to implement a strategy to gather information about the customers and advertisers from several reliable sources.

Despite the rapidly growing popularity of handheld devices, many organizations still allocate a large part of their advertisement budget for conventional print programs. Further, many organizations allocate funds for mobile advertisement from their overall digital marketing budgets. So the publishers must convince more and more organizations to allocate more funds for serving mobile ads. It is also important to run campaigns to make entrepreneurs realize the distinct advantages of mobile advertisement. With companies investing more funds in mobile advertisement campaigns, it will be easier for publishers to close the mobile ad revenue.

Each new mobile device comes with a set of additional and extended features. Also, handheld device manufacturers frequently integrate new technologies to deliver rich user experience. So the publishers must monitor the frequent changes in technology and user demand to close the mobile revenue gap in the long run.

You can hire developers from top mobile app development companies in India who can help you build mobile apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide mobile app development services. If you would like to discuss with an expert mobile app developer from our team, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.

4 Ways to Make Your Mobile Website Feel like a Native App

With more and more users accessing the web on their mobile devices, it has become essential for webmasters to optimize their website for popular mobile devices. Many organizations even launch a distinct mobile version of their website to deliver improved user experience. But may reports have highlighted how mobile users expect an app-like experience while accessing websites on their smartphones and tablets. In comparison to web applications, native apps are faster.

Further, the buttons respond to users in an instant, along with rendering the images and animations. So the speed and performance of a mobile website must be optimized to deliver app-like experience. However, the developers also have to incorporate certain features to make the website look and feel like native mobile applications. At the same time, they also need to use innovative technologies like XML and HTML5 to make the website accessible to the user regardless of his choice of mobile web browser.

4 Ways to Provide a Native App-like Feel to Your Mobile Website

1) Include Momentum Scrolling
Most developers find it a daunting challenge to create scrollable container on the mobile site that is both fast and responsive. But the iOS 5+ and Android 3+ make it easier for developers to create an efficient scrollable container using the overflow-scrolling property. As the momentum scrolling feature is native, it will make the mobile website feel like a native app. Also, the property can be enabled simply by adding it to a scrollable container. However, the property needs to be adjusted according to the version of iOS or Android. It also needs to be tested thoroughly to identify and fix performance flaws.

2) Make the Buttons More Responsive
Often the buttons of a mobile website affects app-like experience negatively. Most developers leave the default touch state of buttons and hyperlinks unaltered. It results in the mobile website requiring more time to respond to the initial tap of the user. So the performance of a mobile website can be optimized simply by activating state on mobile devices. The state will further contribute towards the button responding to the visitor tap in an instant, while indicating visually that the some action is being taken. At the same time, the mobile web browser will not put timeout, and ensure that the action is being executed by the user’s initial tap.

3) Use Innovative Hardware-Accelerated Animations
The use of animation also affects the responsiveness of a mobile website. Most native apps are designed with features to take advantage of the device’s hardware graphic acceleration features. But the websites often use JavaScript-based animations that make them slower. The latest mobile web browsers allow developers to use hardware-accelerated CSS3 animations. With the innovative option, developers can easily add animations to deliver an app-like experience. However, it is also important to check the CSS3 animations thoroughly to ensure that they are not affecting the speed and responsiveness of the mobile website.

4) Harness Natural Gestures
The native mobile applications are also effective in harnessing the natural gestures associated with the usage of touch devices. Most app developers take advantage of these gestures to optimize user experience. But mobile website developers often fail to capitalize on the natural gestures. Instead of relying only on tapping objects, the website developer must implement these natural gestures like pull to refresh, side to side swiping, and long press. Most mobile web browsers implement the gestures in distinct ways. So the mobile website must be tested to ensure that it is availing the full advantage of gestures.

An enterprise can also consider launching hybrid mobile apps to bridge the gap between native apps and mobile websites. The hybrid apps can avail some of the features of the native as well as web applications, while taking advantage of device features. Further, these can be downloaded by the users from the app stores, and accessed using the browser embedded in the app.

You can hire developers from top mobile app development companies in India who can help you build mobile apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide mobile application development services. If you would like to hire mobile app developers from us, we would be glad to assist you at Mindfire Solutions.

Hire iPhone 5 app developers

The imagination of users has been caught like never before by the features and functionalities offered by smartphones nowadays. Apple with its focus on innovation and unique consumer experience has performed phenomenally well in this field. With the launch of iPhone 5 the gap that exists between android and iPhone is expected to go down even further making it a stronger contender to take up the top position. The popularity of iPhone and iPad, both at the level of consumers and corporates, has led to continued demand for application development work. Software companies have been on a hiring spree for iPhone developers to capitalize on the demand and companies in other industries with Mobile development needs are keen on identifying IT partners they can rely on for their ongoing needs. Mindfire Solutions, with its years of deep experience in iOS development, is a company which has the capability to serve both the needs. With our experienced team of iPhone app developers, we have established successfully partnership with many of our clients spread across various industries. With all the expertise to bank on we can be a high reliable offshore partner for custom iPhone 5 development work. 

Healthcare is one of the areas where we have done a lot of work for last 10+ years now. A very interesting iPhone app that we developed was in the area of Ophthalmology.  This app works to combat blindness in developing and developed countries, restoring sight through specialist treatment and eye care. It is used by eye care professionals to help demonstrate various eye diseases, conditions and treatments to their patients. The app is neither meant to serve neither for definitive diagnostic purposes nor as a substitute for clinical judgments. This app was developed as a reference application for eye doctors. The application shows 3D images and videos which include eye structure as well as various types of problems that occur in the eyes. These pictures/videos are categorized according to their relevance to the eye problem. We have trusted the development skills of our developers and their unmatched enthusiasm to take up many complex iPhone app development projects in the past and have been successful in meeting their expectations, always delivering within timelines and their budget. Some of the industries we have worked with our Custom iPhone app development services include Entertainment, Lifestyle, Education, E-Learning, Real Estate etc.

If you have a need to quickly port your existing apps to iPhone 5 and are pressed against time or you are looking out for a reliable partner to custom develop iPhone 5 applications, Mindfire Solutions can be your one stop solution provider. We have been the preferred destination to hire services for dedicated iPhone/iPad app development work for many of our clients in the past. Our iOS Application Development team with an average experience of 4+ years has successfully executed 50+ iOS projects till date. In addition to this our customers also get the benefit of flexible hours of working at affordable cost. Mindfire solutions’ iPhone development India team’s technical expertise can be used for custom iPhone/iPad development, mobile web, porting and migration, testing and games development. To get our new clients to understand and experience the quality of our delivery, we have the provision for a 100 hours risk free trial*.

Our engagement models are quite flexible. You can either hire iPhone developers based out of India or augment your development team but having an extended team with us. Know more about our expertise in Custom iPhone 5 development services and outsourcing your mobile app development requirements, please contact us at sales at mindfiresolutions dot com. We will be glad to help you.