This week, Karen Harding from Objective IT, discuses the value of using cross platform experts to design an app for a business or organisation.
How to make your apps work on all devices
The advent of apps for mobile devices has opened a whole new way of communicating with your customers. With smartphone use rising seemingly by the minute, more people are doing more on the move and interacting with companies and organisations via apps.
In short, not only is an app for your customers desirable, it’s becoming more of a necessity to relate to people in the way they wish.
The same app on different platforms
The other consideration is producing an app that works well with whatever platform they are using. Whether Apple iOS, Android or Windows, the app needs to work smoothly. Also, don’t forget they may be using your app on more than one platform.
Think about it – they may be using your app in various different ways. Perhaps they have an iPad but use an Android phone, or perhaps they use an iPhone privately but have been issued with a Windows phone by their employer.
Careful cross platform development
The easiest trap to fall into is using the services of an app designer who is expert on only one platform. They might be able to develop your app for other platforms, but if their specialism is one specific type then your app might not be as strong across all platforms as you’d prefer.
Different tools for different platforms
There are different tools for each platform, but it’s far easier to have an app developed using a cross platform tool (a method by which your app is developed ‘centrally’ rather than using the specific programming systems of each platform).
Along with making an app more flexible, it will save you money in development and design costs as much of the code is shared across the different platforms.
Creating a bespoke solution
Your app can say a lot about you. If it’s pleasant to use and your users and customers can get what they want from it quickly and efficiently, it reflects on your company or organisation. It’s also a key relationship builder, so it needs to be right from the word go. Teething issues can annoy people – you don’t want to find yourself releasing too many revised versions once your app is in the marketplace and in common usage.
You’ll also need to make sure it’s unique to you and not leave your app users with the feeling it’s ‘like so-and-so’s app’ to use. It will also need to be easily adapted for new releases of the various platforms – and changes in hardware use.
For example, there’s a trend now for people to use larger screens on the move as smartphones more bigger screen real estate – popular phones include the Samsung Galaxy and the iPhone 6 Plus. There is also the possibility of larger tablets hitting the marketplace before long.
Getting it right from the start
Making an app that works across the various main platforms, that reflects well on your business, is efficient and pleasant to use, and is easy to adapt to changing hardware and software releases only comes about when it’s designed properly from the start.
The services of a good cross platform app developer is an investment that pays off time and again.