How to optimize keywords for your iTunes app

App store optimization has become the focal point of app marketing for app development companies. Everyone wants to get it right and get their apps discovered. Of the many factors for a successful ASO campaign is keyword optimization. The keyword associated with an app is always determined by the title and the description of the application deployed in the store, however this is not all. In order to efficiently use keywords and optimizing them for your app is a tricky stuff. Here are some of the suggestions to optimize your keywords for iTunes.

• Try and put as many high value terms in the title as possible. It is better to use more than 5 keywords in the title. If you are using a keyword mining/app analytics tools you can easily find out the most preferred keywords and incorporate them in the description and title.

• Remember that itunes does not allow you to go beyond 100 characters for keywords. This is a critical limitation in itunes but on the other hand it makes the marketers write more specific.

• It is better if you avoid using spaces between the keywords. Provide commas and write one keyword after another. Plural versions of the words can be used and need not be registered. iTunes is doing a better job with plural words these days.

• One should also understand the general principle of competition in present mobile app development scenario. It is better to consider the keywords that have average search volume. High volume keywords have high competition and hence ranking your app will be more difficult. You must always remember that the goal of all ASO activities is to get your app discovered by the relevant mass of users.

• Do not duplicate your app name/terms in the keyword field. If your app name is Poop the world, do not use poop and world in the keyword field. It is not advised and should be avoided.

• Run a search on google adwords and check out the keywords. If there are a lot of popular apps in the app store that clashed with your app keywords, you might look for another set of keywords or set different name for your app.

• Two short words can lead to more traffic than one long word however key phrases that your target audience might search with, can be a good deal too.

• Keep analytics handy and try to understand what exactly people are searching when they are reaching your app and installing it. Is it a set of keywords or is it some popular key phrase that you could not figure out was possible to help them discover your app?

Keywords optimization is one of the key factors in app store optimization. However one has to understand that their approximation about the type of users they are attracting might vary. One needs to consistently keep an eye on the visits, analyze them and make required changes it required.

Top 10 Wearable devices available in Market

Fit bit Zip and flex:

Zip helps people understand that physical activities in a normal daily life can be extremely productive to achieve fitness goals. The device tracks your daily walking, sleeping and motivates you to take a few more steps to achieve a fitness goal. The device sees exercise as a continuous process and makes it measurable for the users.

Apart from Zip, Fit Bit also make Flex, a wristband studded with LEDs to track your daily steps, exercise sessions and sleep quality. Flex is more inclined towards fitness enthusiasts while Zip is targeted for every one.

The devices leverage the entire Fit Bit experience through the Fit Bit mobile app for iOS https://itunes.apple.com/in/app/fitbit/id462638897?mt=8 and android   https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fitbit.FitbitMobile.

Android Wear+ Motorola Smartwatch:

Android wear is expected to be a major step towards creating an acceptable wearable device on a massive scale. Android wear is based on the idea of cutting down the time users spend on Smartphones, hooked on to the screen. The device looks like a regular round shaped wristwatch that helps you perform numerous tasks with lesser efforts as compared to . It gives back your time for you to spend them with your loved ones.

Google Glass:

A lot has been written about the glass till date. The advantages of glass and its misuse, everything has been thoroughly calculated. While a large bunch of users see them as highly invasive, others are not comfortable with a 24*7 gadget on face. They compare google glass to bluetooth headsets which faced poor adaptability and not much of apparent utility.

Nike+ Fuel Band:

This is another popular health and fitness and has considerable fan following. Just like the Fit Bit flex, the device features an array of LEDs to represent the goals achieved for any specific day or time period. The device is again synced with a mobile app that allows users to monitor their progress with more details.

Ca7ch:

Pronounced as catch, it is actually a wearable startup that allows you to live stream videos to other devices. The camera is small and can be attached to your garment for hands free recording and the video setting etc can be controlled by the application itself. The application has been developed at Openxcell and is ready to roll out soon.

Sony and Samsung Smart Watches:

There was a lot of interest generated towards Apple when it was rumoured that the company is hiring engineers to build the smartwatch. Although, there has been no signs of an iWatch but market is already fed with android powered watches from samsung and sony. Sony has been trying to create buzz in the market since some time but did not really succeed. The same applies to samsung smart watch that features a camera termed pervasive by many critics.

Swarovski USB Necklace :

A necklace studded with charming crystals while hiding a cool USB in the indise. With a 4gb of memory, the necklace is priced at $75 for the techno lover girls who do not want to miss out on fashion either.



Lark Pro Alarm:

Lark Pro alarm is wakes you up in a non earth shattering way while monitoring your sleep patterns simultaneously. The wristband would first monitor your sleep habits for the first 7 days and then suggest you patterns etc. The device is synced with an iPhone app and can sync data in real time. One can easily monitor their progress through the app UI, making the device highly useful.

Pebble:

Pebble is also in line with android wear and motorola 360. The only difference is the way they approach the same purpose. While pebble flaunts a square design, the moto comes with a natural round case. The pebble watch is supported by Android and iPhone apps and can reduce your smartphone usage time. They have recently launched the steel variants of the watch and will definitely compete the forthcoming moto with an established name and a strong user base.

How "Android Wear" will impact the wearable technology market

One of the recent blogs from Flurry indicates the rise of mobile app addicts who tap on an app more than 60 times a day. The other strata of users is not lagging behind either. Smartphones have invaded our lives and people have started to recognize it too. A recent video called ‘Look Up’ is currently doing rounds in the web that depicts intrusiveness of smartphone in our lives. But it seems like if any one of the tech biggies has taken it seriously its google and their answer to this seems to be a wearable device from the android team of the company. It called the Android Wear.

Android wear is a round shaped watch that is focused to make your life easy without asking too much attention from your side unlike the smartphone. Google has released the developer preview for the device and has also come out with a video.

According to Gartner the market for wearable devices will become worth 5 billions and it includes many devices from various manufacturers. However, if google is coming out with own device, there got to be something special about it. Till date, whenever we thought about a wearable device, we could not think it without the smartphone. Infact, smartphone makes the best out of a device because it can run an immersive app to control the device.

This is what Google is trying to disrupt with android wear. Apps will be developed exclusively for android wear and the device can intuitively add value to the user’s life. by taking into consideration factors such as location, local time, user behavior etc. Hence, if you have an android device you may let your fingertips rest and avoid your eyes to get hooked onto the smartphone screen.

Based on location, the device can also suggest you nearby locations and lead you to find it efficiently. The device will also prompt you about the latest or an important news/fact about any particular location. Unlike the smartphone, that needs to be taken out of the pocket, the message consumption in android wear will be instantaneous with gesture based swipe and quick voice commands.

If we consider this with the existing, smartphone dependant devices, the android wear comes out at top due to its notable agility. On to it, android OEMs have been inflating the screen size every quarter, making these devices a difficult choice for purposes that demands agility. No one would be comfortable running in the park with a 5 inch phone. It is difficult.

In a market with smartphone dependant wearable devices the android wear can immediately strike beneficial to a lot of users. It will provide an agile alternative to help you manage your daily activities of life which otherwise requires more effort when done through a smartphone, or a smartphone controlled device that requires close vicinity to a smartphone.

Author's Bio: Openxcell technolabs is an experienced company that makes mobile apps for wearable devices. Visit www.openxcell.com for more details.

Why your App design is critical for the users and the app stores?

Potential app developers dive into the mobile app development process to attain a prolific app with certain goals in mind. While those individual goals are always worked upon rigorously, few basic yet inevitable objectives need equal attention and efforts to witness better end results. One of those basic goals should be to formulate an app design that pleases the users and the app stores at the same time.

Design is one of the most critical elements of an app and it holds a major responsibility in terms of leveraging the importance and efficiency of the app in the app stores and also prominently amongst its target audience. Every app demonstrates design principles in terms of two specific aspects, i.e User Interface and User Experience. It is those crucial components of the application’s user interface that combinedly work together to deliver a better user experience to the users. Remember, design is one element that appeals to the mass at the first instance and manages to hold them till the end.

Importance of app design from the user’s perspective

• Did you know that there are one in four applications that are once downloaded and not used again.

• What these applications fail to provide is a seamless user experience to the users.

• An ideal user experience comprises of UI components, such as appealing visual designs, flawless functionalities, user-friendly design, easy navigation, no blank screen, appropriate color combinations and themes, responsive UI elements and graphic and easy to understand features.

• Elements like app icon, graphics and screenshots are some of the most critical aspects of visual design of the app. These elements can make or break your app’s first impression;  an instance that means everything to you when there are thousands of other similar apps trying to grab attention in the app stores.

• Keep in mind, while users have opted to indulge with your app leaving behind many, they would be having certain expectations from their chosen one. Using the app features without any glitches, user-friendly elements to deal with and an overall appealing theme and color combinations are few of the basic expectations of users from an efficient app.

• Therefore, knowing what sort of experiences you potential users are willing to go through beforehand and formulating your app UI based on those aspects will help you to congregate a well designed app.

Importance of app design from the app stores’ perspective

• Your application’s ranking in the app store is utmost critical; certainly because a good ranking in the app store can leverage the download numbers to greater heights.

• But before that, your app will demand a sizable user base that prefers engaging with the application on daily basis and with utmost dedication.

• App engagement is an important internal app metric and the key to please the app store algorithms at the same time.

• There are many different ways to increase your user acquisition through internal (app store optimization) and external (marketing and branding) techniques, but leveraging the same by providing a prolific app design is one of the best ways to increase app store ranking which will be further drive better visibility in the app store.

• Also, another way to subdue the app stores is to smartly use the controls that are native to particular platforms on which you would be placing your app on.

Some Keynotes from the Apps world panel: App design to satisfy app stores and consumers alike by Andrew Spooner

• Mostly, it is the user that you should be satisfying, users must feel like the application is part of the platform.

• Saying that, if you want to please the store owners then you need to think like they do.

• Embrace the UI and UX principles that each platform owner wants to highlight and you will make the store owner's happy.

• Users are married to their devices and rarely use the same application across devices so are unlikely to start complaining that an application works a different way on different platforms.

• They're much more likely to complain if an application works in a different way to other apps on their device.

• With regard to Responsive design; the fundamental thinking should be 'how could I best display this content within the confines of these pixel dimensions' with a great level of consistency, even if you radically change the way that content is displayed on a 8' tablet and on a 30' all-in-one.

How mobile and apps have transformed the way of business?

Consistent evolution is the key to a successful business, and it is must for every enterprise to consider their growth closely in regard with the latest trends and technology around the world. It is certainly every entrepreneurs utmost aim to be where their potential audience is. And today, we need not mention that an enormous mass is heading towards mobile apps and mobile commerce in order to suffice their savviness for mobile technology.

The latest juncture is that, social media is taking over televisions and most importantly the smart phones and tablets are all you need to accomplish any sort of tasks on the spur of the moment. Indeed, the digital transformation has already taken place and now it is time for the enterprises to streamline operations, drive increased productivity, and enhance their customer experience by incorporating mobile technology into their business.

The potential enterprises who haven’t yet and are willing to incorporate mobile technology into their business, need to closely pay attention to some insightful facts and also to how the audience have been more precisely interacting and responding to various businesses with the help of smartphones and tablets. Yes, the change is revolutionary and eyeopening.

• The mobile usage statistics acquired recently by conducting analysis show that users are accessing apps 87 percent of the time they are on a mobile device; this means they are spending only 13 percent of their time on the World Wide Web.

• According to Simon Khalaf, the CEO of Flurry, Internet technology has triggered the most rapid and remarkable disruption of conventional business practice since the Industrial Revolution. Fueled by social media, cheaper data, improved telecommunications infrastructure and the rise of mobile technology, the global economic landscape is growing and changing in ways never before seen.

• Previously, the mass would have to greet piled up emails, which are now being instantly checked and responded in two to twelve hours.

• Social networks are now full-fledgedly taking their own course to help businesses grow. It is the prime place where your business has the maximum chances of going viral and creating the greatest buzz.

• The availability of mobile apps almost for free of cost is driving more and more people to try novel apps from different platforms.

• The lowered technology costs are driving more people to grab a smartphone and experience the unmatched user experience.

The front runners’ take on How mobile transforms the enterprise?

• John Jeremiah, the senior product marketing manager of HP quoted, “No vendor can take for granted their place in the New Style of IT, it has to be earned. Traditional vendors have to re-think themselves, new products, new partners with new solutions.”

• Some striking thoughts shared on Why enterprises should love mobile by a panel that comprised of Moderators, Marketing Managers and Directors from companies like eWEEk, HP, IBM and more.

• The value of a multi-disciplinary approach in realising and enabling innovation through mobile

• Digital innovation at the centre of new business development

• Fostering an environment of innovation allows businesses to thrive and creates positive impact in all areas

How can you implement mobile into your business?

Step 1- Create an effective online presence with a virtual brochure, a dedicated website of your product or brand. It holds more value than paper version, low- cost and easy to update.

Step 2- Tweak the best part of your brand or product and transform it in the form of an app. Your goal should be to make it valuable by all means; something that compels the audience to come back to it at regular intervals.

Step 3- Now, study your business process, evolve and optimize accordingly.

Step 4- You can also consider mobile first wherein you serve a responsive website to your target audience. Making a responsive website becomes a must if mobile app development is not your priority.

Monetization and value through android’s uniqueness

Android might not have many takers from the BYOD gang but it has its own advantages that adds irreplaceable value to its users. Of course, it is the customization we are talking about and its advantages that puts android over iOS in many aspects if not security. There are many takers for that and twitter seems to be one of them. Recently, the company has acquired the  popular launcher app called cover. Both Cover and Twitter give credit to the openness of android and the association can be highly beneficial for Twitter.

What is cover?

Android app development experts have been enthusiastic about launcher apps after the first home app launched by facebook. Cover is an extension of that experience put forth in a favorable and non interruptive manner unlike Facebook home. The application groups your apps in accordance to your daily routine. So when you go out at work, you have all the office, mail and other important apps on your screen while when you come back home, pandora, netflix etc. are already on to have you entertained. The app considers many variables to determine your location and activity you are involved in. In other words, the app knows where you are and what you are doing.

Importance for Twitter

Android app development company India believes that Twitter could have a lot of advantages from the acquisition. Twitter can be always aware of your location and daily activities and this creates huge monetization potential for the platform. Twitter can send socially driven and group oriented ad suggestions and can also send push notifications.Apart from that android app development experts suggest that launchers are a great way to create lock screen apps and twitter can very well do that with cover.

Android app development India experts are seeing a number of opportunities in the platform for monetization. Despite being a second choice to iOS in many aspects, there are unique opportunities provided by the ecosystem for substantial monetization.

An iPhone for everyone?

iPhone app developers can be up for another surprise this year. It is because Apple can release their next iteration of iPhone with 4.7 and 5.5 inch screens. Apple had earlier stressed on the experience part and said that big screens does not make a phone greater. However some recent leaks has confirmed that the new iPhone might be launched in 2 versions that would vary in their screen sizes, the bigger being 5.5 inches. So where does the company going? Has it also started believing that getting bigger is the only way to evolve?

A mobile device:

You might have come across this weird scene of runners running with huge galaxy devices held in their hands. iPhone users never reached there. However, with this news breaking, it is obvious that iPhones might not remain as mobile as it is till date. Carrying anything in your pocket which is bigger than 4.5 inches is difficult. If the next iPhone is this big, then it is surely going to loose customers who use it as a mobile device for fitness purposes. For an iPhone app development company that make such apps, it will be difficult. A 5.5 inch screen kills the mobility factor of a smartphone.

A segregated market:

Apple might also be looking forward towards creating an iPhone for each and every user. Already, we have 4 variants of the iPhone today. The only thing that the iPhone lacks is the massive screen size that android OEMs are offering. from 3.5 to 5.5 inches, the iPhone will be available in many forms for everyone to make a choice. One who wants a massive screen might buy the biggest one while few might feel that the iPhone 5 is the perfect one. Based on income demography iPhone has always targeted the richest and hence price will not really matter. Those users would buy an iPhone if they so want.

A lot has been talked about smartphone screens getting bigger. While opinions are segregated over the choice, it seems there is a high probability that Apple is setting up more product depth for its prospective customers iPhone for everyone to make a choice.

Some grossing iOS apps that are remarkable too

Let us look at some top grossing apps that are leading the iTunes stores and would probably continue to lead the charts for a long time.

Truecaller:

Truecaller is a remarkable application that has grown for its unbeatable utility. Blocking spam calls from service providers or unknown callers was never so easy. But the best feature it provided was to identify possible callers who are unidentified or strangers. The features kept for in-app purchase of the application were also relevant and poised themselves as valuable add ons. Truecaller has earned a 4.4 rating in iTunes and set definitely set for a business model that will be focused to stop call spamming and trace numbers tweaked in accordance to the a numerous factors.

We phone:

We phone is an incremental application over skype and viber. The backbone of the application is based on the call quality it delivers which is much better than skype. It is not uncommon for skype to disconnect or hang up between an ongoing call. We phone capitalizes on that and gives crystal clear call quality to its users. iPhone app development experts at we phone have set a well devised monetization plan based on credit buying. It is set according to the usage patterns of users.

Viber:

Viber is also a mass driven in-app purchase based app that combines the goodness of apps like Line and We chat along with awesome call clarity over 3g or wifi. Viber positions itself as a perfect app that can be used by people to communicate with a lot of visual expressions while also giving them a chance to do VoIP calls. However, iPhone app development experts of the company have strategized the credits pack with respect to other demographic variables.

Candy Crush:

Candy crush is one of the most addictive game that which earns more than $800k everyday from in-app purchase. The game is highly addictive and runs on multiple platforms including the web and Facebook too. Infact the major revues for the application comes from facebook itself but social sharing and presence across the platform is highly beneficial that triggers a lot of in app purchases. These in-app purchases are mostly to purchase extra lives. The driving factor here is the addictiveness of the game and social sharing.

2048:

It is a highly addictive games developed by the iPhone app development experts of Ketchapp. The puzzle game is addictive and ensures long playing sessions. Monetization of the app is not been done through in app purchase however the app features interstitials after each session is completed. The game has a lot of potential to earn though various other monetization including in- app purchase as well.

Though Android is the market leader, iOS remains the thought leader

According to gartner the total market share of android stood almost 58% while iOS stood at 23%. There is a great advantage when you have the largest number of users using your operating system. Everything that is done on the system gives massive results.Huge ecosystems that are based on free software offerings can provide huge benefits and this is applicable with android too. Infact the fate of a game such as flappy bird could not have been the same if it did not have an android version. A mobile app development company knows these benefits associated with android but does not rule out the trendsetting iOS platform at the same time. It is also reported several times that despite holding a small market share, iOS has earned 5 times more revenues than android. It might irk a few android fanboys but Apple still has a  thought leadership engine at the bottom of iOS which solves user challenges more efficiently.

The inception:

iPhone app development India and developers all around see iOS as the standard platforms which is considered as a reference for app development. The iPhone was based on the idea of revolutionizing the smartphone and it did not really do anything entirely inventive to achieve that. It was just a mash up, upgradation and reiteration of existing technologies to make a mobile device that put a credible device to capture, send and process data with an immersive experience for the first time. Android came second.

Upgradations that are worth:

No doubt android has made it possible for a large number of income groups to use a smartphone with speedy upgrades; Apple on the other hand has been very consistent with their upgrades. The idea of solving problems fuelled the same and what users got was highly organized and useful upgrades. Be it the iOS7 or the fingerprint reader, everything adds value to the entire ecosystem.

The future:

The mobile device evolved by leaps and bounds with the first iPhone. Since then, the smartphone ecosystems have been trying to prove valuable for various segments of users and industries. One of the major breakthrough here for iOS is its ability to prove itself for the enterprise. The iOS7 has clearly proved its advantages over android in enterprise computing and has addressed some of the most critical issues. Android has not been able to do it yet.

With an open source code, android has its own set of advantages. However, it does come with a lot of challenges for a conventional user. Generic users have their own set of challenges and to answer them in the best way possible a lot of thought leadership is necessary. Till now, Apple has been doing this more often than android which has kept the made the ecosystem most valuable if not the biggest.

Common ways to build revenues through in app display ads

There are numerous ways you can earn money through hosting advertisements in your mobile application. One of the fundamental tradeoff that comes with in app advertisements is between earnings and user experience. However, if placed properly, they can give you substantial earnings and splash you with money if you get your app viral by luck. One of the recent examples can be mentioned of flabby bird that earned the developer a whopping $50000 a day through ads at its peak. The ads used to appear in between the consecutive sessions when you kill the bird till the beginning of the next session.

There are numerous in app ad types you can go for. Although there are numerous micro factors, engagement of the game is the central factor that decides the ad type to be incorporated in your application.

In app mobile advertising:

Numerous app development company go for in app mobile ads as they are convenient to get done. Just download the SDK , select an ad network and go.

Advantages: Robust, Lot of options for monetization that comes out of the app

Banners:

Banners are again very popular although a lot of user might find them annoying and spammy. Banners are easily deployable and can start working pretty quickly. The CTR through banner however are low as they do not appear to be trustworthy.

Interstitials:

Interstitials are meant to feature ads on the screen at specific time intervals that may vary from one app to another. Mobile app developer like interstitials to an extent as they appear in a pattern when user attention is at the highest.

Video ads:

There is already a lot of apps that come with video ads. Video ads attract the highest eCPMs and promises to be the next big thing for mobile applications. Facebook and twitter are already contemplating to bring video ads for mobile. And it can also become an important platform to create advertisements in the coming times. As 4g penetrates into most part of the worlds, video ads will become an important platform.

App walls:

An app development company can utilize app walls for multiple purposes. App walls can advertise multiple apps in one splash and hence they are effective tools for app marketing. There are many android app that carry app walls and are pulling a lot of revenues.

Mobile ad display is a dynamic space where things are changing and improvising at a high pace. The methods and platforms are getting more and more streamlined, yielding better results for advertisers and mobile app developers each day.

How is developing a Mobile game preferable over an app and still be profitable?

Games remains the most popular category of apps in both app stores. Making a game is always an exciting idea. An interesting game can attract numerous downloads and create huge revenue potential for an app development company. Yes, developing a game app is preferred over other app categories and are often turn out to be the highest grossers in the app stores. The profitability of a great game app remains unquestioned within the app development community and more and more games are being made.

If you browse across the most grossing iOS apps of the last year, game haves again taken the centre stage with their sheer number in the list. The trends follow in android too with a lot of games earning most of the money. However at the same time, most of these game apps are either free or provide in app purchase options. Are they profitable enough? Is making a game app confirms increased chances of profitability?

The state of touch screen devices:

Look into the enterprise apps, they do not really amass to huge download numbers. Blackberry has been ousted by Apple but iOS 7 enterprise features is a recent thing. The gross implication still suggests that the touch screen devices still contribute to a large number of media consumption. Casual mobile games steals a significant share of that pie every time. It is apparent from the data posted by Flurry that games are one of the most engaging app category in the app stores. More than 30% of the time on smartphones are spend on casual games. Females contribute to a lot to that share too. Hence, there is a lot of scope for an app development company when they make a game application.

The profitability factor:

Game apps brings substantial to massive earning potential that can be churned out of multiple monetization routes. An app development company believes that these days it is utmost important to deploy a free version of the game. The first version need to be free. Being a game app, there must be an opportunity for everyone to download and enjoy the game. Free download dodges the of price and provides experience to a large number of users. Following the success of the first version, a paid version can later be launched to monetize the user base.

The game app can also be updated to give new features and provide in-app features that can be paid. The session time can also be monetized with ads that are strategically crafted with respect to the UX/UI.

Everybody likes some casual entertainment:

Every app development company that ever worked on an app will understand that while other apps can be demography specific, games breaks all these barriers to enter all the territories. Everyone, despite their age, language or gender can play a casual game creating a lot of revenue potential that is apparently difficult with other apps.

Games are one of the most popular category in the app stores and can promise huge revenues for a developer. If one can execute a great game app idea, it is surely going to get big on app stores.

How to decide between a responsive website or a native mobile app?

Choosing between making a native mobile app and a responsive mobile website is difficult. To arrive at the right decision, the only thing that can guide you is your requirement. There are pros and cons associated with both of them but your business requirements and budget will help you make the right choice.

When to make a mobile app?

1. When you are a renowned brand and people know you.

2. When your think your are going to attract regular usage for your app.

3. You want to make something interactive or building a game app. The assets better be stored in the device for faster code execution.

4. When you plan to employ the device’s hardware such as camera, voice recorder etc then mobile apps make sense.

5. If you are looking to provide offline browsing for your target users, apps are the way to go.

6. Apps with graphic intensive operations.

When to make a mobile website or go for responsive web page design?

Your mobile app development company must consider going for a mobile website when

1. You do not have much of brand recognition in the market.

2. Your need to serve the data at the fastest and most efficient manner. Unlike apps, mobile websites need not be optimized for all devices. The usage of CSS3 makes them fit across a large number of display resolutions.

3. You need cost effective development. Mobile websites are deployed once and can be accessed irrespective of the device configuration. This brings down development costs, that would have been spent on making an app otherwise.

4. You need SEO benefits (as you do not have a strong brand name). Mobile websites come with all the SEO features in the backend and catalyses search engine rankings.

5. It is best suited for corporate websites for displaying information across a large number of devices.

6. Mobile websites are also best for entities that need high immediacy, such as news websites.  If you have a mobile website, you have better chances to be visible on SEPRs when you publish breaking news etc. Apps do not give you that flexibility.

These are some of the general conditions that can help you make the right decision when choosing between responsive web page design and a native app. If you are still confused you can consult an experienced mobile app development company.

The S5 is good but not exciting

So the device war for 2014 has already began and android app development companies are waiting to have their hands on the new launched devices. Last year has not been that great for samsung and with the new device they would be hoping to register significant sales figures. However, competitors have geared up too and seems like this year is going to be really a tough battle for the all the android OEMs. Among everything there are minimal improvements in features that can be called as substantial incremental innovation. Samsung has already tried using head movements, air gestures etc. to create something sometatial but all that could not attract the attention of android app development experts till date. Keeping this in view, will the new galaxy s5 loaded with waterproof feature and a fingerprint sensor create value for the company and android developers.

The competitive android market:

There is a stiff competition between OEMs in the android market these days and unlike 2011-2012, samsung is no more the only android OEM player. In korea the company has significant sales but Apple comes out as the favorite in japan and china now. People want the iPhone more than any android device and this suggests that samsung is not going to steer clear to the record breaking sales figures. Even in America and europe, the iPhone is likely to fare better in terms of sales volume.

If we talk about the competition within android then in south asia itself, cheap android manufacturers are doing exceptionally well. Brands such as xiomi, micromax etc. are not only creating high configuration cheap phones but paying close attention to the aesthetics as well. Making money from this segment is not easy. Talking about the relevant market of s5, competitors such as sony and HTC have already rolled out their flagship devices and have been able to get significant sales too. It cannot be a clean sweep for samsung.

For android app developers the fingerprint sensor is of some use. If samsung provides an API for the sensor , we can surely expect to see some app innovations based on the fingerprint sensor. This is somehow a little far fetched but there is not much exciting in the device this time as well.

It is certain that samsung will sell a significant number of S5s too but like the previous year there isn't anything much exciting.

A throwback to the android timeline

Android becoming the largest mobile ecosystem today suggests that open source software governed by a strong team of developers can do wonders. There are numerous open source projects that have failed in the due course of time. Not due to lesser creativity of the developer community but mostly due to improper channeling of efforts coupled with bad timing and strategies with updates etc.

Android, under the leadership of google surpassed these challenges. It made an average app development company to treat android as one of the major platforms. After its first release, the popular mobile operating system has undergone a myriad of changes that were centred on improvising the performance of the OS. Lets look at some of the critical events from its inception to becoming the largest mobile ecosystem.

• Founded in 2003 android was eventually acquired by google in 2005.

• The first android device was an HTC dream that ran the android 1.0 version which was upgradable to android 1.6, also named as froyo.

• Being an opensource software that had the potential to draw a large number of OEMs, android gave itself a strong symbolic identity and named it successive versions derived from food.

• Android launched 2 successive updates to its first major versions in 2008 V 1.4 and 1.6 respectively.

• The next major change came with gingerbread that focused on larger resolution, speedy touch navigations, support VoIP and SIP, more sensor support, extended web video format support and various other advancement. Gingerbread went on to become the most stable for android developer india and other countries and has recently been outnumbered by jellybean.

• Gingerbread was followed by the third major release, honeycomb. Android developers india and developers from other countries did not see much affinity towards this release. During its launch in feb 2001, most of the leading devices were manufactured by samsung and the upgrade brought a lot of issues with network connectivity. However honey comb was important for android as it was the first android version to support dual core processors.

• Honeycomb was remained dormant and made way for ICS that successively captured a large market share, finally breaking the monopoly of gingerbread. ICS was hailed for its noticeable battery life and camera performance over Gingerbread. ICSs propagation can also be credited to the huge sales for galaxy s3 that registered record breaking sales.

• Just when ICS stood as a stable android version at the beginning of 2012, google launched another major upgrade that focused on a consistent frame rate of 60fps that gave a buttery feeling while navigating any touch action. Stock android browser was replaced by a mobile version of chrome. Jelly bean went for 3 major version upgrades. The latest is 4.3 and it runs on almost 9% of the total android devices.

• The latest major update that followed after JB was Kitkat. Kit kat was targeted to solve the sticky challenge of fragmentation and hence Kitkat is optimal for low RAM devices and supports zram too.

Android is highly valuable for an app development company and its successive development reinforces the fact that android is going to hold its ground strong to remain a dominant player in the market.

A $19b acquisition! whatsapp with facebook?

So the biggest acquisition in the history of business has been announced and nearly 19 billion is to be paid to whatsapp from facebook. Facebook, that has ruled the social space in the last decade has been finding it difficult to compete against the mobile messenger app. There is a lot of emphasis on retention of the user and whatsapp was winning the competition. The shift of internet towards mobile devices caught facebook in a ‘not very much prepared’ manner and quickly there was rise of an app driven ecosystem that was exclusive and interesting to the users. Is right of facebook to acquire one of the most successful app development company? What are the future implications for facebook?

There are reports that the application keeps on adding 1 million users daily and this is something substantial enough for an app development company to be acquired for billions. Facebook fought against whatsapp to gain advantage on mobile but failed. It just did not happen. Facebook was made for web that brought each and every tool together to add value to the social conversations. On the other hand whatsapp initiated altogether a new wave of social interaction. Facebook needed to compete against it and tried their best with the messenger app and later with an android launcher, both of them did not really take of. The only way they could have had their hands upon the most engaging interaction is by acquiring whatsapp. According to one of the reports messaging applications such as whatsapp, line and we chat are emerging as total ecosystems. As smartphones become the new tool to access internet and communicate, they are emerging as the biggest source of revenues too. Hence the acquisition is obvious from the point of view of revenues.

Facebook too, can learn more and delve deeper into optimizing their business around the mobile.With a team strength of 50, whatsapp is one of the most efficient app development company today and can be very helpful.  Facebook’s attempts to rule the mobile has been criticized in the past and the acquisition may bring better understanding of the mobile ecosystem into the company. Facebook might go on monetizing the users through an ad based model which might or might not affect the whatsapp user base. However, one thing is certain, facebook has acquired its major competitor that could have been a great threat to the facebook ecosystem an another couple of years. While bulky deal raises a lot of eyebrows and naysayers, it is going to help FB in the coming times significantly.

The rise and fall of flappy bird

In an app ecosystem crowded by more than 1.7 million apps strange things happens at times. And one of the most strange things that happened recently was the rise and fall of flappy birds. Many mobile app development companies and experts speculate that Dong Nguyen, the maker of the game has purchased traffic over web to get high download numbers for his game. Nevertheless, the game has been a sensation over the app stores and has generated significant amount of revenues for the mobile app development expert Dong Nguyen. Let us look at the brief history of the game that became an overnight sensation then vanished from the appstore.

Flappy Birds was first launched in 24th may 2013 and registered a few downloads in Russia followed by its peak position in the country within a month. Within the next 3 months the game starts to spread and gains top spot in australia as well. Mobile app development expert Dong Nguyen, updates the application while downloads in the US picks in the mean time. Till the end of december flappy bird was one of the top 10 iOS apps in North America. The game continued to grow and registered a geometric growth in the month of january. The game makes entry into android and ends up at the top apps in many countries in play store. By the first week of february flappy birds became a rage and topped both the app stores. However after all that, Dong Nguyen put down the game apparently.

Some of the app review experts have been harsh on the game criticizing the graphics and the levels of difficulty that the game brings in. One of the experts has put that it is not possible to get traffic in all the applications that Dong Nguyen has developed. Nguyen also said that it is not possible to do that or else Apple app store would have axed the app much earlier. Finally on February 10, Dong Nguyen put the game and ended the flappy bird phenomenon.

There are many unanswered turns to the flappy bird story but one thing is clear. You just need an idea that is potential enough for you luck to play its part.

Nokia dares to look beyond windows, tweaks Android!

So Nokia is also coming up with their own budget android phone. It does not raise eyebrows to hear this announcement when the company is desperately looking for some voluminous sales. However what an android app development company would find strange is the fact that the device will not have any direct application to the play store. However Nokia will give the app for Nokia app store (OVI store) to download apps for your device. Is this an effort from Nokia to create get a huge low end market and then sell apps to them. How should the decision of excluding play store be looked at?
 

 Nokia has a very strong brand perception that directly connect to dependability, trust and other major variables of brand loyalty. Especially in countries like India, Nokia is still one of the major players in the market selling most of the budget phones. People believe in the brand name and might give its android phone a chance. Forget about the play store thing, if we just look at the specs, it is fairly a great phone that comes with kit kat out of the box set to run on a 1.2ghz dual core. The market that it is targeting is mostly occupied by 4 inch+ phones made by players like micromax. And this is where the brand name Nokia might be able to topple the 5 incher micromax devices.

Micromax has already been known for its notorious customer service while with Nokia, it is vice versa. Nokia has one of the best customer service network in India and people are already aware about it.

If Nokia fares better as compared to micromax on the experience part, (for which micromax has bad reputation with some of its models) then it would open up doors for the company to sell feature rich phones for this market creating a substantial Nokia android cluster who will be downloading apps from the Nokia store and Nokia and come up with a substantial app store supported by reviews and some cash as well, derived from the paid apps. In the longer run the company might go for a larger spectrum of devices and target other segments too. This might looked a little farfetched but launching a budget android phone with its own app store indicates nothing but creating a foothold upon the chaotic android platform while also assuring a revenue generating app store in the future.

Everyone can be a superstar developer

Yes, it is true as we see the flappy birds score a fortune in the app stores. The game was simplistic with basic graphic that dated back to the mario days and all the user had to do is to tap to keep the bird flying while passing through the obstacles. The game got some bad reviews from the tech circles that talked mostly about the poor graphics and extremely difficult and frustrating gameplay. But it is ultimately the charts that matters the most. Mobile app developers ultimately create the apps for people and if it appears on the top ten spot, then there is nothing more a mobile app developer can ask for. 

From the flappy bird story you can easily predict that everyone can become a successful developer and deliver a hit in the app store. There are a few factors that can make your app the next success story on app stores and earn your huge revenues if you could do it right. One of the major aspect for mobile app developers should be upon the simplicity of the game. Be it angry birds or flappy birds, they did not asked for the least efforts from the games. You can play them anytime and without any mental stress. Mobile app developers must understand that simplicity is one of the major aspects with casual games and simpler the game play, more downloads and installs it is likely to get.

If you want to earn money from your app/game, then have a clear app monetization pathway into mind. Look into the various aspects as to how your app is being used by your userbase. For example in flappy birds, the gameplay never goes out of the loop while the users hit the replay button at least 3-4 times in a minute. These intermediate slots between sessions proved the ultimate goldmine for the developer, earning him more than $50k a day from ads that flashed between gameplay sessions.

Don’t under estimate android. Flappy bird went viral due to android. Hence, create a free version for android so that your app/game has wider reach amongst your target audience. Making an android device does not open up revenue channels directly but they will let you understand about the various other segments of users. You could target these cluster of users next time when you make an app or update your existing application.

Responsive web page design - Major Advantages

Mobile is the where the internet data is moving towards and businesses do not want to leave any opportunity or miss even a single visitor. The idea of single point access with only one URL is solidifying and mobile app development India companies suggest that a large number of businesses will opt for responsive websites in the near future. The boundaries between mobile and web is diminishing and it has become extremely important to engage the mobile users as well. Responsive websites developed by an experienced app development company can help monetize the mobile users and generate revenues. So how does responsive web pages create value for the business?

Condition: Responsive web design (RWD) help users to browse a website despite the varying resolution across multiple screens.

Benefit: Users do not come across deformed web pages resulting in lesser bounce rates and better engagement. Value of individual pages increase leading to better SEPRs.

Condition: RWD makes your website search engine friendly. This ultimately increases your online reputation and sales.

Benefit: Search engines, especially google has a dedicated algorithm called panda. Panda is fundamentally created to check the website experience and user satisfaction. If your website scores good in panda, you can secure a higher rank on google than your competitors.

 

Condition:RWD allows you to break the barriers and helps you to reach a wider demography through mobile devices.

Benefit: Mobile devices are teenager’s favorite tool these days. You may find out that there can be a potential market waiting out there in segments that you might not have explored. Major app development companies say that a mobile friendly website will enhance the overall visual appeal of the website and may find you new markets as well.

Condition: RWD allows you to have one point of access for all content and hence there is no need to make multiple websites.

Benefit: Mobileapp development India developers working on RWD projects suggest that it saves a lot on development costs. People can save at least save 50%-60% of the development cost that would have spent otherwise for creating multiple sites.

Condition: RWD saves a lot of time and minimizes hassles when it comes to website maintenance. 

 

Benefit: Maintenance time for multiple websites will be higher as compared to a single website. This saves huge on costs and maintenance time for the website that would have been wasted otherwise.

Prominent mobile app developers are paying emphasis on responsive web page design. There are numerous advantages and most importantly they are all futuristic.

The internal android disruption

Being an opensource mobile operating system, android has always been the center of attention for mobile app developers. Exclusive applications such as the laucnhers and lock screen apps are exclusivly an android thing. But apart from the apps, android is also responsible for creating internal segments of users within the android ecosystem. We are talking about the markets in countries like India and china where android OEMs such as micromax is writing altogether a new story with their budget smartphones. These smartphones are priced lower than $100 and run on android. How can these users with small pockets affect or drive app monetization in the play store? How is it beneficial for android?

In the first glance it might not very beneficial for google to have so many devices running android under these cheap brands. However many android app development company india believe that these users could amount as a substantial subset of users who could drive a lot of free apps downloads and provide rating for the applications aswell. If you have observed, the google play store provides a quick rating option in the play store for each time you visit. This rating is generally asked for the previous application the user has used. It is definite that if the number of users using an increases, the rating would also increase. App stores have already set users ratings as a critical ASO varible for app ranking. It is practical because, more the rankings are, more aunthetic reviews and hence position of the app would be.

Android apps would mostly earn from high end device users. And to give user satisfaction, proper app ranking is neccesary. Seeing this, these internal segments within android are quite valuable for users as well as mobile app developers who want to get their app discovered.